is anyone big on working out??

cause i have been going to LA fitness for the last 2 months, and have started to see slight progress, and my good friend and others have mentioned the protein drinks to help move things along a little fast since im skinny lol :laugh:
but i was wondering! if there is anything to watch out for when buying the protein stuff..??

 

Not really. Just get a huge container of whey protein (I've found that Chocolate tastes the best) and follow the guidlines on the container for the dose for your weight. I don't think anything bad would happen if you took more than recommended except that you might gain weight or something but yea. It's good stuff and will help out a lot. Another thing that would be good to purchase is Creatine. DO NOT BUY THESE AT NUTRIOTION STORES!!! Just go to Walmart or get them online because nutrition stores jack up their prices and protein and creatine are already kind of expensive to begin with - definately worth every penny though. Good luck!

 

I used to work out everyday. Now I am just too lazy and have no time. I used to drink protein everyday it really helps regenerate in the morning. No pain from working out at all and makes you sleep better.

 

Protein made me sleepy but I've heard different from others so it depends on your body and the way it effects you. I think you said before that you work out in the afternoon after school or whatever though so you should be fine just in case it makes you tired.

 

thank you thank you for sure didnt know you used to be the work out type!!!

 

i use to be a personal trainer and in the process of getting back into it. If you want you can PM me with any questions and ill help you out. But to help you out now. Just get whey protein. Unless you know you are sensitive to whey. Its the most fast acting protein that the body can absorb. So drink one right after a work out wit some high Glycemic carbs (Dex sugar to name one). The within 1-1.5 hours after your work out have a solid food meal, good source of protein and a low Glycemic carb (Brown rice, some white rices, etc) Dont worry about creatine. Plus there are a lot better things out there that utilize creatine in your body like (Kre-Alkalyne (Spelling?). You are still in the begining phases of workout. Just give it time

 

creatine messed me up when I took it... you have to be careful with that stuff and drink lots of water. I say stick with the whey... I am in the same boat as you...skinny and stuff. I used to work out hard a few years ago, I was up to almost 160...which is pretty big for me, but then I lost a bunch...but now gaining my way back. I am goin for the brad pitt fight club look. not like huge, but shredded and cut. I think I may be able to pull it off. haha.

 

yea im not going for the woooaaa that guy is huge :eek4: look. hahaha im just going for the cut/not so skinny look haha :biggrin:

 

+1 I took it (creatine) for some time during college and I'll never go back to using it, I say don't take anything but thats just me...I care more about performance than looks anyway...

 

how much is the whey roughly going to cost?

 

depends on what brand you get and how muc hstuff you wanna take, yeah protein will help you put on mass, taking too much is just wasting it cause your body won't use it all and you send it down the drain, my btu says that he like the stuff that walmart has casue it is cheap and is a value version of cell-tech which is waht I take, plus I believe it had creatine and protein together. I say get a good workout and change your diet that also is big, try and seperate your musle groups you are working on.

 

plan on spending about $40 a month on protein. You need to take in roughly a gram of protein per pound you weigh. So, I'm at 175 and I take 175 grams a day. Now remember thats a rough estimate and you dont want to take that much in supplemental form. You probably get close to 100 grams anyways just within a regular diet. I substitute about 100 grams daily just to make sure I'm covering it. As long as you dont get a protein that contains a lot of sugar and other fats in it, you wont gain anything you dont want to.

supplements should be the least of your worries right now. Getting into a good routine of working out and making it a habit should be your priority. After a few weeks your body will get "addicted" in a very good way, and you'll notice that the days you dont work out, you wont feel as energized.

Also, get a good one-a-day mens multivitamin. They help a lot with keeping your immune system up, and giving you all the minerals and other nutrients your body craves when it is fighting to get stronger.

Dont forget cardio, like running. Its not essential to go run a lot, but your body will build as uniformly as possible. Lifting your lower body is going to make (help) your upper body compensate by growing as well. Many people plateau when working out because they dont target their body as a whole. think of it like a car. More power isnt balanced without suspension and brakes.

I'm no personal trainer, but I spend a lot of time in the gym and running in my occupation. You will find your bodies shortcomings very quickly if you dont treat it like a machine. Keep it fueled properly*DRINK WATER*, stretch a lot so your body doesnt get tight an unflexible (which will end up causing injuries/pain), and build up your workouts. Dont be the guy who goes to the gym and racks up 300 lbs and doesnt lift it correctly. You'll hurt yourself, or build really goofy looking, unproductive muscle mass.

And dont take creatine or anything like nanovapor/blackpowder, etc. I know a lot of guys in the corps who have tried that stuff. They built mass, but then lost it as soon as they stopped using it. Their skin clarity took a big hit, (got acne) and they got moody. Protein is great.

 

also, target zones like I think mnsnodrifter mentioned. Lift say...your back, and a portion of your lower body one day. Then go for a short run (1.5 mi or something) and lift your chest and shoulders the next. Switch it up on your body. you should feel a LITTLE sore at least the next day to show that your body didnt expect what you dished out. I do abs every day, but switch up the way I work them out.

Sorry, thats a lot to take in all at once, but I know a lot of HEALTHY guys who use this, and every one of us on it scores over 270/300 on our PFT (personal fitness tests) in the marine corps. Much above average, and we lift about 3-4 times a week, alternating days that we run and do cardio. Dont forget to hit your body with reps like pushups and crunches and pullups on your odd days between lifting. It keeps it loose and builds tone/works the stabilizing muscles. Throw in some free-weights too if you feel like you've been in the machine section for too long.

Dangit, now I want to go to the gym.

 

www.Dpsnutriton.com has always been good to me.

First thing, makes sure you're getting at least a gallon of water into your body everyday. Before you start into the protien supplementation. This is not only just healthy, but will easy the transition for your stomach, as most people have some initial problems with protein supplement in the digestive regions.

But really, just buy this: http://www.dpsnutrition.net/get_item_on009.htm every 1 1/2 months and take 2-4 shakes a day (with water, not milk)

I personally recommend this: http://www.dpsnutrition.net/get_item_ct036.htm
as the single best protein on the market, for under 10$ a serving, but some people find that it messes with their pooping. Many others argue stupid points about the fat content etc. they usually don't know what they're talking about as the fat content in this particular blend does not function normally

I lift a lot. Mostly athletic style training mixed with some power lifting. I also do some personal training, but mostly on a mouth to mouth basis, as I've never bothered becoming certified. <---just some back-up to my advice.

 

Few other things after I read the whole thread.

**** machines. End of story. If you are looking to get bigger, even ripped and bigger, skip the machines (excluding free form cable setups), move to the free weights and stick to dumbells and away from bars in all presses.

Machines target too specific of muscles to gain size. They are really only there for people who don't know what else to do, or people that are already very large, and need to target specific things prior to a body building comp.

Big tip of the day: Don't be a woman; meaning this: The gains you will make while maintaining a "ripped" look are so miniscule compared to (fat) weight and muscle combined gains that it's not in the cards. Eat like a horse and workout hard, maintain a small cardio regiment. When you have gained noticable size and weight, cut back on the fat/carb intake and up the cardio see the results. Don't plan on getting muscular with out putting on fat, or you'll be small for the next 3-6 years

Next biggest thing: Legs. Almost no one lifts legs, but it's the single best thing you can do for muscle growth. Leg lifts increase lower body circulation (mostly during repair cycles) and more lower body circulation means you balls get more blood. If you testicles get more blood, they get more nutrients, with more nutrients comes higher testosterone out-put. This means more efficient muscle growth throughout your body.

I suggest you find someone who knows what they are doing and can teach you to do both squats and dead lifts.

Remember: Testicles, not chesticles. like all the other idiots on the bench press every day.


Thats all I have this morning. Now I'm going to bed.

 

^ haha :laugh:

 

OK. So you've been working out.

There are some really simple basics that can help you out. You've been going for 2 months so I assume you have your routine and excercises locked down. Super.

First of all, a multi vitamin. You're body needs it as you're breaking down muscles in the gym and building them while at rest. Plus it's just better for overall health.

Second, is the Whey Protein or better yet a protein blend. Both are good. But better at different times. Whey protein is good for when you wake up in the morning from sleep and you body is in a catabolic state. Having 1 scoop of this gives the body and muscles some much needed food and puts it in a catabolic state(basically sparing the muscle and burning fat or other calories). It is also good right after post workout. It is fast digesting and the muscles need it right after a workout. Best if taken within 30 minutes of working out. You should always have some post workout nutrition ready to feed your body to make the most of your hard work.

Third, water. Lots of it. Prefferably a gallon a day if not a bit more.

Fourth, sleep. At least 7 hours per night. Your muscles grow outside of the gym, not in it and mostly while asleep.

Fifth, Creatine monohydrate. It works. It's proven, it's safe, but not everyone responds to it.

For Vitamin, I've used a few but now stick with AST, good price and you get quite a bit:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/ast/multi-pro.html

For protein, I recommend ON Whey 5lb tub Extreme Milk Chocolate flavor(awesome taste):

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/whey.html

Personally though, I like this better now:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/bsn/synth.html

The Chocolate peanutbutter is like drinking a reeses pieces and it mixes very well! Plus it has the whey proteins for quick digestion and some Casein and Egg protein for slower digestion so it feeds your body a bit longer.

For Creatine, just some simple monohydrate powder and throw a tsp in with you protein shakes:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/hp/creatine.html

That will give you a good base and should be staples of your supplements. As long as you have your nutrition and workouts in check you should make some nice gains and just be in better health.

But supplements are just that. Supplements. They only supplement you on your training. They won't make you grow or even give you noticable differences if you're not training, eating and sleeping right.

 

Um...

I'll give an anti-trend suggestion.

Don't look at any type of drugs, shakes, protein this, vitamin that stuff. It'll just confuse you. Unless you know exactly what you're doing and have very specific goals, i.e. serious body building, don't worry about this stuff. Some of it's useful, some not. I would suggest talking to a nutritionist at the very least and get a good idea of where you're at and where you should be in terms of diet. Most of the time, you can simply eat normally. Just include meats, veggies, dairy, etc. in your normal meals, and all will be well. This is basic common sense stuff.

In terms of exercise, understand where you want to be and how to actually achieve those results. Most of the time, it's not diet, it's simply not doing the right type of exercises. For example, you won't lift weights to lose fat and you won't run to gain muscle mass. You do the right exercises for the right goals. Target the areas you want to improve and do the correct amount of reps/sets/time that is appropriate for your goals. For example, to lose fat, running on a treadmill once a week for 30 minutes does jack squat. If you spend the rest of your week sitting on the couch watching TV, nothing's going to happen. You know why you were skinny as a kid and seemed to have boundless energy? It's because you ran EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME. If you look at kids, they just don't stop.

I'll give you one hint to this whole thing:
The human body is a reactive system. It adapts to outside influences. If you learn nothing else, learn this. In order to change the body, you must force the change. In order to lose weight, you must be more active. In order to build muscle, you must make the body tear and rebuild muscle. Nothing will happen by itself. As well, the rate of change is dependent upon the rate and frequency of the action. The level of muscle growth will vary a good bit between a person working out twice a week for 1 hour each versus a person working out three times a week for 2 hours each. More effort, more growth. These are really insanely simple concepts.

As well, look at your daily life. What do you actually do outside of the gym? Are you active or are you lazy?

So back on topic of diet. Realize that the body will be influenced by the amount of resources it has available. The body needs protein to build muscle, calcium to strengthen bones, sugars (yes) to burn calories. Do you need all this health junk from your local GNC? No. Is it even useful? It can be, if needed...and used right. Most of what you need will be in your normal diet as long as you eat remotely healthy.

I will also state, do not starve yourself. This never helps. If yo're hungry, eat. Always, ALWAYS listen to your body. Most of the time, it's smarter than your brain.:laugh: For example, years ago when I did actually work out quite regularly, I could very easily eat a full dinner sized meal every 2 hours of the day and still be hungry and never gain a pound. It's never simply a matter of energy in. It's simply the ratio of energy in to energy out. Lots of exercise means high energy needs. Don't feel worried about being more hungry and eating more. This is a good thing. You do need to keep the fire stoked and well supplied. Metabolism is a reactive system too. It operates on both the needs of the body and the available intake of new energy. More, continuous intake means less storage needs (less retained fat). More continuous energy expendature means more stored energy usage. If you are active enough, it is basically impossible to be fat. You wouldn't even be able to eat enough in a day to gain weight.

Because growth needs resources, the rate of gain is both dependent on the amount of activity AND the amount of available resources. After you get more heavily into exercising, you will start to notice direct correlations to diet and maximum capability. In this sense, a good diet is important for good growth. Yes, you can look into supplements at your local GNC or whatever, but in reality, your normal diet should contain everything you need. You're better off simply changing your diet a little to supplement rather than spending a considerable amount on pills and shakes.

I'm also with Colin on the machine concept. You will find free weights a better system. Free weights require multi-muscle coordination and are simply a better approach. Still, I do think of weight machines as useful. They are a safer system for pushing yourself hard. You can hurt yourself far more easily benching a free weight bar set if you try and push yourself too hard. On a machine, you can go nuts, and it's basically impossible to hurt yourself with the machine. 200 lbs won't fall on you if you can get that last rep. I suggest mixing it up. Use the free weights at, say, 80%. Do the reps, sets, proper form, gain balance and precision. Use the machines to go the full 100%. Push yourself as hard as you can. The risk isn't there, so you can really go full force.

I also agree with legs. Your legs have the biggest muscles, and for rapid change and overall body behavior, it's the quickest route to gain endurance, weight loss, etc. I've never heard of the testical thing, but ok.:laugh: Biggest muscles, quickest gains. Running is one of the most gruelling activities you can do (at least for me), but it also has the greatest and quickest gains. For weight training, leg presses/squats use a TON of energy.

I've said a lot of random crap so far, but I hope it helps a little, lol. I've got one last bit of advice, balance strength and endurance. You will find endurance is generally the more neglected of the two, however, it is the more advantageous of the two. Edurance means longer exercise times which means more fat loss and more reps/sets for more muscle gain. You'll want to work on both, but neither should ever be neglected. Balance. Everything is balance.

 

Agreed on the exercises.

Dumb bells > Bar Bells, you work ancillary muscles along with the primary and secondary muscles of the exercise. I have been using strictly Dumb Bells this last month and my chest can really feel it more. Shoulders too. Pissed I never did this sooner...

Squats and deadlifts are uber and work more muscles than any other exercise. It trickles down throughout you're whole body for reasons stated above. Squat big and you will become big. Same with deads. You're whole body will grow.

Stick with basic movements like squats, deadlifts, presses(bench and military/arnold), bent over rows, pull/chin ups and dips and then maybe do some solitary exercises like curls, extensions, etc. But compound movements are they way to grow.

If you're trying to put on size you don't need to do cardio at all. You're just burning calories that would otherwise go to gaining muscle or if you just want to eat more, go ahead I guess... But it's counter intuitive to bulking. Especially if you've always been skinny and are a hard gainer. Otherwise throw it in on the off days if you must. But when bulking I don't really bother unless I'm bored. When cutting, sure. Throw in some cardio.

As said, if you're trying to gain muscle and lose fat you're just going to piss yourself off by not getting big and not losing fat. Do one or the other and get results.


I'm kind of surprised by all the talk of staying away from creatine. Granted, it may not be needed for him. But it shouldn't have adverse affect. Not sure what type you're taking. But, Creatine monohydrate has been clinically studied and proven. I'd stay away from other types as they have not been. Yes you lose power and a bit of size after cycling off of it, it's the nature of the beast. But you will still make larger gains while on it than off. So, your power may drop when cycling off, but you will still have more strength after using it than you would without ever touching it. Given your workout, nutrition and sleep are in check.

 

ok i going to say it again. DO NOT TAKE CREATINE. You only been going at it for 2 months. USe creatine if you start to hit a plateau. Creatine needs a loading phase. Your body can not absorb this creatine thats why you take so much of it. It will leave you bloated and taking water from your body and be putting it into your muscle. If you can not drink at least a 1.5 gallons of water....do not even think about taking creatine. THere have been more research done with creatine and there are other products that work WAY better the creatine without the loading phase (Purple K).

Also Dont exclude machines from your workout. B ut Its not something that should be done everyworkout. I say throw a machine in there everyonce in awhile.YOu need to keep your muscles in constant shock. Yes Dumbells and barbells and cables are great. But there are some machine that are VERY effective in building muscles, and some that do almost nothing. every work out change your exercises. Change your reps and sets about every 2-4 weeks. And Remember there is more then one muscle to each muscle. Biceps (2 muscles), Tri (3), Chest (mainly 3), and dont even get me started on back and legs. Someone else said it. Dont just be beach muscles. Your legs are very important in building the rest of your body. There are chemicals released when you work out that help build...and you will look more proportioned.

Everyone is different and their bodies respond to different things in different ways. You need to find out what works for you and not your friends. In my eyes nutrition is one of the most important to building quality muscle. Your body can only digest certain amout of protein at a time, otherwise you are going to be pooping it out. There is so much info out there its insane. Ive been a personal trainer for about 8 years now, and i still learn new things every day. If you want a great book for beginers and advance lifters is "Arnold encyclopedia to bodybuilding". Honestly its the bible to serious lifters. Tells you so much about each muscles, stretching, nutrition, and lots more

But just give yourself time. You are not going to get huge overnight. Its not about who can lift the most. Its pointless if you can lift a lot of weight if you are not targeting the muscle properly and contracting it. Do you want to lift tons of weights, or look good and have good tone? But there is alot of great info in this thread to get you or anyone started. Workout hard, eat good foods (Protein, carbs, and fats), and rest.

I did not realize so many people worked out in this site. Where does everyone workout at @? I work out at "The Gym" in plymouth off of 494 and 55.

 

1. You do not need to "load" creatine. You can take 5g a day everyday if that's all you want to do. Loading only makes you reach muscle saturation quicker. That is it.

2. You should be drinking 1.5g of water a day anyway, with or without the use of creatine.

3. Putting water into your muscle is exactly WHY it works LOL

4. Purple K IS creatine. But, it is BUFFERED creatine. So don't take creatine unless it is the creatine you take?!?


I don't think this article is about Purple K or the company that makes it, but it is about it's main ingredient.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/satter27.htm

A great article on Creatine monohydrate.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/creatine.html


Again, I'm not saying he needs to use it. But to sit there and say it is bad for you, makes you bloated, etc, is just ill informed.

Yes, if you dose it wrong you will become bloated. Your body can only absorb so much creatine at one time. You need to space out doses throughout the day if you're going to load. Otherwise it sits in your gut and absorbs water and sits there, BLOATING you. But that is the USERS fault, not the fault of the product itself.

Yes, you do need to drink water for it to be effective. But you need to drink that water anyway regardless. You're body needs it.


/steps off the soap box

 

"So, what is creatine? Our bodies naturally make the compound, which is used to supply energy to our muscles. It is produced in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys, and is transported to the body's muscles through the bloodstream. Once it reaches the muscles, it is converted into phosphocreatine (creatine phosphate). This high-powered metabolite is used to regenerate the muscles' ultimate energy source, ATP (adenosine triphosphate)."

"Many foods especially herring, salmon, tuna, and beef contain some creatine. However, the very best source of creatine by far is creatine monohydrate because it contains more creatine per weight of material than any other source."

One question I have...
The human body is an adaptive system. If you supplement the creatine, would you techniquely limit the body's own production? Is it more or less beneficial to force the body to produce more based off the exerted demands? Or is the body simply not capable of producing much creatine, even if demanded by the body...for an extended period of time?

As well, how much is really needed to get good results? If this isn't a considerable amount, would a person normally be able to get enough through their normal diet? Besides natural production and food diet, how much more does a person need?



Oh, before we go crazy with mass, mass info, has OP ever said exactly what he's even trying to do? Is this just normal "healthy living" type of exercise or is he actually trying to builk up considerably? I don't think he's ever once said what he's even trying to do. I think the only thing that's been said is that he's not seeing as significant results as some of his friends. I'll say this right now. DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS! You are built different. You react different. You "strong" isn't going to look the same as your friend's "strong." Size, shape, the rate of gain, etc. will all be different. Also realize 2 months is not that long of a time. It takes at least 1 month to even start seeing any real results, and at 2 months, you are just starting to get well accustomed to the routine. It will even be some time before you even plateu in any routine. You might have seen some early limits, but continued exercise will slowly and continuously raise them. At some point, far from now, you will start to hit the absolute limits of your body design, diet, etc. At this point, progression pretty much stops without changes to the diet, the routine, etc.

I will say do not focus merely on muscle building. Endurance is a great thing and will provide more slender, toned muscles as well as the ability to last longer and resist fatigue. What's the point of benching 300 lbs if you can do it only 3 times. What's more impressive, benching 400 5 times or 200 100 times? Well a better question is, what's more useful? My point with this is, yes, it's fine to build for looks, but it's also important to build for life. I do tend to feel people neglect this too much, even when lifting weights. I've always personally preferred focusing on more reps and moving past the anarobic state than focusing on purely on anarobic. I mean, if we're talking about creatine and improving atp storage/production, why would we ignore arobic buidling? Yes, you gain muscle mass faster, but you also provide an external, dependent source for energy as opposed to the body itself. There's a lot of benefit to improving the carteovascular system, even through weight training. Again, everything really depends on your goals.


Oh, since nobody said it: B vitamins - steroids, the natural way. Things like leafy greens like salad and yes Popeye endorsed spinach, has a lot of B vitamins which is a natural form of steroid. Simply keep the vitamin and mineral sources of various fruits and veggies in your mind.

Also, those wondering about taking supplemental vitamins, may I suggest breakfast cereal? If you folks haven't noticed, a lot of cereals these days are essentially vitamin supplements packed with a whole array of vitamins and minerals. Look on the side of the box of your favorite breakfast cereal and tell me you think you need more nutrients from a separate multi-vitamin. Just throwing that out there...lol.

 

I do not believe it hinders the bodies natural production of creatine unless used for extended periods of time. Most people will cycle off of it for a week or so and then cycle back on.

If you want to load, you would take 20g-30g, 1 heaping teaspoon 4-6x a day for 5 days and then take 1 heaping teaspoon twice daily. Otherwise just take 5-10g a day.

You can get 1000g of creatine for $20 which should last roughly 66 days if not a bit more.

As far as natural production and how much more a person needs. Well that's up to your body. You're body will not produce enough to saturate muscles ever. And to get as much out of meat as you can this powder, you will probably become fat in the process trying to eat enough.

You can buy 500g for $13. I'd suggest checking it out if you already workout and have your diet and exercises in check. It's a small price to pay to see if it works for you.

I seen that he said he wanted to fill out and become ripped. So basically bulk a bit and cut. In order to fill out you have to eat more than you burn and lift heavy. Which I'd recommend first. Lift heavy, reps in the 8-12 range and eat a lot, but still eat clean and do that for 2 months. You'll put on a fair amount of size if you're focused enough. Then once you get some size, limit your calories slowly, throw in a bit more cardio and start burning the fat away to reveal the new muscles. Yeah baby!

You're chasing two goals and will never catch either. You will not be able to lift 200lbs 100x without being able to lift 800lbs 3x. You've got to be big to push 200lbs 100x. Endurance doesn't have much to do with that.

You wanna be long and skinny and "toned". Run cross country and run marathons and lift light weights for high reps. You'll be able to bench 75lbs 100x if that.

You wanna be fit, full and ripped. Lift heavy weights and throw in some 45 minute cardio on your off days. Maybe some High Intesity Interval Training.

Muscle burns calories, lifting heavy weights burns more calories than running. In order to gain muscle, you have to lift heavy, eat a lot and rest a lot. None of this low weight, high rep stuff.

I think there is a misconception here that if you lift heavy you're going to turn into some ripped, veins popping from his forehead guy in a tight polo shirt that can't even wipe his arse cause he can't move around his muscles. Hardly! :laugh: If it were that easy we'd all be atleast as ripped as Brad Pitt in Fight Club or look like the guys from 300. To get huge you need to train that way for years, eat right, lift heavy, not party and have help from roids to get there. You don't just go in throw 2 plates on the bar press it and in 6 months look like you have gorilla tits and can push 6 plates. Lifting heavy is the way to break down muscle in order to make them regrow to be stronger. But it takes a good year to put on decent mass depending on your body type.

Now when I say lift heavy. I mean lift as heavy as you can with good form. No point in doing curls with 80lb dumb bells if you're throwing your whole body around and cheating to get them up. You'll end up hurting yourself.

Truf. Spinach is awesome.

Take a look at the vitamins in 1 AST pill and look at the side of your cereal box. Tell me cereal is remotely the same or in the right levels.

Lifting weights breaks down your body and your body needs the right building blocks to help it repair and get stronger. You need more than a simple Centrum A-Z to help. Plus the cost of the AST and for the time it lasts, costs the same or a bit more than 4 boxes of cereal. Plus, I dunno about you, but I can never stop with just one bowl! So it goes by fast

 

Dizmal: Yeah i know what you are saying. Creatine is one of those subjects in supplementation that gets so many mixed reviews. Even at 5 grams a day of creatine, your body can not absorb all 5 grams. Cant remember exact facts, but it has to do with the PH level in your stomach. Thats where the purple k i was talking about comes into play. Yes it is creatine, but what i was tryin to say is there are better things out there then just the creatine mono and other forms of creatine. Purple k is creatine that your body can absorb a lot more of the dose that you put in your body. other wise you end up pissing it out.
For water intake, i was sayin if he can not drink even 1.5 gallons of water, then dont even think about taking creatine. it will cause more problems then good. In my opinion putting the water in muscles, gives a blotted look. But thats me and the people i deal with. but thats more looking at it from a body building point of view. But thats coming more from the loading phase i was talking about. I just think where he is in his workout program, he should not really worried about taking that supplement. I would look into taking it when he starts plateauing. And like i said, creatine is one of those things, you like it or you dont. And yes i know there is TONS of research out there that says creatine does work, But there is TONS of research saying the opposite. but if he really wants more creatine, i suggest eating more red meat. But some of what i said was ill informed as you said (just was in a huge rush and detail all my points the best.)

 

I'm not sure you read the study of buffered creatine monohydrate versus regular creatine monohydrate. They both performed the same, only buffered will cost more.

Purlple K is $27 for 20 servings
Creatine Mono is $20 for 60+ servings

I'd debate that the body can't absorb 5g of creatine per day. But I don't know that for certain and I don't feel like scouring around looking for it.

Screw it, I searched

http://www.creatine-monohydrate.org/creatine-dosage.htm

Well, I don't think any of us here are true body builders, so blotting, which I haven't noticed myself. Is not an issue or atleast not a major one.

I'm not sure of the research you are speaking of saying creatine does not work.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/creatine/NS_patient-creatine


If the mayo clinic has no mention of Creatine used as a strength enhancing supplement being false. Than I will assume they are no founded studies that show, conclusively that creatine monohydrate does not work.

In fact, if you scroll down to the "evidence" side of the article. It gives creatine a grade of A for Enhanced Muscle Mass/strength. It also lists other potential benefits, but they are graded much lower.

So Mayo Clinic actually states that weaker studies are the only studies to have found creatine to not perform to its expectations.


I should probably state that I have no gain in pushing creatine!! I just know it has worked very well for me and for the price it is a very good value. During my cut it has helped me keep most of my strength and endurance even in a caloric deficit. If you don't want to take it or don't like it. That's cool. But it has been proven to be useful.

 

well you got me on that one. I cant argue with your facts, and i dont have the time to look through my books to get my facts (so i have to hand it to you on this one). So i have to speak from personal experience. I have used it, and gained nothing out of it besides being bloated. My strength stayed the same, i only got bigger bc of the water retention. The majority of my clients who have used it, ended up getting off it cuz they did see any thing from it. They did all the phases and everything. So as of now, i am basing my judgement off of my personal experince.
But you are right, the body can absorb 5g a day of it. but not all in one dose
if you take a dose (5-10grams) of creatine 73% ends up in the toilette . Smaller, more frequent doses allow for better creatine absorption. In order to maximize results, take no more than 1.25 grams every 2½ hours.
Why can’t you absorb more creatine?
Your muscle cells have a transport system, called the Creatine Transporter that regulates how much creatine gets into your cells. This Creatine Transporter acts like a gate, opening and closing to allow creatine into your muscles. Your muscle cells are designed to absorb 1g to 1.5g of creatine every 2½ hours. This is about the same amount you get from food. For example, an 8oz steak has about 1g of creatine. This is a natural amount for your body to absorb in one meal. This is the same dose people have been getting, for thousands of years
That is where i start talking about purple k and other products like it (kre-alkalyn). It allows the body to absorb more creatine.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/kre.html

 

Understood! Nothing wrong with that. I know it doesn't work for everyone. There are those "non responders" out there. But for myself it works quite well.

For the small cost I think it's worth it to see if you get results.


So, how do you like 'The GYM'? I drive by it all the time on my way to work. What are the fees like? We have a "gym" in our office building, but I never bothered checking it out. If it was open late I'd go in after work, but it's not...

I've got a community center a block from my house that I use. Pretty nice for what it is. Cheap, $60 every 3 months, free weights, 5 benches, incline and decline, squat rack, smith machine, some machines, basically everything that I need. Plus, I'm almost the only one using it when I go in at noon. Except for sometimes there are kids who just like to sit on the equipment talking and look at mags between sets The same guys who only work chest and arms everytime they're in there:laugh:

 

I totally understand your point to :biggrin:I like "the gym" over a lot of other gyms (lifetime, northwest, etc). I have not tried LA Fitness yet. The atmosphere is what gets me. Lifetime is almost like a meat market to pick up women and show off to the next guy of how big you are. people are A LOT nicer imo. I think i pay about $30 a month, So about the same. But i think they MIGHT be running a deal for $20/month.They also are in the process of remodeling. I know what you mean about the people who just sit around for 10min in between each of there bench sets lol. They usually allow a couple days free pass to try it out. You should try it out.

 

Yeah I may have to eventually. The fees seem very reasonable! My house is for sale and if it ever sells(lol) I'll be moving closer to town if not in it. I'm in Greenfield now, W on 55.

And yeah, the "meat market" factor of the other places is what keeps me away. Not so much the ladies:yumyum: Nothing wrong with a girl who likes to look good! But the meat heads that are all "how much do you bench?" GTFO