Anyone here lift weights? If so, here's a great energy supplement I've been taking...

[Jaron]

What if you're allergic to Whey?

Soy is not a proper alternative. Then what?

Soy is a proper alternative:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson71.htm

How does everyone here take their whey protein? Mix with food, water, milk? I personally can't stand the smell and taste. Anyone has a good way to make it easier to drink?

I use a chocolate flavored whey protein powder. I mix two scoops with 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/4 banana, and ~15-20 ice cubes. Tastes like a milk shake to me.

[diesel22]

How does everyone here take their whey protein? Mix with food, water, milk? I personally can't stand the smell and taste. Anyone has a good way to make it easier to drink?

Some whey's are hard to take. My favorite is Nitrotech (strawberry) mixed with 50% water and 50% lowfat mlk. Niiiice.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Some whey's are hard to take. My favorite is Nitrotech (strawberry) mixed with 50% water and 50% lowfat mlk. Niiiice.

Vanilla whey with frozen strawberries, lowfat milk, pineapple and frozen OJ concentrate to add some flavor.

[@DCGoldPants]

I was reading about this stuff. Seems like there is a lot of prep going into it. So, if I lift after work, then I need to set reminders for around 45 min before I leave to start drinking this stuff?

[SkinsHokieFan]

I was reading about this stuff. Seems like there is a lot of prep going into it. So, if I lift after work, then I need to set reminders for around 45 min before I leave to start drinking this stuff?

From what I have heard, if you lift at 6 pm, you want to take this stuff by 4:30

The main reason being you don't want to be up all night all caffeine'd up

[@DCGoldPants]

yeah, I just checked how much it costs, and then their website.

They sell trial packs for under $10. I think I might check it out. It comes with 6 packets, which I assume are for each workout. So, by then a person should know if it works for them.

Thanks for the 4:30 tip though. You're right, being wired at midnight wouldn't be fun when you've got an 8:30am meeting.

[#98QBKiller]

I was reading about this stuff. Seems like there is a lot of prep going into it. So, if I lift after work, then I need to set reminders for around 45 min before I leave to start drinking this stuff?

According to the reviews, most people say it takes about 30 minutes to properly work. For me, I notice it fairly immediately as far as energy is concerned. But I'm also the type of person who gets jacked up on a cup of strong coffee these days.

I don't really notice the muscle stamina until I've done a few sets on any given muscle. I take it before I leave for the gym and by the time I get there and do my cardio, I'd say about 30-40 minutes have passed so 45 minutes before you leave sounds about right.

:doh:

Absolutely not. He is talking about a product he uses and is trying to spread the info/personal experience about it.

It isnt like he is a Johnny-come-lately, giving us all a promo.

Exactly. My friend turned me on to it and it really fits my workout style, just spreading the word.

How does everyone here take their whey protein? Mix with food, water, milk? I personally can't stand the smell and taste. Anyone has a good way to make it easier to drink?

I always get chocoloate or strawberry whey and I mix mine with a few cups of milk, a handful of ice cubes and sometimes a banana. Somone on here mentioned it tastes like a milkshake and I definitely agree.

(Using two cups of milk as opposed to water adds about 16 extra grams of protein)

It's true, there are those of us who are simply genetically superior....and can experience sustained progress with little to no supplementation. To generalize to the point of saying this can be the case for everyone - however - would be a bit extreme. I, myself was a hard-gainer all through high school. I have experimented with various programs (and supplements) until I found what currently works best for me. I would encourage everyone to do like wise....as our genetic make-ups are equivalent to fingerprints.....no two are the same.

My statline: (Haven't done a one rep max for almost 8 months)

5'10" 193

Bench: 345 for 6 reps (Last one rep max - 405)

Squat: 405 for 6 (LORM - 445)

Deads (Straight leg, standing on a bench) : 245 for 6

What I'm most proud of is that I have been able to maintain these numbers while still keeping under an 8 min pace @ 5+ miles on the treadmill -- big lifts aren't nearly as impressive if you are a "budah" with a belly that dwarfs your chest

One thing I know for sure is that - without supplementation, my numbers wouldn't be nearly as impressive.

Man, this is a very good point. I'm sure some people are genetically gifted but I'm not one of them. I would be stuck in neutral without supplementation, especially protein supplementation.

[@DCGoldPants]

its all about goals.

I think a lot of us who workout have issues with our diet more than the dedication to lifting. I like lifting. It clears the mind, and the street pump is cool. However, I don't watch what I eat as much as I should. So, I do more cardio.

Well, I should be doing the cardio, AND watching what I eat. Then results would fly in. It could as simple as using 1 meal replacement a day to get all your protein. You know? Plus, you aren't getting a bunch of crap from that meal also.

Right now I'll give the sample pack a try and use that energy on lifting one day, then the next, on running. To see which it helps more. But, I'm really just focused on getting my playlists together so I have some good music going on.

Happy Lifting

[Spaceman Spiff]

its all about goals.

I think a lot of us who workout have issues with our diet more than the dedication to lifting. I like lifting. It clears the mind, and the street pump is cool. However, I don't watch what I eat as much as I should. So, I do more cardio.

Well, I should be doing the cardio, AND watching what I eat. Then results would fly in. It could as simple as using 1 meal replacement a day to get all your protein. You know? Plus, you aren't getting a bunch of crap from that meal also.

Yeah, cardio sucks. But it's a neccessary evil.

[ZoEd]

Disagree all you want. I'm natural and will probably continue to be for quite some time.

And I'll still see gains.

Nothing wrong with natural but I don't consider Protein supplementation as "cheating" or using a chemical to enhance gains. Protein isn't a good to have thing when building muscle its a necessity and if your body doesn't have enough you might as well not be working out at all. Do a little research on protein synthesis and you'll see how important it is. You think you're seeing gains now buy a cheap whey protein, no designer crap, start taking about 40 to 80 grams a day and see how much faster you recover and not to mention your max will increase in everything. Protein doesn't make you fat and you can get supplements with almost no carbs.

Pound for pound strongest guy I've ever seen was a 40yr old Master Sgt I was stationed with in MS. He was 165lbs and benched 495 in competition. Not 495 working out with the boys where you can cheat but in competition. He benched over 500 on the regular in the gym. This dude told me if you don't ingest at least 20 grams of protein within 1 hour of working out you might as well stay home. Within an hour of a workout protein synthesis begins and if the protein isn't there the muscle won't repair itself and grow. Essentially you're working out for nothing.

Now I'm not saying that you're not a strong mo fo and that supplements are necessary but protein is. If you look at a protein chart to see how many grams are in steak, chicken, tuna and so on you'll soon see that you would have to eat a hell of a lot more than what you're eating to get enough to sufficently help your body build muscle. Just my :2cents: take or leave it. Protein supp's isn't not being "natural" it's necessary.

[DoGood28]

How does everyone here take their whey protein? Mix with food, water, milk? I personally can't stand the smell and taste. Anyone has a good way to make it easier to drink?

I mix mine with about 20 oz. of cold water and down the stuff. Chocolate of course. I've never done it but it seems that if I mixed it with straight milk then it would end up being awful heavy and thick. It seems thick enough with just the water.

[ZoEd]

How does everyone here take their whey protein? Mix with food, water, milk? I personally can't stand the smell and taste. Anyone has a good way to make it easier to drink?

You should try muscle milk. You'd be suprised how could this stuff tastes. You mix it with milk and it goes down smooth. They claim you can drink it anytime of day without fear of getting fat because of the way it's metabolized. It doesn't leave that slimey feeling in your mouth either, don't even try it you dirty minded ****s!

[Spaceman Spiff]

You should try muscle milk. You'd be suprised how could this stuff tastes. You mix it with milk and it goes down smooth. They claim you can drink it anytime of day without fear of getting fat because of the way it's metabolized. It doesn't leave that slimey feeling in your mouth either, don't even try it you dirty minded ****s!

Oh my god, Muscle Milk tastes incredible.

It's a lot of calories though. Which you need if you're putting on muscle. If you're trying to slim down, I don't think it's the best thing for you.

[KDawg]

Nothing wrong with natural but I don't consider Protein supplementation as "cheating" or using a chemical to enhance gains. Protein isn't a good to have thing when building muscle its a necessity and if your body doesn't have enough you might as well not be working out at all. Do a little research on protein synthesis and you'll see how important it is. You think you're seeing gains now buy a cheap whey protein, no designer crap, start taking about 40 to 80 grams a day and see how much faster you recover and not to mention your max will increase in everything. Protein doesn't make you fat and you can get supplements with almost no carbs.

Pound for pound strongest guy I've ever seen was a 40yr old Master Sgt I was stationed with in MS. He was 165lbs and benched 495 in competition. Not 495 working out with the boys where you can cheat but in competition. He benched over 500 on the regular in the gym. This dude told me if you don't ingest at least 20 grams of protein within 1 hour of working out you might as well stay home. Within an hour of a workout protein synthesis begins and if the protein isn't there the muscle won't repair itself and grow. Essentially you're working out for nothing.

Now I'm not saying that you're not a strong mo fo and that supplements are necessary but protein is. If you look at a protein chart to see how many grams are in steak, chicken, tuna and so on you'll soon see that you would have to eat a hell of a lot more than what you're eating to get enough to sufficently help your body build muscle. Just my :2cents: take or leave it. Protein supp's isn't not being "natural" it's necessary.

I'm a physical education major and i've been lifting for ten years. I know the ropes. I know what protein does. Fact is, protein is all I eat. Steak, chicken, tuna, etc. Protein and carbs and fats.

When I track my caloric intake, I'm eating around 300g of protein a day. and 5000 calories. My BMR is around 2180. And I burn plenty of more calories through exercise a day. I'm slightly at a negative caloric intake, so I am gaining some weight, which is exactly what I want.

And for the record, I never said it was cheating. Please don't put words in my mouth.

[DoGood28]

Oh my god, Muscle Milk tastes incredible.

It's a lot of calories though. Which you need if you're putting on muscle. If you're trying to slim down, I don't think it's the best thing for you.

With my 5'8.5", 141 lbs. frame I can pretty much eat anything. I actually have to stay away from cardio.

I'll consider Muscle Milk and NO Explode when I run out of my whey protein.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'm a physical education major and i've been lifting for ten years. I know the ropes. I know what protein does. Fact is, protein is all I eat. Steak, chicken, tuna, etc. Protein and carbs and fats.

When I track my caloric intake, I'm eating around 300g of protein a day. and 5000 calories. My BMR is around 2180. And I burn plenty of more calories through exercise a day. I'm slightly at a negative caloric intake, so I am gaining some weight, which is exactly what I want.

And for the record, I never said it was cheating. Please don't put words in my mouth.

**** man, no wonder you don't need any supplements.

Tuna is great, just wish it wouldn't leave such a gross aftertaste. :puke:

[Ford]

NO Xplode is a pretty mediocre product. It is full of caffeine and i've known alot of people who got intense headaches and unpleasant side effects from it. It also advertises itself as a creatine product but only gives you one gram in a serving where creatine is supposed to be taken more like 5 grams a day. Xceed is a similar but more better quality/bang for the buck product .. http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/design/xceed.html

[#98QBKiller]

With my 5'8.5", 141 lbs. frame I can pretty much eat anything. I actually have to stay away from cardio.

I'll consider Muscle Milk and NO Explode when I run out of my whey protein.

NO Explode isn't a substitute for protein. I'd definitely make sure that you keep some whey or muscle milk on hand to use with it.

You should try muscle milk. You'd be suprised how could this stuff tastes. You mix it with milk and it goes down smooth. They claim you can drink it anytime of day without fear of getting fat because of the way it's metabolized. It doesn't leave that slimey feeling in your mouth either, don't even try it you dirty minded ****s!

I tried muscle milk a few times at the smoothie bar at my gym. It does taste great and contains 32 grams of protein per serving but it also contains 18 grams of fat per serving. The guy at the bar told me that it's primarily for meal replacement and not as a supplement because of it's fat content.

I switched to this brand at the smoothie bar called UltraMet lite. It's got 29 grams of protein but only 1.5 grams of fat per serving.

At home I use different whey's but I make sure they are fairly low in fat.

[ZoEd]

I'm a physical education major and i've been lifting for ten years. I know the ropes. I know what protein does. Fact is, protein is all I eat. Steak, chicken, tuna, etc. Protein and carbs and fats.

When I track my caloric intake, I'm eating around 300g of protein a day. and 5000 calories. My BMR is around 2180. And I burn plenty of more calories through exercise a day. I'm slightly at a negative caloric intake, so I am gaining some weight, which is exactly what I want.

And for the record, I never said it was cheating. Please don't put words in my mouth.

It's already been pointed out that you're probably the exception and not the norm. Since you're tracking you intake you're probably well aware how much you have to eat to get that much protein and since your eating 5000 calories I'd say it's a lot. I know I'm not afforded the time to stop and eat every couple hours to be able to get enough protein during the day.

I never said you thought it was cheating but a lot of people seem to think so. I was just pointing out that protein supplements shouldn't be perceived as cheating or not being "natural" expecially since it's a necessity for muscle growth.

Oh my god, Muscle Milk tastes incredible.

It's a lot of calories though. Which you need if you're putting on muscle. If you're trying to slim down, I don't think it's the best thing for you.

Best tasting stuff I've ever taken. Like I said I know it has a lot of calories but they claim it's not too bad because of the way it metabolizes. I've read good things about it but it doesn't have nearly enough protein for me. The amount you'd have to drink to get the grams of protein necessary would make you blow the F up. Then again if your not a fat ass like me it's not such a big deal.

[skins0128]

I'm a physical education major and i've been lifting for ten years. I know the ropes. I know what protein does. Fact is, protein is all I eat. Steak, chicken, tuna, etc. Protein and carbs and fats.

When I track my caloric intake, I'm eating around 300g of protein a day. and 5000 calories. My BMR is around 2180. And I burn plenty of more calories through exercise a day. I'm slightly at a negative caloric intake, so I am gaining some weight, which is exactly what I want.

And for the record, I never said it was cheating. Please don't put words in my mouth.

Damn man that is a ton of food a day.

I used to be able to get all my protein from food, but now with work and kids it is much tougher for me to eat that much. I have resorted to supplements with some pretty good results.

I currently use NOxplode 1/2 hour before I plan to workout. Due to life, I workout around 5:30am. I drink a little bfore 5am and ready to roll by 5:30am.

[ZoEd]

NO Explode isn't a substitute for protein. I'd definitely make sure that you keep some whey or muscle milk on hand to use with it.

I tried muscle milk a few times at the smoothie bar at my gym. It does taste great and contains 32 grams of protein per serving but it also contains 18 grams of fat per serving. The guy at the bar told me that it's primarily for meal replacement and not as a supplement because of it's fat content.

I switched to this brand at the smoothie bar called UltraMet lite. It's got 29 grams of protein but only 1.5 grams of fat per serving.

At home I use different whey's but I make sure they are fairly low in fat.

I just use the cheap GNC stuff, Strawberry mixed with Celltech usually. You don't have to spend a lot of money on Protein Supp's! Is the Ultramelt expensive?

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'm tellin you guys, BCAA's are essential, too. I've seen pretty significant changes in body compisition after using this brand: http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1123403

[PSUHeckler]

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

I've been lifting on and off my whole life but I've gotten back into it big-time these past few months. Recently a friend of mine gave me a tupperware container of this stuff and it turns me into a beast at the gym. It's great for lifting and for cardio.

How long have you been using it?

I don't use supplements. Too expensive. I go all natural when it comes to lifting...

I find that I spend more $ on chicken breasts if I opt for them instead of supplements. Are you including whey protein in as a supplement? That alone is good. I got a cheap conatiner of protein at WalMart called 6-star, with creatine and other good stuff in it. Def worth it and lasts a while.

I'm 5'10" 200 pounds... I bench 330, Squat 405 and Deadlift 530. Using supplements is NOT necessary for getting good gains. Hard work is, though.

I think you may have to reconsider that. Hard work is necessary for either way; supplements are wasted if you (not meaning you Dawg, but people in general) don't work hard. IE: People take TrimSpa/HydroxyCut and assume they'll be mad skinny if they pop a pill and watch tv all day instead of heading to the gym. Maybe you should try a month or so of getting on a program with a supplement. Although it sounds like you have gotten gains, I think you may peak a little higher with help of a product or two.

Eating right and having a hard work ethic should provide results regardless - with that I agree with you, but I think you underestimate how much more you can improve with a little help from a product like NO-Xplode

[PSUHeckler]

NO Xplode is a pretty mediocre product. It is full of caffeine and i've known alot of people who got intense headaches and unpleasant side effects from it. It also advertises itself as a creatine product but only gives you one gram in a serving where creatine is supposed to be taken more like 5 grams a day. Xceed is a similar but more better quality/bang for the buck product .. http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/design/xceed.html

I had trouble with the whole headache thing too. For me at least, I can easily avoid these side effects when I keep hydrated before, during, and after a work out.

[SkinsHokieFan]

Lots of good information in this thread, can we just turn into the "supplement" thread

My thing is, I am going for a more lean look. I am pretty happy with my numbers right now, I am just trying to cut off the stubborn fat that sticks around. I am not sure if NO Explode is the right product for that