Dragon Boat West

somewhat of a tangent here, but what do you guys think of Protein powders as a muscle building supplement/tool?   If you any of you are for it, what brand do you recommend?

Potatoes.

A friend of mine told me that he ate a lot of potatoes and he bulked up real fast.  he just sliced up some potatoes and nuked them in the microwave.  I believed him cuz he was huge in a matter of months.  mine you he worked out like everyday and ate all his veggies.  in this case, i'd say get a sack of em and baked them in the oven.  and add ketchup.

I'd skipped the idea of protein powders and just stick to mother nature's stuff.



"...In times of crisis, it is of utmost importance not to lose one's head."
Maria Antoinette

whey protein....

i dont use it personally but i know alot of ppl that do

I guess they could work... but I don't think it's really necessary.

Are you gonna be hitting the gym and lifting heavy weights more than 3 times a week?  If so, then I can see some reason for you to start taking supplements to replenish your creatine stores... otherwise I'd say save your money and just eat right.

I've basically been eating a some-what balanced diet and I seem to be doing ok...

chaos:  I do hit the weights about 3 times a week, and I think that I've "plateaud" out in my size.   Due to my own training regime, I'm not going for bulk or pure mass..  I feel stronger as the weeks go by, so I was thinking of using it as a supplement for more muscle growth.

Angel: I have taken your advice and I've started looking strictly for Whey Protein.. but there are so many manufacturers that incorporate Whey Protein that I don't know which one is "good".

Okay... this may be a lot but...

If you have the money go for it... go 2.5~2x your weight # for grams of protein(ie 150lbs = 375grams) per day. When buying the powder it usually come with carb measurements too. If you want bulk, have a 2:1 ratio with carbs, strength 1:1 with carb, lean, 0.5:1. This protein formula is the combination of your diet and powder per day. Sooo you do the math! :shock:  

What I found most important with whey protien powder is taste and cost... they don't all taste the same but you gonna have to drink it, so you gotta like it... and they all don't cost the same, they usually only last for 1-1.5 mon for a normal sized bucket and runs anywhere from $30-70+. Best time schedule to take is once everyday... and most importantly 1 right after workout, within a 1hr time period. Whey is the best type of protein powder to get much most protien powders nowadays are. Purity of the whey is importantant, as it matters how much your muscles can absorb.  Try a GNC store to see what they have(they got membership discounts too!)

Creatine is a whole DIFFERENT ANIMAL. It's more for help with muscle recovery than building. It also requires you to drink uber amounts of water as that's what it use to add "bulk" to your muscles...more like using the water to balloon your muscle cells.

The reason most people use protein powders is cuz its a more effective way of getting enough protein to your muscles. It's good you know the diff between bulk/mass and strength... as they are kinda different. Usually when you lift for strength you should aim for 10-12 reps max. Bulk is usually 6-8. Tone is ~20.

Best supplement combo is a protein powder and a daily multi-vitamin if you want to go into more serious muscle building on a budget.

I could get into a whole load of different techniques, tips, ect... but this should start you off.  :wink:

Here's some articles on supplements that may be an interesting read:

http://www.gssiweb.com/sportssciencecenter/topic.cfm?id=55

http://www.sportsci.org/jour/9901/rbk.html

Yes i know this thread is super old but i'm REALLY bored at work...



2-2.5 grams of protien per pound of body weight is "whey" too much! Unless you are Ronnie Coleman or Jay Cutler, this amount of protein is insane. Lets say one protein mix is roughly 50g of protein, you would have to take say 3 to get 150g of protein, now you have to eat 3 chicken breasts (~30g protein each), and 5 cans of tuna (~20g protein/can) to reach 350g per day.

A more realistic target is 1 to 1.5 grams/lbs body weight per day. Even this is hard to achieve without supplement, especially if you are on an asian diet, i.e. rice and noodles!

I agree with Chaos in that if you don't work out regularly, a balance diet will be enough to fuel your body. However if you do work out to gain muscle mass, and you aren't getting enough protein then you are wasting your time in the gym. Also, if muscle mass is your goal then you can not be on a low carb diet! You need carbs to fuel the intense workouts, otherwise you will start to break down protien to use for energy. Hence the potato theory worked.

Train hard!

If you want to take the good stuff look for a Whey protein Isolate rather than a concentrate. A good Whey Protein is low in Casein and lactose (hence the Isolate) which will (if you are lactose intolerant like most Asians) just bloat you out and you'll end up disposing of the rest when you go to the facilities (eloquent way of saying something else) Protein is excellent for muscle repair and maintenance and is not a bad supplement if you train hard. True eating well is good as well but I think it is easier to mix and slam back a shake after practice than firing up the bar-b and cooking a steak and nuking a potato.
Whey Isolates will cost more but you will digest more and get more out of it. Mind you there are excellent Protein concentrates that have added supplements (like creatine, glutamine etc.) but unless you are wanting to paddle in your posing shorts then it might be over kill.

A good isolate is ISO XP! Gives you 50g of protein in one scoop, and that's not including the milk!
Some flavours include caramel, strawberry banana, pina colada, and orange creamsicle...

Hmmmmm.Caramel...50g per scoop is nasty! I guess depends how big the scoop is! If i start taking that stuff again we're gonna have to get an extra person on the right again! May Kai is having try outs!