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So after a my last workout of the day, would it make a difference if i took a protein bar or shake?
From google all I've got so far is that bars stay in your stomach and take longer to absorb. But I get home around 9-9:30 and don't do anything after that and bars are a lot more convinent. Does it make a difference?
Also I don't care about calories or that shit, I'm tryin to put on/not lose weight.
Shakes are better than bars, because the body absorbs things better in liquid form. Within an hour of a workout is the time the body is most receptive to consumed nutrients, so a protein shake within an hour of your final workout of the day is advisable.
Since you're trying to put on weight, definitely go with a shake. You can add in so much to make a fairly small serving of your shake contain an excess of 1000 cals.
Also, if all other things were equal, wouldn't it be most economical to make protein shakes with powder?
Another advantage to using powder is that you can actually choose the source of your protein, if you're really fussy about it.
As for myself... I suck my white hot protein straight from the source...
It's so big and veiny...
well i mean i usually go with shakes, but im really picky about having chunks of powder in them so i use a shitton of milk and its kind of a bitch to drink the whole thing
so yeah i guess im sticking with shakes
play protein shake drinking games with your gym buddies
consider addingQuote:
Originally Posted by raghead
ice cream
peanut butter
oats
olive oil
fruit
or whatever else to keep it from getting old or to increase the caloric value of your shake.
are you using a blender to make your shakes or just stirring/putting it in a shaker. whenever i was bulking in high school i found it best to put the powder and dry ingredients in the blender first then the milk or whatever and it blended out all of the chunks everytime
Spend the $5 and get a blender bottle- the bottles with the whisk balls in them. Makes mixing shakes on the go a lot easier, especially if you add some carb supplement (which I assume you are since you want to gain weight) that usually requires some heavy mixing.
Bars are handy snacks, but unless you are making them yourself, every shelf bar I've seen is a waste of money and more empty calories than necessary.
Does drinking protein shakes after working out give a significantly noticeable increase in muscle mass and strength? I have some that I bought from recommendation of my rugby coach but rarely used it. I have nothing else to do this summer besides go to the gym after work so I thought maybe I should drink it if it really helps.
Define significant? Does it mean you will push 10 lbs more your next workout? No. But will you heal better and have more strength? Yes.
Or said another way, it will help you get more results out of the effort that you put in.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tekk
Shakes are absorbed into the body easier. I read somewhere that having a shake before bed, and a shake immediately following your workouts are a must. I've been practicing the shake before bed thought, and it seems to help, and a shake following your workout will help restore your bodies depleted nutrients, thus opening the door for potential gain there as well.
So I've just bought myself the following:
Vanilla Whey Protein
Glutamine
Creatine
One of those fancy blender bottles Tekk mentioned above
So how often should I take these things? Once before work out and once after? (I know the window is ~30-45 minutes) Should I only take the creatine and glutamine afterwards?
What about when I just do cardio? I get the impression that I should then just take protein and glutamine without creatine...
Any recommendations for what liquid I should take them in? I'm thinking that I might stick mostly to milk or OJ, but if I'm feeling fancy I could blend it with OJ, banana, and frozen strawberries plus maybe some yogurt for a smoothee. I know the carrier liquid is probably not so important.
I would stick with milk. I've never mixed with juice before so I can't really tell you how that goes but you can use water if you had to it's not as good or nutritious though.
You can blend it with what ever you like. Milk is commonly used for guys trying to gain weight because its readily available, has additional proteins, carbs, and fats you need, and most of these 'men' whine like little girls about taste thinking milk improves it. Guys looking to loose weight will generally mix with just water and still gripe about taste. I make a fruit smoothie from time to time. Depends on how hardcore you are looking to go.
Since you are taking Creatine, I assume you are trying to pack on some muscle. Remember to take creatine in the morning and 30-60 minutes before a weightlifting workout and then again post workout. On just cardio days, I would take just 5g in the morning while on the cycle of it to maintain. I cycle all supplements that aren't dietary. Also, the water intake for the days is going to be important. Since creatine helps your body store more water, you need to drink more to make sure your body can still filter out crud in your system. Make sure your water intake for the day is adequate. I drank just over 2 gallons when I was on creatine, not including the water I drank during workouts for a reference point.
The glutamine is generally taken morning,pre & post workout, and before bed. That's for the guys wanting to throw their wallets into this. I take it twice a day since I'm poor. In the AM (post workout preferably) and before bed.
Whey is a staple in my diet, but you should look to take 10-15g of whey pre workout and 30-40g post workout. Also, before you go to bed, and right when you wake up is also ideal for either losing weight or gaining muscle.
Thanks Tekk. When you suggest taking things when you wake up and when you go to sleep, is that only on days you work out or everyday? I obviously need to get more information on these supplements...
And yes, I would like to build muscle. Losing weight is not an issue; I have a very tiny bit of a belly, but that'll disappear quickly.
Everyday preferably Sycld.
And there are other sources of protein I'm sure you wouldn't mind going after... just kidding. Bad joke.
Are you working out now? And if so, what sort of routine are you doing?
Yeah. I'm starting out slowly and doing it with a personal trainer, whose service I'll use for a month and a half total. For now, I'm doing two days of weight training and two days of cardio per week.
It's worth noting that water dissolves whey protein much, much easier than milk. I drink strawberry and have never had a complaint about the taste (I had vanilla a while back and it was only tolerable with milk.)
You end up shaking the hell out of milk trying to get it dissolved and then i almost always ended up spooning some (which is just gross.) With water, I'll get a 16oz Dasani, have a big gulp, and pour in the protein. Shake it while I post-workout stretch and it's homogeneous and good to go. I also have a couple reusable bottles that I'll fill with protein at home and then fill with water at the gym (I work out in the evenings.)
So I'm assuming you aren't training your legs?Quote:
Originally Posted by sycld
I do three days of weight related training (incl. legs) and 2 days of cardio training.
Or more likely he isn't hitting either back or chest particularly hard.
What's your opinion on my routine.
Monday - Start with bench press, then the rest is dedicated to arms
Tuesday - Abs, lower back
Wednesday - Start with bench press, then shoulders and upper back
Thursday - Legs
Friday - Chest
I try to do a little bit of cardio each day but recently I've just been going to the gym on Saturdays and running and biking and such. I'm looking to gain muscle more so than losing fat. I take a protein shake mixed with water after each work out.
I'd like to keep this routine going into school but I don't know if I'll have time between acedemics and rugby.
Should I be taking more protein with this routine? Should I change my routine cause it's absolute shit?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kal El
No, I'm doing both in fact. I'm just doing 2 days of lifting for now; I'm going to increase that later on. I've only been doing this for a week and a half now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Atmosfear
I'm trying to look into this more... can anyone find and link to me a more or less objective and authoritative article on the benefits of protein supplements plus a good diet over simply a diet that is rich in protein?
one site has it all buddy
http://bodybuilding.com
just search around. i'm too lazy right now to look.
Yes, do take protein either prior to working out, or right afterward. And also, drinking some whey protein before bed will also help.Quote:
Originally Posted by SneeBeezums
You should simplify your routine and not devote so much time to the gym.
Like this
Day one: Triceps/Shoulders/Chest
Day two: Legs/Abs
Day three: Biceps/Back
I would Just do 10 minutes on the treadmill each day you go to the gym. You already play rugby so you get a cardio workout right there.
Thanks. I still cannot find the article I'm looking for, and unsurprisingly there is some degree of hype as well as thinnly disguised or completely open pushing of products within the articles. So this website is hardly what I had in mind, but it is something, and there might be some information of use that I can gleen out of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kal El
Well, it is for bodybuilding.. which is more what I'm into, if you're trying to get ripped, then you should ask your trainer for resources that he knows of. I'd ask mine but one of the two I've had I no longer talk too/date and the other one I no longer speak with as well, so I am of no help.Quote:
Originally Posted by sycld
Oh no; that's the sort of information I want. The problem is that so many articles on the site are essentially advertisements.
Well I go to the gym right after work every day cause I have nothing better to do this summer. I'll switch to that kind of routine you suggested when I go back to school.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kal El
As for the shake, I take mine usually around 6 or so when I get back and usually hit the hay around 10-11. Is it worth taking another one within a 5 hr span or so or should I just wait until I wake up?
Thanks.
Just wait until you wake up. What you are trying to do is to IMPROVE your body, not let it OBSESS you.Quote:
Originally Posted by SneeBeezums
I'm sorry, I'd rather get fat before rolling out of bed at 5am for a protein shake.
I highly recommend a protein shake before bed, as during sleep, for a lot of reasons I do not want to research and explain, your body absorbs the protein better and thus increases your gains.
They probably are.. the site has to make money to operate somehow.Quote:
Originally Posted by sycld
Yeah it does, and they can do it through advertisements. However, the honest way to make money through advertisements is to clearly delineate the where the articles stop and the advertisements begin, as is done in legitimate sources of information that make a profit through advertisements, such as Google, newpapers, etc. Not doing so violates the integrity of such a site and is down-right dishonest and misleading.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kal El
It doesn't occur to you that if these articles are trying to push particular brands of products on us, that maybe these articles aren't reliable sources of information? Especially when it comes to suggestions about how to take care of my body, I want reliable, unbiased information.
That's why I talk to the billion personal trainers that I know sweetie. When it comes down to it, there are so many different points of view on what works, and what doesn't, that at the end of the day, it's quite an uncontrolled field in terms of information. That's why you have to read a million articles, talk to three billion people, and see what the general consensus is. That site has been helpful for me, you just have to take it with a grain of salt.Quote:
Originally Posted by sycld
...sweetie?
Anyway, I suppose that I probably won't find much better on the Internet, and yes you do have a point: information about fitness is pretty "uncontrolled" as you put it.
Anywho, here's my recipe for a post-workout protein smoothie!
1 cup OJ
1 banana
6 frozen strawberries (or the equivalent volume of other frozen fruit)
1 scoop vanilla-flavored protein powder
I use a Magic Bullet which had been sitting unused in my parents' basement to blend the fruit with the juice in two batches. Then I pour both batches into my protein shaker mixer, add the powder, and shake to mix. It's good and takes only a few minutes to make. Also, supposedly it's better to take your post-workout protein with a high-glycemic sugar as is in the orange juice, but who knows...
There are other more trustworthy sources of information you could look into, like American College of Sports Medicine, American Council on Exercise, etc, and they could potentially have some resources for your questions.
But they'll probably just try to sell you a book... it's funny, I, in a way, consider fitness to be a form of health, and a gym to be a form of healthcare in a way, and unfortunately like other healthcare options, like doctor's, pharmacies, etc. The realm of fitness is a no man's land. You can do or get away with anything.
In all honesty, I was thinking about buying a book or books from a reputable source, since at least it will be a trust worthy source (all of the information may not be exactly correct, of course, as it may become invalidated...)
ACSM or ACE is the way to go then.
An amazing shake if you want to put on weight:
1 cup of oatmeal
1 cup of milk
1-2 scoops of ON whey protein, chocolate flavor
After that you can throw anything else you want in there like some peanut butter or a banana. However, I HIGHLY recommend blueberries. A handful of blueberries makes the above shake the best protein shake I've ever had.