**Post your dietary/workout supplement questions in here!**

I was once a paid supplement consultant for Bodybuilding.com, specifically Thermolife. I have since left due to legal reasons with said company, that I did not want to be a part of.

Ask any questions you'd like. You can also lay out what supplements you're currently using, so I can suggest better alternatives, or tell you to disregard it entirely. Feel free to shoot me a pm if you prefer.

I'm a Kinesiology major at Penn State, so I can also answer questions related to working out in general, although it looks like many people already know what they're talking about on this forum.

Here is my profile on Bodybuilding.com: http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Shermanatorx/

-Connor

 

What actually works?

 

Well, a lot works as it's intended.

Do you have a more specific question, or product you're considering? Otherwise, this could turn into a 2,000 word response outlining what works from a physiological/neurological standpoint, something you, nor I want.

Also, what is your present goal? What have you tried in the past that you were unhappy with?

 

Ok here is what I'm currently taking.

AM daily Vitamin, baby aspirin & fish oil

Pre workout is 1MR.

Post workout L-Glutamine powder mixed with gatorade, creatine & 30 grams whey protein.

Before bed ZMA & 24 grams Casein Protein.

Before I started this I went from 229lbs to 194. Since taking this (about a month) I have gone up to 198. I am stronger than I have ever been and this past Thursday I benched 205 for the first time ever. I have only been working out since September.

 

What vitamin and fish oil are you taking? The vitamin is especially important. If you're taking something with inferior forms of vitamins/minerals, you are not only not getting their claimed amount, but may also be doing harm to your body. You want to look for something with bioavailable vitamin forms.

1MR is best to be avoided, especially if you have the first formulation, which contains 1,3 dimethylamylamine- a horrible ingredient known for ED-like side effects. 1,3 is banned by the NCAA, and the FDA will jump on that band wagon. Even if you have the newest version, you are still better off with another product, as it still contains arginine.

Arginine is marketed as a "NO" product, claiming to increase pumps and promote vasodilation. While it can do this, you would need an iv and 30g mixed into a solution to do so. No pre workout has enough arginine, or the right administration to elicit the desired effect. The "pump" you get from products containing arginine are solely from your workload, not the ingredient itself. Best to look for products containing agmatine(arginine metabolite), exogenous nitrate salts and citrulline. White Flood by Controlled Labs is a great pre workout.

Separate glutamine supplementation is not needed, as we get enough from even a protein scarce diet. It does not aid in recovery, it does however have a place for managing GI problems.

I dont know how much creatine you're taking, but 5g is all one needs to saturate PCr stores, and therefore get its ergogenic benefits. Creatine does not need to be loaded, it can be taken any time of day, and a carb source is not necessary.

Also, nutrient timing is irrelevant; 30g of protein post workout is no more effective than being taken any other time of day. The "anabolic window" is silly. Protein=protein at the end of the day, think macros.

I'd drop the ZMA, it does not increase testosterone (free or total), nor is it a very good sleep aid. Many prefer GABA for sleep.

 

Cool! Thanks for the offer.

I'm 41. I lift weights 3x a week and run 3x. I weigh 170 pounds. I'd like to put on some more muscle but more importantly get leaner. I've cleaned my diet but I am now constantly hungry , due in part I think to working out hard.

I currently take ON (Optimum Nutrition)100% whey 3-4x a day including pre/post workout. In the morning I mix in 1tsp of Glutomine and 1tsp of Creatine monohydrate. I have a hard time getting enough protein being on the go.

What other supplements/vitamins would you recommend? How do you feel about No-Xplode? How about protein shake right before bed? What RTD would you recommend? How many grams of protein should I try to get a day? 170?

Any recommendations for losing those last few midsection pounds? I'm already lean but that few pounds around the waist isn't going anywhere.

 

Definitely stop buying glutamine when you run out, I covered that in my above post. NO-Xplode is not a very good pre workout, I would take White Flood by Controlled labs, or Fierce by S.A.N. I would invest in a good multi-vitamin like Orange Triad, or Life force.

Nutrient timing is irrelevant, i.e, a whey protein shake right after a workout, or a casein shake right before bed etc. A few years ago, it was believed that a whey(fastest digesting/utilization) protein shake was best taken immediately after a workout; this was known as the "anabolic window". More recent research(bigger and better funded) tells us other wise. Whey consumed at any time during the day is just as effective as a post workout whey shake.

The most important thing to consider is macro nutrients(carbs, protein and fat). Generally speaking, if one wants to build muscle, it would be wise for them to consume 1g of protein per lb of body weight. I currently weigh ~230lbs, so I try to consume at least 230g of protein. How, when or where you get that protein will not make a difference. Protein is made up of amino acids, amino acids are the building blocks of life(muscle is need to support life). It is very important so consume enough protein in order to maintain or gain muscle. Also, remember, muscle burns fat. It eats away at calories to maintain itself. If ones body is lacking protein especially, it will eat at itself, this is called muscle catabolism(the opposite of anabolism), if not taken care of, it will eventually cause muscle atrophy(opposite of hypertrophy).

RTD's are way overpriced, I wouldn't even consider them. I've got someone sending me some new products to try out, and they just so happen to be RTD's. I'll post my thoughts later, they are at a pretty good price point too.

You can't spot reduce, so losing that extra body fat is going to come down to a caloric deficit. Increase cardio, or decrease calories.

 

Thanks for the great advice! I'm going to follow your recommendations and see what happens. The hard part is trying to eat healthy on the go. It's amazing just how hard it isn't to find anything decent on the road.

 

Yeah, it's a shame there are not healthy places to eat everywhere. Generally speaking, healthy eating is more expensive than it's unhealthy counterpart.

Then the FDA, CDC etc. wonder why America is obese....

 

I use to take Life Force. Right now I don't take multi's, but they were very good.

I had a terrible time with Orange Triad. The digestive enzymes killed my stomach. I consider myself pretty regular and OT bothered me immensely. After using the bathroom 6 or 7 times in one day, I couldn't take them anymore.

 

I realize this is an older thread but I was just reading this and found the anabolic window issue extremely interesting. I have been lifting for 25 years and the "conventional" wisdom has always been to get your shake/high-protein meal asap after lifting.

The fact that this appears to not be the case is very significant. Do you think you can link to some of the studies if they are available on line?

By the way, speaking of conventional wisdom, my pre-lifting meal has always been a piece of toast and a cup of coffee about 60-75 minutes before getting to the gym. I am interested in reducing carbs as much as possible so I would love to know the perfect pre-lifting meal that still provides the necessary energy to train with intensity.

Thanks in advance.

 

Any sups to promote ligament/tendon injuries or tears?

 

I'm taking Bio35 for vitamins, optimum nutrition whey protein, optimum nutrition creatine powder, and optimum nutrition glutamine. My goal is to put on about ten pounds of lean muscle, currently at 162 lbs. Any supplements I should be adding?

 

What are your thoughts on Prograde protein powders?
Are they superior as many in the gyms seem to profess?
Beev

 

I've been doing protein (mostly right before workout, with meal after), GNC Creatine 189 or CE2 - HI DEF (HCL - no bloat) and NO2 Black. I've tried a few other NO supplement brands/options, including the instant powder, but I really like the NO2 Black, contrary to some other reviews. After about 1 week full use (been working out hard for 4 months prior to starting as well), I can absolutely tell a difference in pump. Veins pop much more throughout entire arms/biceps, recovery is dramatically quicker and I have much less groggy initial feeling, and libido is also noticeably enhanced as you would expect with such products. Not a fan of the instant mix stuff or other instant effect pills which mostly make me dizzy (and I'm a coffee drinker already).

I've been told to try Super HD stacked with CLA. I really have no familiarity with those products, would love to hear advice/feedback. My goal is lean muscle mass, endurance, and a ripped fighter look like the actors in the movie 300 or tv show Spartacus. I'm not interested in bulk. I've achieved this before about 4 years ago, but lost it, and am attempting to get it back.

 

What have you guys felt from using Life Force vitamins ? And/or Orange Triad

 

Slight more energy, not quite a run down feeling. You really have to try a few different ones to see if you notice a difference. I've started taking a multi again last week. Michael's Health is what I'm taking currently. I like it the same as LF.
http://www.michaelshealth.com/retail/products/daily-multi-vitamin-programs/for-men-tablets.html

As I mentioned above, OT really screwed my stomach up. If you're regular, I wouldn't recommend it because it has the digestive enzymes included.

 

I don't have any studies on hand, but I can try to look for some worth posting. In the mean time, check out Alan Argon's write up on nutrient timing; i'd Google it. Bodybuilding.com forums are also a great tool for debunking old myths.

There really isn't much of a substitute for carbs. I would look into a pre workout of some sort, and/or some nootropics.

Edit: Here is a good short excerpt from one of Alan Argon's write ups: "When speaking of nutrition for improving body composition or athletic performance, it’s crucial to realize there’s an underlying hierarchy of importance. At the top of the hierarchy of effects is total amount of the macronutrients by the end of the day. Below that — and I mean distantly below that — is the precise timing of those nutrients. With very few exceptions (i.e., the intermittent fasting crowd), athletes and active individuals eat multiple times per day, to the tune of at least four meals. Thus, the majority of their day is spent in the postprandial (fed) rather than a post-absorptive (fasted) state. The vast majority of nutrient timing studies have been done on overnight-fasted subjects put through glycogen depletion protocols, which obviously limits the applicability of the outcomes. Pre-exercise (and/or during-exercise) nutrient intake often has a lingering carry-over effect into the post-exercise period. Throughout the day, there’s a constant overlap of meal digestion and nutrient absorption. For this reason, the effectiveness of nutrient timing does not require a high degree of precision. -Alan Aragon, Alan Aragon’s Research Review, January 2008".

Unfortunately I do not know of any but that doesn't mean they are not out there, just not my field of study.

That stack looks good. You may want to add in a pre workout supp just to increase energy and add ergogenic aids. I'd drop the glutamine once you finish that tub, we get more than enough in our diet, any more has no effect on recovery or body composition.

Protein=protein at the end of the day, i'd go with the cheapest option. The only exception would be for people that are lactose intolerant, in that case, they would look for an isolate (which removes pretty much all dairy).

CLA is useless for weight loss, i'd look into an E/C stack.

You may not feel anything, but it's a nice piece of mind considering taking in bad forms of vitamins can do more harm than good. It's best to invest in a quality multi.

 

Thank you - appreciate the info.

 

Thank you for your help...good info!

 

I just came across this video on nutrition myths. Very interesting and well worth 15 minutes

http://youtu.be/fqSNOKL5ZkA

 

Thanks for the tips.

I have currently plateaued and am not using any supplements. In the gym 2-3 days a week. 1 day cardio the other 2 days lifting. What do you suggest I start with?

 

Honestly, you need to be in the gym more than two days a week.

What are you doing during your two lifting days?

 

There seems to be much debate over heart rate and exercise. One camp believes you burn fat more effectively with lower heart rate longer duration exercise. The other camp says just do cardio and get your heart rate up and fat will burn off no matter what.

I'm about three weeks into being back at the gym. What I've been doing is 45 minutes lower heart rate (usually around 114-118) then 15 minutes of much higher rate (usually 135-145 with a few blips up to 150+).

Along with changing my diet to very healthy food, mostly veggies and fruit, I've managed to lose 23 lbs in two weeks. Using the "Eat to Live" program for diet.

So I have two questions really....

1) What do you think about heart rate and fat burning
2) There seems to be a MAJOR difference between what the eliptical machines and what my Polar heart rate monitor/watch tell me for calories burned when I'm done.

The Polar is usually about 1/2 of what the machine says.

I also intend to start back into some lifting in the next week or two in addition to the eliptical.

Oh, and I'm 46, started out at 332 and am now 309.

 

I'm a big advocate of high intensity, my current routine is as follows:

3 day per week, I you to do some high intensity intervals (preferably on off days from lifting or leg training. I do sprinting, ride the bike, whatever I want. But I follow this protocol:

5 minute warm up
15 – 20 second sprints within 30 minutes
Each 20 second you will go all out, as hard as you can.
You can space the sprints every two minutes
5 minute cool down

1 other days per week do 30 minutes of low intensity cardio (work at 65 to 70 percent max HR)


What's most important about cardio is just sticking with it, if you don't like HIIT cardio, dont do it. Pick something you will do for longer than a month.

I would go by your Polar HR monitor for sure. Make sure you're making proper contact with it.