Supplements? Any sports gurus here?

[VAG_Tech]

Just like almost everyone on earth after Dec 31 2007 are thinking about resolutions. mine just like millions of others was to join a gym and work off the beer belly.
I'm not much of a breakfast guy and needing to go to the gym first thing in the morning before work I'm thinking I will be needing some fuel for the body before I hit the treadmill and weights. So the first ting that came to mind is getting a supplement to drink first thing before going to the gym. I also thought that snacking on a powerbar right after the workout might be a good idea too for recovery. I want to try out Popeyes supplements on MacLeod Trail, anyone been there?

Here's what I was looking at getting.



Description:

Muscle Milk is an "evolutionary" muscle formula promoting efficient fat burning, lean muscle growth and fast recovery from exercise. Metabolically favorable ingredients stimulate growth and recovery in a similar manner to mother's milk nourishing a baby.

Benefits of using Muscle Milk:

*
Creatine Production: Patent-pending, medically proven EndoCreatineTM gives you maximum benefits of creatine loading and storage by increasing your body's natural production of creatine.
*
Efficient Energy Production: Lean LipidsTM are special fats that are easily mobilized for workout energy, enhance your body's fat metabolism and promote protein synthesis, anti-imflammatory effects and mineral retention.
*
Muscle Growth and Repair: EvoProTM is a complex ratio of proteins, peptides and amino acids designed to replicate the amazing benefits of mothers milk for rapid tissue growth and repair.

As for bars..



What do you think?

[Khyron]

Re: Supplements? Any sports gurus here?

IMO supplements are over-rated unless you're going for mass. Anything with the word "recovery" in it isn't really worth it. Chocolate milk is equal to the best expensive recovery drinks and it's cheap.

Advise to you is forget the calorie counters, stop eating trash, find a simple 20 min weight routine on the web that sculps what you're looking for and 30-45 mins of cardio after the weights.

If it's white, assume it's bad. Drink water instead of pop, whole fruits and veg instead of fruit drinks. Almost every meal you eat in a restaurant is over your daily calorie goal, so keep to a minimum as well.

If you're building muscle, Popeyes has a good rep and is cheaper than the GNCs for protein powder/shakes.

[GoNzO]

Re: Supplements? Any sports gurus here?

What worked for me.

Downloaded the Navy Seal training program. I focused on teh push-up and sit-up part only. Its a gradual thing. Also do a main workout everyday(no more then 25 mins). Then after that I would do little things another couple times a day. Doenst have to be anything big. Try maybe another 20 pushups or 20 situps.
Also watch your diet.
For suppliments(I dont know how well they worked but I will list them).
-creatine-usually before or right after my main workout.
-tribulus-in the morning
-protein powder-in the morning
-protien energy bar- anytime I got hungry I would eat half of one. Did this twice a day.

Also I only would drink water and milk. The part where I think most people fail is diet. Our stomachs in North America are way larger then they should be. We just eat way too much and stretch the thing. With the extra size its use to producing twice as much acid. The extra acid take 2-3 weeks to slow down to a normal production rate. So with the extra size and acid you will feel hungry often. IGNORE it. It gets better but the first week is terrible till you get used to it. Drink water to dilute the acid and occasionally take an antacid. If you are using creatine then water is a must. This stuff builds up in your kidneys and causes serious problems. Never use it for more then 6 weeks. Then take 3-4 weeks off.

Hope it helps

[niXon]

Re: Supplements? Any sports gurus here?

IMO supplements are over-rated unless you're going for mass.

By far the dumbest thing I have seen posted. Protein is key for muscle recovery. It doesn't matter what your objective is, be it weight loss or increasing muscle mass.

Protein
(4 cals/g of protein) = 1 g pf protein/lb of bodyweight is a good goal. There is no known risk if you want to go higher though (unless you have a preexisting kidney disease) and there are some benefits but the most important are increased thermic effect of food (which basically means higher metabolism and higher satiety) and positive nitrogen balance (which means eating more protein that your body needs, which is what we want if we want to grow).
Protein has a really high thermic effect of food (TEF) which means that the body uses a lot of energy to process it. That’s usually linked to greater energy lost (which is one reason why protein is the best macronutrient to get in excess), boosts the metabolism and has been linked to greater satiety.

The recommended intake for sedentary individual is 0.8g/kg but recent studies suggest that it should be the double (1.6g/kg). The 0.8g/kg recommandations provides enough protein to 98% of the sedentary people and it takes into account the variable quality of the protein. So if one would take only complete protein, it could be a little lower. Studies done in weight training individuals show that there's no additionnal benefit when over 1.8g/kg as far as muscle building goes. 1g/lb is 2.2g/kg, so it should be plenty enough.


All proteins are not created equal. Animal protein is better than plant protein due to their biological value, among other things (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_value). Some plant protein sources aren't complete either (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complete_protein).

To the original poster, popeyes is a great place for supps. Reasonably priced, and for the most part the staff are pretty knowledgeable. If you're looking for a protein powder that mixes well check out ON(Optimum Nutrition) Whey.

[Khyron]

Re: Supplements? Any sports gurus here?

By far the dumbest thing I have seen posted. Protein is key for muscle recovery, and it doesn't matter what you're objective is be it weightloss, or increasing muscle mass.

How about you learn to fucking read? I said supplements in general are over rated for the average guy, NOT protein. I'd much rather eat lean chicken/fish/beef over expensive whey powder. I personally try and eat about .75g/pound/day. Try and eat 5 smaller meals instead of 3 bigger ones.

[VAG_Tech]

Re: Supplements? Any sports gurus here?

All are great suggestions. I guess the biggest part is counting the calories. I want to burn fat and build muscle mass. The Navy Seal workout sounds good. Did you download it from a torrent site?

[Khyron]

Re: Supplements? Any sports gurus here?

Here's a Ranger one:

PUSHUPS

The Ranger goal: 80 in 2 minutes

If you don't measure up: Do as many pushups as you can, then rest for 20 seconds. Repeat this back-and-forth process (work, rest) for 2 minutes. Keep track of the total number of pushups you perform in that time period, and try to beat it in your next workout.

SITUPS

The Ranger goal: 80 in 2 minutes

If you don't measure up: Without resting, do as many situps as you can, timing yourself from start to finish. Then rest for that same amount of time. Repeat four times, always resting for only as long as it took to do your previous set. Work your way to the 2-minute goal.

CHINUPS

The Ranger goal: 12 or more

If you don't measure up: Take the most chinups you can do at one time, and divide that number in half. Now perform sets of that number of repetitions — resting 60 seconds after each set — until you've done at least 12 chinups. (If you can do six chinups, you'll perform four sets of three repetitions.) Each workout, reduce your rest between sets by 5 seconds, until you're down to zero rest and able to do 12 consecutive chinups.

2-MILE RUN

The Ranger goal: 13 minutes or less

If you don't measure up: Break the 2-mile distance into 440-yard increments (1/4 mile, or once around the track) and do eight intervals, running each in 1 minute, 38 seconds — a pace that's equivalent to a 6:30 mile — and resting for 60 seconds after each. Each workout, reduce your rest period by 5 to 10 seconds until you can do all eight 440-yard rounds without stopping.

[niXon]

Re: Supplements? Any sports gurus here?

How about you learn to fucking read? I said supplements in general are over rated for the average guy, NOT protein. I'd much rather eat lean chicken/fish/beef over expensive whey powder. I personally try and eat about .75g/pound/day. Try and eat 5 smaller meals instead of 3 bigger ones.

No, you said supplements, and last I checked protein whey was a supplement.

And just so this post isn't totally usless here's my weekly split. Keep in mind each workout is followed up by a 5 minute cardio warmup, 15 minutes of H.I.I.T(High Intensity Interval Training) and a 5 minute cooldown.

Monday - Quads

Leg press (3 sets)
Dumbbell lunge (3 sets)
Leg extension (2 sets)
Split Squats (3 sets)

Tuesday - Chest/shoulders

Bench press (3 sets)
Incline dumbbell press (2 sets)
Pec Deck (3 sets)
Seated dumbbell press (3 sets)
Side laterals (2 sets)
Rear laterals (2 sets)

Wednesday - Back

Deadlifts (3 sets)
Pulldowns (3 sets)
Seated row (3 sets)
Dumbbell rows (2 sets)
Hyperextensions (3 sets)
Shrugs (3 sets)

Thursday - Triceps/biceps

Tricep Pushdowns (3 sets)
Dumbbell overhead extensions (3 sets)
Preacher curls (3 sets)
Incline dumbbell curls (2 sets)
Hammer curls (2 sets)

Friday - Hamstrings/calves/Forearms

Leg curls (3 sets)
Standing calf raises (3 sets)
Seated calf raises (3 sets)
Reverse Curls (3 sets)
Wrist Curls (2 sets)

[calgarydub]

Re: Supplements? Any sports gurus here?

I didn't read through any of that, but I tried muscle milk and I noticed a difference after my first use/work out! Of course I strayed off and stopped using it. If I ever wanted to bulk up again I would definately use it. That is was the guy at GNC used when I went in to get something like this, and he was about 7 feet tall 280 pounds of steel. Good luck with the resolution. Stick with it, its worth it!


EDIT: I will also note that my Muscle Milk had a Banana flavour to it that kinda tasted good, but was very thick and a little chunky if you don't measure out the correct ratio of Milk to powder. There is a scooper inside but I never really found a glass that was whatever ounces, I just got a big glass and mixed it in haha. Reading this makes me want to get back on it and rip the arms in my t shirts again. (Not really but thats what I felt like)

I've also heard good things about Popeye's but never been. I got a GNC card the first time I went, so it Saved me a couple bucks off the muscle milk.

[RONDAL]

Re: Supplements? Any sports gurus here?

as of Jan1 i've gotten back on the program I had tailored to me while I was still mountain biking professionally.
There is a lot of good information being thrown around in here, so I will see if I can summarize some of it and weed out the banter.

- Define a goal of what you would like to accomplish
- Create a full baseline of where you are; weight, resting heart rate, outline your current diet
- Start counting the calories; measure everything you eat and drink, DONT eyeball
- Start drinking lots of water; not only will it hydrate you and flush your system, it will make you feel less hungry. Often the feeling of hunger is really signs of dehydration
- Start smaller meals, more times a day. Avoid 3 large meals and replace with 5-6 smaller ones.
- Build a gym schedule and stick to it; it's easy to come up with excuses to skip, having a partner to motivate you can help
- Sleep; most people overlook this part but getting a good night sleep should be one of the top priorities
- Avoid eating meals before working out, it takes energy to digest food, energy that you need for working out
- Chart your progress; every day weigh in at the same time, wearing the same things. First thing in the morning is suggested as you usually haven't eaten or drank in 6-8 hours. Plot your progress in excel to see your results
- Make sure you are cutting out the junk food and beers, they are horrible for your routine and throw out your diet.
- Make sure you are getting enough protein; this can come through whole foods such as chicken, fish, beef, or through supplements. Speak with a nutritionist to find out whats best for your goals.
- make sure you are doing all the appropriate stretching, I work out for 60 minutes, and do close to 30 minutes of stretching before and after. It's the best way to avoid injury and to allow for proper flexibility.


My goal is to get down 25lbs in 4 months. It's easily manageable, as long as I don't get injured again.

[Mitcheh]

Re: Supplements? Any sports gurus here?

IMO supplements are over-rated unless you're going for mass. Anything with the word "recovery" in it isn't really worth it. Chocolate milk is equal to the best expensive recovery drinks and it's cheap.

Advise to you is forget the calorie counters, stop eating trash, find a simple 20 min weight routine on the web that sculps what you're looking for and 30-45 mins of cardio after the weights.

If it's white, assume it's bad. Drink water instead of pop, whole fruits and veg instead of fruit drinks. Almost every meal you eat in a restaurant is over your daily calorie goal, so keep to a minimum as well.

If you're building muscle, Popeyes has a good rep and is cheaper than the GNCs for protein powder/shakes.

lol @ 20 min weight routine

I'm kind of an expert in the whole supplement/weight training department, but most of these guys have covered the basics.

[RONDAL]

Re: Supplements? Any sports gurus here?

actually a proper weight routine should only really be 20-30 minutes. most meatheads end up taking 1 hour or more cause they rest between reps and different weights. key is to keep the breaks around 30-60 seconds. Anything more and your HR drops too much and you lose the full effect of the workout.

[Mitcheh]

Re: Supplements? Any sports gurus here?

actually a proper weight routine should only really be 20-30 minutes. most meatheads end up taking 1 hour or more cause they rest between reps and different weights. key is to keep the breaks around 30-60 seconds. Anything more and your HR drops too much and you lose the full effect of the workout.

Ok, you work out for 20-30 mins and I'll do my full hour. Hope 2 sets per exercise is working for you.

I spend 20 mins on squats alone on leg day

[niXon]

Re: Supplements? Any sports gurus here?

Ok, you work out for 20-30 mins and I'll do my full hour. Hope 2 sets per exercise is working for you.

I spend 20 mins on squats alone on leg day

Couldn't have said it any better.

Except replace squats with deadlifts

[Mitcheh]

Re: Supplements? Any sports gurus here?

Hahaha same story for deads on back day, my 2 faves