Creatine and other supplements

[Bradford]

I recently started a new weight lifting program and have been seeing some definite improvement. The first few weeks, I have not been using any supplements but I am starting to load with creatine monohydrate and plan to use this for a while and see what happens. I also have some MET-Rx shakes that I have used in the past.

The question is would something else be better. With all the supplements available on the market, what do you use and what would you recommend?

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

The two supplements I recommend without reservation aside from creatine are glutamine and whey protein.  I use all three plus a banana and milk in a post-workout shake.  I've read that one should not consume creatine and glutamine at the same time (something to do with cell volumization) so I'm going to try consuming them separately.

 

[Renwick]

A body builder friend of mine recommends DHEA.

 

[daytona]

To get the full effect of creatine, you should first "load-up". This means you are going to saturate your muscles with creatine. To do this, you have to take 1 heap teaspoon (about 5 grams), mixed into water, 5 times a daily for 5 days (loading dose). Thereafter, take 1 heap teaspoon 1 to 2 times daily. When loading, take the dosages on an empty stomach if possible. Once you have loaded up on creatine, u do not have to take your daily maintence dose on an empty stomach since your muscles are already saturated with creatine. All u are doing is to maintain that level.

 

[daytona]

Here is the supplement I suggest:

1) Multi-Vitamin (without iron) - If you want to gain muscle, you must make sure that u are not deficient in any vitamin, mineral or trace element that you body need. We can get enough iron from our food. Extra iron is only needed for menstruating women.

2) Calcium - You should supplement with calcium. Not only because of our diets don't get enough each day, buy heavy weight training and maintaining a high protein diet cause some calcium loss in the urine.

3) Vitamin C (500mg) - Vitamin C can speed up muscle recovery time and aids in the repair of damaged connective tissues. I typically take around 500mg, 3 times per day, which is 1500mg per day.

4) ZMA - ZMA is a combination of Zinc, and Magnesium Aspartate. It can increase strength gains, support testosterone production and prevent muscle loss following high-intensive exercises.

5) Whey Protein - To gain muscles, you must have high quality protein at every meal. You don't need to have crabs or fat at every meal, but u must have a quality protein.

Supplements ARE NOT magic... They are only there to help you. You will still get the result without them.

 

[pstoller]

I was taking whey protien and while this seemed to have some good effects in starting me back up with weight lifting after about 6 months out of the gym, my weight loss seemed pretty stagnant"”and I have a priority on shaving off the spare tire right now. I stopped taking the whey (mostly because I ran out and just never bought any more) and it seems like the weight loss is more rapid...

If you haven't changed your eating habits other than eliminating the whey protein, then you might be losing more weight simply because you're now taking in fewer calories. Protein is important for building muscle, but you're not going to slim down if you're adding big protein calories to an already full day's caloric intake. You have to include protein supplements in your calorie count.

 

[daytona]

CTguy,
Would you mind telling me how you workout in the gym?

All the weight you gained by taking protein was "water weight". It is not your real weight.

You need to change your eating habits.

1) Eat more calories - Dieting for muscle gain is simply a matter of eating. You must eat more calories than your body burns off. When your body has extra calories it will use them for building new nuscle mass. To gain muscle, your caloric inrake should me equal to about 15-20 times your body weight. For example, if you are 150lbs, you should take 3000 calories daily.

2) Control and monitor your protein, carbs, and fats - Carbs serve mainly as energy for body, while protein provide the necessary amino acids to build and repair muscle. For muscle growth, carbs are not as essential as protein and fats. High quality protein should be the centre point of all your meals.

 

[daytona]

CTguy,

Here is my diet plan:
(6 meals per day. Total 2200 calories)

Meal A:
Whey Protein bar 140 calories
1.5 table spoon of Udo's oil 198 calories

Meal B:
1 pack of MRP (Meal Replacement Product) 280 calories

Meal C:
4 oz chicken breast 140 calories
1 cup brown rice 218 calories

Meal D:
3 eggs (any style) 255 cal
3 slices wheat bread 183 cal

Meal E:
4 oz Chicken breast 140 cal
1 cup of spinish 40 cal

Meal D
0.5 scoop of when protein 50 cal
1.5 of Udo oil 198 cal

TOTAL about 2200 calories.

Here is the supplement I use:

Myoplex chocolate flavor (Meal Replacement Product)
Protein bar
When protein powder
Vitamin C
Calcium
Multi-Vitamin without iron
Creatine Monohydrate
Glutamine
Udo's oil

If I said you need to take 2000 calories per day to gain weight, then you eat 4 bags of potato chips each day, do u think you would gain muscle? You said you eat pretzels, peanuts, crackers, granola bar, etc. So that I think the majority of your weight would be fat. Why? Because those junk foods contain empty, totally nutritionless calories. These food do not provide you with the correct nutrient breakdown essential for gaining muscle. Also, you eat yogurt and drink V8. They are all fructose. If you want, I can explain how fructose converts to fat. Again, to gain muscle, what you need is PROTEIN. You should eat protein at every meal.

I think you want to have six pack, right? Let me tell you the truth.

It does not matter how many rep you can do. The only thing that matter is how hard you can contract your adominal muscles. When doing crunches, u should concentrate on crunching together rather than moving your body upwards. This will maximize muscle tension. You MUST focus on contracting your muscles as tight as you can. This will cause them to fatigue faster. If it takes you 100+ crunches before your abs begin to burn, then YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME. Your abs should be brusting at no more than 15-20 reps. If they aren't, then you need to add weight to your exercise and work on contracting the muscles tightly for each rep. When doing ab exercise, more doesn't mean better.

If you want to burn fat, treadmill or aerobic are useless. You should focus on your diet.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Daytona-

Your diet plan is interesting and I am wondering if you follow the plan strictly? Do you change foods in each groups so you would not eat same stuff everyday? For instance, I can't eat eggs everyday. Also, what about normal foods? Do you ever go out to a local steakhouse and reward yourself a juicy 18oz steak for Meal number 7 or it is out of question?

-Kevin D.

 

[daytona]

Yes, I did change the food but not each group. I keep every meal was about 300-400 calories (because I take 6 meals per day and I need 2200 calories).

I have to work at the daytime, so I can't cook. That's why supplements are helpful and it's convenient.

Beside those chicken and egg, I would eat tuna (canned), salmon, shrimp, Ground beef. They are all high protein food.

In that meal plan, it's allowed to have "one free meal" once a week. I ate everything I wanted at Friday or Saturday night.

Believe me, that meal plan really works.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

As you have mentioned that your plan really worked, in which way? What is your goal toward changing your body by trimming or gaining mass or just for spite of being healthy? I am 5 foot and 9 inches with 152 lbs frame. My body has good cuts but I would like to achieve more if possible while gaining to 160lbs. Strangely, it has been a struggle for me to gain just 8 or 10 lbs, it got to be the foods along with my improper intake.

Daytona, do you have any suggestion for me? I am currently on three supplements from EAS and work out 7 days a week (basically because I have too much time on my hands)

Thanks.

 

[daytona]

I said my plan works not only because I can gain muscles from that plan (with weight training), but it also help me to get or "look" healthier.

First of all, I suggest that you must reduce your training time. You should work out NO MORE than 3 times per week and every time no more that 75 minutes. Training more that will not have any benifits. Building muscle requires rest. More rest than training.

If you are training without steroids, don't make the mistake of thinking that the more you train, the more you will grow. Your body doesn't work that way. Your body needs plenty of time off from training to recover. If it doesn't get that, u will not allow your muscles to fully recover and you will not allow your immune system to get stonger. Without essential "non-active" time, u will never get a chance to grow. YOU DO NOT GROW WHILE WORKING OUT, U ONLY GROW WHEN U ARE RESTING.

I know you are motivated and excited about working out, but more is not better.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Hmm....If you would just glance to EAS' website showing that I have to work out 5 times a week sometime six by following the workout schedule that EAS has prepared for me. I tend to work out with high intensity up to between 50 to 60 mins, no more than that. I have whole another 23 hours to rest till next workout.

If I consume 6 meals rich in protein and carbs (for after workouts to harvest energy back) everyday and less of fattening foods would result into trimmed but gained muscled on my frame?

I truly enjoy your feedbacks and hope to hear from you again shortly.

 

[daytona]

I remember that years ago, a higher carb and lower fat diet was the rage, puched by professional bodybuilder and trainers. The claimed that this was the only way to eat for muscle gain. However, people gaining muscle on that type of diet were few. The rest just got fat. For muscle growth, carbs are not as essential as protein and fats. High protein diet should be the center point of all your meal.

In my opinion, you don't have to have carbs or fat at every meal, but u must have protein in order to gain muscle...

Maybe you want to start "no carbs diet" to lose fat. But I don't recomend it to you becaues it is a very drastic diet and very difficult to maintain. Yes, it will help you to lose fat, but its side effect are extreme fatigue and crankiness. I sometimes only recommend it to "experienced dieters, but if u are new, then it's not a good diet to start with.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Daytona-

Could you give me a short list of foods with high protein that I could consume in 6 meals-a-day program?