• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Supplements

cretaceous_cretin

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2010
Messages
192
Reaction score
2
Originally Posted by Mr. Lee
The posts seem to be oriented to general health which is fine, but I am assuming you are interested in supplements that will enhance muscle growth. The only one that has been shown to be worthwhile is creatine. Other pre-workout products provide energy but you can get that from coffee or a Red Bull. Look into products by BSN, the #1 supplement maker on bodybuilding sites. Specifically NO Explode (pre) and Cell Mass (post). You can add a good whey protein, but, honestly, most people who eat a balanced diet get enough protein from their normal diet. Also, if you are looking to put on muscle you must work out hard, eat a lot (in small, frequent meals) and get plenty of rest, because the rest period is where the growth takes place. Finally, if you are skinny, you really need to eat more; if you are overweight, do some cardio. If you can put on a solid 5-10 pounds of muscle in a year, you're doing well.
I will second the creatine. I work out 5 days a week (cardio MWF, weights TT, then next week cardio TT and weights MWF), using the creatine and Syntha-6 whey protein. Lost 100 lbs. and have gotten to reasonably good physical condition for my age (57). I have managed to put on about 10 lbs in muscle mass. All this in about 11 months. I also have another 40 lbs to lose. If you use the creatine, make sure you stay hydrated well (4 qts of water/day minimum).
 

CCAurora

Active Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2011
Messages
41
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by Mr. Lee
The posts seem to be oriented to general health which is fine, but I am assuming you are interested in supplements that will enhance muscle growth. The only one that has been shown to be worthwhile is creatine. Other pre-workout products provide energy but you can get that from coffee or a Red Bull. Look into products by BSN, the #1 supplement maker on bodybuilding sites. Specifically NO Explode (pre) and Cell Mass (post).

Suggesting creatine is all well and good (although steak can get you just as much with the calories you already need), but No-Xpolde and Cell Mass? You're not recommending creatine - you're recommending products that CONTAIN creatine, but tons of filler, artificial flavorings, colors, etc.

Straight up creatine monohydrate is the ONLY way to go if you want to supplement with creatine. Another issue with US supplement laws is that companies don't have to disclose how much of ANYTHING is in their supplements. Very unsafe stuff. We are all guinea pigs for these formulas. Stick to bare-bones supplements and wait the twisted experimentation out.
 

GreenFrog

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Oct 20, 2008
Messages
13,767
Reaction score
2,935
Originally Posted by CCAurora
Suggesting creatine is all well and good (although steak can get you just as much with the calories you already need), but No-Xpolde and Cell Mass? You're not recommending creatine - you're recommending products that CONTAIN creatine, but tons of filler, artificial flavorings, colors, etc.

Straight up creatine monohydrate is the ONLY way to go if you want to supplement with creatine. Another issue with US supplement laws is that companies don't have to disclose how much of ANYTHING is in their supplements. Very unsafe stuff. We are all guinea pigs for these formulas. Stick to bare-bones supplements and wait the twisted experimentation out.


+1

BSN is overpriced crap that's only expensive because of all the money they funnel into marketing their ****** products to suckers.

No-Xplode and Cell Mass are **** products. Syntha-6 is decent, but expensive and high in fat and sugars, which is why it tastes so good.

There are so many better options out there.
 

Willie5566

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2009
Messages
723
Reaction score
33
Originally Posted by GreenFrog
+1

BSN is overpriced crap that's only expensive because of all the money they funnel into marketing their ****** products to suckers.

No-Xplode and Cell Mass are **** products. Syntha-6 is decent, but expensive and high in fat and sugars, which is why it tastes so good.

There are so many better options out there.


Such as?

I agree that No-Xlode and Cell Mass are crap. Add muscletech to the list. They spend more money on marketing than they do on the products themselves. Then we have to pay extra for the hype.

That said, I agree that creatine is legit. Anyone have a creatine that they swear by?
 

Willie5566

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2009
Messages
723
Reaction score
33
Originally Posted by cretaceous_cretin
I will second the creatine. I work out 5 days a week (cardio MWF, weights TT, then next week cardio TT and weights MWF), using the creatine and Syntha-6 whey protein. Lost 100 lbs. and have gotten to reasonably good physical condition for my age (57). I have managed to put on about 10 lbs in muscle mass. All this in about 11 months. I also have another 40 lbs to lose.

If you use the creatine, make sure you stay hydrated well (4 qts of water/day minimum).


Amazing results. What creatine do you use? How many calories do you take in on a daily basis? 100lbs. in 11 months is a little concerning. Share your workout routine.
 

asdf

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2009
Messages
806
Reaction score
3
Originally Posted by Willie5566
That said, I agree that creatine is legit. Anyone have a creatine that they swear by?

I understand that plain 'ol creatine monohydrate is the best-studied variety, proven to yield results. It's also the cheapest. Can be as simple as adding some to your post-workout protein shake. Some people suggest adding high-GI sugar to elicit an insulin response, some think that the protein is enough to do that.
 

Jsoftz

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2006
Messages
356
Reaction score
23
Originally Posted by CCAurora
Suggesting creatine is all well and good (although steak can get you just as much with the calories you already need), but No-Xpolde and Cell Mass? You're not recommending creatine - you're recommending products that CONTAIN creatine, but tons of filler, artificial flavorings, colors, etc. Straight up creatine monohydrate is the ONLY way to go if you want to supplement with creatine. Another issue with US supplement laws is that companies don't have to disclose how much of ANYTHING is in their supplements. Very unsafe stuff. We are all guinea pigs for these formulas. Stick to bare-bones supplements and wait the twisted experimentation out.
I've lost about 85 lbs so far and am starting to transition to muscle gain- what do you think about Creatine Ethyl Esther (CEE) or some of the Concentrated Creatine (like the Con Cret product?). I want to start taking creatine but don't want to retain more water than I have to. Since i've lost so much fat- I'm worried about going in the other direction.
 

Willie5566

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2009
Messages
723
Reaction score
33
Originally Posted by Jsoftz
I've lost about 85 lbs so far and am starting to transition to muscle gain- what do you think about Creatine Ethyl Esther (CEE) or some of the Concentrated Creatine (like the Con Cret product?). I want to start taking creatine but don't want to retain more water than I have to. Since i've lost so much fat- I'm worried about going in the other direction.

I have taken con cret and am not a fan. I did not notice results at all and the taste is pretty bad.

What steps have you taken to lose 85lbs?
 

Mblova

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2006
Messages
912
Reaction score
1
Originally Posted by Willie5566
Such as?

I agree that No-Xlode and Cell Mass are crap. Add muscletech to the list. They spend more money on marketing than they do on the products themselves. Then we have to pay extra for the hype.

That said, I agree that creatine is legit. Anyone have a creatine that they swear by?


Any MICRONIZED creatine monohydrate should be good. If it helps, I know some nutritionists for D1 schools swear by creapure.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/in...nohydrate.html
 

GreenFrog

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Oct 20, 2008
Messages
13,767
Reaction score
2,935
Originally Posted by Willie5566
Such as? I agree that No-Xlode and Cell Mass are crap. Add muscletech to the list. They spend more money on marketing than they do on the products themselves. Then we have to pay extra for the hype. That said, I agree that creatine is legit. Anyone have a creatine that they swear by?
I've dabbled with creatine here and there, but never really stuck to it. That being said, I've used Green Magnitude by Controlled Labs. It's a product that everyone swears by in the bb community. They have excellent customer service and it tastes ******* delicious (the sour apple one; never tried the lemonade flavor). I've also used SizeOn by Gaspari Nutrition. It's slightly expensive and sweet as ****. I personally didn't enjoy the flavor, as you have to dilute it with a **** ton of water to make it drinkable, and it's annoying because you need to drink it before and during your workouts. With green mag, you simply drink a cup of it in the morning everyday. Yes, a regular drinking cup with one scoop and some water is sufficient. I highly recommend green mag. I personally don't like the creatine monohydrate varieties, as there's the whole loading period and you need to make sure you're taking it with a high-glucose drink, which is why a lot of people mix theirs with grape juice. Green Mag isn't creatine monohydrate. I forgot what it's called, but it's a different variety of creatine. You should look into it. Maybe I will get back into using creatine.. hm.
 

Gibonius

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Nov 27, 2009
Messages
24,990
Reaction score
37,239
The whole "loading phase" thing with creatine is bullshit invented by the supp companies to get you to use more. There's no physiological basis to it.
 

GreenFrog

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Oct 20, 2008
Messages
13,767
Reaction score
2,935
Originally Posted by Gibonius
The whole "loading phase" thing with creatine is bullshit invented by the supp companies to get you to use more. There's no physiological basis to it.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's bullshit. Unnecessary? Possibly. The loading phase allows you to reduce the time until your muscles reach full saturation. You can easily get by with 5g/day but loading for the first couple days will definitely reduce the number of days it takes to reach effective saturation.
 

akatsuki

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2008
Messages
2,652
Reaction score
201
Originally Posted by GreenFrog
Syntha-6 is decent, but expensive and high in fat and sugars, which is why it tastes so good.

Nothing wrong with some fat in your diet. And sugars in a recovery drink are fine too I think. Especially if you are maintaining a pretty high training schedule and consuming immediately after working out.

I've used Syntha-6, currently almost done with a tub of Nitrean, and have a tub of Isoflex waiting to go. So far, they all seem pretty interchangeable, but according to Robb Wolf, Isoflex has some insulin sensitizers that are appealing. Next time may try a build from trueprotein.com but realistically I don't think it matters all that much - I am mostly doing shakes because it is too hard to eat enough calories on Paleo.

I just mix in some creatine and go. Skip the dosing, and studies have shown that continuous use is fine too, so no need to cycle. Shaker bottle is key for creatine which never seems to dissolve.
 

Coldsnap

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
10,184
Reaction score
6,378
I'm just putting this out there but supplements are a complete wash. Most companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for scientific research which tries to prove their supplements work, sometimes it is so insignificant. After spending time with Olympic athletes my opinion on supplements have completely changed; stuff I think is important - sun (vitamin D), fish oil (fish food), if you want the perfect post workout meal - chocolate milk.

When you get into high end athleticism you find out what works and what doesn't real fast.
 

akatsuki

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2008
Messages
2,652
Reaction score
201
Originally Posted by Coldsnap
I'm just putting this out there but supplements are a complete wash. Most companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for marketing which tries to prove their supplements work, sometimes it is so insignificant.

FTFY

Like I said, I just take protein shakes cause I can't get enough calories in a day otherwise to support building muscle - probably don't need the extra protein really, but I hate milk so I can't do GOMAD.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.7%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 39.3%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 15 10.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.3%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.3%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,149
Messages
10,578,764
Members
223,878
Latest member
anaforli
Top