I’m not looking to be Mr. Bulko, I just want to stay in shape. I eat good meals otherwise. Should I use protein supplements? If so, which kind?
It all depends.
Easy answer is probably.
The general number you want to shoot for in grams of protein daily is around .75-1g per lb daily.
Most people will accomplish this much easier with a protein supp. Say u weight 200lbs, thats a lot of meat and dairy to eat.
There are lots of great brands but I would recommend Optimum Nutrition. Buy it from bodybuilding.com, best prices and fast shipping. Gaspari is another great brand as well.
If you don’t want to bulk up use a lean muscle growth protein.
I cycle between ON hydro builder and cytosport monster milk. Both very similiar to each other; low cal, different proteins for fast and slow reacting, low sugar, includes aminos and creatine for faster recovery.
Like the previous poster hit on your grams of protein intake depends on your goal. Build bulk muscle=more than your body weight in grams a day, build lean muscle=you body weight in grams or slightly less.
A good diet goes miles as well as a good multivitimin like the gnc men sport line up etc… ones with good precursors.
I take a shake in the morning, a pre before I workout and another shake before bed for my anabolic period. Once I reach my desired leaness and endurance level I plan on doubling my protein intake to bulk up and build strength. Ones reach desired size and strength goals I will cut down slightly and then maintain endurance and strength levels.
Have a plan, whatever your desired goal.
Regular food works just the same, taste a lot better too. Supplements are pretty much a waste as long as you can manage to eat a proper diet.
I’m not in a favor of using diet pills or supplements because they can be only effective if you do exercise regularly along with using them otherwise these pills can only cause side effects to your body so try to take proper diet regularly as it is extremely important.
http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3509954
This is what I use and really like. My goals are similar to yours. I’m not interested in size, more so performance and recovery increase. GNC always has sales too.
I highly recommend supplementing protein intake with protein shakes.
They are “supplements”. They are meant to supplement your diet.
For a lot of people it’s a matter of not having the time or money to have good quality protein rich meals at all times.
It’s a lot quicker to make a protein shake than to buy the food and find a place to cook the meat given you’re at work or school. Plus depending on the individual it’s not possible to refrigerate any food they would like to bring due to location(Again work or school)
93/7 lean ground beef is the highest fat ratio that I think is “healthy”. Right now it’s going for around $5/lb. There’s about 100g of Protein in a lb of 93/7. 100g of protein in a powder is a much smaller price.
This shouldn’t be your only source, but if you find it hard to eat 2lbs of meat every single day its a great option.
It depends. What do you want from the product? If using additional protein, whey is generally the way to go. See other thread on free download covering whey called “50 shades of whey” as whey has some unique properties not found in other protein sources.
Your comments make no sense and have no basis in science.
Depends on your goals.
As in, do you really want to see results or just go through the motions and say that you go to the gym?
I don’t think this is even a question for any semi-serious strength athlete or savvy lifter.
Not all pills and supplements are freakin’ steroids.
Now he tells me! :fie::D:fie:
Im so natural its unnatural brah! I only squat fallen logs barefoot and unshaven, wearing a potato sack.
Now where are my medicinal appetite enhancers… B)
Along with protein supps., especially after a workout, carbs are just as essential since you just depleted all your fuel during the workout.
Depends on the length, duration, and nature of the workout.
Humor me but what is “bulk” muscle and what is “lean muscle”?
I was under the impression muscle was muscle and the only thing that changes was how you exercised, whether you worked fast or slow twitch to build endurance or strength or a combination of both. Body composition is primarily a side effect of calories in versus calories burned.
Any elaboration on this?
That’s an easy one dude:
*It’s natural so you know it’s good for you!
*I’ve never even smoked a cigarette. :o
Humor me but what is “bulk” muscle and what is “lean muscle”?
I was under the impression muscle was muscle and the only thing that changes was how you exercised, whether you worked fast or slow twitch to build endurance or strength or a combination of both. Body composition is primarily a side effect of calories in versus calories burned.
Any elaboration on this?
Sure, there are basically 2 ways of increasing muscle size. One involves the muscles filling with more fluid, the other involves adding more muscle fiber. Neither happens in isolation, both processes are occurring, it is just a matter of emphasis.
Myofibrular (sp?) hypertrophy is adding new muscle fiber. You emphasize this by lifting heavy loads at close to your 1 rep max for lower reps (5 or below).
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is the muscle being filled with fluid to carry away the waste products (getting “pumped”, also increased capillary action). This is emphasized by lifting loads that are at least 75% of your 1 rep max, but for medium reps (6-12 per set).
So…if you just care about size/looks, workout like a bodybuilder. Multiple sets of 6-12 reps. High volume, lots protein and calories, lots of rest.
If all you care about is strength, just lift really heavy, for low reps. Want both? Lift really heavy, for low reps, high volume (lots of sets) eat a ton, and rest a bunch.
I worked up to a nearly 2.5x body weight deadlift where my workout was just 2 sets of 5 reps twice a week. I added maybe 5lbs of lean mass, that’s it. I pulled 450 at 185lbs. Now, that isn’t all that spectacular…but I was lifting a lot more than the typical muscle-bound types in the gym at a lower body weight with shorter workouts/less effort.
I don’t actually like working out all that much…so I put in the research so that I can reach my own particular goals in as little time spent working out as possible.
As a soldier, the last thing I want to emphasize is “bulk” just for looks. Muscle is heavy, and I don’t want to carry it. If I can have all the raw strength I need, but weigh 20lbs less, that is a good thing. Or, in other words, by working smart, I can have the strength of someone with 20lbs more muscle than me if they workout like a typical bodybuilder (like 90% of males who lift).
No, protein supplementation isn’t needed and the typical recommendations for intake are too high (unless you are a bodybuilder). .75-.85g/lb of lean mass is plenty. A whey protein shake post-workout is a really convenient way to get a boost when your muscles need it most.
I don’t really see the need for protein supplements, from a pure physiological standpoint, other than to ensure protein uptake during the window of opportunity (30-90 minutes after the work out), if proper food is not readily available.
A normal person needs about 0,8-1,2 grams of protein pr/kg body weight per day. Individuals who work out regularly, focusing on building strength, need up to 2 grams pr/kg body weight. There will be individual variables, of course.
The body cannot take up more than around 30 grams of protein per meal. For context, 100 grams of raw chicken and raw beef contain about 23,8 and 21,2 grams of protein respectively. 3-4 eggs is about 30 grams of protein, and egg protein is the most complete protein. As a cost effective alternative, protein supplements are viable, but definately not needed if proper food is avaialbe, and you are concious of your diet.
Protein uptake after a work out session should be combined with intake of high glycemic index carbs right after the work out, to increase insulin levels thus promoting protein uptake further.
If you are an individual who is in the upper part of the scale in terms of protein requirement, be sure to spread out your protein intake across all your meals, to ensure max utilization.
Also, any excess protein that the body cannot utilize, is either utilized as energy or stored as fat.
The manner in which proteins are ingested is more important than sheer amount.
Another myth that wont die. Please supply cite/source for that statement. For some context, read: