Supplements

[doc savage]

After several false starts, I am jumping back into physical fitness with both feet, and I figured why not give myself every advantage (within reason) that science has to offer. It didn't hurt that I get this stuff wholesale; here's about half of what I bought today:

This is just the stuff I am keeping at work.

It seems like we have a good amount of fitness enthusiasts here, I was wondering was your take on OTC supplements?

[The Mentalist]

Dude, that is some heavyweight stuff. My take on supplements is that they are just that: supplements, not replacements for good clean food and smart training.

I currently use a good protein powder such as Syntrax or Met-Rx, and all in one creatine/HMB/Protein (Sci-Mentor Twister), Amped ECN NOS and a multivit/mineral.

Most supplements are BS. Stuff like Gakic/Leukic and Xenadrine are next to useless. The best 'supplements' out there are 'roids. Period.

[Dani]

san nutrition for all my $$ here.

Cheers

[DemonSlayer]

Supplements on a large scalre are nothing much more than a huge marketing ploy. If you ever read bodybuilding magazines, take a note of how many supplement adverts you see, where Ron Coleman states he uses X protein powder, or Jay Cutler states he uses Y supplement to get cut... The supplement companies get these big names to endorse their products, hoping that guys just starting out (and even experienced fitness enthusiasts fall for it too) will spend their hard earned money on these things.

As Mentalist pointed out, they are just supplements and definitely no substitute for a clean diet. At most, they will only make a 5-10% difference ASSUMING your training, nutrition and lifestyle are in order.

[doc savage]

Dude, that is some heavyweight stuff. My take on supplements is that they are just that: supplements, not replacements for good clean food and smart training.

I currently use a good protein powder such as Syntrax or Met-Rx, and all in one creatine/HMB/Protein (Sci-Mentor Twister), Amped ECN NOS and a multivit/mineral.

Most supplements are BS. Stuff like Gakic/Leukic and Xenadrine are next to useless. The best 'supplements' out there are 'roids. Period.

That's basically what I've got here: various types of Mypolex for protein, Betagen is a combo creatine/HMB/L-glutamine, and Nitron 5 for nitric oxide. Most of the other stuff is just for variety (Muscle Armor is another recovery agent with HMB and glutamine, Phosphagen is a basic creatine to augment the Betagen, and I picked up some extra HMB and L-glutamine mainly because it was only a couple of bucks.

[tenacious_b]

I use supplements, but more like organic & herbal stuff for all around health, but when I do supplement for workouts, I prefer BSN's line of products.

[Dani]

Supplements on a large scalre are nothing much more than a huge marketing ploy. If you ever read bodybuilding magazines, take a note of how many supplement adverts you see, where Ron Coleman states he uses X protein powder, or Jay Cutler states he uses Y supplement to get cut... The supplement companies get these big names to endorse their products, hoping that guys just starting out (and even experienced fitness enthusiasts fall for it too) will spend their hard earned money on these things.

As Mentalist pointed out, they are just supplements and definitely no substitute for a clean diet. At most, they will only make a 5-10% difference ASSUMING your training, nutrition and lifestyle are in order.

i think all people that train now that a good diet is key before any supplement being legal or illegal that is

Jay,Coleman are all on top on gh,igf and other stuff fake beast looking freaks in my eyes.

[The Mentalist]

That's basically what I've got here: various types of Mypolex for protein, Betagen is a combo creatine/HMB/L-glutamine, and Nitron 5 for nitric oxide. Most of the other stuff is just for variety (Muscle Armor is another recovery agent with HMB and glutamine, Phosphagen is a basic creatine to augment the Betagen, and I picked up some extra HMB and L-glutamine mainly because it was only a couple of bucks.

The Myoplex, Betagen and Nitron you can keep. The rest is unnecessary as you're basically doubling up. Myoplex is a good meal replacement but it lacks the heavyweight protein punch a dedicated protein powder provides and as it is pretty carb laden, you'll end up with less than lean weight gain if you take it more than once a day. Consider trading the rest of the stuff for some 90+ protein powder.

I know most of the EAS range as I was suckered into buying most of it back in the early 90's when Bill Philips owned the company and was pimping it through MM2K.

[doc savage]

The Myoplex, Betagen and Nitron you can keep. The rest is unnecessary as you're basically doubling up. Myoplex is a good meal replacement but it lacks the heavyweight protein punch a dedicated protein powder provides and as it is pretty carb laden, you'll end up with less than lean weight gain if you take it more than once a day. Consider trading the rest of the stuff for some 90+ protein powder.

I know most of the EAS range as I was suckered into buying most of it back in the early 90's when Bill Philips owned the company and was pimping it through MM2K.

Betagen seems like a really good product, I bought the extra creatine to combine with it for a loading phase. I personally like to take glutamine before I go to bed, but I will admit that I probably could have done without the HMB capsules.

I am using the Myoplex as a meal replacement. I've been using the ready-to-drink "carb control" version as a quick breakfast, but since right now I am trying to get in the habit of taking several small meals in the place of two large ones, I'm going to drink two or three a day. I use the EAS 100% whey powder on workout days, but it's not quite as convenient.

I remember the Bill Philips days too, and I think EAS has come a long way since then. I especially like their use of independent outside testing.

[hiker01]

After several false starts, I am jumping back into physical fitness with both feet, and I figured why not give myself every advantage (within reason) that science has to offer. It didn't hurt that I get this stuff wholesale; here's about half of what I bought today:

This is just the stuff I am keeping at work.

It seems like we have a good amount of fitness enthusiasts here, I was wondering was your take on OTC supplements?

Whatever you take, stay away from Vitamin E! It promotes LUNG CANCER!!!!!! 7% per 100 milligrams, so if you're taking 400MG, you're 28% likely to

contract lung cancer!!!!

[The Mentalist]

Sounds pretty good. I didn't know that Myoplex RTD came in a low carb version. It's the carbs that really put me off many of the MRPs. As regards glutamine, it's pretty superfluous as whey contains huge amounts of both BCAA's and Glutamine - extra glutamine has not been shown to have any extra anti-catabolic effect over regular whey.

If the formulation of Phosphagen has not changed, then I imagine it's still using Creatine Monohydrate. I used to use Phosphagen HP - a great product. Consider switching to a Creatine Ethyl Ester or Dicreatine Malate. You use less as they are more effectively absorbed plus you don't need to load. They also do not cause the bloat of Creatine Mono. Before bed, use a sustained release protein such as Micellar casein, which releases aminos much slower than whey and will keep you anabolic until morning.

[b16a2]

I don't train for bulk as I am into a variety of sports that require me to be quick and effective, so I have never really touched them. I think even if I were to go for mass, I would use the natural means of protein to aid my development rather than supplements, all of those numbers and chemicals scare the living bejesus out of me!

[The Mentalist]

I don't train for bulk as I am into a variety of sports that require me to be quick and effective, so I have never really touched them. I think even if I were to go for mass, I would use the natural means of protein to aid my development rather than supplements, all of those numbers and chemicals scare the living bejesus out of me!

Bruce Lee's protein shake recipe scared the crap out of me also. Seriously, good food is the best way.

[jnagy]

i,ve tried everything short of steroids and the only thing that remotely works is creatine and caffeine.creatine will make you gain some water weight and give you big pumps but its effects lessen over time.i,ve been a competitive olympic lifter and a powerlifter with some pretty good lifts to my credit.what works is hard work,no excuses,clean food,and SLEEP.without busting your balls even steroids suck.anyway,i think roids are for people with some sort of emotional problems to begin with.my 2 cents.good luck.

[Admin]

$10 on that BT will add a reply here

[SubFrog]

One men's multivitamin

One Calcium with Magnesium

And one Omega 3 oil, Monday through Friday...yea, I take Saturday and Sunday off.

Plus, green and/or white tea...blueberries and nuts for snacks.

That's it for me.

[By-Tor]

$10 on that BT will add a reply here

Let's put it this way: I know many professional lifters who don't use any supplements at all (besides steroids and protein powder). 99% of that stuff is a complete waste of money.

If your diet is well balanced you won't need any supplements (besides extra protein). If you're not eating fish, maybe some Omega fatty acids can be beneficial. The usual mistake in people's diets is that they don't eat enough (good) fat.

I'm getting a headache when I look at some of the laughable sh*t they're selling. "Essential Amino Acids Supplement"... puh-leeze!

There are no shortcuts. Snake oil won't make the muscle grow, just like there are no "Swiss Zenith Daytonas" for $300.

[lanikai]

Go online and search for Rich Gasparis supplements .. closest thing to the real deal.. in fact your gynos will react .. that is how true a precusor they are.. some of them only last a few months .. get banned but the chemist come out with new enzymes right away.. they just alter the compounds a little.. Good protien is important.. I use Muscle milk.. "whey protien" plus it has Omega oils... all the other stuff is just marketing ploy's ...

you need to cycle these like any steroids... and stack different supplements .. often it's not how much you take but the "stack" that is important.... less is more !!!. and after 3 months .. take supplemeents to bring back your full "natural" testosterone back.. that is important..

believe me I have done everything under the sun and then some.. plus Synthetic Growth Hormones .. and what they have out there now is unbelievable... if you talk to the right person they can name what the product is intended to be... ie. deca.. winstrol...etc...,

your body assimilates 30 grams of protien at a time.. but the more muscle mass you have the more protien you need.. after a work out your body will assimilate supplements immediately .. so eat good after you train.

good luck.. train hard...

found it..... www.gasparinutrition.com ... this is the bulk of what we use now .. even the guy's still competing.. proven,.. not GNC stuff..

[lanikai]

$10 on that BT will add a reply here

give odds on how many minutes and your on... if not it's a lock he will..

[The Mentalist]

Gaspari sails very close to the wind but I have noticed that his current range is no where near as effective as pre-ban. When they banned ephedra, effectively the backbone of the original Duchaine Ultimate Orange, it made the new formulation of UO pretty anemic.

Put it this way, why spend the $$ on Gaspari's stuff which when you can have the real deal for less?

By-Tor is correct. Protein powder, roids, good food and good training. It's not rocket science.

[By-Tor]

Talking about Rich Gaspari... he was probably the last IFBB Pro who still looked healthy. It was the time before the bloated circus freaks.

[Dani]

One men's multivitamin

One Calcium with Magnesium

And one Omega 3 oil, Monday through Friday...yea, I take Saturday and Sunday off.

Plus, green and/or white tea...blueberries and nuts for snacks.

That's it for me.

Sounds good and healty.

Green tea is so good for your body its incredibel if i get a cold it helps better then any meds, combine whit some honey and ca boom.

Talking about Rich Gaspari... he was probably the last IFBB Pro who still looked healthy. It was the time before the bloated circus freaks.

Yeah now they look like freaks nothing more..

The Arnold times was in my eyes the best..

Regards to steroids you can stack 1000mg deca and go 1g testo a week still if you don't now [censored] about traning or diet you will only hurt yoiurself and lose all gains in like 3weeks after the cycle.

Steroids are legal to use in my country, still nothing i woud consider but i don't look down on people using it.

Cheers

[The Mentalist]

Talking about Rich Gaspari... he was probably the last IFBB Pro who still looked healthy. It was the time before the bloated circus freaks.

I think they pretty much all looked healthy until the late 90's. Porter Cottrell and Kevin Levrone were two standouts for me.

'roids are pretty harmless and I would much rather my kids took a cycle of dbol and deca than smoke or drink. It's the ancillaries: the slin, the igf-1 and diuretics that really screw you up. Supplementation is probably one of the biggest cons known to man and it's all sold on the back of images of guys who built their physiques using drugs.

[Dani]

I think they pretty much all looked healthy until the late 90's. Porter Cottrell and Kevin Levrone were two standouts for me.

'roids are pretty harmless and I would much rather my kids took a cycle of dbol and deca than smoke or drink. It's the ancillaries: the slin, the igf-1 and diuretics that really screw you up. Supplementation is probably one of the biggest cons known to man and it's all sold on the back of images of guys who built their physiques using drugs.

As steroids brings lots of hormons into work i do not consider them harmless but as you said its nothing compard to drinking and smoking.

If steroids are used by people whit illness like anxiety or deppression and such it can be very harmful as the hormons and the down trip after the cycle is not so easy.

gh is nothong i consider dangerus nor do i consider if1 dangerus but as whit all things it can be abused.

Cheers

[Watchwatcher]

doc,

If you are using protein supplements and creatine, let me make one thing EXTREMELY clear. You must have a physical exam with urine and blood test after 3 or 4 months, to make sure you are not causing damage to your kidneys. EVERY serious competitive weight lifter or bodybuilder knows this, but many amateurs do not. About 1 week BEFORE having the physical, discontinue any creatine supplements, as these will throw off the results and cause an unusually high creatinin reading.

My sister is both a registered dietician and physical therapist and has studied sports nutrition extensively. As you begin weight training, your body becomes more efficient in utilizing the protein in your diet to build muscle. However you may want to add a protein shake with 20-30grams of protein following your workout if you are building up. A rule of thumb for weight training (provided you are in good health) is to consume 1.5g-2g of protein per 1kg of bodyweight. So if you weigh 220lbs (100kg) you would consume 150-200g/day of protein -- this figure includes all food you consume during the day including the supplement. Personally, I would suggest the low end of that range.

As for the wide range of supplements out there claiming to provide anabolic benefits (i.e. increase muscle building), aside from steroids (which will damage your kidneys), the only supplement shown to have significant verifiable benefit is creatine -- you can read up on the subject, if you take a look at research by Dr. William Evans (http://www.sportsnutritionworkshop.com/evans.htm).

As for myself, i weight train and after using creatine monohydrate (and not really enjoying trying to dissolve it in water and that not so pleasant taste) i switched to cee (MRI CE2) and have been happy with the results. I also take a whole food vitamin (not a megadose), fish oil, and a supplement for joints. I eat a ton of veggies, balanced with lean protein and go light on carbs. Before workouts I eat a half or full powerbar and drink lo-cal FRS which provides 1/2 cup of coffee's worth of caffeine. Good luck, and DO be careful, there's a lot of junk out there masquarading as nutrition or loaded with caffeine which is expensive and should be avoided.