[ellover009]

I used to go to the gym, I would lift weights 4 times a week, eventually after a month I would feel beat and improvements were there but not that great. I talked to a few friends and they tell me it's really difficult to get strong the clean way without taking in some supplements and such. They recommended me creotine, from what I understand it helps deliver more oxygen to the muscles taking some load off and allowing them to keep going longer, only catch is you need to take lots of water so it doesn't create kidney stones or mess them up. Other supplement is something called whey, it's some sort of protein powder that can be added to water, helps build muscle, only bad thing is that it can add some weight unless you can burn off the calories from it. I have tried going to the gym, I am tall, well sized, I want to loose a little weight, but after a month or so of constant going I loose the drive and the power. Did I also fail to mention that I work from 8.30am till 6.30 and I have a 20min commute on the way back home. I do have weekends off but it seems time off goes by fast specially Sunday. I only wish I could find something to help me not feel as beat so I can keep going to the gym, I want to keep it as clean as possible and not take unnecessary measures.

 

[Tyson]

How well you respond to weight training is going to be determined by genetics. If you are tired and worn out from working out 4 days a week, cut it down to 3 days a week. And if you are doing 3 to 5 sets per exercise, try cutting it down to 2. If you start progressing again, then stick with that. Eventually your gains will slow down again, at which point you should cut your number of exercises down again and reduce to two days a week. It sounds counter intuitive, but the stronger you get, the longer it takes to recover from a workout.

That said, creatine is the only supplement that really works, in my experience. Whey is OK, but you can get the same thing by increasing your protien intake from normal food like beef, chicken, turkey, pork.

Remeber, we all recover from intense work at different rates. Some people recover quickly enough to be able to work out 6 days a week, some 5 days, others 4 days, most are probably in the 3 day range, and a few people only make gains on 2 days or 1 day per week. Figuring this out is one of the big hurdles to get over for making consistent long term gains for your unique body.

 

[discord]

Go low on the carbs and do cardio. You need BOTH. Don't do something like a bunch of cardio but continue to eat junk food because you won't lose weight. Go higher on protein and fiber. Eat smaller meals but space them out so you can eat around 6 times a day (this is including snacks and I dont mean chips by snacks). Drink plenty of water. Avoid juices and eat the real fruit instead (less carbs).

You don't need to go overkill with the Gym thing going 4 times a week assuming you worked out the same muscles. 2-3 times a week at max for each muscle; don't overwork them. Just make the work outs really count (lift heavy and slow)

 

[terance]

at one time i was taking

ZMA
Green Buldge
White Blood
Protein Shakes
Fish Oil


i thought it was awesome, but now i only take protein shakes and fish oil, and i can't notice a difference.

I personally think creatine and all that **** goes to your head, i think i am a better person for not using them now. (i really can't tell the difference)

 

[cantsleep]

bodybuilding.com

almost as good as headfi, maybe not

 

[Blitzula]

Seconded on bodybuilding.com.

And the #1 supplement without question is protein powder. It's been awhile since I've been into lifting weights, but I believe many suggest up to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight when training. This is one area I'd definitely listen to bodybuilders on over the medical establishment, whose number is way lower.

The #2 supplement is the difficult question...

 

[hongda]

If you do take creatine, make sure you look into it carefully. If you aren't on a set schedule of on and off periods your body can build a dependence on it.


If it's the drive, maybe find a workout partner. It helps immensely if you know somebody is meeting you there instead of "no one will notice if I slack off"

In terms of protein, you could also just use dry skim milk mixed with soy milk.

The important thing is to eat healthy and get plenty of sleep.

 

[Netminder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by discord /img/forum/go_quote.gif Go low on the carbs and do cardio. You need BOTH. Don't do something like a bunch of cardio but continue to eat junk food because you won't lose weight. Go higher on protein and fiber. Eat smaller meals but space them out so you can eat around 6 times a day (this is including snacks and I dont mean chips by snacks). Drink plenty of water. Avoid juices and eat the real fruit instead (less carbs). You don't need to go overkill with the Gym thing going 4 times a week assuming you worked out the same muscles. 2-3 times a week at max for each muscle; don't overwork them. Just make the work outs really count (lift heavy and slow)

This guy has it ALMOST all right. If your just trying to lose weight you want to shoot for around 15 reps for 3 sets on each motion. 6 meals a day. dont deprive your body of carbs but eat healthy carbs. eat protein all day carbs in the morning and as the day goes on eat less and less carbs...never carbs after 5:00. I eat whey fish oil and multivitamin. also dont eat fruit it serves as senceless sugars and simple carbs. you want to be eating whole grain and whole wheat for your carbs. drink lots of water...aim for 4 litres a day at first and work your way up to 8 litres a day. dont overkill working out let your muscles heal after every workout before working them out again. a good protein supplement for you is Myoplex because it is low in carbs and high in protein. if u need fast food get a wendys grilled chicken sandwich without a bun and a bakepotato with water.

as for feeling worn out....when you start working out you will feel very tired but after about four weeks of doing it consistantly you will feel like the hulk and you stop being tired and you feel great...better than before

hope it helps...sorry4speling lol

 

[ellover009]

Well I have no problems when it comes to working out the problem is I work in the medical field so sometimes you don't always get enough time in the schedule to have small meals in between or a really nice one sometimes it's rushed, good amount of the time is adequate. What happened is demand of work rose and it messed everything up, I used to be out by 5.30, changed at work and went straight to the gym, now I get out at 6.30/7.00pm it becomes more difficult, thats the part that messed everything up, fitting in gym time, work time and personal time. I have no problem when it comes to the workout, I used to use the treadmill at 2mph at the highest incline for 30mins, I would also lift weights, my main concern is loosing some of the weight, at that time it was pretty good, once they forced overtime in my work you could hear some gears grind. I also work standing up all day, I just need a little extra kick in power to help me make the load a little easier. Do you guys recommend anytime of protein shakes or such, I am trying to do this as clean as possible. I don't think creotine would work in my schedule.

 

[GreatDane]

Creatine works very well for me. I've been using it(on & off) since 1995. I've tried many different things but nothing works as well for basic strength and size. The nice thing about creatine is that it's cheap. I buy a 1 Kilo jug at Prosource.net(house brand/German) for $23.

My second best tool is whey protien, an extra 70~110 grams per day in addition to beef protien which I consume most days.

best tip: drink a lot of water.

 

[F1GTR]

Creatine doesn't really add oxygen to your muscles. It is a cell volumizer and allows the cells in your muscles to expand and hold more water. Yes there is oxygen in water, but they're really holding more fluid, hence the bigger pump and swollen size. Creatine also enhances the body's production of ATP and allows for a more explosive repetition throughout the set.

The five things that have always worked for me, in order of importance, are:

Creatine
L-Glutamine
Whey Protein
Chrysin
Tribulus

The "drink a lot of water" advice is an understatement. Depending on your size now, the average 200 lb. male should be consuming close to 2 gallons of water a day on Creatine. You should literally be going to the bathroom at least once an hour, if not twice.

Netminder provided some great advice above.

 

[Omega]

Some good advice here, but nobody asked the most important questions--how old are you? and what's your fitness level like now?

If you're under 21 or so years old, you really don't need any supplements, unless your goal is to be competitive in bodybuilding competitions. If that's the case, you should buy some good books and sign up for a gym where there are other aspiring bodybuilders to show you how to lift right.

If you're young and your goal is to put on some muscle and look/feel good, don't waste your money on supplements. Learn to lift with good form, develop your flexibility (ie, stretch), and get comfortable with good habits. Measure your body now to determine your baseline. What is the circumference of arm (around your bicep/tricep)? What's your bodyfat %? What do you weigh? What is your 1-mile pace? How many pullups can you do? How many reps of 100-150 pounds can you benchpress before exhaustion? After you determine where you're at, set goals for yourself. Start a workout log, and track your progress. A 1-inch increase in your arm circumference is barely noticeable without measurement, but actually represents a sizable increase in volume/mass.

There is simply no need to feed your body extreme supplements if you don't have an extreme body....you will literally poop it out. Many supplements are nothing more than protein (ie, creatine, whey, etc)....and when your body has excess protein, it ends up in your kidneys. If you don't drink massive amounts of water, the nitrogenous protein waste builds in your kidneys and can cause serious problems. If you do drink a lot of water, you can be ok, but you will be passing that expensive supplement out into the toilet.

Eat tuna, chicken, salad and snack on nuts instead of junk food. Focus on 2-3 good anaerobic workouts (ie, weightlifting) per week and get another 2-3 good cardio workouts per week as well...if you're doing both of these correctly, it will be difficult to do them both on the same day.

And don't overdo it...if you pack on too much mass now, it will be more difficult to maintain a healthy steady state for your body later in life...just ask the 30 year old guy who put on 40 pounds of "mass" for his high school football team...

Being healthy + fit isn't an activity, it is a lifestyle commitment. And it's great that you're interested!

 

[skitlets]

Instead of creating a new thread, I'll just tag along if you don't mind OP!
I'm still pretty young, 19, but instead of losing weight, I'm trying to gain it. I come from a small family, so it's in the genes to be skinnier. Any advice?

I'm just starting to go to the gym again. The first time I seriously began lifting, I gained 3 pounds in 3 months. Needless to say, I was rather disappointed.

Food isn't that great on campus but I'll start eating more. Should I shoot for a lot more protein/meat? Perhaps buy some protein shakes?

 

[Ampersand]

#1 Supplement

Consistency.......... Find a friend/partner who will keep you consistent and give you the will power to 'hit the gym' on those days when you'd rather hit the bar.

 

[bpm2000]

skitlets, eat, a lot, but dont eat 3 big meals. Eat 6-7 smaller meals throughout the day.