You are not logged in. Please login or register.
Blizzpub » Off Topic Discussion » Protein shakes
Anybody drink these things? I've been trying out Muscle Milk and it tastes pretty good. I've started a diet where I eat steak every day and I've started a new exercise routine. I do 150 push ups a day now. In the past two weeks I've gained about 15 pounds. I'm pretty happy about that so I wonder if anyone else has tried anything like this.
Dymatize Elite is what I drink. I can get 5lbs for $30. That can last me about a week or 2 weeks if I am drinking a casein protein at night.
Muscle Milk is overpriced. It may taste good but there is stuff out there cheaper and taste just as good. A lot of sugar in Muscle Milk too.
Congrats on the awesome gain of 15lbs in 2 weeks.
Tuna is another good source of protein besides steak.
You taking anything else besides protein and doing anything else besides push-ups?
www.supplementwarehouse.com usually nets me the cheapest prices for my stuff.
I drink raw diced vagina, like any real man would.
I used to use generic store-brand whey protein, which can be found as cheap as $25 for 5 lbs, as long as you can handle the high cholesterol versions. Nowadays I eat a lot of eggs and beef; but probably not nearly as much as you guys are, I'm dropping weight (I'm a fattie) while gaining muscle so my diet is a bit more calorie-controlled. Eggs are extremely inexpensive and very bioavailable for protein, but definitely a lot more time to prep and can't really take them with you.
It's pretty hard to gain more than 3/4 lb of muscle per week; even super disciplined bodybuilders can't gain more than 1lb. Much of the 15 lbs you gained in 2 weeks is likely to be brown mass (mainly water and fat). I don't know what your goal is, but you should aim for gaining more like 3 lbs a week from now on if you're trying to bulk up, until you level off. That is, for every pound of muscle you're gaining you'll gain about 2 lbs of adipose tissue to help fuel the muscle. This should keep your body fat percentage at right about the same level even as you bulk up.
I used to use generic store-brand whey protein, which can be found as cheap as $25 for 5 lbs, as long as you can handle the high cholesterol versions. Nowadays I eat a lot of eggs and beef; but probably not nearly as much as you guys are, I'm dropping weight (I'm a fattie) while gaining muscle so my diet is a bit more calorie-controlled. Eggs are extremely inexpensive and very bioavailable for protein, but definitely a lot more time to prep and can't really take them with you.
It's pretty hard to gain more than 3/4 lb of muscle per week; even super disciplined bodybuilders can't gain more than 1lb. Much of the 15 lbs you gained in 2 weeks is likely to be brown mass (mainly water and fat). I don't know what your goal is, but you should aim for gaining more like 3 lbs a week from now on if you're trying to bulk up, until you level off. That is, for every pound of muscle you're gaining you'll gain about 2 lbs of adipose tissue to help fuel the muscle. This should keep your body fat percentage at right about the same level even as you bulk up.
I didn't want to be the guy to bring this up. I didn't want to rain on any parades and keep him motivated. Sure in the beginning people's bodies do soak up weight training and builds muscle more quickly but 15lbs of muscle in 2 weeks? People on HGH, hormones and roids can't get these gains.
Crast, eggs. I find it a bit funny you brng these up for the fact I would eat these all day for awhile. Breakfast. Break at work. Lunch. When I got off work. Then dinner would be something different. Usually just hard boiled. That's not my favorite preparation though.
Crast, eggs. I find it a bit funny you brng these up for the fact I would eat these all day for awhile. Breakfast. Break at work. Lunch. When I got off work. Then dinner would be something different. Usually just hard boiled. That's not my favorite preparation though.
It's not that I particularly like eggs, but they're inexpensive. I decided instead of spending my money on supplements, I'd spend them on getting a personal trainer, so I use my spare money on that and what food I eat is from my student loan payments. I only have eggs as breakfast, and even then not every day. For $2.29 a dozen, that means each breakfast(3-4 eggs) is like 80 cents. I'd get sick of them though if I had to eat them every day, I can't even imagine multiple times a day.
But then, I've got different goals; I need to lose 60 lbs or so while also increasing muscle mass for overall core strength. I'm looking to start bike racing in the spring. All my past trainers told me "eat more" because I used to skimp on food thinking it'd be better for weight loss, but it never really worked and I both stayed weak and fat. This time around I am eating a lot more, just heavy-loaded on proteins, fruit, and stuff like oatmeal. It's great to be able to polish off a package of cookies and then go burn it off with a 30 mile bike ride, also.
wow, I thought all of you were skinny nerds.
Really, not fat nerds?
wow, I thought all of you were skinny nerds.
I'm "morbidly obese" according to the BMI chart. Hopefully not for long, though.
I've recently started drinking a lot of Bolthouse Farms protein shakes. They're all organic and each bottle has something like 52 grams of protein, I'm not exactly sure how that stacks up to some of the drinks you guys are talking about though since I've never really shopped around. They taste really good, especially the chai, but when they aren't on sale they get pretty pricey. I almost always pick them up on 2 for 5 deals at the Kroger by my house though since they're perishable.
JimBDown wrote:wow, I thought all of you were skinny nerds.
I'm "morbidly obese" according to the BMI chart. Hopefully not for long, though.
I have a 17.7 BMI, it's off the chart. I can't seem to gain weight much beyond an 18, ever.
I've recently started drinking a lot of Bolthouse Farms protein shakes. They're all organic and each bottle has something like 52 grams of protein, I'm not exactly sure how that stacks up to some of the drinks you guys are talking about though since I've never really shopped around. They taste really good, especially the chai, but when they aren't on sale they get pretty pricey. I almost always pick them up on 2 for 5 deals at the Kroger by my house though since they're perishable.
The Dymatize Elite for $30 a 5lb equates to 60 servings which has 25 grams of protein. I would always double the servings so I would be drinking 50 grams. 30 servings for $30.
They're all organic and each bottle has something like 52 grams of protein, I'm not exactly sure how that stacks up to some of the drinks you guys are talking about though since I've never really shopped around.
Most protein drinks claim between 30 and 55 grams of protein. The question is of course the quality of the protein. Measuring protein is in and of itself is an inexact science. They measure how much nitrogen is in the food, multiply it by some factor, and that's how much protein that they claim is in the food on the label. On top of that, the quality of the protein isn't always known, and they only recently have began devising ways to rate different proteins on a scale.
Just because you had N grams of protein, is unlikely that your body will absorb all of that. This varies from person to person, but also on various protein sources. For reference, a single large egg has about 7 grams of protein, and is considered to be about 90% bio-available when cooked. Whey protein is also very highly processable (95%+) by your body. Soy and other plant sources, not so much (60% or less). So you have to look at your protein powder and see what the ingredients are.
I figure that you probably can't win on any one thing, so while the doctors and scientists invent new ways of figuring out what I'm supposed to eat, I have a little bit of everything. energy bars with soy, protein powders with whey and egg albumin, meat, eggs, dairy, all of it.
wow, I thought all of you were skinny nerds.
I wish
I feel like you don't need to worry about controlling your diet to the extent of taking protein supplements until you begin to reach a high level of training. I think just putting in hard work at least 5 days a week is the way to go along with eating healthy. And once you get to that higher level you probably want to talk to a nutritionist about how much protein/carbs/fat you need based on how much work, and what kind you're doing. Chances are you can lose weight and still get a lot stronger unless you're already at a high level of fitness, then maybe you'd have a reason to take a protein supplement if you were having trouble reaching you're required amount per day while staying under a certain calorie/carb count, but it would probably take a year or more of disciplined training to reach a level where that might be necessary. You're body takes a long time to grow.
I feel like you don't need to worry about controlling your diet to the extent of taking protein supplements until you begin to reach a high level of training. I think just putting in hard work at least 5 days a week is the way to go along with eating healthy. And once you get to that higher level you probably want to talk to a nutritionist about how much protein/carbs/fat you need based on how much work, and what kind you're doing. Chances are you can lose weight and still get a lot stronger unless you're already at a high level of fitness, then maybe you'd have a reason to take a protein supplement if you were having trouble reaching you're required amount per day while staying under a certain calorie/carb count, but it would probably take a year or more of disciplined training to reach a level where that might be necessary. You're body takes a long time to grow.
You couldn't be farther from the truth. While it is possible to go on a simple calorie-restricted diet plan, do cardio workouts, and lose weight quickly, that simply won't work if you plan on gaining muscle at the same time. Your body when calorie and nutrient restricted will metabolize muscle for protein and energy. If you're training five times a week and not on an incredibly protein- and nutrient-supplemented diet, you are severely overtraining. Also, it doesn't take a year to see gains from weight training, you'll see significant ones in one to two months, with proper nutrition.
I do not currently use protein powder, but I make up for that by being very careful to include many other sources of protein. Shib, if you're going to start an exercise plan, especially a 5x a week one, I'd go to the nutritionist first, rather than waiting a year. And after going to the nutritionist, get a second opinion, perhaps from someone who's versed in exercise science or sports medicine. Most nutritionists deal with overweight and/or sedentary people, not many are familiar with the calorie demands of someone going through a weight training program. If you're already skinny, it's even more important to get those nutrients, as you need to familiarize your body with having them or it'll never build muscle. You will gain muscle faster by eating much more and ensuring you have enough protein that your body never has to burn muscle. Part of it includes finding an adequate training volume; remember that in most cases "less is more."
I know a guy who I work out with sometimes at school, and he works out 4-5x a week. He's a small guy, about 5'7 and if I had to guess 140. He's got decent core body strength, but he's tapered off long ago and he's not going to make gains working out as much as he does, even eating a lot. His workout sessions are too long, 1.5-2 hours and localized muscle group, and too many a week. I've told him that he's being counterproductive, but he's pretty hard-headed. Hopefully eventually he'll see the light.
I feel like you don't need to worry about controlling your diet to the extent of taking protein supplements until you begin to reach a high level of training. I think just putting in hard work at least 5 days a week is the way to go along with eating healthy. And once you get to that higher level you probably want to talk to a nutritionist about how much protein/carbs/fat you need based on how much work, and what kind you're doing. Chances are you can lose weight and still get a lot stronger unless you're already at a high level of fitness, then maybe you'd have a reason to take a protein supplement if you were having trouble reaching you're required amount per day while staying under a certain calorie/carb count, but it would probably take a year or more of disciplined training to reach a level where that might be necessary. You're body takes a long time to grow.
What I have researched is that most people who know what they are talking about say 1 gram of protein per each pound you weigh if you wish to gain muscle mass at the most accelerated rate. Your body takes time to grow but not as much as you think. It takes more nutrients than time.
Yes, you will get stronger without changing your diet and not eating more protein but you won't build muscle mass as efficiently. When you begin lifting, your body soaks up all the training. Why not consume the right amount of protein now so you can take advantage of this point in time where your body is going to generate mass more quickly? Plus, these quicker gains caused by consuming the right amounts of nutrients will encourage people to continue to do what they are doing.
Also protein contains key amino acids and branched chain aminos as well. All these are vital for your muscles. They help with recovery. They keep nitric oxide levels higher which open your veins which help pump much needed nutrients to these growing muscles.
Want to lose weight? The best way is to build muscle. Being in an anabolic state will burn calories all day even while in sleep. Nitrogen levels help staying in this state.
Edit: Also if your muscles aren't recovered you can lose strength and notice you can't lift what you were doing the previous session or not as many times. Or you can even hurt yourself.
Last edited by Likwid_Cid (2009-02-14 14:04)
HIT training works for me. 3 times a week and work the whole body and I'm never in the gym more than 1 hour. I'm usually there for 30 minutes. I could cut it down to 15-20 minutes and still have a very effective work out.
5 times a week is too much and never gives the body to recover. Even if you are lifting one body part a day.
Well I'm an endurance athlete, so I only lift twice a week. Currently I row 15-20k a day along with that, I do that in about 10 workouts monday thru saturday, a large portion of it is low intensity HR <150-160 work. I'm not really trying to gain weight, I maintain my 152lbs or so since I row in a lightweight category. But since this summer I was 160lbs and as strong as ever, since then however i've dropped down to a more solid 152 and continue to have plenty of energy, and all my lifts have been as strong as they were if not stronger, I'm also a lot more ripped. I guess when I said work out 5 times a week I assumed people would do cardio, perhaps I shouldn't offer advise for people just looking to lift. For me I can't lift more than twice a week along with all the cardio that I do. I pay very close attention to my resting heart rate, and always make sure to get extra rest if it gets higher than normal. Trust me I'm very aware of the effects of overtraining, it's easy for a compulsive person like me to do. 2 and a half years ago I couldn't run for 10 minutes without taking a break, now I can do anything for just about as long as I want, I've rowed a marathon on the rowing machine, 42k, I also did a 100k row this summer in just under 9 hours. My 2k this year will be around 2.33 watts/lb, it may be a pipe dream at this point but if I can increase it to 2.6+ w/lb over the next 2 years and maintain a weight of about ~155 I should be fast enough to get into development camp for the national team.
What does 1kg of whey protein cost around your places?
Well I'm an endurance athlete, so I only lift twice a week. Currently I row 15-20k a day along with that, I do that in about 10 workouts monday thru saturday, a large portion of it is low intensity HR <150-160 work. I'm not really trying to gain weight, I maintain my 152lbs or so since I row in a lightweight category. But since this summer I was 160lbs and as strong as ever, since then however i've dropped down to a more solid 152 and continue to have plenty of energy, and all my lifts have been as strong as they were if not stronger, I'm also a lot more ripped. I guess when I said work out 5 times a week I assumed people would do cardio, perhaps I shouldn't offer advise for people just looking to lift.
Ah yeah, if it's 3x cardio 2x weight training, then that's probably fine. That's pretty similar to what I do, only I replace rowing with cycling. Each person's body is more suited to certain styles, like there are small quick rowers and big powerhouse ones, and the small guy may be just as effective, so you need to do what you find works for you. It's still likely that you could get faster gains with better supplementation of your diet, however. At the same time, if you need to stay in a weight class, you'll need to watch it; perhaps one approach for you would be to set up a targeted diet to try and lower your body fat percentage.
My 2k this year will be around 2.33 watts/lb, it may be a pipe dream at this point but if I can increase it to 2.6+ w/lb over the next 2 years and maintain a weight of about ~155 I should be fast enough to get into development camp for the national team.
Respect. I'm not sure how wattage in rowing compares with cycling, and I have no power meter on my bike, so I have to test it on an indoor bike. Currently I push something like 1.6 W/lb for short time trial. I need to get it to about 2.1 or more to really be competitive, I'm thinking that'll come as I lose weight. My sprint power is pretty good, can do 2.8 W/lb for 5sec power; hoping to get that even higher.
What does 1kg of whey protein cost around your places?
Depends
At a store you can see 1kg go for $30-50. On the net you can find a kg for much less. I can find 2.2kgs for $30 on the net.
I think actually that's what I have done by lessening my carbs/fat and maintaining my protein intake, if not slightly increasing it. I seem to have lost a lot of extra body fat and kept all of muscle from when I was 160. This is why i was suggesting that people can probably lose weight as well as gain strength, gaining 15 lbs in 2 weeks isnt necessarily a good thing. I could probably take controlling my diet even further but for now with the gains I am making I don't plan to change anything drastically unless I start to plateau.
If you plan on getting competitive at biking make sure you are doing tons and tons of low intensity work. It is needed to recruit slow twitch muscle fiber, which is essential for endurance sports. I would imagine peak power would not be so important in biking, since it is even more of an endurance sport than rowing. Though training for fast twitch and slow twitch muscle, having them compete can be a good thing.
World record holders on a 2k for rowing are about 3.0 watts/lb, for heavyweight(5:36) and lightweight men(5:58), college athletes begin to be very competitive around 2.1-2.2 and the top college athletes/pre elite rowers operate around 2.5, while the average national team rower is probably ~2.7. Most guys winning medals on the international level are generally 28-32 years old because thats about how long it takes to get to that level physically, as well as technically.
I'm not sure biking wattage would be comparable since that sport doesn't really have a set racing distance such as rowing, it is probably a bit lower over a much longer period. However if you placed a top biker vs a top rower in a 20 minute piece for instance, the biker may be able to sustain higher watts because on average the heart rate would be lower since bikers don't use their back or the arms, but it's still not very comparable as bikers are trained to race for hours and rowers about 6 minutes. However I believe studies have shown the human body has particular limits and max wattage generated at the highest level is fairly similar across all endurance type sports.
*bench presses this thread*
I'm not sure biking wattage would be comparable since that sport doesn't really have a set racing distance such as rowing, it is probably a bit lower over a much longer period. However if you placed a top biker vs a top rower in a 20 minute piece for instance, the biker may be able to sustain higher watts because on average the heart rate would be lower since bikers don't use their back or the arms, but it's still not very comparable as bikers are trained to race for hours and rowers about 6 minutes. However I believe studies have shown the human body has particular limits and max wattage generated at the highest level is fairly similar across all endurance type sports.
Depends on the type of cycling. The stuff you see in europe and on the west side of the US are often 1-day road races or multi-day stage races where each race is about 110 miles, completed in about 5 hours. Here in the northeast, especially in NY, there tends to be more criterium racing. A criterium is a closed circuit race of about 1-2 miles and about 20-30 laps are done, making a 30-45 minute race. Criterium speeds are very high, close to 30mph, and if there's a hill they'll put short steep one somewhere that everyone just powers over. In any type of road bike racing other than time trials where it's disallowed, slipstream is such a huge advantage (more than 50% in some cases) that it's very hard for riders to break away from the pack, even if a few guys working together make a few hundred meters gap the rest of the field can trade efforts breaking the wind and very easily chase them down while the guys in front have worn themselves out. This "swallowing up" of breakaways leads to the very common bunch sprint where 30+ guys fan out and try to sprint for the line to win. It's there that sprinter power in bike racing matters, and very often pure power can beat W/lb. You'll see guys pushing out 1100 watts for instantaneous power at those moments.
In long stage races like the Tour de France with significant climbing, it's possible with teamwork for a light endurance rider type to win, but most short races are won by more powerful riders. Tactics are more important, it's not a solo 100 mile endurance effort, rather it's a team effort of energy conservation for a short attack of about 4-5 minutes max, or possibly a 10-second sprint finish after fast rolling. 2008's Tour winner Carlos Sastre was a climber, and his teammates did all the work leading him to the base of climbs to conserve his energy, and then at one of the toughest climbs his teammates stayed back to disrupt the pack's pace while he took off to get a 5 minute solo lead which he pretty much kept for an entire week till the end of the tour; but typically winners just need to push for a few seconds each day and edge their way into the leading.
Blizzpub » Off Topic Discussion » Protein shakes
Powered by FluxBB
[ Generated in 0.236 seconds, 6 queries executed ]