Starting the Gym, supplements?

[Deleted]

Hello.

So today I got a Gym membership for the first time. I am 19 and now in a full time job so have some money to pay for it. I have heard of people taking many types of supplements whilst attending the gym. Creatine, protein etc etc.

What are these for, should I take them, which one specifically should I take?

I tried to ask my friend a little about this but his knowledge was lacking, he did say that different supplements achieve different things, some for getting really big and built, some for just turning fat into muscle? - Not sure how accurate that statement is.

In term of what I am like at the moment, around 11 stone (70kg) not great muscles/muscle definition but .. average?

Basically I want to build up my muscle, not necessarily get 'big'. I would quite like some more definition, in my muscles and I hear that some of these supplements make your healing process quicker and give you more energy, they sound useful I guess?

Any pointers would be brilliant.

Cheers!

[NightZero88]

Personally all of this is junk. You don't need a supplement to get bigger, you just need to go to the gym.

That being said a few tips. First creotine. All it does is force water into your muscles to make them slightly bigger, it is NOT something you take on a full time basis. You should do it max for one week. If you want to use it, take it just before going on vacation or something, but that's about all it's good for. It makes your skin seem tighter around your muscles giving you more definition.

Protein: Protein is indeed what your body needs to maintain and build muscle. All lot of sites advocate taking 1g of protein per pound of muscle. However, it is coming out now that this is too much and if you are not properly hydrated you will damage your liver as it has a hard time breaking down protein. So first, make sure you drink a minimum of 64 oz of water a day (8 glasses). Second, it is important to note that your body cannot break down more than around 35-40g of protein at once so those protein bars that are like 50g are just a waste. For your weight I would shoot for 75-90g of protein a day, likely on the lower end. I'm 170 and aim for around 100.

Again, in my opinion (certainly not an expert) anything outside of protein is unneeded. What you want to do is lose weight and gain muscle which will lower your body fat making the muscle you do gain more defined. It doesn't matter how much you go to the gym though, if you aren't eating right it's all for nothing. Mostly.

Finally, for consuming the protein again it depends on when you work-out and what you eat. For me, I do a protein shake in the morning (44g of protein, milk+shake. Can be made with water). Then I eat whatever for lunch as I work and eat out a lot at 1. I will then not eat any food until I workout at around 7 (arguements can be made that going into a work-out in a fasted state helps you burn more calories). After my workout I make chocolate milk (milk+nesquik no sugar added chocolate powder) and this is usually enough to end around 100g of protein.

In regards to the chocolate milk, it is almost as good as any shake on the market. You need to get fat free milk. The milk contains the proteins you need and fat free is obviously the best for you. Then when you mix in the chocolate powder it contains carbs which allow the protein to be absorbed into the blood stream faster. Add to the fact it's no sugar added and you have a 0 sugar, 0 fat protein drink that costs nothing.

Hope this helps. It's more generally info for losing weight than gaining muscle but I tried to answer your questions best I could.

[Deleted]

So will taking protein shakes help improve the growth of muscles, ie - Get more out of my workout?
Also - Do you have some sort of measurements for the shake you make, sounds alot more cost effective than the ones on the market which are premade.

[bchasep]

You will also want to start taking Fish Oil's as in this aids in help burn fat to make you leaner. Protien shakes are the most important supplment to take. Also make sure you start eating alot of veggies into your diet. And it doesnt hurt to have glutamine which will help your muscles recover after workouts.
Id also recommend a pre - workout supplement. pre-workouts like NO XPLODE will really intensify your workouts!

[Calgus-CC]

Honestly, you don't really need supplements. Consistency, hard work and dedication will take you far. However if you truly feel that you need a supplement, I'd buy a protein shake for some post workout protein. You should be eating 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass everyday. Protein shakes aren't necessary for that, but they do help because lets face it, who really wants to eat 3lbs of chicken breast everyday?

I'd recommend this brand of protein shake. It tastes pretty good and there are a variety of flavors available. Also, when ordered through the site, you can usually get a shaker free with purchase.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/op...23FF9A0D4148ED

TBH, I'd lurk the bodybuilding.com forums for more general weightlifting and nutrition info. The people on there are pretty knowledgeable and helpful.

[NightZero88]

So will taking protein shakes help improve the growth of muscles, ie - Get more out of my workout?
Also - Do you have some sort of measurements for the shake you make, sounds alot more cost effective than the ones on the market which are premade.

Sorry, totally forgot that part. Yes, you will want to go to a vitamin store and grab a mixer. It'll be like a water bottle with a metal mix ball in the middle. For my after workout shake I do 16 oz of milk and 4*1 tablespoon of powder. It should be 2 tablespoons of chocolate powder per 8 oz of milk.

Protein will not get more out of your workout technically but it's what your muscles use to repair themselves quicker. Also, the act of "building muscle" involves tearing the existing muscle fibers and repairing it stronger. Protein helps with this process and is necessary for overall health. So while it won't help you gain muscle in that sense it will in other ways.

[Projali]

That being said a few tips. First creotine. All it does is force water into your muscles to make them slightly bigger, it is NOT something you take on a full time basis. You should do it max for one week. If you want to use it, take it just before going on vacation or something, but that's about all it's good for. It makes your skin seem tighter around your muscles giving you more definition.

Protein: Protein is indeed what your body needs to maintain and build muscle. All lot of sites advocate taking 1g of protein per pound of muscle. However, it is coming out now that this is too much and if you are not properly hydrated you will damage your liver as it has a hard time breaking down protein. So first, make sure you drink a minimum of 64 oz of water a day (8 glasses). Second, it is important to note that your body cannot break down more than around 35-40g of protein at once so those protein bars that are like 50g are just a waste. For your weight I would shoot for 75-90g of protein a day, likely on the lower end. I'm 170 and aim for around 100.

As you exert yourself anaerobically (weightlifting, etc.), your muscles deplete their ATP stores, becoming fatigued. Creatine* is naturally produced by your body to help with ATP cycles. Supplementing creatine can help in phosphorylation of ADP to ATP, giving your muscles more energy to push out more exercise (http://www.nutritionreview.org/library/krebs.php). Is the effect huge? No, it's noticeable to an experienced weight lifter though. Does a newbie in the gym need to spend a bunch of money on a decent (because there's a lot of bullshit "filler" creatine supplements out there) creatine monohydrate supplement to get results in the gym? Absolutely not. Optimum Nutrition makes a pretty solid creatine monohydrate supplement that gives you the ACTUAL quantity of the compound in the bottle and isn't filled with a bunch of random junk that pre-workouts and post-workout supps tend to have. There's a lot of bullshit out there about having to "creatine load" your system with 20g a day for a week. Unless I see a double-blind study to back this statement up, it's just marketing fluff. If you do decide to use a creatine supplement, 5g a day is fine and is way more than your body produces naturally already.

Creatine also increases your hydration needs. 64oz is definitely a minimum value. I tend to drink about a gallon of water over the course of a day and more on training days. The key is to space it out over the day.

Renal sensitivity to high protein diets is a dietetic publishing nightmare. There is so much misinformation out there about the effects of so-called "high protein" diets on kidney function. Protein is extremely important to building muscle, as are healthy fats and carbs. Check with your physician and have some blood tests done if you're concerned about it. If you have a baseline of your functioning established, you'll be able to notice if it has a negative effect or if you have renal sensitivity to large amounts of protein. 1-1.5g of protein per lb of lean mass is honestly not that excessive.

Whey and casein protein supplements are all about convenience. There's a lot of products out there with fancy stickers and marketing hype that make their price ridiculous. Check ingredients and make smart purchases. I like being able to throw a scoop or two of whey into 8 oz of whole milk because of the perfect macro (protein/carb/fat) distribution and the ease of it.

Avoid things like BCAAs, random herbal supplements and such. There's very little science to support their efficacy and the supplement industry is NOT regulated. They can sell a lot of bullshit.

You're a young guy who's at the age range of peak testosterone production. Eat like a boss, train like a beast and stay committed to a schedule (while listening to your body). You'll get results, especially as a newbie. Don't be afraid of "getting too big." That's the worst mistake I see new guys make. In addition to genetics, "genetic boosting," and commitment, it takes years upon years to get to that point. If you're insistent on supplements, I use a whey protein isolate, creatine monohydrate, fish oil and multivitamin (skip the iron). I don't like spending money on pre-workout supplements because coffee is enough "energy" for me and the PWOs like XPLODE and SuperPump give me a headache. They do give you a ridiculous pump feeling, though.

Some links:
Creatine basics - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=112484941
Krebs Cycle/Creatine - http://www.nutritionreview.org/library/krebs.php
Good Strength Program to start - http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wi..._Strength_Wiki
Completely Free one - http://www.stronglifts.com
Most of what you need for food info - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=139968253

[Zahgurim]

According to experts, and this is only on the amount of needed a day, you need to drink half or your body weight in oz's of water a day. So say you weigh 180lbs then you would need to drink 90oz's of water a day just to stay healthy and not be in a constant state of dehydration.

[Deleted]

Eat healthily and work hard.

Those pills will only harm you in the long run.

[chemicader]

I have not much of stuff I know more of than previously posted, but if your limbs get numb or etc (I cant find the correct words for the rest) take magnesium. You can find it from pharmacies. It is just because most people are too low on magnesium, but gym is the place you notice it in the worst way.

[Shivaji]

Proper diet and nutrition is all you need. If you are in average condition when you start and are looking to add muscle mass then increase the amount/ration of protein to fat/carbohydrates in your diet. "Supplements" are not needed and while some might result in fast gains they will be short lived as your body builds resistance and dependance on them.

[Kromask-EU]

Proper diet and nutrition is all you need. If you are in average condition when you start and are looking to add muscle mass then increase the amount/ration of protein to fat/carbohydrates in your diet. "Supplements" are not needed and while some might result in fast gains they will be short lived as your body builds resistance and dependance on them.

Basicly what he said, though I have some other inputs aswell, but you might want to make sure one of your meals or a snack is placed right after training. You don't need to drink a protein shake, just eat something rich on protein instead..

If you want to build up a lean physique, working out at the gym is not really the best choice. It is obviously the fastest way to build up muscle, no denying that. But more cardio-based work out like Kettle-cross / cross-fit will give you a "function-based" physique, aswell as help you tone your muscles.

To be toned you obviously need some muscle mass, but it's largely more important to have a low bodyfat. So ofcourse you can workout in the gym for a coupple of years and after that shed your weight, or you can do some function-based workout and sculpt your body, into a more classical and functionel type(the V shaped body).

[Deleted]

The only suppliment I use - and ever would be is a gainer. That's if I know I won't be able to hit a dinner after my workout within that 45minutes period in which you should consume food after a work out, but only then. Other then that your best friend is Healthy home cooked food. Meatballs with potatoes is an example. Just take a look at people in the armed forces - some do take suppliments but most just eat regulary healthy food and it's enough really.

[Joben]

Hello! Finally a thread about something I can relate to. The supplements you take are strictly going to be based off of what you're wanting to accomplish!

No supplements do anything more than their food counterpart may do. For instance... Protein! Sure there's a lot to choose from and their extraction process may differ from brand to brand. But it's essentially meat-derived, nut-derived, or green-derived. So you get the benefits of the protein without say the cholesterol and cancer dangers of red meat! For protein I use a whey isolate as most have a 0g fat content, as I get the fat I need in my daily food consumption.

Daily vitamins are important as well, as almost no working adult can eat enough/afford enough food to gain all the vitamins found in a daily vitamin, I like Optimen and Animal Pack for a daily vitamin.

Pre-workout is something many people take before a heavy lift session and when used properly and safely CAN help with any workout. Like many posters have said above you can do the same workout with hard work, dedication, etc. Most pre-workouts contain certain aminos that open up blood flow to allow for a bigger pump, and to help prevent cramps in muscles and less of that "dead arm" feeling you get when your really pushing yourself.

Test Boosters, Estro-blockers, and fat loss pills all come with HUGE pro's and cons and you should REALLY know what/how your body will react to such products before ever using them. Many are untested properly and can do more harm than good (ephedra for example)

Well good luck, I would try some samples to some products to see how your body reacts to them. Message me if you have any questions about what I have used/like/dislike etc. As posting to much info here is likely to get trolls/flames/and uneducated people talking.

[Phuongvi]

Hello.

So today I got a Gym membership for the first time. I am 19 and now in a full time job so have some money to pay for it

since you have the cash for it, I would suggest to pay for a real gym trainer

[Deleted]

I think that if I can get pretty much the same stuff from a milk with some choco powder then I will go with that rather than spending money on protein shake stuff.

The vitamins sounds like they could be really useful so I will get some of them for sure.

I guess its a good place to start for now, any comments on that decision?

(Thanks for all the input btw, been a great discussion, learnt a lot)

[tdw140]

Five small, healthy, meals a day and an hour to two hours of exercise is my daily routine. I also drink a post workout recovery drink.

Though I use Insanity and P90X, instead of going to an actual gym.

[Deftone007]

I completed P90X then got a gym membership. While doing it, I was taking protein and creatine. I lost about 20 pounds. Right now I am taking Protein, Creatine, APE (pro testerone), and Orange Triad (multivitamin). I work out 3 days a week. If you start taking protein or creatine, take them before and after your workout. I use a vanilla protein and mix fruit punch creatine for one smoothy. You should check out bodybuilding.com there are many workout programs on there if you aren't seeing a trainer.

[Thehardman]

protein powder isn't a miracle pill, the protein in it is no different then chicken/beef/eggs etc etc. however if you live a busy life style they can assist u in meeting ur daily calorie requirements to build muscle, and u make some awesome stuff with it like proats ^.^

In regards to other supps creatine mono and pre workouts are the only ones that will assist you in getting bigger and you should be cycling (not taking them year round). All this other stuff

- Glutamine
- BCAA
- multivitamin
- any sorta oil capsule
- basically anything that isn't int he three I spoke about is all bullshit and doesnt work.

[ewhenn]

You don't need supplements.

You need:
Hard work.
Blood.
Sweat.
Tears.