Ethan Garcia8 said:You've got this 95% blend from MuscleTech—a mix of whey and milk-egg protein blends, $33 about half a pound. No extra additives, no artificial sweeteners, no flavor enhancers. None.
How much of a difference is there compared to the pure whey (like the chocolate one) I’m currently using? And could I just swap this out for my current stuff and take it the same way after a workout? Thanks
Look, I'm not exactly a rabbit—I actually have a shoot coming up at my agency in about six weeks. I’m trying to balance out my body proportions as much as possible in this short window while packing on a few pounds of muscle, but everything feels like it's moving at a snail's pace. I was wondering if there might be some kind of shortcut or trick to speed things up? 😢
Can anyone weigh in on whether it’s more effective to split my protein intake—say, half a shake before training and half after—or if I should just stick to taking it exclusively post-workout? I was reading an article in Men's Health suggesting that consuming some beforehand might actually yield better results when the goal is strictly muscle mass gains. ?thanks
I have a quick question for the group—I was reading somewhere that if you're looking for optimal muscle growth, it might be smarter to split your shake in half, drinking one portion before training and the other after. I’m honestly not sure if that’s actually sound advice or if I should just stick to my current routine of having it strictly post-workout. What do you all think?
I was planning on hitting the gym yesterday, but it turned out to be closed—so I decided to just knock out a few sets at home instead. I followed some advice from a buddy of mine over at State University, mixed in a few old favorites, and added some stuff I picked up from Men's Health. The problem? I was completely out of glucose, which meant I couldn't even get my protein in. I’m currently out in rural California, and the local CVS stores are doing inventory, so they're basically off-limits all week. Since I have nothing to do this week besides studying and training, I need some advice. Besides raisins, what else can I use as a quick carb source to spike my insulin? I'm trying to put on some mass here, and honestly, it feels a bit pointless to grind through a workout if I can't follow it up with a solid shake.
Ah, I see—taking the rest of my protein intake into account... I was focusing solely on the whey protein, which is why I got a bit turned around there.
I’m still struggling to wrap my head around this one. If the recommendation is to hit about 45g of protein and 90g of glucose after a workout, how does that math work if I only weigh 155 lbs? Based on that 2-3g/kg estimate, I’d be looking at roughly 150g—which seems impossible. If we assume a standard three-day training split per week, wouldn't that total amount essentially cover my entire weekly intake?
Nicholas Kern90 said:Try taking 50g of whey protein—just split it into two shakes, one during your workout and one right after.
Do those have the same effect while you're actually training? I was under the impression you should only be sipping on about 1.5 liters of water throughout a session.
Ronald Cooper27 said:Terry Young94... look, your standard Post-workout meal should really be scaled to your body weight rather than just following whatever is printed on the tub—because, let's be honest, a Post-workout meal shouldn't be the same for someone weighing 110 lbs as it is for someone at 330 lbs, regardless of those folks claiming "30g of protein is the absolute limit the body can synthesize per meal."
So, does that mean we're looking at 1 gram per kilogram of body weight? That would imply 154g of protein for a 154lb person—even if people argue that when you're training intensely, you shouldn't exceed something like 220g total?
Hey there. So, I have a few things on my mind... I was hoping to get some advice from Steve—from what I can gather by reading his posts, he seems to have a much broader grasp of these little details than anyone else here, no offense to the others whose comments I haven't really noticed. First off, how much of an impact does Whey protein Isolate actually have—either positively or negatively—when you're taking it alongside other supplements meant to help kick this winter flu out of your system? For example, I’ve been fighting this cold for two weeks now. Some days the fever hits hard, but I went to the gym anyway and felt better immediately after; then, two days later, I'm right back in the trenches despite getting plenty of rest. Is that because of mixing those two things? Or is it just my body struggling with the illness and general fatigue? I’m also wondering how much protein can actually be harmful. We all know it's essential—especially that powder after a workout due to how fast it absorbs—but how much does it truly stress the liver and kidneys? A neighbor of my aunt went in for a checkup recently, and apparently, his liver looked like that of a heavy drinker because of his protein intake. I don't know exactly how much he was consuming, but regardless, it was concerning. Is there a specific cycle one should follow when using protein? For instance, with Omega-3 fatty acids, people often take them for three months and then take a three-month break—which essentially means two bottles of 100 capsules last you a year. Does that same logic apply to protein? I’m becoming a bit skeptical because everyone says something different about it; people are either totally for it or completely against it, and I'm honestly lost on where to find solid advice. I even consulted two nutritionists, and they didn't seem to have any issues with it if the goal is gaining mass quickly—assuming we can't quite hit our targets through whole foods alone—yet on the flip side, there's still all this hesitation. Hmm. If it isn't too much trouble, could I get a bit more concrete clarification? That's why this forum exists, isn't it? Hehe. Best regards, 😉
velvetraven said:Question for those of you using Optimum Nutrition products (Ethan Garcia8, Jesse Martinez23...)—do you opt for the standard protein blend or the pure whey? The difference lies in the protein concentration, carb count, fat content, and so on, though the price and packaging remain identical.
To be honest, I just found myself wondering about the same thing recently. I don't know—I actually tossed my bags aside last time because I just dump everything into plastic Tupperware anyway. I really haven't given it much thought, but if you figure it out, let me know—since I'm still relatively new to all this. Now, a follow-up question: if there's a difference in the carb count, is it necessary to take a 2:1 ratio of glucose alongside these proteins after a workout, or does that change the overall value?😕 🙏
rapiddriver11 said:I mixed it with water!!! 🙂 And I think I finally figured out why it tasted so revolting the first time—turns out I used ice-cold water, which was an absolute disaster... 🤔 Now that I've switched to lukewarm water, it’s almost like drinking milk, just a bit thinner... 🥳
I realized the same thing early on, and now I'm going through my supply like crazy 🙂
velvetraven said:Some manufacturers don't use aspartame (Optimum Nutrition). If you check the labels, there’s actually quite a wide variety out there. Besides, you're probably eating or drinking aspartame in most diet products and even in Mars, Inc. gum—so cutting it out of your diet entirely is easier said than done.
Right, though besides those gums, I noticed it's in all the Orbit ones too—just happened to look up the ingredients. But... what kind of price range are we talking about for that Optimum Nutrition protein? I've been using Inkospor lately, and while people say it isn't exactly cheap (500g/ $46), if it really is that high quality, maybe it's worth it—especially if I just mix it with dextrose after my workouts.😛 .. So, if anyone has a better suggestion, feel free to chime in—thanks.😉
I’m not entirely sure how much I dislike flavored proteins, but I recently came across some claims suggesting that the aspartame used in them is quite harmful—apparently, long-term use over several years could lead to various internal issues and general bodily damage. It makes me wonder: would unflavored proteins contain significantly lower amounts of aspartame? Given that the standard versions seem to sit at roughly 228mg per 100g,
rapiddriver11 said:I just can't wrap my head around mixing whey with water—milk makes it taste incredible. Honestly, it’s the one thing that actually gets me excited to hit the gym, knowing I get that shake afterward...🙂 I know the "experts" say water is better, but really, what's the big deal if you mix it with some 2% milk?
Just hold your nose—that's what I do, anyway. haha. 🙂