Best protein powders for muscle gain?

Sam Roberts said:The ones you mentioned in the DMs might be cheaper, but honestly, they're just lower quality. Grab these.

Got it, thanks. 🙂 So, would swapping my dinner for this after a workout actually help me drop some weight?

Nicholas Gomez84 said:Alright, thanks for the input, everyone!

I know Inkospor carries stock at Helix and that shop over on the outskirts near the highway...

If I recall correctly, Inkospor is also stocked at XXL in North Jersey. Give them a call and verify.

Hey everyone, I’ve started swimming to lose weight and tone up. I’m hitting the pool five times a week for an hour and a half each session, then following it up with some whey protein shaken with water... Today, I actually had some right before jumping in, and then again immediately after. Is that okay??? Will it help me see faster results, or am I just wasting it if I take it like that... It’s past its expiration date, so I really want to finish it as soon as possible. It seems fine though—smells great, no nausea, so it must be okay. Please help, can I take it both before and after my swim?

You totally can.

-Steve

So, are you actually stirring the water you're swimming in or what? 😁

briskjackal5 said:You can.

-Steve

So, nothing is off-limits for me??? Am I really hitting definition that fast, or what? I'm already starting to see a difference... some changes in my physique... I've been swimming for three weeks now... Is it the swimming, or the whey, or both working together... I just don't know. Thanks for the answer.

Sam Roberts said:Are you just stirring up the water you're swimming in, or what? 😁

Oh, sure, I'll just bring a whole bucket to the pool, dump the entire thing in, splash around for a bit, and then scoop it all back out... 🤣

Fat burners aren't just placebos, but they only give you maybe a tiny edge—like a few percent—compared to someone not using them. So, if you've got the extra cash, why not?

@OSMAMA - It’s honestly hilarious how little you actually know about nutrition and working out. Maybe try reading more instead of blindly following "diet hacks" from Cosmos...
If you haven't dropped a single pound despite two bottles of fat burners and all that "working out" you claim to be doing, fix your diet first.

If you think you're "toned" right now but your stomach is sticking out like a beer belly, you made the classic mistake: you just slashed your calories across the board. You lost muscle mass along with the fat, but since your body clearly loves storing fat in your midsection, you ended up looking "normal" everywhere else while still carrying a gut. It’s not actually normal because I’m pretty sure you have zero muscle, so you just look skinny-fat because you haven't actually lowered your body fat percentage enough. (Translation: you've got work to do)

Here’s the move: start lifting weights, fix your nutrition so you're eating at a deficit relative to your BMR, and get some cardio in (running, stair climber, whatever you ladies do). That’s how you lose the belly. Also, crunches aren't going to burn the fat off your stomach. I'm not saying ditch the abs, but doing 500 crunches every day isn't doing squat. Focus on your arms, back, chest, glutes, legs, etc...

NOTE: Don't starve yourself and spend the whole day hungry... that's the wrong way to do this.

Amy Martinez11 said:So you're saying nothing can go wrong??? Am I reaching a conclusion that fast or what? I'm actually already noticing a difference, some changes in my physique and stuff... I've been swimming for three weeks now,,, so I guess, is that from the swimming, or the whey protein, or maybe both together,,, I don't really know. Thanks for the reply!

It's definitely from the swimming, and honestly, the whey isn't going to hurt anything.

-Steve

Steven Lopez35 said:Fat burners aren't just placebos, but they only offer a tiny edge—maybe a few percent—compared to someone who doesn't use them. So, if you've got the extra cash, why not?

@Olivia Miller/">@@Olivia Miller - It’s honestly funny how little you actually know about nutrition and "working out." Maybe try reading more and listening to your friends less, especially those fad diets from Cosmos...
If you haven't lost a single thing despite using two bottles of fat burners and doing the "workouts" you mentioned, you need to fix your diet first.

If you consider yourself "toned" right now but your stomach is still bulging, you've made a massive mistake: you likely just slashed your calories across the board, losing muscle mass along with the fat. Since your body clearly stores most of its fat in the midsection, what happened is that the rest of your body looks "normal," but it isn't actually healthy because I'm fairly certain you have zero muscle mass. You just look skinny while your body fat percentage remains high. (Translation: you have work to do)

What you really need to do is start lifting weights, clean up your diet so you're eating at a deficit relative to your basal metabolic rate, and get some cardio in (running, the stair climber, or whatever you ladies do)—that's how you'll lose the belly. Also, sit-ups won't burn the fat off your stomach. I'm not saying you should cut them from your routine entirely, but doing 500 crunches every day isn't going to help. Focus on your arms, back, chest, glutes, legs, etc...

NOTE: Don't starve yourself and spend the whole day feeling hungry... that's the wrong approach.

First things first—what is Cosmos? 🙄 😉
Compared to having nothing but "pudding" where my arm and leg muscles should be, I can finally say I actually have muscle now.🙂 I'm working with 5lb dumbbells and 10lb or 15lb kettlebells... squats, push-ups, lunges, all kinds of core work, back exercises, and step aerobics for cardio. And yeah, I do an hour every single day.
So, I don't think the issue is the exercise; I'm probably still consuming more calories than I'm burning. Plus, there's my age (37) and hormonal imbalances to deal with.
Just a note: when I said I'm constantly hungry, I didn't mean I'm not eating.🤣 Quite the opposite.🙂

briskjackal5 said:Swimming is fine, and the whey won't hurt...

-Stipe

I didn't even specify which one I use. It's just the 100% Gold Standard whey in strawberry flavor. So, basically one scoop mixed with about a cup of water before, and then again after swimming?

Yo, does taking protein supplements actually stunt your growth? I heard some rumors floating around about it, but I honestly can't tell if it's legit or just some gym myth 😁

Andrew Jackson2 said:Hey, I heard some rumors about protein supplements messing with your growth and development, but I honestly can't tell if it's legit or just nonsense. 😁

Oh yeah, you heard right. If you go down that road, you're basically signing away your chance at having kids later on.
There’s also a pretty high chance your teeth will start falling out after just one tub of whey protein.
Plus, your skin is gonna sag uncontrollably exactly 22 days after you stop taking those PROTEINS. If you want to avoid this total disaster, there might be a cure out there somewhere.

My expert medical advice? Go out and grab seven earthworms from some fresh dirt, eat one every morning at 4:30 AM, and wash them down with some heavy-duty moonshine every day for a week.

But seriously, don't forget that all this "danger" applies even if you're just eating normal stuff like eggs, chicken, fish, cheese, and anything else packed with PROTEIN.

Hope that clears things up for ya!

hahahahaha nah, I’m definitely not trying to eat those things, there’s just no way. Plus, I’ve got these braces in my mouth right now, so that's a hard pass xD

Does anyone actually understand how protein synthesis works if, say, you’re just out running long distances and then loading up on shakes afterward? Specifically, what happens to muscle groups like the arms—do they just stay stagnant even if I'm hitting my protein macros, simply because I'm not training them?

So, looking at it from a runner's perspective: if someone is constantly hitting the pavement and keeping their protein intake high, how does the body actually distribute those nutrients? Is it possible to see muscle growth exclusively in the legs while the rest of the body stays the same?

Hypertrophy only happens when you target the specific muscle group you actually want to grow. If you think going for a jog is going to do anything for your biceps, you’re dreaming...

So, what's the move when it comes to protein powder? Like, which brand is actually worth the hype and what am I looking at for a price tag?

Brian Wilson said:Does anyone actually get how protein works if you're just running and then eating it? Like, what happens to muscle groups in your arms... do they just stay the same even if you're hitting your protein goals but not actually working them out?

So, if a runner is constantly pounding the pavement and slamming protein shakes, where does that go? Is all that growth just going to end up in their legs?

By that logic, you could just sit on your couch, flex your right index finger while holding the remote, and chug a protein shake...😁

So, does this mean I’ll see the fastest possible bicep growth if I just hammer that one muscle group exclusively and chug a protein shake immediately after? Also, how much protein can a muscle actually absorb at once—is there a specific limit to how much is useful, or can you just keep loading it in?

Hey, does anyone actually know the best way to take protein supplements? 😁