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Best protein powders for muscle gain?

Started by Jonathan Miller7 · · 👁 26 views · 851 replies

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Participants Jonathan Miller7Alex Long8rustygull50Scott Ortiz3Jacob Carter6Raymond Jones5Paul Vaughn71wiredpilot30AplacidrangerAngela Lopez71Linda Rogers88Matthew Richardson81James Cruz4wearyotter81Angela Cox4rustyowl4Chloe Hughes2boldwalker9driftingtinker7darkfox85Christian Harris2Paul Kim8David Thomas362 …
Alexander Peterson8 Alexander Peterson8 Newcomer
2 messages
joined Apr 2011
#621 ·
I’m being dead serious here—is there any kind of stimulant tablet out there that actually works for faster, more explosive RUNNING?
feralharbor7 feralharbor7 Newcomer
9 messages
joined Jan 2010
#622 ·
Alexander Peterson8 said:I’m being totally serious here—is there any kind of stimulant pill out there that can actually make my running faster and more explosive?

Yeah, there are plenty, but none of them are legal.
Paul Baker29 Paul Baker29 Newcomer
1 message
joined Jun 2011
#623 ·
John Johnson16 said:Are you talking about MusclePharm Whey?

I’m talking about back squats using a barbell with submaximal loads. What does riding a bike for a thousand miles have to do with anything? Intensity and volume are two completely different beasts. By your logic, someone who spends their entire day on their feet—like a mail carrier, for instance—would automatically have powerful legs. Do mail carriers have powerhouse legs?
John Johnson16 John Johnson16 Member
12 messages
joined Jan 2012
#624 ·
Paul Baker29 said:I’m referring specifically to barbell squats using submaximal loads. It honestly doesn't matter if you happen to cycle a thousand miles; intensity and volume are two entirely distinct concepts. If we followed your line of reasoning, someone who spends their entire day walking—like a mail carrier, for instance—would naturally possess incredibly powerful legs. Do mail carriers actually have strong legs?

I’m not quite sure if mail carriers have strong legs, though they probably do... but then again, do professional soccer players have strong legs just because they spend so much time running?
Matthew Richardson81 Matthew Richardson81 Member
22 messages
joined Oct 2008
#625 ·
John Johnson16 said:I wonder if mail carriers have strong legs... probably, right? And what about soccer players? Do they get strong legs from all that running?

Oh, come on, man! Don't even go there. First off, pro soccer players are hitting the weight room hard—they’re doing legit leg days with heavy weights. Second, sprinting can definitely build some muscle in your legs, though it's obviously not going to touch what you can do with actual iron.
Soccer players lift weights AND sprint constantly, which is why their legs look so jacked.

If you're just cruising on a bike for miles or jogging for miles, you aren't going to get huge or see any real volume in your legs.
You'll build up endurance, sure, but that's a totally different ballgame than building muscle mass.
John Johnson16 John Johnson16 Member
12 messages
joined Jan 2012
#626 ·
Matthew Richardson81 said:Come on, don't be ridiculous. First off, soccer players train with resistance, which means they are working with weights. Secondly, sprinting can certainly build some muscle in your legs, though it’s obviously nowhere near as effective as dedicated weight training.
Soccer players utilize weight training and perform plenty of sprints, which is exactly why their legs look so muscular.

If you just spend your time cycling for miles or going for long-distance runs, you aren't going to see any hypertrophy or significant volume in your legs.
All you're really going to develop is endurance, which doesn't have much to do with building muscle mass.

Goodness me... I truly wonder why I even bother trying to reason with you...☕
Matthew Richardson81 Matthew Richardson81 Member
22 messages
joined Oct 2008
#627 ·
John Johnson16 said:Ugh, man... why am I even talking to you in the first place? ☕

Look, I don't know, man. You've gotta be willing to actually learn some new stuff and listen to what people are telling you. It's pretty obvious you're a total rookie when it comes to this kind of thing! Just take the advice, seriously. Better to listen now than to realize you messed up later—you can't get lost time back once it's gone.
Paul Baker29 Paul Baker29 Newcomer
1 message
joined Jun 2011
#628 ·
@John Johnson16/">@@John Johnson16

You came here looking for advice, and you've certainly received it. As Matthew Richardson81 pointed out, you have to stay open to learning and being willing to accept new information. You need to realize that volume and intensity exist in a sort of tug-of-war; low intensity lets you crank up the volume, whereas high intensity naturally limits how much volume you can handle. If your goal is to actually build muscle strength and mass, you need high intensity, which by definition means you'll be limited to lower volume sessions. I mean, if you can pedal for 2, 10, 20, or however many miles you want, you don't exactly need to be a scientist to figure out that you're working with high volume—which implies your intensity isn't quite high enough to trigger real growth in strength or mass. So, to see those gains, you need high-intensity training that you simply won't be able to sustain for very long periods. Honestly, heavy squats are probably the most straightforward answer to that.
slydriver52 slydriver52 Regular
271 messages
joined Mar 2011
#629 ·
John Johnson16 said:Good grief... why am I even bothering to argue with you?☕

Cycling builds muscular endurance, plain and simple. It does absolutely nothing for raw strength, peak hypertrophy, or explosive power.☕
slydriver52 slydriver52 Regular
271 messages
joined Mar 2011
#630 ·
I’d like to ask the moderator, Melissa Ross35, to dial back on the thread locking. There isn't any logical reason why someone shouldn't be able to start a discussion just because they're looking for some advice.
Austin White13 Austin White13 Newcomer
8 messages
joined Mar 2008
#631 ·
Question🙂
I’ve been playing around with my routine lately, pushing myself a bit harder than usual—about two hours of cardio every single day. It’s starting to take its toll. I feel completely wiped out, and honestly, I really don't want to lose weight. So, I wanted to ask: how effective are protein supplements for women? To be blunt, I'm a little intimidated by the idea. I’m definitely not a meat eater, and I find it pretty tough to sit down to heavy meat-based meals.
Also, does anyone know if soy and soy products can actually provide enough protein to meet my body's needs?
ruggedorca3 ruggedorca3 Newcomer
1 message
joined Mar 2014
#632 ·
Hey there!

So, here’s my situation—I’m 23 and about to start hitting the gym regularly. My main goal is to pack on some serious mass because I’ve always been on the leaner side and definitely need to put on some weight. I’ve been doing some reading on whey proteins, and they seem like a solid choice, though I'm also thinking that adding some casein into the mix might be a smart move... Is it actually possible to combine them, and if so, what’s the best way to go about it?

On top of that, I haven't really mapped out a nutrition plan yet, so if anyone has any recommendations or advice on how to structure my diet...
William Roberts56 William Roberts56 Newcomer
2 messages
joined May 2011
#633 ·
Which protein should I go with? I'm planning on getting some whey, but I know there are several different types depending on how they extract it—ranging from concentrates at around 75% up to the ones over 90%. I'm trying to figure out which specific one is best, and ideally, where I can find the best prices in Chicago.

So, if anyone is currently using a specific brand, or could just give me some general guidance, I'd appreciate it.
Jonathan James7 Jonathan James7 Newcomer
4 messages
joined Nov 2011
#634 ·
Ashley Gomez69 said:Question🙂
I’ve been doing a bit more cardio lately, maybe two hours of aerobic stuff a day. It’s wearing me out, and honestly, I don't want to lose weight—I just want to tone up. How good are those protein supplements actually for women? I'm kind of terrified of them, especially since I’m not much of a meat eater; I struggle to get enough protein from actual meals.
Also, can soy and its various derivatives actually provide enough protein for the body?

The short answer is no. It doesn't have a complete amino acid profile, so your body isn't really utilizing it properly. Plus, most soy is processed using hexane, so you're probably better off steering clear of it altogether...
If you're looking at plants, hemp is pretty much the only one with a full amino acid profile.

Whey is perfectly fine. Nothing "crazy" is going to happen to you other than building some muscle, but don't worry—you aren't going to wake up looking like a pro bodybuilder overnight...
If you're trying to avoid losing weight, just eat more complex carbs. But regardless, you still need to hit your protein targets.
Some people make the mistake of going on a diet and thinking they can live off nothing but whey. Listen, folks, if you want results, you need to combine whey with complex carbs plus things like Omega-3s or CLA to help with fat metabolism while you train. That's how you actually drop the fat.
Otherwise, if you cut out carbs entirely, you'll just lose muscle and end up with saggy skin that only a surgeon's scalpel can fix.
It’s a simple equation. Yet, I see these ridiculous TV commercials for "miracle" waist trainers and magic pills—it's a joke.
Look, people, you can't just melt away belly fat in isolation; you have to lower your total body fat percentage.
Jonathan James7 Jonathan James7 Newcomer
4 messages
joined Nov 2011
#635 ·
ruggedorca3 said:Hey there!

So here’s my situation: I’m 23, just getting started at the gym, and my main goal is putting on some serious mass because I’m way underweight. I’ve been reading up on whey proteins—they seem like the gold standard—but I’m also looking into casein. Can I actually mix those two together? And if so, what’s the best way to play it?

Also, I haven't really figured out a meal plan yet, so if anyone has some solid recommendations, please help a guy out...

http://www.building-body.com/forum/index.php
Jonathan James7 Jonathan James7 Newcomer
4 messages
joined Nov 2011
#636 ·
William Roberts56 said:Which protein should I go with? I'm planning on grabbing some whey, but I know there are different ways to extract it from the whey—ranging from concentrates at about 75% all the way up to the stuff that's over 90%. I want to know which one is actually worth getting, and ideally, where can I find the best prices in Chicago?

So, if anyone is currently using something specific, or can even just give me some general guidance, let me know.

The second you mention the word "cheap," your options pretty much vanish.

You could grab the concentrate from MyProtein on their site.
A 5 kg bag $167is probably the most budget-friendly option you'll find for protein, and the quality is decent enough.
That is, if you have a buddy who isn't too busy ordering for a friend in Canada and then driving it over to the US, because myprotein.com doesn't ship to the States. Those silly English folks... I guess their business thrives just fine without us.
Austin White13 Austin White13 Newcomer
8 messages
joined Mar 2008
#637 ·
Jonathan James7 said:It won't work because it lacks a complete amino acid profile, meaning it’s basically useless. Plus, soy is processed using hexane, so you're better off staying far away from soy...
The only plant option with a full amino acid profile is hemp.

Whey is fine. Nothing crazy is going to happen other than building muscle, but don't worry—you aren't going to wake up looking like a pro bodybuilder overnight..
If you aren't trying to lose weight, just eat more complex carbs. You need protein regardless.
Some people think they can just go on a diet and survive solely on whey. Listen, you need to combine whey with complex carbs plus Omega-3s or CLA to help burn fat while training. That's how the fat actually starts to drop.
Otherwise, if you cut out carbs entirely, you'll lose muscle and end up with saggy skin that only a surgeon's scalpel can fix.
It's a simple formula. Yet I see these TV commercials for "miracle" waist trainers and random pills. It's honestly hilarious.
Look, folks, you can't just melt fat off your stomach specifically; you have to lower your total body fat percentage.

Thanks, I mostly get it now. Honestly though, I have this real phobia of all these artificial supplements. I'm training hard right now, and my biggest struggle is pure exhaustion, especially since I'm at a stage where I can't really afford much downtime for rest.
I'll look into what's available and how much to take. And hey, if I end up getting too bulky, I'll make sure to blame you!🙂
Paul Baker29 Paul Baker29 Newcomer
1 message
joined Jun 2011
#638 ·
To be fair, soy does possess a complete amino acid profile, but I still think you should probably steer clear of it because of the heavy processing and all that genetic engineering they do.
William Roberts56 William Roberts56 Newcomer
2 messages
joined May 2011
#639 ·
Jonathan James7 said:The second you mention finding things "cheaper," your options basically vanish.

You could grab some concentrate from MyProtein online.
A 5 kg tub $167is probably the best value you'll find for protein, and the quality holds up fine.
It just depends if your buddy isn't too busy, since he orders for a friend in Canada and then brings it over to the US. Myprotein.com doesn't ship directly to the US. Those silly Brits... their business thrives even without us.

I think I'll go with the isolate. Thanks for the tip on where to buy it. 👍
Austin White13 Austin White13 Newcomer
8 messages
joined Mar 2008
#640 ·
Paul Baker29 said:Technically, soy has a complete amino acid profile, but you should still avoid it because of the heavy processing and GMOs.

Honestly, the GMO thing doesn't really bother me. Given everything else we put in our bodies—everything canned or loaded with random additives—I’m at least less frustrated by genetic engineering. It feels like everything is heading toward us eating nothing else anyway. I'll check back in with you guys in ten years and let you know if I've grown a tail or something similar.🙂

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