Best protein powders for muscle gain?

And why on earth would you want to pack on extra weight before you even step foot inside a gym?😕

Here we go again... more annoying debates about milk vs. water

Alright, has anyone here actually noticed a tangible difference when mixing their protein powder with water versus milk? I’m looking for people who have cycled through both—maybe did a few months on water, then switched to milk—and can honestly say, "Yeah, water is better." I want real, firsthand accounts based on actual experience, not some half-baked theories you find on a random corner of the internet.

William Brooks9 said:So, I've been following some of these threads on the forum about different proteins, and I was wondering... I really want to figure out how to pack on some weight without using any supplements before I even step foot in a gym. Can anyone help me out with that? I mean, I'm about 5'9" and only weigh around 120 lbs... which feels pretty light for my height, I guess...

Sure thing, just eat more food.

-Joe

Ronald Cox96 said:Alright, has anyone here actually noticed a tangible difference between mixing powder with water versus milk? Has anyone cycled through both—using water for a few months and then switching to milk—to say, "Yeah, water works better"? I want real, firsthand evidence, not some vague nonsense you read online.

I stuck with chocolate milk for about two or three months and didn't notice any muscle loss whatsoever, but I've cut out the milk now because I'm trying to drop some weight.

slydriver52 said:I tried using chocolate milk for about two or three months and I definitely didn't notice any muscle loss at all. But lately, I've cut out the milk entirely because I'm trying to drop some weight.

Well, I'm losing weight even while still drinking milk. ☕ 😁

If anyone actually knows the answer, please tell me what I should go with

this one or this one?

If anyone here has actually used these or at least understands the ingredient profiles of these mass gainers😁
I'm leaning towards this ABB option; it honestly looks superior, plus you get two units for the exact same price. It isn't exactly cheap, so I'm not about to just burn through the whole thing in a single week.😁

Jeremy Bennett57 said:Can anyone tell me which one of these is better to grab?

this one or this one?

If anyone here has actually used these or even just knows their ingredients, let me know.😁
This ABB stuff looks like it might even be better, plus you get two units for the same price. It’s not exactly cheap, so I can't just go crushing through the whole thing in a week.😁

Personally, I wouldn't touch mass gainers ever again. I wasted my time with them when I was starting out and didn't see any real progress. Even though I wasn't obsessing over my physique back then, I was still pretty disappointed. Those gainers are just loaded with random junk carbs, and for my body, they were basically zero-effect. You can make up all those calories and carbs with actual food, which makes gainers pretty much redundant. My advice? Aim for a powder that's mostly protein and low on the carb count. I had a much better experience with products like that, especially since I have a leaner build.

wiredpilot30 said:I mix them with milk.☕ 😁

I do the same, but I eventually hit a wall where my stomach just won't handle it with milk anymore.

rowdyscout16 said:You really need to start eating right first; whey isn't going to fix everything for you... if you hit 5-6 high-quality meals a day plus your training, the results will definitely show up eventually....

And, I guess, how long would it actually take for those kinds of results to show up on me???

Ronald Cox96 said:Alright, has anyone here actually noticed a tangible difference when mixing their powder with water versus milk? Has anyone actually spent a few months doing it one way, then switched to the other for a while and can honestly say, "Yeah, water is better"? I'm looking for real-world, personal experience here, not some half-baked nonsense you read on some random website.

Yeah, I did. Using milk actually helped me put on some serious mass after a few months.
But seriously, what is the actual issue here? It’s standard practice for recreational bodybuilders—and let's be real, probably nobody on this entire forum is a pro—to mix whey protein isolate with dextrose and just shake it up with water right after a workout.
The dextrose (like that Dasani stuff you grab at Walgreens, $4.25) helps with rapid absorption. Otherwise, if you aren't using glucose, I've heard you're supposed to drink your protein an hour or two before training...
If the taste is grossing you out, just throw in 300 or 350 ml of water, and when you add the dextrose, the flavor should be pretty intense and definitely not revolting (unless you've never eaten a single sweet thing in your entire life). It took me a little bit to get used to it too, since I grew up eating nothing but absolute garbage.

William Miller3 said:Yeah. I put on some fat after using milk for a few months.
But what’s the actual issue here? It’s standard practice among recreational lifters (and let’s be honest, probably nobody on this entire forum is a pro) to mix whey protein isolate with dextrose and water right after a workout.
Dextrose (like the healthy stuff you find at Walgreens, $4.25) aids in rapid absorption. Otherwise, from what I've heard, you're supposed to consume proteins an hour or two beforehand if you aren't using glucose...
If the taste is gross, just add 12 to 14 ounces of water. Mixing it with dextrose should make the flavor intense rather than revolting—unless you've never eaten a single dessert in your life. It took me a little while to get used to it since I grew up eating pretty bland food.

How much milk were you drinking daily to gain fat, and was it low-fat?
Besides, we aren't all built the same way; you can't claim milk bothers everyone.
Now, please explain to me why recreational lifters insist on drinking whey with glucose immediately following a workout.
I know plenty of people who eat nothing but whole foods—like chicken and rice—after training, and they look better than those clueless kids who read on various foreign or domestic forums, bodybuilding magazines, or whey packaging that whey with glucose post-workout is mandatory.
Those kids have no idea what they're doing. They clearly don't realize that a massive amount of glucose actually slows down digestion due to its high osmolality. There are plenty of them dumping 100g of glucose into that shake right after a session when the stomach is extremely sensitive.

slydriver52 said:Just how much of that milk were you slamming every day to end up with all that fat? And was it even low-fat to begin with?
At the end of the day, we aren't all built the same way, so you can't just claim that milk messes everyone up.
Now, please explain to me why recreational lifters are constantly chugging whey mixed with glucose immediately after a workout?
I know plenty of guys who stick strictly to whole foods—like chicken and rice—right after training, and they look a hell of a lot better than those clueless kids who read some bodybuilding magazine or saw some flashy packaging and convinced themselves that post-workout whey with glucose is mandatory.
Those kids don't have a clue what they're doing. They probably have no idea that dumping a massive amount of glucose into your system slows down digestion because of its high osmolality. I see tons of them tossing 100g of glucose into their shake right after a session when their stomach is at its most sensitive.

100g 😕What do you mean "normal"? That's half the damn container! :S

William Miller3 said:Yeah. I've been mixing my protein with milk lately, and honestly? After just a few months, I've already started seeing some serious gains.

I mean, let's be real... taking in 120 calories from 300 ml of low-fat milk right after a workout? That’s basically a death sentence for your progress. 😁

slydriver52 said:Just how much of that milk were you chugging every day to end up with all that fat, and was it even low-fat to begin with?
Look, we aren't all built the exact same way, so you can't just claim milk is an issue for everyone.
Now, please explain to me why casual lifters drink whey mixed with glucose immediately after a workout?
I know plenty of people who stick strictly to whole foods—like chicken and rice—right after training, and they look damn better than those clueless kids who read on some random internet forums, fitness magazines, or whey packaging that mixing whey with glucose post-workout is some kind of holy commandment.
Those kids have absolutely no clue what they're doing; they clearly don't realize that massive amounts of glucose actually slow down digestion because of its high osmolality, yet I see so many of them dumping 100g of glucose into their shake right when their stomach is at its most sensitive point after a session.

It's obvious you have next to zero actual knowledge about nutrition or training, but since you recognize the most hyped-up buzzword in the industry, you feel entitled to run your mouth.
Let me clear something up for you. If you want that aesthetic, shredded Apollo look, you hit higher rep ranges (15+), but if you're chasing mass, you stay in the 6-10 range. Most people just run 4-6 sets depending on what fits their vibe and current conditioning. Furthermore, to get that lean physique, you need to be hitting cardio 2-4 times a week for over 45 minutes, because it’s only after about thirty minutes—once you've burned through the energy stores you took in during the day—that your body actually starts tapping into fat stores. Another option is running on a treadmill for 40+ minutes. But above all else, diet dictates everything. Keeping carbs lower and protein higher is the absolute key. A perfect example is those snack bars; you won't see any definition if you aren't watching what you eat. And don't you ever think for a second that you'll get anywhere just by cutting calories without working out, because your body will just adapt to the lower intake and your metabolism will tank.

You're sitting here lecturing me about how sensitive the stomach is, so let me ask you: have you ever even tried drinking protein mixed with grape juice? What kind of protein? Everything is available online, and maybe those "kids" you're talking about did a little bit of searching on Google, whereas you clearly didn't.
An even more vital point is that after a workout, you don't even need protein as much as you need dextrose to facilitate the rapid recovery of those torn muscle fibers. By the way, if you aren't sore tomorrow, you didn't train hard enough—that's my number one rule.

William Miller3 said:You clearly have zero clue about nutrition or training, yet you're throwing around buzzwords like you own them.
Let me set you straight. If your goal is an aesthetic, shredded physique, you focus on higher rep ranges (15+). If you want raw mass, you stay in the 6-10 range. Most people run 4-6 sets depending on their personal preference and current fitness level. Furthermore, if you want that sculpted look, you need to hit cardio 2-4 times a week for at least 45 minutes; it’s only after about thirty minutes—once you've burned through the energy stores from your day—that your body actually starts tapping into fat reserves. Your other option is running on a treadmill for 40+ minutes. But above all else, diet dictates your look. Lowering carbs and bumping up protein is the key. Take candy bars, for instance; you won't see results if you aren't watching what you eat. And don't for a second think you'll get anywhere just by cutting calories without training, because your metabolism will eventually adapt and slow down.

You’re going on about having a sensitive stomach, so let me ask: have you ever even tried mixing protein with grapes? What kind of protein? You can find everything online—maybe your kids have spent more time using Google than you have, since you clearly haven't.
Even more critical is this: post-workout, you don't actually need protein as much as you need dextrose to facilitate the rapid recovery of torn muscle fibers. By the way, if you aren't sore tomorrow, you didn't train hard enough. That's my number one rule.

😕

Don't get offended, but you've spewed so much nonsense here that it isn't even worth commenting on.
The bolded part is just an example.
Bottom line: dextrose is vital for muscle recovery. We're talking about repairing microtrauma caused by training.

Ronald Cox96 said:100g? 😕That’s ridiculous—that's basically half the tub.

Look, half the tub would be 250 grams, but you'll find plenty of guys on the bodybuilding forums following this exact same logic.
It's the same old story: they read some random article online claiming you need a specific amount of glucose per kilo of body weight post-workout, and now everyone thinks it's gospel.

I honestly can't stand these wannabe bodybuilders who are so incredibly full of themselves that they just have to go around insulting people for no reason at all.🤣

William Miller3 said:It’s pretty obvious you have zero clue about nutrition or training, yet you’re throwing around buzzwords like you actually know something.
Let me break this down for you. If you want that shredded, aesthetic look, you go for higher reps (15+). If you're chasing raw mass, you stick to the 6-10 range. Most people just run 4-6 sets depending on what fits their schedule and fitness level. Now, if you actually want that "Greek god" physique, you need to be hitting cardio 2-4 times a week for at least 45 minutes. You don't even start tapping into those fat stores until about thirty minutes in, once you've burned through the energy you consumed during the day. Another option is running on the treadmill, again for 40+ minutes. But honestly, diet is what dictates your look more than anything else. Lowering carbs and bumping up protein is the key. A perfect example is those snack bars—you aren't going to see any definition if you aren't watching what you eat. And don't for one second think you'll get anywhere just by cutting calories without working out; your body will eventually adapt to the lower intake and your metabolism will just slow down.

You're sitting here talking about having a sensitive stomach and all that nonsense, so let me ask you: have you ever even tried mixing protein with grapes? What kind of protein? Everything is available online, and maybe your kids have been doing a better job searching Google than you have, because clearly, you haven't.
Even more important: after a workout, you don't even need protein as much as you need dextrose to help quickly repair those torn muscle fibers. By the way, if you aren't sore tomorrow, you didn't train hard enough. That's my number one rule.

Look, I'm not a professional strength and conditioning coach, but wtf!? There is more stupidity in this single thread than in the rest of this entire forum combined.☕

William Miller3 said:It seems you have absolutely minimal knowledge regarding nutrition or fitness, yet you’re throwing around buzzwords like you own them.
Let me clarify a few things for you. If your goal is that shredded, aesthetic "Apollo" look, you should be hitting higher rep ranges (15+). However, if you are chasing pure mass, stick to the 6-10 range. Most people typically aim for 4-6 sets, depending on their personal preference and current conditioning. Furthermore, to achieve that lean physique, you really need to incorporate cardio about 2-4 times a week for at least 45 minutes; it's only after about thirty minutes—once you've burned through the energy stores from your daily meals—that your body actually starts tapping into fat stores. Another option is hitting the treadmill for 40+ minutes. But honestly, diet is the most critical factor of all. Keeping carbohydrates low while increasing protein intake is absolutely key. A perfect example is those snack bars; you won't see any definition if you aren't careful about what you eat. And please, don't ever fall into the trap of thinking you can reach your goals without working out just by cutting calories; your metabolism will eventually adapt to the lower intake and slow down.

You keep going on about having a sensitive stomach, but I have to ask: have you ever even tried mixing protein with grapes? What kind of protein? Everything is available online, and perhaps your kids have been doing a bit more Google searching than you have, because clearly, you haven't!
An even more vital point is that after a workout, you don't actually need protein as much as you need dextrose to facilitate the rapid recovery of torn muscle fibers. By the way, in my book, if you aren't feeling some soreness tomorrow, you simply didn't train hard enough—that is my number one rule!

😂😂😂😂 You really are quite the Brain, 🙄🙄🙄😂😂😂