Best protein powders for muscle gain?

Jesse Martinez23 said:So what does that mean, one gram per kilo of body weight? Like, 70g of protein for a 70kg guy, regardless of the fact that they say you hit a max of 100g when training three times a week?

Just take 50g of whey protein and split it into two shakes—one during your workout and one after your Post-workout meal.

Nicholas Kern90 said:Take 50 grams of protein from whey and split it into two separate shakes—one during your session and one immediately following it.

I fail to see the logic in splitting that up. Why not simply consume the full 50g alongside 70 to 100g of glucose once the workout is finished? That isn't even an excessive amount; I've seen plenty of people doubling that dose without issue. There is really no reason to bother with two separate shakes and the added complexity of introducing sugar if you can just consolidate everything into one efficient post-workout meal.

James Lewis6 said:Why wouldn't you just knock back 50g along with 70-100g of glucose right after training? It’s not even that much; I've seen people take double that dose. Why split it into two servings and mess with a shake if you're already adding sugar anyway?

Two separate shakes are way better... provided they both have sugar in them.

Sugar immediately halts the breakdown of fat stores, so I wouldn't dream of consuming it right before or even during a training session. If you're looking at protein intake, perhaps two shakes containing 50g each would be acceptable, but trying to cram 50g into a single serving is pushing it just a bit too far.

James Lewis6 said:Sugar shuts down fat burning instantly. I wouldn't touch it before or during a workout. Maybe two shakes at 50g protein each, but 50g in one go is pushing it.

Hold on, are you trying to burn fat through anaerobic training or what? I drink my shake before, during, and after my session (that's 80g of whey and 150g of sugar total). You’re basically just giving your body exactly what it needs to power through that kind of intensity. Throw in some BCAAs and catabolism stays minimal.

What’s the absolute bare minimum I need to take if I’m trying to pack on some muscle and build serious strength in the gym—mostly just to level up my game on the basketball court?

Let's say I'm hitting the weights every other day.

Which supplements would you guys actually recommend?

Lawrence Phillips said:What's the bare minimum supplement stack if someone wants to build muscle and strength in the gym to get better results in sports—specifically basketball?

Assuming the gym routine is every other day.

What supplements would you recommend?

Look, if you hit more than 1 gram of protein per kilo of body weight, anything over that 1-gram mark helps build muscle mass. That's the standard theory—it varies by person, obviously, but that's the ballpark...

If you pull in 2 to 2.5 grams per kilo, your body will actually utilize it, meaning muscle gain will be optimal... anything beyond that is pretty questionable for naturals, though with anabolics you can push up to 4 grams per kilo, but that's a whole different ballgame...
I should mention some big-shot experts even tell naturals to aim for 4-5 grams per kilo. I don't buy into that, but hey, it's your call...

Anyway, you gotta spread those proteins out into several smaller meals every 2-3 hours—so we're talking maybe 6 or 7 meals a day...

As for supplements, just buy what you can afford. Prices fluctuate wildly compared to quality, and most of the hype you see about specific brands is just hearsay, personal bias, or straight-up urban legends...

One more thing... try to get your protein from real food as much as possible. Use supplements only as a supplement if you can't get enough high-quality food (if you know what I mean). And obviously, a Post-workout meal consisting of whey and glucose right after training is mandatory...

feralbison4 said:Basically, if you’re hitting more than 1 gram of protein per kilo of body weight daily—anything over that 1g mark helps build muscle mass—that's the general theory. It totally varies from person to person, obviously, but that’s roughly where it sits...

If you push it to 2 or 2.5 grams per kilo, your body will actually use it too, meaning muscle gains should be pretty optimal... anything beyond that is super debatable for natty lifters, though if someone's using gear, they might go up to 4 grams per kilo, but that’s a whole different ballgame entirely...
I should mention that some big-shot experts actually suggest even natty guys go up to 4-5 grams per kilo—I don't really buy into that personally, but hey, it's your call...

Anyway, you really need to spread those proteins out across several smaller meals every 2-3 hours, so we're talking maybe 6-7 servings throughout the day...

As for supplements, I’d say just buy whatever fits your budget. Prices vary wildly compared to actual quality, and honestly, most of the hype you see about specific brands and their products is just based on old wives' tales, personal biases, or just random hearsay...

And one more thing... try to get as much of your protein from real food as possible! Use supplements just as a supplement if you can't manage to eat high-quality food (if you know what I mean), and of course, a whey and glucose combo right after your workout is a must...

So, basically, if I make sure my diet hits at least one gram of protein per kilo of body weight, I shouldn't miss out on progress, right?

I’ve been reading up on whey and how much it helps with recovery and muscle growth after training.

Is it okay to use nothing but whey as a supplement? Like, if I can't grab a decent snack during the day, would it be alright to just have a whey shake instead, alongside my mandatory Post-workout meal?

Lawrence Phillips said:So, if I theoretically manage to hit at least one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight through my diet, I shouldn't see any progress, right?

I’ve been reading up on whey protein and how much it actually helps with recovery and muscle growth after hitting the gym.

Is it okay to use whey as my only supplement? Like, if I can't grab a high-quality snack during the day, would it be a good idea to just have one shake as an extra boost alongside my mandatory Post-workout meal?

Look, honestly, drinking a protein shake is way better than grabbing some greasy, fat-filled pastry from a fast food joint.😁

Lawrence Phillips said:So, basically, if I’m using my diet to guarantee a minimum... One gram of protein per pound of body weight? You’d be surprised how much progress you can actually make with that.
I've been reading up on whey protein—specifically how much it actually helps with muscle recovery and growth after a workout.

Is it okay to rely solely on whey as a supplement? I'm talking about situations where you can't grab a decent snack during the day, so you just stick to one shake and make sure you hit that post-workout meal without fail.

Aim for about 2 to 3 grams per kilogram before your post-workout meal.

Like Nicholas Kern90 said—2-3 grams is obviously way better than just 1. Get it through your heads: you're providing the building blocks for growth, and you're the one deciding how much goes into the tank...
If you stick to 1 gram per pound of body weight, you'll probably gain a single pound of pure muscle every 650 years.😁
You can use whey instead of pretty much any meal except your Post-workout meal, but you really should slow down the absorption with something else—usually milk (just a scoop of whey and a cup of milk)...
Some people find it too expensive or annoying to carry around a bunch of different proteins, so they take shortcuts like this. But if you don't have those issues? Just drink your whey with water and glucose after training, then swap your other meals for casein or a multi-component protein so it absorbs slower and actually gives your body a chance to use it all...

feralbison4 said:--well, like Nicholas Kern90 was saying, hitting 2-3 grams is definitely way better than just sticking to 1. You gotta think about it—your body needs that building material to actually grow, and you're basically deciding how much fuel you're giving it...
if you only aim for 1 gram per kilo of body weight, you'll probably be waiting about 650 years to gain a single pound of pure muscle.😁
You can totally use whey instead of almost any other meal except for your Post-workout meal, but you really should slow down the absorption by pairing it with something else—usually milk (like a scoop of whey mixed with about a cup of milk)...
Some people find it super expensive or just too much of a hassle to carry around multiple different protein powders, so they use tricks like this. But honestly, if that's not an issue for you, just grab some whey with water and glucose right after your workout, then swap your other meals for casein or a multi-component protein blend that absorbs slower—that way your body gets to fully utilize everything over a longer period...

And what's that?

Lawrence Phillips said:And what exactly is that?

If you're talking about a Post-workout meal, it's just mixing whey protein with glucose right after you hit the gym.

Just a heads up, though—I don't actually use it myself.
I have in the past.

But I don't see any real difference.

Jason Campbell70 said:If you're talking about a Post-workout meal—like mixing whey with some glucose right after hitting the gym.

Anyway, just so you know, I don't actually do that myself.
I mean, I used to, back in the day.

But honestly? I just don't notice any real difference.

Wait, so does that mean you aren't using anything at all?

Lawrence Phillips said:So you aren't taking anything at all?

Exactly.
I don't touch supplements.

Just food, food, and more food.

Jason Campbell70 said:Spot on.
I don't touch supplements.

Just food, food, and more food.

That's all there is to it.

I'm constantly telling people... fix your damn diet, kill it in the gym, and that's it. You'll grow 1000%

Jason Campbell70 said:Spot on.
I don't even touch supplements.

It's just food, food, and more food for me.

I mean, I'm guessing there isn't a single day where I don't eat meat, right?🤷

Nicholas Kern90 said:Wait, is your goal fat loss through anaerobic training or what? I just drink a shake before, during, and after my workout (that's 80g of whey and 150g of sugar total)... you're basically giving your body exactly what it needs for that kind of intensity. Energy, protein, toss in some BCAAs, and catabolism is practically non-existent.

Good grief, Nicholas Kern90... How much do you weigh, and how long are these sessions running, if you don't mind me asking? That 150g of sugar seems a bit excessive to me—standard dosing is usually around 0.8 to 1g per kg of body weight—not to mention the 80g of whey. Maybe it makes sense after an intense leg day for someone weighing 280 lbs, but aren't you closer to 250?
And regarding that 80g of whey: how much of that is actually being utilized versus just flushing money down the toilet? Given that any excess just gets converted into glucose.

By the way, The Healthy Plus from CVS is a collagen protein... If anyone here actually knows the specifics, feel free to chime in. From what I can gather, it doesn't have the amino acid profile of "standard" whey.

Food is everything—period. Anyone trying to swap real meals for supplements is just tripping...

But saying a Post-workout meal is useless? That’s honestly just laughable...
There’s tons of research out there on the Post-workout meal, not to mention what top-tier pro athletes swear by, so if you're gonna claim otherwise, you better have some actual facts to back it up...

Don't go confusing the casual lifters. I've seen posts from guys making these exact claims, followed by comments from other users, and now everyone’s just going to be flushing expensive protein down the toilet...

By the way, check out those bodybuilding forums like Reddit or Bodybuilding.com; you can see photos of guys who actually prioritize their Post-workout meal...

If you don't like how they look, fine—skip the Post-workout meal and in TWO YEARS you'll end up looking like Jason Campbell70...

Some guys will be hitting the stage in two years while you're still stuck...

Lawrence Phillips said:I assume not a single day goes by without meat on the plate.🤷

You're making a fair assumption.

Started hitting the meat around 11:00 AM. Just finished my last serving about half an hour ago.😬

It’s not out of the question that there will be more meat on the bone.