Best protein powders for muscle gain?

velvetraven said:I'm not sure—I stick to vanilla and it’s fine enough... Perhaps you just need to adjust—maybe try chocolate or vanilla next time instead. It is quite important to mix it with water rather than milk 😉

Why does it matter if I use water versus milk? I use Optimum Nutrition whey Muscle gainer, chocolate flavor, and I always go with milk... though sometimes I’ll split the difference with half water and half milk...
What is the actual difference, aside from the taste, obviously? Besides, milk adds extra protein anyway...😕

Rachel Garcia57 said:Why does it matter if I mix it with water instead of milk? I usually go with Optimum Nutrition whey, chocolate flavor, and I always mix it with milk... though sometimes I'll just do half milk and half water.
What’s the actual difference, besides the taste, obviously? Plus, milk adds even more protein to the mix, so...😕

The thing is, milk slows down how quickly the whey gets processed by your body. Since you're hitting that shake right after a workout specifically because you want those nutrients hitting your bloodstream as fast as possible, you don't really want to drag that process out.

jadetiger962 said:Milk slows down the absorption of whey—and since you take whey right after a workout specifically for that quick bloodstream spike...

Fine. I'll just stick to water from now on. Thanks.🙏

I’d also like to ask for a bit of advice—I am looking to shed about five pounds of body fat, which I assume is essentially all the fat I have left. Currently, I take L-carnitine before every workout and follow up with protein afterward. Based on some of the discussion above, I’ve concluded that I should probably mix those proteins into juice rather than water or milk... purely to replenish glucose levels after an intense session.
What would be the most effective way to drop this fat using supplements like these?

Please feel free to suggest other options as well—I'm willing to buy whatever is necessary, even if it means living on nothing but crusts...🙂

First off, I’d say ditch the L-carnitine; it's honestly just extra noise you don't need. Beyond that, those specialized weight loss supplements are pretty much a waste of money. If you want to be smart about it, maybe stick to some multivitamins or minerals to cover your bases since you're eating less, and definitely get some Omega-3s in there.

As for the specifics on your training split or exactly what your meal timing should look like, you can find all that laid out in the master thread at the top of the forum.

jadetiger962 said:First off, cut the L-carnitine—it's useless. Besides, weight loss supplements aren't necessary... though maybe some multivitamins or Omega-3s to make up for the lack of food intake.

The specifics regarding training schedules and nutrition can be found in the main thread.

L-carnitine works wonders for me. My energy levels during workouts are significantly higher when I take it. 😢

Some people claim it’s great for dropping a few pounds, while others swear by the opposite... now I'm just completely lost.😕

Rachel Garcia57 said:It’s funny how you can walk into any gym or even just scroll through a fitness forum and find people arguing like they’re debating politics. You’ve got one group swearing by certain methods to drop a few pounds, acting like it's the holy grail, and then immediately you run into another crowd insisting it's a total waste of time or even counterproductive. Honestly, it leaves me feeling pretty conflicted. I'm sitting here caught right in the middle of all this conflicting advice, just trying to make sense of what actually works.😕

Honestly, it’s pretty much useless. You aren't actually getting a boost from the supplement itself; they just pack it with a bunch of other stuff like caffeine or sugar to create that artificial surge of energy. If you're looking for a real kick, you're better off just grabbing a cup of black coffee or some unsweetened green tea. It’s much cleaner.

jadetiger962 said:It's useless. It doesn't actually provide energy—they just pack it with other stuff to create that sensation... caffeine, sugar, and so on. You're better off just having a black coffee or some green tea.

Hmm... then what exactly is the point of taking L-carnitine at all?

Rachel Garcia57 said:hmm... so, if that's the case, what's actually the point of taking L-carnitine at all?

just a marketing gimmick

Rachel Garcia57 said:Why does it matter if I mix it with water instead of milk? I've been using Optimum Nutrition whey X-treme Muscle gainer—chocolate flavor, by the way—and I always mix it with milk. Sometimes I'll just do half milk, half water...
I mean, what's the actual difference, besides the taste? Plus, milk adds even more protein anyway, right?😕

More like half wine, half water!

Rachel Garcia57 said:I also wanted to ask for a little advice. So, I’m really trying to drop about 5 pounds of body fat—I think that might be pretty much all the fat I actually have on me. I take L-carnitine before every workout, and then some protein after. I was reading through the thread earlier and I figured maybe I should mix my protein with juice rather than water or milk, just to get those glucose levels back up since the workouts are so intense.
What’s honestly the best way to burn off that fat using supplements like these?

Feel free to suggest anything else too! I'll grab whatever, even if it means I can't afford a loaf of bread for a week.🙂

The juice thing? Yeah, that's actually a pretty decent idea for a post-workout shake.
Like, half a liter of most juices will give you roughly 50g of glucose.

Just a heads-up though, that Optimum Nutrition Muscle gainer isn't technically whey protein.
Keep that in mind next time you're out shopping.

-Joe

briskjackal5 said:It’s not half milk, half water—it’s half wine, half water.

🤣 Fair point... I'll give that a shot then.😂

Mixing it with juice is a decent idea for a post-workout shake.
Half a liter of just about anything provides roughly 50g of glucose.

Optimum Nutrition whey isn't the same thing as a Muscle gainer.
Keep that in mind before you head out for your next shopping trip.

-Joe

Personally, I use those proteins as meal replacements. My muscle mass increased regardless... one way or another. 😁
Hmm... what would be the best approach now regarding intake and training to burn off this remaining body fat?

So far, I've been running twice a week, but starting this week I'm bumping it up to three—with three sessions dedicated to aerobics, either the StairMaster or FitBox.🙏

Rachel Garcia57 said:hmm... so what's actually the point of taking L-carnitine then?

There isn't one. Like I said before, it’s pretty much useless.

Rachel Garcia57 said:Personally, I’ve been using those proteins as meal replacements. And honestly, my muscle mass has definitely gone up, one way or another. 😁
So... what would be the best thing to take or do for training if I want to burn off this last bit of body fat?

Up until now, I've just been running twice a week, but starting this week I'm bumping it up to three times—and those three sessions will be aerobics, either the StairMaster or some fit boxing stuff.🙏

I haven't really seen any of your previous posts regarding your workouts or your diet (either past or present), so I guess I can't really tell you what the absolute best move would be for your specific goals.

A "meal replacement," if we're talking about right after a workout, is a pretty specific thing, and I think a better choice might be whey plus some glucose.
If you mean during the day, then a Muscle gainer (which, unlike those cheap sugar-filled gainers out there, is actually protein) or just standard whey should work fine.

It's almost like you're 🙂 and even if Barbara Kolar asked you for advice!

-Joe

ironwolf52 said:Weider protein 88
is hands down the best tasting one I've ever tried! 😉
though I guess Dymatize isn't too bad either

btw does anyone know who imports all the Weider stuff? I can't find it anywhere anymore, except at my gym, but man, they charge way more than a regular grocery store! =(

ExxonMobil.

And honestly, if I were you, I'd just do what I do and steer clear of them entirely.
Not just when it comes to Weider, but pretty much everything from ExxonMobil too.

-Joe

briskjackal5 said:ExxonMobil.

Honestly, if I were you, I’d just do what I do—give them a massive wide berth and stay far away.
And I don't just mean Weider; I'm talking about avoiding companies like ExxonMobil too.

-Joe

Look, Weider is decent enough—true, they're a bit overpriced for what you actually get, but they're still pretty solid.

briskjackal5 said:I haven't seen any of your previous posts regarding your training or diet—past or present—so I can't exactly tell you what will work best for your goals...

If you're talking about a "meal replacement"—assuming it's being used post-workout—it's a bit of a different story... honestly, a whey protein blend paired with some glucose is probably the smarter play...
If you're looking to fuel up during the day, both a Muscle gainer—which is actually protein, unlike those sugar-laden alternatives—and some standard Whey protein should serve you fine...

You might as well be... 🙂 And if you decide to ask Barbara Kolar for advice...

briskjackal5...

😁 I've spent my time lurking in threads like this one—just a passive reader until now... but I've finally decided to step up and actually ask for some decent advice.

Look, I still want to look like a woman—not some bodybuilder...🙂 The reality is that my glutes and chest will likely stay exactly where they are—much like my narrow waist... However, I am looking to build actual muscle in my core, along with toning up my legs (properly, mind you—I have no desire to look clunky)... As for my arms and back, they are already where they need to be.

As I mentioned earlier—I’ve been sticking to running twice a week plus three aerobic sessions—specifically step classes or cardio boxing... Which supplements would actually help me reach those goals?🙏

briskjackal5 said:ExxonMobil.

And honestly, if I were you, I’d just do what I do—give them a massive wide berth and stay far away.
It’s not just about skipping Weider; it’s about avoiding companies like ExxonMobil entirely.

-Joe

So I just checked out their website! Honestly, I've never even heard of them before today! 🙂
I don't get why people say to avoid Weider? I've been drinking it for almost two months now, so I really don't want to feel like I'm throwing my money down the drain!
Is Dymatize actually any good, though?

Alright, so I just unloaded $45 about a pound of Weider protein 80. I’m looking for some serious input here—what’s the verdict? What works, what sucks, and why?

Can someone please break down the actual difference between standard whey and stuff like those "super shakes" or high-protein meal replacements?
I’m heading out to grab a new bag tomorrow and I honestly have no clue what the deal is!
As far as I know, whey is just pure protein—that's about all I've got going for me here—but do these other shakes have vitamins packed into them, or are they loaded with fats and all that other junk?

Weider and Scitec are absolute garbage

Personally, I've found ON and Dymatize to be the best so far.