Best protein powders for muscle gain?

velvetraven said:Before you head into your workout, I’d suggest taking about half of what you normally throw into your Protein Weight Management shake. As for those high-octane energy drinks—you know, the stuff like NO or Supercharge—honestly, I can't really give you a recommendation there. They don't do a damn thing for me, so I don't even bother with them.

During the day, you’re totally fine to stick with some Whey—just mix it with milk—or maybe grab a blend that includes egg protein. If you're looking for something to take before bed, casein is the way to go since it digests so slowly. But honestly? Instead of blowing your cash on expensive powders, I’d just suggest grabbing a serving of low-fat cottage cheese before hitting the hay. It does the trick just fine.

Low-fat cottage cheese is packed with casein. Honestly, in my opinion, you might actually get more total protein intake if you just opted for a casein powder supplement instead—but that’s just how I see it. For me, those pre-sleep shakes never quite hit the spot to keep me full, and I absolutely hate lying in bed with my stomach growling. Because of that, cottage cheese is always my go-to, regardless of how you prep it. And yeah... let's be real—if you're grabbing a tub every single day, it's definitely not the "budget-friendly" option people claim it is.😉

So, can anyone throw out an example of a protein blend that actually includes casein? Like, give me a specific brand name or something...

Carl Taylor said:Low-fat cottage cheese is packed with casein. Personally, I think grabbing a casein powder might be a more efficient way to hit your numbers—just my two cents—but shakes before bed never actually make me feel full. I can't stand lying in bed with my stomach growling, so cottage cheese is always my go-to, regardless of how it's prepared. And let's be real... if you're eating a tub of it every single day... it's definitely not some budget-friendly hack😉

🤔 —well, didn't I tell you? 😁 Half a pound of cottage cheese (one standard container) packs about 60g of protein, which is plenty for one meal. You don't need anything more than that.

rustywalker17 said:Can anyone give me a specific example of a protein blend that includes casein? Like, a brand name or something...

Link

electricangler51 said:Thanks so much for the help!

Can you tell me exactly which Whey I should grab? Like, which one do you actually think is the best and which one are you personally using... also, what kind of glucose should I get and where can I find it?

There's really only one type of glucose you need... check out the 11-pack at $4.00Dietary Supplements Corp🙂... look for the blue box, just make sure you don't accidentally grab fructose. They aren't even close,

If you want a decent, reliable whey, I'd suggest PROSTAR WHEY from Ultimate Nutrition... it goes for about $67 for a 900g tub... that gives you roughly 30 servings, so in my book, it's a solid deal. Stipe didn't answer this one, but hopefully, this helps.🙂

goldenangler4 said:glucose is your one and only go-to here... check out the 11-$4.00 options over at Dietary Supplements Corp... look for the blue box, just make sure you don't accidentally grab fructose. It's definitely not the same thing. 🙂

If you're looking for something decent—nothing fancy, just solid—I’d suggest PROSTAR WHEY from Ultimate Nutrition. It runs about $67 for a 900g tub... that works out to roughly 30 servings, which, if you ask me, makes it a pretty good value. Not that I'm speaking for Stipe, but I hope that helps you out. 🙂

Glucose (the stuff you find in standard table sugar packets) is what you want to get from Dietary Supplements Corp.

If I were hunting for the most budget-friendly yet reliable protein, I'd probably pick something like this:



It's a concentrate, but honestly, for the average person, it's perfectly fine. A membership with Pronutrition costs $67, and at that price, you actually get a full kilo of the whey from the link I shared. Once you're a member, you can grab that same whey for $50/kg—or drop it down to $45/kg if you stock up with 7 kg or more, plus they'll cover the shipping in that case...

electricangler51 said:Thanks so much for all the help!

Can you tell me exactly which Whey I should grab? Like, the one you personally think is the absolute best and what you actually use yourself... oh, and which glucose I should get and where I can find it.

People already gave you some advice on the glucose part.

I mean, I'm really big on quality, so I just stick with Inkospor Whey. They have maybe 4 or 5 different flavors—banana, strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, maybe a few others too.

If you're trying to watch your wallet, there are definitely cheaper options out there, but then it’s kind of a gamble because some are total junk while others are just okay. If the $6.75 price difference for proteins doesn't really matter to you, I'd say just go with Inkospor.

-Stipe

velvetraven said:Link

thanks for looking out

briskjackal5;19658296 said:
If you're working with a tight budget, there are definitely more affordable ways to go about this, but that’s where things get tricky. You really have to develop an eye for distinguishing between total junk that'll just waste your money and those solid, reliable options that actually hold their own. It's all about figuring out which brands are just flashy marketing and which ones are actually worth the investment. $6.75 Honestly, when it comes to protein, the price gap between brands doesn't really move the needle for me. You aren't going to find a magic formula in those premium labels that justifies the extra cost, so I'd just say save your money and grab some Inkospor.

And you're still out here constantly pushing that Inkospor stuff? Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is. In my book, it isn't even close to being on the same level as Dymatize or Labrada.

jadetiger962 said:And you're always out here hyping up that Inkospor stuff too...

"Hyping it up"?

I mean, if someone asks a decent question about what I recommend, it’s only natural to give them an answer, right?

it isn't even any better than Dymatize, Labrada, etc.

Well, if you ask me, it totally is, which is why it's my go-to choice for shakes.
It just makes sense to me. 😁
If you feel differently, hey, feel free to start an actual on-topic thread about it!

-Stipe

Has anyone else dealt with random breakouts on their face after using Protein Weight Management?

I started drinking this PWM stuff (basically just Glucose mixed with Whey) and my skin has been absolutely trashed—acne everywhere and these red spots popping up. I don’t have any known allergies to anything, either. As soon as I quit, my skin cleared right up. But the second I started again? Boom, the breakouts are back. Now I'm trying to switch it up by mixing some Whey with fruit juice from the grocery store to spike my insulin levels 🙂... just trying to figure out if the culprit is the Whey or the Glucose...

I haven't heard anyone mention that particular issue before—honestly, I’m not sure. It might just be one of those things where your body needs some time to adjust and settle in, you know? 🤷

goldenangler4 said:Has anyone else dealt with breakouts after using PWM?

I started drinking PWM (Glucose + Whey) and my skin just went downhill. Acne, red spots... I don't have any known allergies. As soon as I stopped, everything went back to normal.

Which Whey are you using?

It’s probably either a lower-quality brand, or you're reacting to a specific ingredient—likely some preservative or other junk.

So, I recently started running, usually doing about 6-4.4 miles miles at a time. I'm looking to build up some leg strength too. A buddy of mine can hook me up with some whey and soy protein blends (not sure which brand yet, but I can check), but I’ve been reading online that soy might not be the best move? For context, I'm 183cm and weigh around 78-79kg right now. How much should I be taking post-workout, and is it realistic to expect the scale to move up a bit over time—maybe hitting 80-81kg?

Actually, not really—running is an aerobic exercise meant for burning fat. If you’re looking to pack on some serious mass, you need to be hitting the weights instead.

omg, so how do soccer players end up with such "massive" legs, if that's even the right way to put it? Doesn't it matter if the muscle is actually working and under tension?

Nicholas Cox50 said:So, I recently started running, and my usual route is about 6-4.4 miles miles. I’m really looking to build up some strength in my legs. A buddy of mine can hook me up with some whey and soy protein blends (not sure who the manufacturer is yet, but I can find out). I’ve been doing a little reading lately, though, and apparently, soy isn't exactly the gold standard?!?!? Just for context, I’m currently sitting at about 172-174lbs and I'm 6'0" tall. How much should I be taking after a workout, and can I realistically expect to see the scale move up a bit over time (maybe hitting 176-178lbs?!?!?).

You might pick up some calf definition, but honestly, that's just a rough guess—it works even better if you're running on your toes!
Plus, you'll definitely get some stronger legs.

Unless you're hitting those sprints, don't expect much in the way of leg strength

To put it simply

Nicholas Cox50 said:Oh my god, then how do soccer players end up with such "thick" legs—if you'll excuse my blunt wording? Is it not important that the muscle actually works and undergoes strain?

Do you honestly think pro soccer players don't hit the weights in the gym, run short sprints, do plyometrics, agility drills, and things like that?

So, basically, it’s not worth blowing my cash on protein just for that?
edit: I throw in some short sprints about every kilometer or so, but I know plenty of guys who play soccer (just recreationally) and never touch a weight in the gym, yet their legs are still pretty solid.