Best protein powders for muscle gain?

Has anyone actually tried Maxx Essentials Whey Maxx? I swung by the store yesterday and they were out of Dymatize Elite Whey, so I ended up grabbing a tub of Ultimate Isosensation instead. It’s a solid protein, but man, it isn't cheap. They market this Whey Maxx stuff as some top-tier protein from Canada, but looking at the amino profile, that's a stretch. The price is decent, though.

Andrew Hill28 said:Has anyone actually tried Maxx Essentials Whey Maxx? I hit up the store yesterday, but they were out of Dymatize Elite Whey, so I grabbed a tub of Ultimate Isosensation instead. It’s a solid protein, but man, it isn't cheap. They market this Whey Maxx as some top-tier stuff from Canada, but if you look at the amino profile, it doesn't really hold up. Still, the price point is decent enough.

I spent some time living in Vancouver and used that Maxx Essentials Whey Maxx all the time there. Personally, I think it's one of the better proteins out there, right up there with Optimum Nutrition.

I am looking for some recommendations for a chocolate protein powder, provided that it isn't overly sweet or cloyingly sugary 🙂

I have tried a few options—one from Dell, one I picked up at Miller, and another from that little shop over in Vlaški star that carries ISO certified products... I seem to have forgotten the specific names of all three 😬 While the flavor profile was acceptable, they were all just far too sweet for my liking 👎
I don't typically use shakes as a supplement to a meal, but rather as a standalone protein meal itself, usually serving as my dinner

silentdriver5 said:I'm looking for a chocolate protein powder recommendation. My main rule is that it can't be overly sweet or cloying.🙂

I just finished a tub of Dymatize Elite 12. $67 It's a heavy one.

What's the verdict on Myprotein? Anyone here actually using their stuff?

Does anyone actually have a clear answer on the best timing for morning protein intake? I’m wondering if I should be hitting it first thing on training days, or if the real benefit comes from taking it the following morning instead.

Every single morning

crimsongull12 said:Does anyone know when I should be taking my protein in the morning? Like, the morning of a workout day, or the next morning after training?

Hit some Whey mixed with water within that first hour after you finish training.
Throw some carbs in there too—glucose is your best bet. I won't bore you with the details; everything is laid out clearly in this article on Post-Workout Recovery:

You can also take protein in the morning as a breakfast substitute. Just mix it with milk, some oats, and maybe a banana. That’s my routine. It doesn't matter if it's a gym day or not; it's just my breakfast. Throw it all in a blender, whip it up, and drink it. It's fast, and it actually feeds you.

As someone who’s completely new to this, I have a few questions. Are whey proteins actually high in calories? Also, which brands should I look for if I want a good balance of price and quality—I really don't want to waste money on junk—and what kind of glucose should I be getting (I heard they carry some at Dell)? Thanks for the help!

Usually, one 32g scoop clocks in at around 120 calories. Personally, I'm a fan of Dymatize and MVP—and I think a few others here mentioned those brands are totally solid too.

The glucose info from Dell looks like this:

briskmarlin59 said:As a complete novice, I have a few questions. Are these whey proteins high in calories?

They have calories—obviously. Roughly 4 kcal per gram. It’s right there on the label.

Which whey brands should I get that balance price and quality (so I don't end up buying some garbage)?

A tub usually runs $67 or more. Just pick a flavor you actually like (chocolate, vanilla, or unflavored if you plan on mixing it with something else). As far as brands go, honestly, most of them are fine nowadays—it's hard to make a massive mistake.
The real "garbage"—stuff most people shouldn't touch—is anything loaded with sugar (usually glucose or fructose). Sugar is cheap, so they cram it in, slap a "protein" label on it, and jack up the price. When you're shopping, check the math: look for a high protein percentage (above 90%). You see a lot of that filler sugar in various mass gainers. For instance, at a place like Walmart, you might find some budget brand's "vanilla" or "chocolate" option for $12 per 750 grams that's mostly just sugar. There's also an unflavored version with 90% protein for $15 per 300g, but it uses a fair amount of soy protein alongside the Whey; I've heard mixed things about soy—nothing definitive, but I'm skeptical.

Essentially, grab the cheapest option that has the highest protein percentage, tastes decent, and dissolves well in water or milk.

Why do you even need supplemental protein in the first place?

I’m actually thinking about sticking with some cardio for a while longer to burn off this last bit of body fat before I finally pivot toward a bulking phase. I want to get under the weights and really start sculpting my physique. On that note, could you list a few brands of whey you trust that don't have any added sugar?

Which proteins should I get? Honestly, my take is that whey is just whey—though obviously, I’m not talking about the cheap stuff you find at a local drugstore.

Just look at the big names like Dymatize, Scitec, Universal, Crash, MVP, or Optimum Nutrition...

Jonathan Miller7 said:Amphetamines? 😁

No, jokes aside, I’m a complete novice here. I'm not looking for anything related to losing weight or bulking up—that's not my thing at all. What I really need is something to help boost my raw strength. Here’s the situation: I need to increase my power within a pretty tight window because I have to meet certain physical standards for my job. For instance, I need to be able to knock out 100 pushups; right now, I’m training three times a day just to get there. I guess what I'm wondering is if using any of those supplements would speed up my progress, since I'm really pressed for time. I know nothing happens overnight, but if I could hit my goal even a month earlier, that would be a massive win for me.

Jonathan Miller7 said:🤣

Man, the people I run into... specifically those Herbalife nutritionists. They’re basically robots. Just memorized some nonsense from a flyer and push the same tired lines to everyone. They don't know squat about metabolism or anabolism, or anything else they're talking about.

Everything you actually need to know about nutrition is right here on this forum. Forget those "experts."

I walked up to a lady at Walmart today and asked if they had any glucose. She just gave me this total "WTF" look, like I was some idiot trying to lecture her 😁 and she looked like she wanted to absolutely s*** herself 😁 but once I said dextrose, suddenly she was all over it. 😁

briskmarlin59 said:I’m thinking about ramping up the cardio to burn off whatever fat is left—then I'll pivot toward bulking. Weights, building some actual muscle. I was wondering if you could list a few whey brands you know that don't have added sugar?

Alex Long8 said:Which protein? Honestly, in my view, whey is whey—though obviously, I’m not talking about that cheap stuff you find at Walmart.

Take a look at the brands—Dymatize, Scitec, Universal, Waider, MVP, Optimum Nutrition... there's plenty to sift through.

Lord V hit the nail on the head.
Every manufacturer has their own way of doing things—different ratios of sugar to protein across the board. You really have to scrutinize the labels yourself. Don't just take their word for it.

Honestly, I’d pick up that 90% whey from Walmart in a heartbeat—if they could actually get it to mix without clumping, if it didn't taste like chalk, and if they cut down on all that soy filler. 😁

Dymatize ISO 100% is zero fat, zero sugar, but I can't for the life of me figure out which sweetener they use in this blend. It's priced just a bit higher than $67
. Has anyone actually tried this, or does anyone know what kind of sweetener is packed into this whey?

fadedsailor17 said:No, seriously, jokes aside, I’m a total amateur here. I don't care about getting shredded or packing on massive muscle mass—that's not my thing at all. What I actually need is pure strength. Here's the deal: I need something to help me get stronger in a short window of time, obviously alongside training, because I have to hit certain physical standards for my job. For example, I need to be able to crank out 100 pushups, so right now I’m hitting the gym three times a day, but I’m wondering if using some of those supplements would speed up my progress? I'm on a tight deadline here. I know nothing happens overnight, but man, if I could hit my target number just a month earlier, that would be a huge win for me.

You’ll actually progress faster if you *stop* working out three times a day, otherwise you're just going to burn out from overtraining. As far as legal supplements go, there isn't anything that’s going to give you the jumpstart you're looking for. And we aren't allowed to discuss illegal stuff here, so...

Thomas Garcia48 said:I walked into Walmart today and asked the clerk if they had any glucose, and she just gave me this look like, "WTF, you think you can come in here and lecture me?" 😁 accompanied by this totally condescending face, like she was looking down her nose at me, 😁 but once I clarified I meant grape sugar, she was suddenly all over it. 😁

Look, she’s just a retail worker; she isn't expected to know all the "professional" terminology. 😛

I’m about to dive into something I swore I’d never even touch, let alone actually use.

That’s right, I’m buying a damn gainer. Before you start—spare me the lecture. I know the drill. It’s basically just sugar, right? A mix of whey and glucose? Yeah, yeah, I get it. But I want to pack on another 5kg as fast as humanly possible. This isn't some desperate attempt to look good for beach season two months from now; I just want an extra 5kg of mass over the next couple of months to build a foundation for more serious work later. My plan is to grab a 3kg tub, knock it out, and then never look back.

Here’s what I’m getting:
MuscleTech Real Gains

bluestag7 said:Usually, one 32g scoop lands you right around ~120 calories. Personally, I think MuscleTech and Microsoft are both pretty solid options, and I believe some other folks here have mentioned those brands are totally fine too.

The glucose from GNC looks a bit like this:

Oh, and there's a new package out now, kind of a greenish color.

Just grab some dextrose and you really can't go wrong.

-Joe