Best protein powders for muscle gain?

So, I've finally pulled the trigger on the Optimum Nutrition 100 % Whey protein Gold standard (5 lbs) $100. It might look like a small tub, but word on the street is that this whey is actually top-tier quality.

briskmarlin59 said:Is it worth drinking whey after a circuit of push-ups, squats, and crunches?

If you’re running low on protein, then yeah—it's worth it, regardless of your workout routine.
You'll be short if you aren't hitting roughly 2g of protein per kg of body weight daily.

Should I still be adding grape sugar, or is it unnecessary at this stage?

briskmarlin59 said:should I still be adding dextrose to this?

It’s really not a dealbreaker—provided you're eating solid meals both before and after your workout.

placidranger said:It doesn't really matter all that much as long as you're hitting your macros in your pre-workout and post-workout meals.

Wait, what? Why on earth would you think that?

briskmarlin59 said:Is it actually worth drinking whey after doing a circuit of push-ups, squats, and sit-ups?

That really depends on what you're actually trying to achieve. Look, if your big dream is to pack on 20 pounds of pure muscle, then honestly? No, it’s probably not worth it because you aren't going to hit those gains that way. In my opinion, spending money on supplements while just grinding out bodyweight stuff like sit-ups and push-ups is kind of a waste of cash. I'm assuming you're just sticking to calisthenics without any actual weights?

I guess those proteins and all that stuff just poison you; maybe there isn't any real benefit to it at all....

Patrick Fox9 said:Man, all those proteins and supplements are just toxic junk... they don't actually do anything for you....

Maybe try heading back to school and finally picking up a basic biology textbook...

Patrick Fox9 said:All those proteins and supplements are just junk that poisons you. They're useless...

Clearly you don't know anything about fitness since you're posting this nonsense. If you actually understood training, you wouldn't be talking such garbage.

I have no idea why you decided to wander into a subforum where you obviously don't belong just to drop a stupid comment like that.

Anyway, back to the topic.

briskmarlin59, where on earth did you find a 2kg tub of Optimum Nutrition 100 % Whey protein Gold standard for $100
?

Jonathan Miller7 said:Why wouldn't I?

Take a look at this:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/mus...-recovery.html

placidranger said:look at this, for example:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/mus...-recovery.html

Look, you can totally give me the gist if you don't mind summarizing it quickly. I honestly don't have the bandwidth to sit down and read the whole thing right now.

How many grams of carbs should I be hitting per kilo of body weight? I know the rule of thumb for protein is around 2-2.5g per kilo, so I figured 4g of carbs per kilo would be plenty. Turns out I was way off. Right now, I just toss an extra 100g of carbs into my morning oats, which is barely over 1g per kilo
obviously we're talking about bulking here

So, from what I’ve gathered reading up on this stuff,
you’re looking at roughly 1.5 to 2g of protein and somewhere between 4 to 6g of carbs, depending on whether you have a fast or slow metabolism. Basically, if you're a slower mover, you go lower; if you're a furnace, you go higher. Honestly, though? I have absolutely no clue how to figure out which category I actually fall into.

Personally, I cap my protein intake at 2g a day—though half the time I don't even hit that mark. My Body Fat stays pretty much stagnant, yet the scale keeps creeping up, maybe around 4 or 5 pounds a month. I’d like to think it’s mostly lean muscle being added with just a tiny bit of fat, but hey, I'm not exactly tracking every single macro. I just make sure there's some protein and carbs in every meal and call it a day.

Jonathan Miller7 said:So, I was reading about biology.
Aim for 1.5 to 2 grams of protein and maybe 4 to 6 grams of carbs, depending on whether your metabolism is running fast or slow. Basically, if you're slower, go lower; if you're faster, bump it up. As for how to figure out which category you actually fall into? Who knows.

I’m hitting maybe 2g of protein a day at most, though honestly, I don't always reach that mark. My body fat stays stuck in the same spot, yet the scale keeps creeping up—about 4 or 5 pounds a month. I’d really prefer if I was just putting on lean muscle without all the extra fat. I'm not tracking every single macro; I just try to make sure there's plenty of protein in every meal. Is that even enough?

Yeah, I don’t obsess over the math either. I just scan for stuff high in carbs and protein and go to town on it. I’m not exactly hitting that 2.5g protein mark every day; it usually fluctuates between 1.5 and 2g. What am I supposed to do? It's not like I'm carrying a food scale around to track every single bite just to be precise.

Jonathan Miller7 said:You can, if you don't mind giving me the short version—I don't have the bandwidth to read the whole thing right now.

The study compares the effect of a glucose + whey mix (specifically the Surge product) against one of their chocolate milk brands post-workout regarding muscle protein synthesis—basically anabolic impact—and glycogen replenishment. The takeaway? Chocolate milk comes out ahead. Specifically, when looking at sugars, the sucrose and fructose in that chocolate milk perform just as well as, if not better than, glucose for refilling glycogen stores.

A trial by Bowtell et al showed a glucose polymer to synthesize more glycogen by the 2-hr mark postworkout [14]. However, two other trials whose postexercise observation periods were 4 and 6 hours respectively saw no significant difference in glycogen storage between sucrose and glucose [15,16].
Perhaps the most overlooked advantage of a fructose-containing carbohydrate source (sucrose is 50% fructose) is that it supports liver glycogen better than a glucose-only source, as in the case of Surge. A little-known fact is that hepatic glycogenolysis (liver glycogen use) occurs to a significant degree during exercise, and the magnitude of glycogenolysis is intensity-dependent [17]. Illustrating the potential superiority of sucrose over glucose, Casey et al saw no difference in muscle glycogen resynthesis 4 hrs postexercise [15]. However, there was more liver glycogen resynthesis in the sucrose group, and this correlated with a slightly greater exercise capacity.

I linked the article because it’s packed with scientific references—you can tell the guy isn't just making things up on the fly.

By the way, that guy (Alan Aragon) writes top-tier nutrition papers. 🙏
Check it out: www.alanaragon.com

placidranger said:They’re basically looking at how a glucose and whey mix (specifically using Surge) stacks up against one of their own brands of chocolate milk post-workout when it comes to muscle protein synthesis—you know, the anabolic side of things—and glycogen replenishment. The bottom line? Chocolate milk actually edges it out. Specifically regarding sugars, the sucrose and fructose found in that chocolate milk perform just as well, if not better, than glucose when it comes to refilling those glycogen stores.

I shared the article because it's packed with actual scientific references; you can tell the guy isn't just making stuff up on the fly.

By the way, that guy (Alan Aragon) writes some top-tier stuff on nutrition. 🙏
Highly recommend checking out: www.alanaragon.com

Thanks, I'll definitely take a look at that second link once I catch a break.

Which one of these two do you think is better:
http://www.prosport.net/katalog/prod..._id=1100033917
http://www.prosport.net/katalog/prod..._id=1100019820

Nutrabolics on some local gym forum? It’s practically divine if you believe Bog made it himself.
I really like this CNP based on the description, though I'm not sure it's actually meant for PWM.

Looks like I'll just grab a tub of mass gainer. Use it for maybe two months, then switch over to whey. If I'm lucky, I might put on 7 pounds. I know, I know—diet is everything. You don't need to lecture me right away...

I suppose the first one is better

Honestly, they're both exactly the same thing.

Jonathan Miller7 said:It really depends on what you're aiming for. If your goal is to pack on 22 pounds of muscle, then no, this isn't worth your time because that's just not how it works. Personally, I don't think there's much point in investing in supplements if you're just doing sit-ups and push-ups. I assume you'll be sticking to bodyweight exercises rather than using weights?

Look, before I dive into heavy lifting, I want to tone up a bit and get my conditioning back in shape. I found a program online designed to get you to 100 consecutive push-ups, 200 sit-ups, and 200 squats in six weeks. I realize I won't turn into a bodybuilder from this, but I think it'll firm things up and build a solid foundation for when I eventually pick up the weights. That’s why I was asking if it makes sense to knock back some whey after the workout.