Best protein powders for muscle gain?

I've been on this for over six months now. I actually switched over to Casein because, honestly, I just can't deal with chewing through 300g of fat-free yogurt and almonds as my last meal of the day. Plus, hitting the Casein and flaxseed oil before bed ends up being way cheaper.

Alex Long8 said:hmmm....look, listen, that price is before tax and customs duties, which means you have to add their sales tax—which is about 8% here—plus whatever import fees they slap on you, maybe another 25% or so. I know because I was ordering some gainer from Nutrabolics just the other day; it lists for $29 but I ended up paying $100 in total, so this would probably run you about $117... and if you're having it shipped directly, I don't know the exact shipping rates, but it's likely another $10 or so. Oh, and if you decide to drive there, don't forget to factor in gas; everything ends up being much more expensive than it looks.

Anyway, let me ask you something. First off, thanks for the effort regarding the Twinlab info and all that, but you're talking nonsense 🙂

Regarding what I quoted you... "Black customs" duties? Are you serious? Are you even aware that you can bring items across the border into the country up to a certain dollar amount without getting hit by any customs fees under current regulations? Back before these new rules were implemented, when the limit was $100, people used to drive over to the nearest post office near the border towns of Brežice or similar areas, and you could easily bypass the system by asking the guys at Prosport to split your invoice into three parts, then grab two friends to help pay, and nobody at the border would ever give you a second look.

It's not like I haven't dealt with Prosport before... Shipping to a local post office is only about $4, and sales tax is already included in the price—at least it was before, and even now when I go through the checkout process, it's the same story; there are no extra fees being added like you're claiming, because I've followed the process all the way to the end and it's clearly laid out. And as for gas, please, driving from my neighborhood to the border and back won't even cost me $20 in fuel; I'll just stop by an Adidas store on the way, grab a decent beer at a local grocery store, or pick up some supplies along the route... so your logic doesn't really hold water.

I don't buy anything else in this middle-of-nowhere town anymore... I was looking at the price for Twinlab Dual Tabs vitamins, and the price at Prosport is $50, whereas here it's $147 for 200 tablets...

Thanks for the Twinlab info, but for the rest of this, maybe do a little Google searching or ask around before you start posting things you aren't sure about...

😁

P.S. Let me show you that you're completely wrong and just rambling about certain things (like NHF)...🙂

http://www.prosport.net/articles.php?id=89

Everything is listed right there: how much sales tax you pay and what the shipping costs are for pickup at the local post office. 😉

darkjackal70 said:Look, if you want my honest opinion, thanks for trying to help out with the Twinlab info, but you're talking nonsense here.🙂

Regarding what I quoted... What "customs nightmare" are you talking about? Are you aware you can bring a decent amount of stuff across the border into the States without getting hit by customs under the current rules? Back before they changed things, I used to just drive over to the nearest post office in a town near the border when the limit was $100. You could easily play the system—tell the guys at the shop to split your invoice into three parts, grab two buddies, and pay what's owed. Nobody at the border even blinks.

It's not like I haven't dealt with major retailers before. Shipping to a local post office costs maybe 4 bucks. Tax is usually baked into the price—at least it was, and even now when I go through the checkout, there's no mention of extra fees. I’ve gone all the way to the final payment screen, and everything is laid out clearly. And honestly? Driving from my neighborhood to the border and back doesn't even cost $20 in gas. I can stop at an Adidas store on the way, grab a beer at a local pub, or pick up some groceries, and still come in under budget. So, yeah, your theory doesn't hold water.

I don't buy anything in this middle-of-nowhere town anymore. I looked up the price for Twinlab Dual Tabs vitamins, and the price at the local shop is $50 right here $147 for 200 tablets...

Thanks for the Twinlab info, but maybe do a little more Googling or ask around before you start posting stuff like this.

😁

Ps. Just so I can show you that you're totally off base and just rambling about certain things (like NHF)...🙂

http://www.prosport.net/articles.php?id=89

Everything is listed right there: how much tax you pay and the shipping cost for pickup at the local post office.😉

I actually tried ordering from overseas through a guy once, and it looks like he ripped me off.😁 He told me the price included tax and customs. If he played me, I'm going to be pissed.

Hey, do I actually need a passport to get to Canada? I've never been over there, just wondering for when I start traveling solo in the future.

Alex Long8 said:Does anyone know if I actually need a passport to get into Canada? I've never been there, and I'd like to know before I plan a solo trip for the future.

You don't need one; just your state ID will do fine. You'll be handed a little slip upon entry which you simply hand back when you leave, and that's the extent of it.

Alex Long8 said:I tried ordering from a guy over in the States, thinking I was being smart, but it looks like he played me.😁 He swore the price included all the sales tax and customs duties, and if he lied to me, I'll be damned.

How much are we talking about for $33?? 🤷 Unless you haven't placed an order in quite some time?

I don't quite grasp why he mentioned a 20% tax rate when food products have been taxed at 8% over there for ages.

But honestly, damn him... one really ought to do a bit more digging and ask the right questions before relying on some random contact to get things delivered, especially since everyone seems to be running a little scam these days.👎
You could always check out that fitness forum; people there are constantly sourcing stuff from everywhere, even from places like Prosport...

darkjackal70 said:How much for $33?? 🤷 Unless you haven't ordered from them in a while??

I don't get why he mentioned a 20% sales tax (like in some states) when food is usually taxed at a much lower rate here in the US.

Whatever. You really should do a bit more digging and ask around before relying on someone else to grab stuff for you. Everyone’s playing games these days. 👎
Check out those fitness forums; people order from everywhere, including Prosport....

Look, I ordered through him once. He told me to add the sales tax, which he said wasn't lower than ours. I looked it up online, saw 20%, added 20%, and then factored in customs too... basically, my total came to $100 even though Prosport lists it at 29 euros. The guy said his total order was over 700 euros....
I know those fitness forums pretty well, along with Bodybuilding.com. I follow a crew that buys MVP proteins there. They snag 20% discounts because their whey is solid without being overpriced.

Basically, that guy is feeding you some BS.
As an individual, you're allowed to bring protein across the border for personal use without worrying about customs duties. Importing protein on a larger scale is strictly for businesses that have specific clearance from the FDA—and in those cases, they get a VAT exemption while you end up stuck paying our local sales tax and customs fees. BTW, you might even dodge the customs duty entirely if the product was manufactured within the EU.

Just a heads-up on shipping costs under $53—those don't trigger our customs or sales tax. But, if you decide to order proteins from Canada and the total value (I mean the items plus the shipping) climbs over $53, you're looking at an extra 35% hit for customs duties and tax on that amount.

Here’s how the math works out: item cost + shipping + 35% duty and tax = your final total. 👍

I was wondering if anyone could share some insight on creatine—specifically regarding dosage, timing, and what to stack it with.
Also, any advice on training protocols or specific routines to pair it with?
And if anyone here has firsthand experience, I’d be interested to hear what kind of results you actually saw.

I just picked up some Dymatize Elite Whey, and I was wondering what the ideal serving size is for post-workout recovery? The guys at my gym are all saying they toss two scoops in at once. Also, how much water should I be mixing it with?

On top of that, I read somewhere that mixing it with dextrose is supposedly the best way to go. I swung by a local pharmacy to look for some, but the clerk told me they haven't had it in stock for quite a while. Does anyone know where I can pick some up, or maybe suggest a good alternative?

So, I suppose this is my first time looking into adding a whey protein to my post-workout routine, so I thought I might reach out for some guidance... It seems from what I've gathered that Twinlab is the gold standard here.

Ideally, I am looking for something more budget-friendly that doesn't sacrifice quality, as funds are somewhat limited at the moment. 😁

Product Name:
Price:
Where to buy:

My apologies for being so uninformed on the matter. 🤣

Raymond Hughes said:I just picked up some Dymatize Elite Whey, so I'm wondering how much I should be taking after a workout? The guys at my gym are telling me to throw in two scoops. Also, how much water am I looking at?

I also saw somewhere that mixing it with glucose is the way to go. I swung by DM, but the clerk told me they haven't had any in stock for a while now. Does anyone know where I can find some, or if there's a decent alternative?

Just start with one scoop for the first time and work your way up slowly. If you try to slam two down right off the bat, you're going to regret it when your stomach starts doing backflips.😁

As for the glucose, I used to grab mine at DM. Honestly? Just buy some raisins. Drink your shake and then eat a handful—maybe two—of raisins. It really just depends on how big you are and how massive your hands are.🤣

Joshua Parker3 said:So, uh, I think this is my first time actually looking into getting some whey to take after my workouts, so I figured I’d come here and ask for some advice. From what I can gather, Twinlab is the gold standard?

I really need something budget-friendly that doesn't sacrifice quality, because let's be honest, I'm pretty broke right now. 😁

Product Name:
Price:
Where to buy:

Sorry if I sound like a complete newbie regarding all this stuff. 🤣

Don't even bother buying any protein if you're tight on cash. Seriously. 😁

Jonathan Miller7 said:Don't go buying any supplements if you're struggling with cash. I mean it... 😁

I will be financially stable eventually, it is just a bit tight at the moment. 😁 I am thinking of picking something up sad to see how the results turn out...

@Jonathan Miller7/">@@Jonathan Miller7: Man, you're driving me crazy—I might actually end up signing up just because of your comments! 😂 😂

Jonathan Miller7 said:Look, don't go buying any protein if you're struggling to make ends meet. I'm being dead serious here. 😁

Kazes, better to save that cash for some basic groceries. 😁

I managed to snag a kilo of Optimum Nutrition Whey Gold from a buddy who bought a massive 10-pound tub. Apparently, he ended up weighing in at about 285 lbs, which is quite a jump from his usual 660 lbs—honestly, at these prices, you can't pass up a deal like this.

stormylynx96 said:Kazes, honestly, they might as well just save that cash for a loaf of plain bread. 😁

There are way better ways to put that money to work. 🤣

crimsonpuma92 said:Can someone actually explain how creatine works? Like, what’s the deal with timing, what should I mix it with, and what's the actual dosage?
So, how exactly am I supposed to train? And more importantly, what should I actually be doing?
And if anyone actually has experience with this, what kind of results are we looking at?

Maybe do a little more homework on creatine before you start treating it like protein and slamming it down whenever you feel like it. Do a quick search on how it actually works—loading phases, maintenance, cycling... you know, the basics. If you mess up your creatine protocol and overdo it for too long, you might actually end up tanking your body's own production. Plus, it doesn't even work for about 20% of people. I'm part of that 20%.😁
So, why the "just Google it" attitude?

Raymond Hughes said:So, I picked up some Dymatize ISO100. How much should I be taking after a workout? The guys at my gym are claiming two scoops is the way to go. Also, how much water am I supposed to mix this with?

I also heard that mixing it with dextrose is the way to go. I stopped by DM earlier, but the clerk told me they haven’t had any in stock for a while. Does anyone know where I can pick some up, or is there a decent alternative out there?

Look, whether you use one scoop or two is entirely up to you. If you’re watching your budget, stick to one; if you’ve got the cash to burn, go ahead and splurge. Just mix them in with some oatmeal in the morning and maybe something lighter in the evening. Throw some extra protein in there too—it'll give you enough energy to basically tear the house apart. And are you really taking those with grape sugar? I’ve been hearing lately that they can’t even keep it in stock at DM anymore. 🤷Look, if you don't have that, just do what I said earlier: grab two handfuls of raisins or some white bread. Though, honestly, stick to the bread only for your pre-workout—otherwise, it’s pretty useless.

Joshua Parker3 Kazes:
So, I think I'm finally ready to start using some whey after my workouts, so I figured I’d come here and ask for recommendations. From what I can gather, is Twinlab the gold standard?

I need something budget-friendly that actually works. I'm a little strapped for cash right now, so quality can't be sacrificed just because the price is lower. Any suggestions? 😁

Product Name:
Price?
Where can I pick this up?

My bad. I clearly don't know what I'm talking about here. 🤣

What makes you think Twinlab is the best?
Personally, I'd stick with brands like Optimum Nutrition or Dymatize over the alternatives. Besides, I’ve noticed some Twinlab whey contains soy ingredients, so... you decide.