Best protein powders?

My bad, I meant five times a week, not every single day! Total slip-up on my part. But look, can you please walk me through this high GI vs. low GI stuff? Honestly, I'm completely lost. You’re going to have to break it down for me like I'm five, because I genuinely don't get any of it!!

jadetiger962
What do you think—is it actually possible to scrape all those goldmine threads from an old fitness forum and compile them into one high-quality master post? People ask the same damn questions fifty times over—why bother reinventing the wheel every single day?

@Chloe Ruiz15
The most effective way to burn fat—if you actually want results—is a light jog or a brisk walk in the morning before breakfast, just like jadetiger962 suggested. Is there really any other way?

With low-intensity cardio, you might burn fewer calories per hour—compared to, say, hitting the Peloton or an elliptical—but the actual percentage of those calories coming from fat stores is higher. Isn't that just the way it works?

When you're working out, you aren't just burning through muscle tissue—though that happens too—you're also tapping into subcutaneous fat. But there's a catch, isn't there? Higher intensity targets the muscle more directly, while lighter movements seem to lean more on those fat stores.

Chloe Ruiz15 said:Sorry—five times a week, not daily! My bad. But could you please explain what high vs. low GI actually means? I'm totally lost here—you might as well be speaking a foreign language at this point. I need the basics.

Just check out those three threads below (pro tip: look at Basics - Must Read - Nutrition)—it gives you the simplest breakdown possible. 🙂

Chloe Ruiz15 said:Sorry, I meant five times a week, not daily! My bad. But seriously, could you walk me through what high vs. low GI actually means? I'm completely lost on all this stuff. You’re going to have to explain it to me like I'm five because I honestly don't get any of it!!

Basically, the higher the glycemic index of a food, the faster those carbs hit your bloodstream. Your whole goal here should be sticking to foods with a low GI—things that take longer to digest so you get a steady stream of energy rather than a sudden spike and crash. I dropped a link earlier that lists the most common carb sources along with their specific GI ratings, which should help clear things up.

@52X32X52 - A "Top Topic" would definitely be a nice touch, but there isn't much we can do about it if we aren't moderators. Besides, I wonder if anyone would even bother reading it. Most people find it way easier to just post a brand-new question instead of scrolling down a couple of lines to see if it's already been answered.

Does anyone know if I can just pick up some flaxseed oil at a local CVS or Walgreens, and what kind of damage am I looking at price-wise??

Keith Watson10 said:Can you find flaxseed oil at any drugstore, and what's the damage?

It's about $5 for a small bottle.

Back to the point—get some Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey. It’s basically the same quality as Optimum Nutrition but cheaper, tastes great, and it's aspartame-free. www.prosport.net

driftingorca9 said:Is there any whey protein available in Cleveland, or am I stuck ordering from somewhere like St. Louis?

It looks to me like nobody believes you even half as much as they believed the chemical analysis claims... 🙄 (that was history, but still)

I’m walking right past 12th Street—turn toward the downtown area, take the left alleyway just before that cafe with the patio. Everything is Weider, which is fine, or you can just order MuscleTech online and have it arrive in a few days. I picked up some Whey protein with L-glutamine and Vitamin B6, $45 — 500g...

Listen, lifters: IS THIS ANY GOOD???????????!!!!!!!!!!!!

Damn... just when I needed someone!

😘

boldnomad18 said:Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey with L-glutamine and Vitamin B6, $45 - 500g...

Hey bodybuilders: IS THIS ANY GOOD???????????!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm no pro lifter—but I'll give you an answer 🙂

Of course it's fine 👍

To be honest, it’s a bit of a splurge... there are certainly plenty of more budget-friendly options out there (though, if we're talking about those smaller tubs, they never really end up being any more cost-effective than just grabbing the bulk sizes).

There weren't any larger ones, yeah 🙄

Next time I might try a bucket 😉, if it works out...
For now, the main thing is that we're all in agreement ON 👍

😘

I picked up some this yesterday to kick things off, so we'll just have to see if it actually does anything...

What kind of breakthroughs are you actually expecting from that product?

Why wouldn't you do a little digging before dropping your cash on something? honestly...

I just need to pack on the pounds, plain and simple. That's all I care about.
If Mass doesn't do the trick, I'm moving on to something else...

What kind of weight gain are we talking about here? Quality muscle, or just packing on fat?

You aren't going to get that first one from using Mass, but you'll definitely get the second... though honestly, you could hit that second one just by eating like crap.

Look, I'm taking this mainly to pack on some weight while I'm hitting the gym. I'm not really sweating the whole "ripped" look or anything—I just want to see that number on the scale actually go up. Obviously, I don't want to turn into a total balloon, but let's be honest: I couldn't hit my goals this fast just by eating junk food alone. I haven't decided what's next yet... I guess I'll see how things go once I finish this tub.

How could I not? A single Big Mac is easily 400 calories 😁 which actually ends up being more than those 3 or 4 servings of this stuff you're eating...

Man, I really need to give this stuff a shot just to see if it actually lives up to the hype... I know a few guys who swear by it and it seems to be doing the trick for them.

I’ve been sticking with Extreme Whey from Optimum Nutrition. I usually grab 30g in the morning—mixing it right in with my oatmeal—and then I hit about 45g plus some glucose, maybe totaling 60g 🙂 after my workouts (honestly, I can't go any higher than that because the sweetness just kills me!)

Dennis White9 said:food?
Start tracking your calories... If you’re hitting over 4,000 kcal a day, you’re absolutely killing it...
Just try adding up your intake for one single day to see what your actual kcal numbers look like... Obviously, if we're talking about building serious muscle mass—and yeah, I know a little fat comes with it—then we're looking at stuff like chicken, turkey, fish, whole grain bread, rice, pasta, veggies, cottage cheese, and so on... If you can hit that 4,000 kcal mark by spreading it out over several meals a day (maybe around 6), then come back and check in with me in three months.

The thing is, calorie counts are totally individual for everyone. You can't just tell someone to eat over 4,000 kcal without even knowing their weight or what their metabolism is like... some people will grow on 2,500 kcal while others need way more, so it's really best to just experiment and find your own sweet spot. And if they're an ectomorph, five "real" meals should be plenty—they don't need extra help since their metabolism is already running at full speed anyway.