Best protein powders?

So, I just finished reading through this entire thread and decided to go ahead and grab some Dymatize elita Whey, but I have a few things I'm wondering about.

First off, has anyone been to this shop lately?

And where exactly is that location over at Horvaćansko 31? Is that near Baschiera's place?

Also, what's the best way to actually take whey?
Like I mentioned in my last post, I'm hitting the gym three times a week and my main goal is to put on some mass—you know, building muscle without adding too much fat. Up until now, I've been using some Weider Weight Gainer, which I've realized after reading here is pretty much garbage. I was drinking it twice a day, every single day, mixed with milk—both on training days and rest days. So, should I be drinking whey every day too? Just once a day, maybe twice? And does it matter if I mix it with milk or if I really need to stick to water? I guess I'm also wondering if whey can act as a meal replacement. I've heard that it might be a good idea to drink it after a workout mixed with some glucose. Apparently, you can pick up some dextrose at a place like CVS or Walgreens. Does anyone know what the right ratios are? With that weight gainer, I was doing about 75g in 3 dl of milk.

One more thing, though it's not strictly related to the first part. Some people were mentioning amino acid tablets and taking them right after a workout to prevent muscle breakdown. But, isn't it true that the body burns fat first before it starts breaking down muscle? Like, doesn't it use carbohydrates first, then fats, and then finally proteins?

I'd really appreciate it if someone could help me clear up these few uncertainties I have.

Thanks.

Does anyone have actual experience using Herbalife proteins? I read some threads on those fitness forums where people really tear into soy-based proteins, but personally, I don't think it would affect me much since I'm a woman 🙂.
My aerobics instructor suggested they might be useful because they act as a sort of complete, balanced meal replacement. It could potentially serve as my dinner, especially since I always train late at night and barely have the energy to stay awake for an hour after my HIIT session just to eat something substantial
. Any advice is appreciated; I’m moving soon and can't afford to waste money on things that don't work 😬.
Besides, I need to restock my supplies anyway 😉

Aaron Cruz3 said:How should I be taking whey?
Like I mentioned in my last post, I’m hitting the gym three times a week and the goal is to pack on some mass—muscle, specifically, not just fat. Up until now, I’ve been burning through this Weider Weight Gainer, which I’ve since realized is pretty much garbage. I was drinking it twice a day, every single day, mixed with milk, both on training days and rest days. So, do I take whey every day too? Just once a day, or twice? And can I mix it with milk, or does it have to be water? Also, is whey supposed to be a meal replacement? I’ve heard that you’re supposed to drink it after a workout mixed with glucose. Apparently, you can pick up some dextrose at a CVS or something similar. What kind of ratios are we talking about here? With this weight gainer, I was doing 75g mixed into about a cup of milk.

You don't need to overcomplicate things; whey is really meant for that window right after your workout. Grab yourself a shaker bottle—you can usually find them in the same aisle as the whey—and then once you're done training, just mix one scoop of whey with about 50-60g of glucose in some water.

Just remember, whey isn't a meal replacement.

Angela Allen82 said:Does anyone actually have experience using Herbalife proteins? I was browsing that fitness forum and noticed people are really tearing into their soy-based proteins, but honestly, I’ve always felt like it wouldn't affect me all that much since I'm a woman 🙂.
My aerobics instructor mentioned they were actually quite good because, you know, they act as a complete and relatively balanced meal replacement. I was thinking about using them to replace dinner—since I always train late at night, I can barely find the strength to stay awake for an hour after my HIIT session just to eat something light and healthy
. I am seriously open to any advice here because, look, I’m in the middle of moving and I really don't have extra cash to throw away 😬.
Plus, I need to restock my supplements anyway 😉

If you were reading that forum, you probably noticed the price tag on those proteins. Seriously, for the cost of 250g of Herbalife, you could grab 2 or 3kg of a different brand!!! 😲 😲

And let me guess, your instructor is probably selling them to you, right? 😉

37° As requested:
If you've been keeping an eye on that forum, you've likely noticed the math doesn't add up. For the price of a measly 250g of Herbalife, you could easily pick up 2 to 3kg of a different brand. It’s like paying premium prices for a single steak when you could buy a whole butcher shop's worth elsewhere. 😲 😲

I assume her instructor is likely peddling them as well, isn't she? 😉

You make a fair point. Given that context, what specific proteins would you recommend for a meal replacement? My apologies if this has already been asked; my brother is currently tied up with World of Warcraft, leaving me in a rather disadvantaged position where I rarely get close enough to the computer to browse, so I’m trying to be efficient with my time. 😬 .

Honestly, my instructor sells them, but I tend to put all my trainers on a pedestal. I simply can't wrap my head around the idea that SHE would ever try to pull a fast one on me. 🤣 .

jadetiger962 said:You don't really need any tablets; whey is basically meant for right after you finish training. I'd suggest picking up a shaker—you can usually find them at the same shop where you buy your whey—so after your workout, you can just mix one scoop of whey with maybe 50-60g of glucose in some water and drink it.

Whey isn't meant to be a meal replacement.

So, if I understand correctly, I should only be taking my whey after a workout, which in my case would be three times a week since that's how often I hit the gym?

Also, does anyone happen to know how much water I should use for a single scoop of whey, or even how big a scoop actually is? I'm assuming it's possible to mix it without a shaker, though it's probably way easier with one, so I might hold off on buying a shaker right away. I suppose the scoop size and mixing ratios are usually printed right on the packaging, right?

And honestly, I wasn't even planning on picking up any protein bars. It was just that whole debate about muscle breakdown that had me a bit confused, since I'd always heard that the body burns through carbs and fats first before it ever touches proteins. I figured maybe someone who actually knew their stuff could clear that up for me, but I guess it doesn't really matter.

Listen, I've been putting in the work with
http://www.systems-import.com/produc...r=33&IDChild=6
... I've been hitting 300 pushups (not all at once 😁), about 150-200 crunches, and lifting 10lb dumbbells... and let me tell you, in just two weeks my arms look thicker than my legs and my triceps have bulked up like crazy 😕 😲 ... My arm circumference has increased by over an inch OMFG... how do I scale this back? Am I looking way too much like a freaking Rambo clone right now? 😲

Angela Allen82 said:Fair point... So, what kind of proteins would actually work if you're looking for a meal replacement?

You’d want to look at milk-egg blends or casein-based options—things like Inkospor Muscle Gainer or optimum Pro90.

Otherwise, if you aren't looking to drop extra cash on specialized blends, just take some standard whey and mix it with lean meats, flaxseed, or even some oats. Basically, you need to pair it with something that's going to slow down the absorption rate.

Aaron Cruz3 said:So, I should only be taking the whey right after my workout, which for me would be three times a week since that's how often I hit the gym?

Also, does anyone know how much water you're supposed to use per scoop, and how big a single scoop actually is? I'm assuming I could probably mix it without a shaker bottle—though I know a shaker would make life easier—so I don't want to go out and buy one immediately. Does the packaging usually list the scoop size and the mixing ratios?

Yeah, definitely right after your training session.

A standard scoop of whey is usually around 30g, which typically works out to about 24g of protein. You can always toss in an extra scoop if you're feeling ambitious, but I wouldn't suggest going over two. Usually, they throw a scoop right inside the tub when you buy it.

As for the water, just use whatever amount you prefer. Personally, I tend to fill mine up to the top—about half a liter—because if I use too little, the glucose makes it taste a bit too sweet for my liking.

You can certainly get by without a shaker, but it’s a lot more convenient with one, and you can usually pick up a basic plastic one for maybe five bucks at any drugstore.

Kevin Martin50 said:So, I finally decided to grab some protein and supplements (since my diet is a total train wreck right now, I’m gonna try to fix it), and now I’m BEGGING all you experts, gym rats, and pros to help me out here.
The only catch is that my liver is basically trashed, so my doctor told me to stick to proteins that have the least amount of "junk" as she put it, and the highest protein content—basically, stuff that won't murder my liver. So, what's the move?
Also, what even is glucose? Like, can you just buy that separately? And what else should I be looking at? Creatine? When am I supposed to take all this stuff—before training, after, or just mix it into my meals?
And btw, I don't mind dropping more cash for the high-quality stuff because, honestly, I can't afford to mess around with my liver. I was thinking about using TwinLab, so what do you guys think?

Cheers.
Since your liver is acting up a bit (fingers crossed it's nothing major), I’d definitely suggest going with Pro Nutrition. Their whey is practically categorized as "baby food"—meaning it's ultra-pure, which is something you won't find with a ton of other brands.
You can pick up glucose as dextrose at a place like CVS. As for creatine, just hold off on that until you've been training consistently for maybe 4 or 5 months.

You could do one scoop of whey in the morning with some oats and milk, then have a second serving right after your workout mixed with about 0.5g per kg of protein and 1g per kg of glucose in WATER to make sure it absorbs fast.

If you check the post above the one I'm quoting, there's a breakdown of prices and quality, and I'm pretty sure you're smart enough to figure out which companies make decent whey and which ones are trash (not that I'm naming names here).

Paul Cook33 said:If you look at the post right above this one where I'm quoting you, there's a full breakdown regarding pricing and overall quality, and I'd like to think you're clever enough to draw your own conclusions about which brands are actually decent and which ones aren't—though, for the sake of decorum, I won't be naming names here.

But you really did just list them... I noticed your location is set to Palm Springs, and isn't it a curious coincidence that the Pro Nutrition company is also based out of Palm Springs?! It all seems a little too convenient for my liking... 😬

Steven Green2 said:You already listed them all out... I see you're based in Palm Springs, but isn't that Pro Nutrition company also located in Palm Springs?! Seems a little too convenient to me... 😬

Honestly, I’m calling BS on that one.😬
What's up. So, I actually know the owner of this company—we met on another fitness forum—and I’ve had the chance to pick his brain in person, which proves he’s totally legit because the guy is an open book. Once I realized he basically handed me everything on a silver platter and had a straight-up, honest answer for every single question or skeptical doubt I threw his way, I knew I was sold. I even went down the rabbit hole to check where they get their raw materials from, and every single ingredient comes with a proper manufacturer's certificate, so you aren't getting some cheap crap from a random factory in China that's selling stuff for a third of the price.
So, like a lot of people lately, I finally made the jump over to Pro Nutrition and honestly, I’m loving it.
Finally got my shirt!😬

True, though I must admit, it feels a bit steep to me now $37 just to get my hands on 500 grams of whey concentrate. I’ve heard whispers that they’ll be releasing their Premium Whey Isolate quite soon, and word is the packaging will finally move beyond those small 500g tubs, which, if I'm being honest, sounds like a much more sensible way to shop... 😉

jadetiger962, thanks for getting back to me. I guess I have a few more things I wanted to run by everyone here if you don't mind.
I’m looking for something to use as a meal replacement, pretty much what Angela Allen82 was asking about earlier. Someone mentioned that whey isn't really a full meal, though I think someone else suggested that if you mix it with oats or something similar, it might work. I just wanted to see if that's actually true. If I did go that route, would it be okay to have that every single day, even on my rest days when I'm not hitting the gym?
My main struggle is that my schedule is just so hectic lately, so it's been pretty tough to stay super disciplined with my diet. I really need something that's quick to prep but still feels like a high-quality meal.
Like I mentioned before, my goal is to put on some muscle mass, so I know I need to eat plenty, but I want to make sure it's clean. Having something I can just grab and go would make my life so much easier.
One last thing—what should I do when those late-night cravings hit? Like, if it's around 10:30 PM and I'm heading to bed in half an hour. I know grabbing a piece of bread with mayo is probably the worst move I could make. Would it be better to go with some whey and oats, or maybe just stick to some fruit? I feel like fruit might be the healthier choice, but since I'm trying to bulk up, I'm a little worried it might not provide enough calories.

Aaron Cruz3 said:And someone replied that if you mix it with oats or something similar, it works too.

From what I gather,
when you mix whey with slow-digesting proteins, fats, or complex carbs, it loses that "fast-absorbing" edge.

That’s why we usually drink it with water instead of milk after a workout (I think this has been mentioned before).

The bottom line:
You can definitely have whey on rest days if you add an "element" to slow down absorption. But, obviously, your actual diet—chicken, eggs, cottage cheese—has to be the main priority.
Whey is "just" a supplement.

What if I'm hungry late at night, say around 10:30 PM, and I'm heading to bed in half an hour?

Before bed, your best bet would be some cottage cheese. It has enough slow-digesting protein to feed your muscles all through the night.

I hope I'm not off base here; if I am, feel free to correct me.😬

PS.

One more thing.
Don't eat oats right before sleep. Your body won't be able to burn them off while you're out, and we all know where those extra calories end up.🙂

driftingorca9 said:Eating some low-fat cottage cheese before bed is the move. It's got those slow-digesting proteins to feed your muscles all night long.

You could also toss in a handful of almonds with that cottage cheese at night. A few peanuts—unsalted—would work too.

Does anyone here happen to have some experience using protein as a dietary supplement?

Is it actually possible to gain weight from it?

I got some... what specifically are you looking for?

You’ve got carbs and pure protein (meaning the amino acids)
The real question is what you're using them for and what your plan is...
But I'm guessing you're hitting the gym...

Here's my take since you're asking...

Grab some 100% whey isolate or an anabolic whey and you'll definitely pack on the weight

Check out the bodybuilding forums...

Where can I pick up some isolate?

Do you have a specific brand you'd recommend?