Originally posted by: patentman
Thanks for the very informative post. I am going to try that syntrax stuff, it looks promising.
I have a question though. I work out in the early AM. Would you recommend supplementing before my workout (i.e., when I wake up), right after my workout, or both?
thanks again.
Originally posted by: MrBond
I know it's been discussed, but I'd like some suggestions on meal-replacement shakes. I'm used to going home for lunch and when I start my new job, I won't be able to. I was thinking about taking a meal replacement shake (or two) to work so I don't have to take time off for lunch (and can leave a little earlier since it's an hour commute).
I'd like to make my own if possible, rather than buy something like SlimFast (which I'm sure uses WPC). I'd like something that will make me feel full so I'm not ravenous when I get home from work. I drink a protein shake in the morning after working out and it makes a big difference in how early I get hungry for lunch (ie: it's 11:40 now and I'm not even that hungry, if I hadn't had a protein shake I'd have been ready for lunch 30 minutes ago).
I currently lift 3 times a week in the morning. This summer that will change since the Rec doesn't open up early enough for me to work out and still get to work, so I'll work out after work. Gaining muscle mass is OK, but I've been trying to lose (body fat) weight for the last year or so because I was pretty flabby.
Any suggestions? I'm using GNC Whey right now, but only because I bought it before I knew better. I'll order some Optimum Nutrition when this runs out.
Originally posted by: MrBond
I know it's been discussed, but I'd like some suggestions on meal-replacement shakes. I'm used to going home for lunch and when I start my new job, I won't be able to. I was thinking about taking a meal replacement shake (or two) to work so I don't have to take time off for lunch (and can leave a little earlier since it's an hour commute).
I'd like to make my own if possible, rather than buy something like SlimFast (which I'm sure uses WPC). I'd like something that will make me feel full so I'm not ravenous when I get home from work. I drink a protein shake in the morning after working out and it makes a big difference in how early I get hungry for lunch (ie: it's 11:40 now and I'm not even that hungry, if I hadn't had a protein shake I'd have been ready for lunch 30 minutes ago).
I currently lift 3 times a week in the morning. This summer that will change since the Rec doesn't open up early enough for me to work out and still get to work, so I'll work out after work. Gaining muscle mass is OK, but I've been trying to lose (body fat) weight for the last year or so because I was pretty flabby.
Any suggestions? I'm using GNC Whey right now, but only because I bought it before I knew better. I'll order some Optimum Nutrition when this runs out.
Originally posted by: MrBond
I know it's been discussed, but I'd like some suggestions on meal-replacement shakes. I'm used to going home for lunch and when I start my new job, I won't be able to. I was thinking about taking a meal replacement shake (or two) to work so I don't have to take time off for lunch (and can leave a little earlier since it's an hour commute).
I'd like to make my own if possible, rather than buy something like SlimFast (which I'm sure uses WPC). I'd like something that will make me feel full so I'm not ravenous when I get home from work. I drink a protein shake in the morning after working out and it makes a big difference in how early I get hungry for lunch (ie: it's 11:40 now and I'm not even that hungry, if I hadn't had a protein shake I'd have been ready for lunch 30 minutes ago).
I currently lift 3 times a week in the morning. This summer that will change since the Rec doesn't open up early enough for me to work out and still get to work, so I'll work out after work. Gaining muscle mass is OK, but I've been trying to lose (body fat) weight for the last year or so because I was pretty flabby.
Any suggestions? I'm using GNC Whey right now, but only because I bought it before I knew better. I'll order some Optimum Nutrition when this runs out.
Originally posted by: Kyle
But anyways, there is nothin wrong w/ the GNC stuff, just the price
Originally posted by: Kyle
Originally posted by: MrBond
I know it's been discussed, but I'd like some suggestions on meal-replacement shakes. I'm used to going home for lunch and when I start my new job, I won't be able to. I was thinking about taking a meal replacement shake (or two) to work so I don't have to take time off for lunch (and can leave a little earlier since it's an hour commute).
I'd like to make my own if possible, rather than buy something like SlimFast (which I'm sure uses WPC). I'd like something that will make me feel full so I'm not ravenous when I get home from work. I drink a protein shake in the morning after working out and it makes a big difference in how early I get hungry for lunch (ie: it's 11:40 now and I'm not even that hungry, if I hadn't had a protein shake I'd have been ready for lunch 30 minutes ago).
I currently lift 3 times a week in the morning. This summer that will change since the Rec doesn't open up early enough for me to work out and still get to work, so I'll work out after work. Gaining muscle mass is OK, but I've been trying to lose (body fat) weight for the last year or so because I was pretty flabby.
Any suggestions? I'm using GNC Whey right now, but only because I bought it before I knew better. I'll order some Optimum Nutrition when this runs out.
Just thought I would chime in for GNC's sake - I use their 100%whey and love it- best flavor I've found for me at least. I tried some Optimum Nutrition and ended up giving it away because I couldnt stand the taste. (Cookies and cream- nasty as hell- the guy I gave it to threw it out =)
But anyways, there is nothin wrong w/ the GNC stuff, just the price
Originally posted by: SVT Cobra
Originally posted by: Kyle
Originally posted by: MrBond
I know it's been discussed, but I'd like some suggestions on meal-replacement shakes. I'm used to going home for lunch and when I start my new job, I won't be able to. I was thinking about taking a meal replacement shake (or two) to work so I don't have to take time off for lunch (and can leave a little earlier since it's an hour commute).
I'd like to make my own if possible, rather than buy something like SlimFast (which I'm sure uses WPC). I'd like something that will make me feel full so I'm not ravenous when I get home from work. I drink a protein shake in the morning after working out and it makes a big difference in how early I get hungry for lunch (ie: it's 11:40 now and I'm not even that hungry, if I hadn't had a protein shake I'd have been ready for lunch 30 minutes ago).
I currently lift 3 times a week in the morning. This summer that will change since the Rec doesn't open up early enough for me to work out and still get to work, so I'll work out after work. Gaining muscle mass is OK, but I've been trying to lose (body fat) weight for the last year or so because I was pretty flabby.
Any suggestions? I'm using GNC Whey right now, but only because I bought it before I knew better. I'll order some Optimum Nutrition when this runs out.
Just thought I would chime in for GNC's sake - I use their 100%whey and love it- best flavor I've found for me at least. I tried some Optimum Nutrition and ended up giving it away because I couldnt stand the taste. (Cookies and cream- nasty as hell- the guy I gave it to threw it out =)
But anyways, there is nothin wrong w/ the GNC stuff, just the price
You do realize that GNC takes ON whey and packages it in their containers right?
Also I find with the Gold Card it evens out to Vitamin Shoppe prices.
Originally posted by: handoverfist
Are you supposed to take protein on the days you do not work out?
Originally posted by: BoldAsLove
Question from a noob...
What if I'm looking to cut fat and replace that fat with muscle (want to gain stronger arms/legs/six pack etc.). I currently have Trader Joes whey protein powder(anyone know how this compares?). I do the weight loss program on my treadmill @ 45 min. daily and do some free lifting presses and curls about every other day or so. Any help?
Originally posted by: Garth
Here's a question that I can't seem to resolve for myself...
Because I work out alone, I'm intimidated by the bench press for the reason that I do not have a spotter but feel that I need to lift to failure in my actual working sets. Consequently, I've limited myself almost exclusively to dumbell presses (flat, incline, decline) or occasionally the machines to mix it up.
Is there anything else I can do to maximize my chest workout if I'm working out solo? Is the bench so much more beneficial to my chest that I can afford to cut the actual failing rep off the end of my sets so I don't choke myself with the bar? My gym does have one of those cages with a bar in a track with hooks that can be swung into position to secure the bar, but lifting on that must sacrifice the benefit of exercising the stabilizing muscles, right?
Any suggestions welcome.
Originally posted by: Legend
Originally posted by: BoldAsLove
Question from a noob...
What if I'm looking to cut fat and replace that fat with muscle (want to gain stronger arms/legs/six pack etc.). I currently have Trader Joes whey protein powder(anyone know how this compares?). I do the weight loss program on my treadmill @ 45 min. daily and do some free lifting presses and curls about every other day or so. Any help?
If you're wanting very lean, you're going to have to start in the kitchen.
http://johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/leaneating_1.htm
http://johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/leaneating_2.htm
A lot of nutrient science to throw at someone new.
Cliff notes:
1. Get your carbs from fruits, vegetables, and true whole grains (you know, when there's an entire grain, and not some sort of "whole grain" flour. That's just an oxymoron).
2. For fats consume stuff like Extra Virgin Olive oil, walnuts, flax seed, wild fatty fish (or fish oil), coconut oil (for heavy cooking).
3. For protein, consume lean meat, eggs, whey protein, casein protein, milk protein isolate.
4. Consume a high protein diet. Something like 40% P, 30% F, 30% carbs.
5. When you have to eat popular food, just make smart choices. No soda/sweet tea, no fries, just get a couple of burgers or a thin crust pizza.
6. Never combine simple carbs with oil. It makes your body into a very efficient fat building machine. What happens is that fat and carbs together spike insulin like crazy, and this insulin can transport the high density of calories more quickly, leading to excesses. Examples: French fries, ice cream, potato chips, etc.
Combine this with lots of cardio and weights. To speed up results you may want to look at thermogetic substances (green tea extract, diet pills).
Originally posted by: BoldAsLove
Originally posted by: Legend
Originally posted by: BoldAsLove
Question from a noob...
What if I'm looking to cut fat and replace that fat with muscle (want to gain stronger arms/legs/six pack etc.). I currently have Trader Joes whey protein powder(anyone know how this compares?). I do the weight loss program on my treadmill @ 45 min. daily and do some free lifting presses and curls about every other day or so. Any help?
If you're wanting very lean, you're going to have to start in the kitchen.
http://johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/leaneating_1.htm
http://johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/leaneating_2.htm
A lot of nutrient science to throw at someone new.
Cliff notes:
1. Get your carbs from fruits, vegetables, and true whole grains (you know, when there's an entire grain, and not some sort of "whole grain" flour. That's just an oxymoron).
2. For fats consume stuff like Extra Virgin Olive oil, walnuts, flax seed, wild fatty fish (or fish oil), coconut oil (for heavy cooking).
3. For protein, consume lean meat, eggs, whey protein, casein protein, milk protein isolate.
4. Consume a high protein diet. Something like 40% P, 30% F, 30% carbs.
5. When you have to eat popular food, just make smart choices. No soda/sweet tea, no fries, just get a couple of burgers or a thin crust pizza.
6. Never combine simple carbs with oil. It makes your body into a very efficient fat building machine. What happens is that fat and carbs together spike insulin like crazy, and this insulin can transport the high density of calories more quickly, leading to excesses. Examples: French fries, ice cream, potato chips, etc.
Combine this with lots of cardio and weights. To speed up results you may want to look at thermogetic substances (green tea extract, diet pills).
What about green tea itself? I'm not to into taking diet pills. If not green tea, how does this extract work (do u add it to water?) Or if green tea, is there a brand you reccomend? ANd what exactly is it that green tea does? speeds metabolism?
Green tea and body composition
Recent research has confirmed that green tea can cause weight loss through multiple pathways. In addition to being a potent appetite supressant, green tea increases thermogenesis, preferentially burning fat over protein in a similar manner to many other thermogenics. Green tea has been demonstrated to be as or more effective than some prescription weight loss medications, and may rival the ECA stack in terms of fat loss. In addition, green tea is one of the few weight loss medications that has not been associated with negative effects on the cardiovascular system (such as increased heart rate and blood pressure) or CNS side effects (such as overstimulation and irritability). More research is needed before the level of effectiveness of green tea can be more conclusively determined, but the present data shows a clear benefit.
Green tea has been known to be a thermogenic agent for quite some time, but the thermogenesis was usually attributed to the caffeine content. It was then found in an in vitro experiment with brown adipose tissue that the thermogenic effect of green tea was "much greater than can be attributed to its caffeine content per se" [19]. Other in vitro experiments also demonstrate that green tea inhibits lipogenesis (the creation of fat) [20, 21]. In rodents, studies with both green tea and green tea powder have shown that it decreases body weight and food intake [22, 23] and inhibits lipogenesis [24].
Two important studies have been done assessing the thermogenic effect of green tea in humans. The first was a preliminary study that compared the effects of green tea extract (containing 150 mg caffeine and 270 mg EGCG), caffeine (150 mg), and placebo on 24-hour energy expenditure. While caffeine alone increased energy expenditure by about .6% over placebo (which was not statistically significant in this study), the green tea extract increased it by 3.5%. Additionally, while the oxidation of fat contributed to 31.6% of energy expenditure in the placebo group, in contributed 41.5% in the green tea extract group, indicating that the increase in energy expenditure was due to the breakdown of fat, not protein. Measurements of urinary nitrogen excretion, which were significantly different between treatments, further supported this contention. It is also interesting to note that thermogenic response was not correlated with body mass index (BMI), implying that green tea may be equally as effective in relatively lean individuals. Finally, the increased thermogenesis was not accompanied by an increase in heart rate, which makes green tea distinct from other thermogenic drugs [25].
The second study was a three month open trial with 70 subjects using the same dosage of the same extract as in the above study (150 mg caffeine, 375 mg total catechins, 270 mg EGCG per day). Treatment with green tea was well tolerated and associated with a body weight reduction of 4.6% and a reduction of waist circumference of 4.5% [1]. Hopefully these promising results will be followed by larger placebo-controlled studies.
Green tea has many mechanisms of action in stimulating weight loss. The most important is probably the inhibition of catechol-O-methyl-transferase (COMT) by EGCG [1, 19, 25]. COMT is the enzyme that breaks down norepinephrine (NE), one of the body's most important lipolytic hormones. Caffeine also plays a synergistic role by inhibiting phosophdiesterases (enzymes that break down cAMP, which is further down the lipolytic pathway) [19, 25]. Although EGCG is the most responsible, some flavanoids found in small amounts in green tea such as quercetin and myricetin also inhibit COMT and may play a minor role [25].
Secondly, green tea decreases the digestibility of dietary fat [1, 26]. The proposed mechanism of action is inhibition of both gastric and pancreatic lipase, which has been demonstrated in vitro [1]. These enzymes both play major roles in the digestion of fat, so when they are inhibited a smaller proportion of fat is absorbed and a greater proportion excreted.
Green tea is also a potent appetite suppressant. This can be partly explained by the fact that it increases both NE and dopamine [14, 25], but further mechanisms of action have been hypothesized. Specifically, tea polyphenols have been known to elevate levels of cholecystokinin (CCK) [2], a hormone which depresses food intake [2, 22]. It is not yet known whether this plays a significant role in the action of green tea, and one of the effects of elevated CCK is an increase in pancreatic lipase, which is actually inhibited by green tea. It could be that green tea simultaneously elevates CCK and decreases pancreatic lipase, conferring the benefits of both appetite suppression and decreased fat digestibility.
Finally, the antioxidant properties of green tea may play a role in the lipolytic effect [20-22]. One cell culture study suggested that green tea inhibited lipogenesis by increasing superoxide dismutase activity and subsequently decreasing the formation of free radicals [20], while another suggests that vitamin C from green tea plays a role in its lipolytic activity [21]. Even if the antioxidant activity turns out to have little to do with the breakdown of fat, it leads to many health benefits that will be discussed in greater detail in following sections.
Originally posted by: Apocalypse23
Good post man,
I like using Optimum Nutrition's 100% Gold Whey Standard, it's cheaper and also does a good job as a protein supplement. What do you think about it? I only take 2 scoops after a work out (sometimes add some sweetened soya beverage in with water with protein) since I usually will eat big meals in a day. But to get big one has to get get some fat and mass, I'm thinking of cutting down later, for now everything seems to be okay.
What I kinda dislike is how many people that kinda get into bodybuilding since it's 'cool' or to 'look good' will only work on their upper bodies and totally disregard their legs or thighs, I personally started focusing on every body part, particularly the legs since I always wanted to run and have had big legs since I was a teen. But with strong thighs and legs one really can lift a lot and sqaut more, it's just funny to me when almiost 90 percent of the guys working out in a gym (not professionals) will always do upper body and have weak lower bodies.
To have big legs and thighs is a very good thing for the body imo.