Need Supplement & Nutrition Advice

Diet and Nutrition
1

Hello Everyone,

I just joined the website and am in desperate need of some Supplement advice. I just started a 5 day on, 2 day off workout routine this week. I am very serious about getting into great shape, currently I am 187 lbs. 5’11. I would definately like to bulk up, maybe lose some fat and put on lean muscle. I will obviously do this by eating right and exercise.

I need some guidance on what supplements to take in order to maximize my workouts. It is my first week back in a year or two so I have been getting very sore so I am taking the following supplements:

  1. GNC Mega Men Sport Multi - Taking it twice a day, 1 in the morning 1 in the evening. I got these but now after some research know that the Sport is a bunch of crap (250 mg of BCAA). I will get regular Mega Men once I go through this supply.

  2. Surge Recovery by Biotest - I just ordered this and will be taking 1 scoop of it during workout, and 1 scoop after workout.

So far I have those two supplements. I also wanted to order the Biotest BCAA and Biotest Flameout, but would like to get your advice first.

Also, should I be looking into Creatine? Why or Why not? The main concern I have with Creatine is, does it hinder creatine creation made naturally by my body? And do the muscles go away once I stop taking the creatine? Are there any major side effects I should know about? I know about the water drinking part and I am okay with that as I drink about 100 oz. of water a day already.

One more question about Animal Pak. A lot of people swear by this thing. Now I am on a tough 5 day workout routine, and I push my body to where after my workouts I somtimes feel very tired and depleted. Would Animal Pak be good to try out? Reading about it I get the feeling its for the bodybuilder type who just trains for a living, anyone use Animal Pak and can give me some feedback on it?

I am open to comments and suggestions, please tell me if I am doing something wrong or if you know of anything else that I may need…

Thank you!

2

[quote]Bomberman wrote:
Hello Everyone,

I just joined the website and am in desperate need of some Supplement advice. I just started a 5 day on, 2 day off workout routine this week. I am very serious about getting into great shape, currently I am 187 lbs. 5’11. I would definately like to bulk up, maybe lose some fat and put on lean muscle. I will obviously do this by eating right and exercise.

I need some guidance on what supplements to take in order to maximize my workouts. It is my first week back in a year or two so I have been getting very sore so I am taking the following supplements:

  1. GNC Mega Men Sport Multi - Taking it twice a day, 1 in the morning 1 in the evening. I got these but now after some research know that the Sport is a bunch of crap (250 mg of BCAA). I will get regular Mega Men once I go through this supply.

  2. Surge Recovery by Biotest - I just ordered this and will be taking 1 scoop of it during workout, and 1 scoop after workout.

So far I have those two supplements. I also wanted to order the Biotest BCAA and Biotest Flameout, but would like to get your advice first.

Also, should I be looking into Creatine? Why or Why not? The main concern I have with Creatine is, does it hinder creatine creation made naturally by my body? And do the muscles go away once I stop taking the creatine? Are there any major side effects I should know about? I know about the water drinking part and I am okay with that as I drink about 100 oz. of water a day already.

One more question about Animal Pak. A lot of people swear by this thing. Now I am on a tough 5 day workout routine, and I push my body to where after my workouts I somtimes feel very tired and depleted. Would Animal Pak be good to try out? Reading about it I get the feeling its for the bodybuilder type who just trains for a living, anyone use Animal Pak and can give me some feedback on it?

I am open to comments and suggestions, please tell me if I am doing something wrong or if you know of anything else that I may need…

Thank you![/quote]

Firstly, make sure GNC Mega Men is giving you a good value. Except on the occasions when I have done a fat fast/V-Diet, I think of multi-vitamins as an insurance package. Your primary nutrient source should be whole foods. If you need more of X or Y vitamin/mineral, get a supplement for that on its own.

Secondly, as regards Animal Pak, I would dissuade you from buying it. I gave it a try years back, despite being advised against it. It was on sale, and I suppose I was drawn in by the advertising. At best it was only as good as any other multi-vitamin, and at worst I seem to remember it contained a couple questionable additives that left me feeling a bit dehydrated and estrogenic. The bottom line is, it costs more than a decent multi-vitamin but does not deliver anything more of value.

Personally, my usual pick for a multi-vitamin is Nature-Made (usually the original formula, but sometimes I have bought the Men’s) since it provides alot of most of the nutrients, has no unwanted additives, and I can get it really cheap. Cheap + quality = good.

Lastly, regarding creatine, I would definately give it a try as it is fairly cheap an effective. It sounds like you are aware of the major stumbling block for some people, hydration. You will probably need to drink twice as much water as you normally do, but you can do it.

As far as I know it will not hinder any natural bodily processes you have, creatine forming or otherwise. Your muscle will seem to shrink a bit after stopping creatine because you will lose some of the stored water in the muscles. You will not however lose whatever real muscle tissue you have built while using the creatine. Creatine does not itself build muscle. Rather, creatine facilitates muscle building by increasing one’s strength and endurance.

If you can afford it I would encourage you to check out Biotest’s deal on Beta-7 going on right now. If you buy two bottles of Beta-7 you receive a third bottle free, PLUS two free tubs of creatine. I am going to order some next time around myself.

I hope this helps.

3

hey there…in my opinion most supplements are a waste of money. i’d make a list but i don’t think i could fit it all here! one i swear by is Surge so thumbs up there. i’ve been using it for about 6 months and have made some very good progress with it.

i also recommend using Flameout as well. but for Biotest bcaa…they are a little pricey. i use ON bcaa powder and capsules which are very economical.

i also just started using this supplement called leucemine. it’s a recovery drink that i’ve been taking along with Surge during and post wo. too soon to tell if it’s worth the price but i think it has drastically reduced my usual next day soreness.

i just started a new workout routine and usually when i do that, i’m very sore the next day. but shockingly i wasn’t sore at all…and i worked it pretty hard and heavy! so i’m excited to see say after a month what my numbers look like.

4

[quote]Lastly, regarding creatine, I would definately give it a try as it is fairly cheap an effective. It sounds like you are aware of the major stumbling block for some people, hydration. You will probably need to drink twice as much water as you normally do, but you can do it.

As far as I know it will not hinder any natural bodily processes you have, creatine forming or otherwise. Your muscle will seem to shrink a bit after stopping creatine because you will lose some of the stored water in the muscles. You will not however lose whatever real muscle tissue you have built while using the creatine. Creatine does not itself build muscle. Rather, creatine facilitates muscle building by increasing one’s strength and endurance.

If you can afford it I would encourage you to check out Biotest’s deal on Beta-7 going on right now. If you buy two bottles of Beta-7 you receive a third bottle free, PLUS two free tubs of creatine. I am going to order some next time around myself.

I hope this helps.[/quote]

Good post. You can’t beat the special and BETA-7 and Creatine are a very effective stack for muscular endurance during hard workouts.

D

5

WOW! Thank you so much guys! That was quick… I love this web site :slight_smile:

6

Hello,

I am 5’ 11" as well but weigh 215 currently.

My body fat varies between 6-12% depending on how ambitious I feel like being with my cardio. I’m around 10% right now. My weight fluctuates with the fat changes.

As far as nutrition for building muscle:

I drink a glass of milk or use a meal replacement shake pre work out.

I drink 2 scoops of whey in water directly after. My personal choice is optimum nutrition but Biotest offers their whey for a good price in the store on this site.

I just bought some GABA and am curious to see if it does anything.

I eat five meals per day, not including pre and post work out concoctions, and divide my nutrients up evenly in all the meals.

I eat 1 gram of protein for each pound of body weight per day (divided by five meals), I have complex carbs in the form of grains or cereals at each meal and I eat lots of fruits intermittantly through out the day.

Other supps I take for various reasons include:

Multi-Vitamin
Apple Cider Vinegar
Fish Oil
Glucosamine/Chondroiten
Melatonin

I’m not sure what your body comp is but if you are wanting to lose fat, be sure your routine includes cardio. Lifting will burn fat too, but a combination of both is best. More total calories burned, a faster metabolism, a better cardiovascular system making your weight training more effective for burning more fat etc.

Many people on this site will tell you cardio is bad, but with proper nutrition weight training and cardio training are very positively synergistic.

7

[quote]texasguy1 wrote:
Many people on this site will tell you cardio is bad, but with proper nutrition weight training and cardio training are very positively synergistic. [/quote]

depends on what type of cardio. it’s bad if you make steady state aerobics your primary source of cardio. but if you make HIIT your primary source, you’re on your way to some very improved fat loss results with minimal muscle loss as long as you don’t over do it.

8

Fish oil and Creatine are must haves. If you can afford it, BCAAs are a nice addition pre-workout.

If you’re new to training, you’ll be amazed at the progress you can make with these plus some quality whey and maltodextrine. Never tried Biotest’s products, but if I was in the US, that’s exactly what I’d use/recommend.

Best of luck,

9

Am I going to be getting enough protein from the Biotest Surge Recovery and food I eat throughout the day or should I add a protein/carb shake as a breakfast replacement. I am mostly going to be working out at nights.