I am a beginner/intermediate lifter(on and off for 1.5 years) and I really want to get back to lifting, especially mass gaining. I am currently 165lbs and am getting back to lifting after 2 months off due to work.
My goal is to reach >180, and besides natural food and whey protein, I’m thinking of taking some supplments. Is there anyones that you all would recommend for an intermediate lifter?
These were the ones I am thinking of using:
Surge: If I buy that, would I benefit from it? Do I drink it as post-workout as a meal?
Creatine: When would be the best time to drink this? Which brand would you recommend?
Honestly dude, save your money until you make progress from food, iron and sleep.
Supps are like expensive golf clubs. In the hands of a good golfer, they will make your game 10x better. In my hands, they will make me look dumber because I wasted my money. (Not my quote, but useful.)
You’re not a good golfer YET. Give it some time, then spend the money.
That being said, creatine from here. I’ve heard post & pre workout and with breakfast work. Find out when it is best for you.
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
Honestly dude, save your money until you make progress from food, iron and sleep.
Supps are like expensive golf clubs. In the hands of a good golfer, they will make your game 10x better. In my hands, they will make me look dumber because I wasted my money. (Not my quote, but useful.)
You’re not a good golfer YET. Give it some time, then spend the money.
That being said, creatine from here. I’ve heard post & pre workout and with breakfast work. Find out when it is best for you.[/quote]
I basically agree. BUT: If used in a systematical way, propper supplementation can make a big difference right from the beginning. This helps to keep motivation high, since progress is leveraged.
Of course, firts of all, you need to bring your diet in order and have a good workout routine lined out. After that - and only after that - think about supps.
There is nothing wrong with taking supps as a beginner. Just make sure you don’t be random shit or try this supp for a week and that supp for the next week. That just produces expensive piss and nothing else.
You can check Thib’s forum and read through the Para-Workout Nutrition thread. Investing in these supps TOGETHER with consistency in working out and a solid diet is money well spent…
I would recommend waiting until you’ve made some progress and hit a plateau. That way you’ll still have your ace card (supplements) and will be able to bust right through that plateau.
I think every person on the planet should use fish oil and a multivitamin, and beginning lifters should use whey protein powder. I agree with Counting Beans for the rest, though. You’ll make enormous gains in both directions starting off, so there’s not a huge need for supplements at this point. Just get in the habit of lifting well and eating clean, imo.
Your progress is yours only, and the path you take won’t be the same as the path that others take. If you want to experiment with adding some things, go for it!
Also, if you’re starting back up from 2 months off the iron, you’re essentially a brand-new beginner. This first workout is going to hurt. A lot.
Best of luck to you, spacekillers. I wish you the best in your lifting!
What I would do first is to make your lifting and diet your new life. You have found reasons to deny yourself the pleasures of lifting for months at a time, so how about this:
Lift consistently for a period of time, say 8-12 months, 4-6 days per week, no excuses, just lift and get bigger and stronger. If you miss a workout it’s not the end of the world, but get back in the gym and work.
Eat consistently well for the same period of time, clean real food in the proper amounts for gaining weight. Get in the habit of eating fewer cheat meals as you go along. You are going to make mistakes along the way, but learn from them and move on, always keeping your eyes on where you want to be, not where you are.
Take a multi-vitamin.
Drink one whey shake after your workout, since you already have it.
If you cannot stick to working out and eating, any supplements you buy now will be a total waste of money, will age and take up space in your kitchen or pantry, and remind you that you shouldn’t have spent your money on them.
Once you have made this lifestyle a habit, once you have decided to continue on and that nothing will stop you from making the gains that you deserve, once you determine that 180 lbs sucks and you should be 45 lbs heavier so that when you walk through a door you have to walk through sideways to get your shoulders through, you will be ready for some supplements.
what i did when i first started lifting, and i am by no means a very experienced lifter ( compared to most guys/girls on this site) was get alot of my protein from whey, and pre workout i take an energized creatine to get amped up and super psyched to lift. Also i made sure it was the most expensive stuff in the store not because i thought the effects would be better but because the jew in me didnt want to waste taking it and NOT working out. find motivation to keep consistantly going, like a better body, new strength, better luck with the ladies etc, or be like me… cheap.
[quote]Arms Afire wrote:
What I would do first is to make your lifting and diet your new life. You have found reasons to deny yourself the pleasures of lifting for months at a time, so how about this:
Lift consistently for a period of time, say 8-12 months, 4-6 days per week, no excuses, just lift and get bigger and stronger. If you miss a workout it’s not the end of the world, but get back in the gym and work.
Eat consistently well for the same period of time, clean real food in the proper amounts for gaining weight. Get in the habit of eating fewer cheat meals as you go along. You are going to make mistakes along the way, but learn from them and move on, always keeping your eyes on where you want to be, not where you are.
Take a multi-vitamin.
Drink one whey shake after your workout, since you already have it.
If you cannot stick to working out and eating, any supplements you buy now will be a total waste of money, will age and take up space in your kitchen or pantry, and remind you that you shouldn’t have spent your money on them.
Once you have made this lifestyle a habit, once you have decided to continue on and that nothing will stop you from making the gains that you deserve, once you determine that 180 lbs sucks and you should be 45 lbs heavier so that when you walk through a door you have to walk through sideways to get your shoulders through, you will be ready for some supplements.