To Use or Not Use Supps

Diet and Nutrition
1

Okay just a simple question. I’m 5’10" 172 lbs, probably 15% bodyfat, and just lifting and eating heavy to gain weight the right way and mass. Currently I use whey protein powder, creatine monohydrate, fish oil, flax oil, amd maltodextrin and dextrose for the HI GI carbs, along with a multi vitamin from ON. This is all i’m currently using.

I’ve looked at these things like HOT-ROX and Spike and all that, but would it be better if i just spent like 2 years or so just using the basics to get a solid foundation, and then when I’m ready to really cut away the fat and get specific on stuff, then add in those special supplements?

I just know that in my running career when i first started a long time ago i would buy everything in sight that said it helped, only to realize i didn’t need to buy it later on. Thanks for any opinions.

2

You have the right thinking. A lot of guys just getting into it (myself included at one time) thought supplements made the gains. It wasn’t until one summer I finally made the leap of faith in pure food and lifting that I made the most improvement (of course I had the whey post workout shake).

3

You are completely correct that the basics have to be in place first and foremost, but if you have those firmly set there are supps that are effective.

You are in a mass gaining phase for awhile? Read up on BETA-7, read up on BCAA’s, read up on Surge. I can tell you without any doubt these products, if you have the basics in place, will definitely help you in your muscle gaining goals. Alpha Male, Methoxy-7, and Creatine, are also top picks.

Take care,

D

4

honestly though, id skip the Alpha Male, Methoxy 7, and beta. beta is pretty pricey right now, Alpha Male and Methoxy 7 are not totally necessary. he seems to have a good supp base with whey, oils, etc.

throw in the german micronized creatine (great price) and he should be alright, maybe use a HOT-ROX product depending on current stats and how hes trying to bulk. good luck man, keep up the good work…also here’s a recipe for a good meal replacement that i recently started using:

12 oz. Apple Juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup oatmeal
3-6 eggs (omega-3 eggs) or egg whites
2 scoops whey of your choice

put them all in a blender and let it rip for about 30 seconds, i know it may sound nasty but it really goes down easy.

5

[quote]njworkoutguy wrote:
put them all in a blender and let it rip for about 30 seconds, i know it may sound nasty but it really goes down easy.[/quote]

heh, dude, you’re talking to a guy who eats oats dry so as to save time, along with drinking olive oil straight out of the jar and blending up vegetables with water just so it’ll take less time, lol.

but yeah, my diet consists of all the simple things: fruits, veggies, ff/lf dairy, eggs, steak, chicken, nuts, oats, and the oils, nothing else.

also, reason i ask if they’re really necessary until about 2-3 years once reaching a close potential naturally is cuz, while my family is wealthy enough and has plenty of money to give me, i don’t like thinking i can do w/e with it. i’m really frugal with my money, and the only things i use it on are gas and food.

As well, i plan on being an elementary education teacher, along with maybe a personal trainer or waiter once out of college, so while i’ll be making decent money (~40k a year), it won’t be enough to just get all the supplements in the world, assuming i want to start a family some day and give my kids all i was able to have growing up. So that’s just why i ask if they’re really necessary until like close to natural potential.

P.S. I’ll never take steroids, that’s why i’m wondering about natural potential and all.

6

age, training age, speed of results, and expendable income play a role in your decision.

you first need to get the basics down which is a solid clean diet making sure you are getting enough of the macro nutrients. from there you need to analyze your deficiencies. Are you getting enough omega-3 fatty acids, if not then get some. If you see that your schedule does not allow you to prepare meals all the time then you need meal replacements which contain protein. Are you getting enough greens, if not get a greens plus product to add to the meal replacement shakes. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables for the vitamin, mineral, and anti-oxident content, if not then you need to add some.

there is a price you pay for convinience. for some, the time saving is worth it because of the increase in the quality of life it provides.

the nice thing about the Biotest supps is that they’ve come such a long way in providing a broad spectrum of products for different purposes. You don’t necessarily have to be on stuff all the time, maybe at specific training cycles.

Another thing to think about is genetics and blood profile. If you are on the low end of the free testosterone range, then you are gonna have a difficult time putting on mass, recovering from workouts, and having a feeling of well being. that’s where Alpha Male would help a lot. if you are carrying a few extra pounds of fat and need to lose it while preserving muscle mass on a below maintenance calorie intake then hrx would help there.

It all depends on how you nice you want to look and how well you want to perform within your own potential. I wish i had time to shop and cook all the time. i love to eat food and i’m not lazy in cleaning the dishes and pans. I don’t have the time. 60 hours of work and commuting a week takes a toll. laters pk

7

[quote]relativelyfunguy wrote:
njworkoutguy wrote:
put them all in a blender and let it rip for about 30 seconds, i know it may sound nasty but it really goes down easy.

heh, dude, you’re talking to a guy who eats oats dry so as to save time, along with drinking olive oil straight out of the jar and blending up vegetables with water just so it’ll take less time, lol.

but yeah, my diet consists of all the simple things: fruits, veggies, ff/lf dairy, eggs, steak, chicken, nuts, oats, and the oils, nothing else.

also, reason i ask if they’re really necessary until about 2-3 years once reaching a close potential naturally is cuz, while my family is wealthy enough and has plenty of money to give me, i don’t like thinking i can do w/e with it. i’m really frugal with my money, and the only things i use it on are gas and food.

As well, i plan on being an elementary education teacher, along with maybe a personal trainer or waiter once out of college, so while i’ll be making decent money (~40k a year), it won’t be enough to just get all the supplements in the world, assuming i want to start a family some day and give my kids all i was able to have growing up. So that’s just why i ask if they’re really necessary until like close to natural potential.

P.S. I’ll never take steroids, that’s why i’m wondering about natural potential and all.[/quote]

You start with a fairly decent question and then rant on about the wealth of your family and wanting to be a waiter.

You think that 2-3 years of training brings you to the brink of physical potential.

You claim to eat nothing but what yoiu have listed, yet you sit at 172 and 15% bf.

Here’s the scoop.

What is you’re freaking goal? You never need one supp. to work towards your genetic potential. Your present ht/wt would put you below the national average. How about you concentrate on eating smart and maximizing your workouts and rest periods, before you worry about depriving your future kids of their entitled upbringing because you ingest fish oil or whey protein.

8

I sit at 170-172 and at max 15% bodyfat because less than a year ago i was 140 and 10-11% bodyfat. It’s not too terrible.

I’m 21 and am trying to get up to 200, then cut.

9

[quote]relativelyfunguy wrote:
I sit at 170-172 and at max 15% bodyfat because less than a year ago i was 140 and 10-11% bodyfat. It’s not too terrible.

I’m 21 and am trying to get up to 200, then cut.[/quote]

You are fucking tiny man. Their is no way in hell you are anywhere near your physical potential!! Try working harder.

10

never said i was anywhere near my physical potential now did i

11

as well, how do you intend i work harder when i get at least 8 hours of sleep every night, keep 90% or more of my meals out of the week clean meals, eat p+f and p+c meals, take in efa’s, use proper everything, with solid lifting programs?

unless of course you mean overtrain and eat shidd that will just sit in me doing nothing…i’ve gained, and am still gaining. i’m working hard enough.

12

Well, If everything else is in order- There is allways patience. Thats not realy a supp though.

13

Its not a necessity, but I really like Surge. I use it right after workout with my creatine in it, and I really feel it helped me out a lot. If you were to pick one thing to help you get there, I believe it should be Surge.

Just my $0.02

14

[quote]TrainerinDC wrote:
Its not a necessity, but I really like Surge. I use it right after workout with my creatine in it, and I really feel it helped me out a lot. If you were to pick one thing to help you get there, I believe it should be Surge.

Just my $0.02[/quote]

Surge is a proven supp. So is creatine. its really refreshing to see a beginner skeptical about spending his life savings on products ending with TECH. look at bodybuilding.com top 50 sellers. BSN dominates (BSN blows)

15

[quote]relativelyfunguy wrote:
i’m working hard enough.[/quote]

Then why do you feel you need anything extra?

16

because i’m asking about down the road from now, once it is noticeable that i’m getting very big. say i’m standing at 5’10" 190 lbs at 8-9% bodyfat, and say hey, i’m ready to try and compete in a natural bodybuilding contest, time to cut down and get super specific and maintain as much muscle as possible while cutting fat. Then is when i was ASKING if it would be a necessary time to start taking those supplements, and ONLY then would it be necessary?

as well, my post workout shake includes 30g maltodextrin, 30g dextrose, 35g ON whey protein powder (approx. 30g of protein), and 5g of creapure creatine monohydrate. I figure that’s a pretty good 2:1 ratio pwo shake.

17

[quote]relativelyfunguy wrote:
because i’m asking about down the road from now, once it is noticeable that i’m getting very big. say i’m standing at 5’10" 190 lbs at 8-9% bodyfat, and say hey, i’m ready to try and compete in a natural bodybuilding contest, time to cut down and get super specific and maintain as much muscle as possible while cutting fat. Then is when i was ASKING if it would be a necessary time to start taking those supplements, and ONLY then would it be necessary?

as well, my post workout shake includes 30g maltodextrin, 30g dextrose, 35g ON whey protein powder (approx. 30g of protein), and 5g of creapure creatine monohydrate. I figure that’s a pretty good 2:1 ratio pwo shake.[/quote]

Hell if you’re diet and training are on-point right now and you are on track to your goal there is no reason not to start adding in some supplements now, unless of course you can’t afford them. They can only help. They may even be a bigger help now than later while you’re still building.

18

In my opinion, you should buy two things. ZMA. and food. And also, some ZMA

Biotest has great ZMA.

Creatine is good, most people benefit from it. protein powder is good, and even though it tastes bad sometimes, its one of the best things you can have. Biotest sells both.

I love there Metabolic Drive bars as well.

I would worry about Beta-7. I THINK, and I am not SURE, but it seems like it is mostly a pain-killer, for lactic acid soreness. I am probably wrong though.
HOWEVER- if you have money, get Rez-v. I am thinking of selling myself so I can afford some.

19

[quote]BarneyFife wrote:
In my opinion, you should buy two things. ZMA. and food. And also, some ZMA

Biotest has great ZMA.

Creatine is good, most people benefit from it. protein powder is good, and even though it tastes bad sometimes, its one of the best things you can have. Biotest sells both.

I love there Metabolic Drive bars as well.

I would worry about Beta-7. I THINK, and I am not SURE, but it seems like it is mostly a pain-killer, for lactic acid soreness. I am probably wrong though.
HOWEVER- if you have money, get Rez-v. I am thinking of selling myself so I can afford some.[/quote]

BETA-7 is not a pain killer anymore than ZMA is.

20




I put these up and made them just now so maybe someone could give me some help out on what my BF level might be right now. This was taken around 7:20 pm, after a day of eating a lot and drinking tons of water, and working out. Might look a little dryer/cut in the morning, but anywyas here it is. Initially I said about 15%, but really have no clue. I am flexing about as hard as possible in all of them.