So I just got back into lifting after a year and I'm starting to regain form. Its amazing how much muscle mass i've lost in a years time. Anyway I'm lifting everyday for 2 hours right now with a buddy but i have a class next semester that I have to lift in. So I thought of trying some supplements. Nothing too hardcore like steriods, just something that i'm going to see results with. I thought about EAS Muscle Armor or Whey Protein. My goal really isn't to lose wieght because I'm only 160 pounds as it is. I just want to rebuild my muscles and look good. I want a supplement to add muscle mass. Also I've been thinking of a recovery supplement, as 2 hour workouts daily usually leaves me burnt and tired. Anybody have any suggestions on what they use or that they say results from? I've never used them before and at 160 pounds last year i benched 230, squated 400 so I use to be fairly strong for a 160 pound fella. Any suggestions from you weight lifters?

 

I'd strongly suggest staying away from anything MuscleTech. Not to put anything against them, because I'm sure they work for some people, but in their powders (Cell Tech, etc.) they have so much sugar that it could definately cause some health problems (possible diabetes). I would say your best bet is to get on a natural creatine supplement paired with a whey protein. Take those with a decent diet and a good workout scheduale and you'll throw on mass like no other. Plus, it's not so bad for you. If you're wanting to gain some weight, throwin back 4 PB&Js after each workout does pretty good for you too. The peanut butter has the good proteins and fats while the jelly has the sugar to get the blood glucose up and really open up those pores in the muscle, allowing the creatine to penetrate deeper. Again, I highly suggest staying away from the high sugar stuff. Look at the label on the back and see how much sugar is in one serving. You're jaw will drop. When I didn't care, I took Muscle Milk. Seemed to help fairly well. But again, high in sugar. Not good for you. That's just my thoughts. Hope I helped ya out some on your decision.

 

Ya see deffinately not looking for something with lots of sugars and health hazards. I want something safe, but at the same time will give me the mass I'm wanting. I have no reason to lift besides i enjoy it and to stay in shape. I have just heard from so many people and almost every football player say that creatine or like whey protein helped a lot so I figured I want to try it. I also was told to eat lots of banana's to help with the muscle recovery.

 

Banana's do help with recovery. If you want a really good fix, pickle juice. When I was heavy into lifting and still playing football I drank the stuff like water. Helps a TON with keeping you from cramping. I'd say if you don't have a problem with muscle fatigue, don't worry about that stuff. But if you have a bad recovery, then a few swallows of pickle juice helps. Mustard also works well. Used to take packets into the weightroom with me. I don't know if they're just a placebo effect, but it helps. So are you going to get some creatine and whey?

 

go with Optimum Nutritiion 100% whey, cheap, good tasting ive used it for about 2 years

 

Idk so much about creatine. I had a buddy tell me he got addicted to the stuff. Not really addicted but he felt like he had to wing himself off of it. I'll probably get some whey. I really want to try that EAS Muscle Armor. You see EAS commercials all the time so its got to be a somewhat successful product. I just dont want to drop a ton of money into supplements because at $60+ a pop they can get expensive.

 

1st thing get away from the 2 hour workouts! If you are working out hard, 45 mins to a hour is all you need! 2. Eat more protein, 4-6 times a day, smaller meals with a high quality protein powder! 3. Get you sleep, at least 8 hours a night, & drink plenty of
H20!...Good luck!

 

Man, I didn't even see that. Yeah, if you're working out for two hours, your muscles aren't going to be able to fully recover by the time of your next work out. Thus hitting a plateau. If it's a mix of cardio and strength, that should be fine, but do not dedicate a 2 hour workout only to lifting. It's no good for your muscles and towards the last part of the workout your risking injury. Trust me, a torn groin or back problem is no fun!

 

Try a scoop of whey before your workout and then another scoop after. Also, after you need to eat some carbs. Like RIS said, try and eat more protein and good carbs. Oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, grilled chicken, steak. More fruits and good veggies. Almonds are good for fat. Yes, there are good fat. Eat whole grain breads. Switch to whole wheat pasta, bread, tortillas etc.
Get a subscription to Men's Health and/or Muscle and Fitness. GREAT magazines and you will learn sooo much. Good Luck!!

 

First off I appreciate the advice. But honestly I know my way around a weight room. I've played baseball since I was a wee little jiblet so I know what an injury is. I know I said 2 hours but its really only 1 1/2 hours and i lift with a friend so we gossip too. So its not like im continuoisly lifting for 2 hours straight. I'm 5'10" 160 pounds and like i've said I benched 230 and squated 400 last year. In my book for a 160 pound kid, thats pretty good. I was in the top 5 out of all the wieght lifting classes my senior year in high school. As far as the times your body wieght I had to be the top in all classes. And believe me I know a groin injury, quad injury, hamstring, etc. they all suck! Once college starts back up my class is only like an hour long twice a week so I'll be cutting off on lifting a lot.

So what products do you think I need to get? I'm thinking a recovery supplement and a protein supplement. Seem like a good plan?

Also don't take my above comments too heavy. I didn't mean to come across as a **** or whatever. Its just maybe you thought i was new to the wieght lifting world. I've been doing it since I was a sophomore in High School. Our routine is Bench/chest one day, bicep/tricep the next, back/shoulders another day, and like legs. Idk what this class will be like I just had to have a pe elective for my degree so i decided to take weight lifting because I like to workout plus hopefully there will be some fit good lookin chicks in there.

 

No, we completely understand that you are not being rude in your comment. To be honest I hate when people tell me that I'm doing stuff "wrong". And I know that being in the weight room for two hours means lifting for maybe an hour and fifteen minutes. More than likely less. I'm sure you know what you're doing and nobody here is telling you how to do YOUR workout. In my experience, if your wanting to really tone up, do more or high repetitions with lighter wait. "Speed lifting" as it is called, will do wonders to your tone. Any way you do it, being in the weight room and working out will benefit you no matter what. You just have to know your limits, as I'm sure you do. Good luck on the workouts and I hope you get the results you're working towards.

Gig 'Em

~Lincoln


EDIT: I just saw that you weren't sure on what your lifting class was going to be like. Expect alot of light weight repetition and technique stuff. In the weight lifting class at A&M, they take your body weight coming in and make percentages on certain lifts that you have to complete for your final. Example, you weigh 160 lb, you have to bench 180lb for an A in that section. So on and so forth. It's just a whole lot of technique. You're going to be surprised how much lifting makes you hurt when a lift is truely done in the correct fashion and form. But it will help you so much more.

 

get on bodybuilding.com and just read dont waste your money on all these get big ****. It's about diet and your workout habits

 

i competed in bodybuilding,protein is the main thing...1.5 to 2 grams per pound of body weight... we always did one body part every 6-7 days... lots of rest,thats when you grow...change up your routine every 4-6 weeks... and keep a log of every rep,set and weight you do...the people who always look the same are the ones who do the same routine and weights all the time.... and yes i did win.. mr alabama in 07'

 

Yeah i've been doing a lot of "burn out" sets for like bench. Like since I haven't benched in forever and my max isn't but maybe 185 now, i've been doing like 125 for as many times as i can for about 4 sets. Same with incline bench. It gets to where the weight really isn't heavy your just wore out. So protein is really all I need to get? Recovery supplements don't work?

 

Agreed... You put tears in your muscles as I bet you know, so you need to recover. Anytime you take supplements, make sure you drink a ton of water. You need to flush out your kindneys.

I learned some stuff in the magazine the other day at work. There is some good stuff in that Men's Health Magazine Idk if you do the '95F-150 but try alternating arms in certain exercises. I do d-bell bench and I alternate arms now. It makes your body work harder to stay in balance.

Agreed. My Workout teacher in school went to Virginia Tech, that guy could could make you cry

Yeah, Be careful with that stuff man. My teacher told us about it and he said that you need to drink plently of water to flush your system out do to the added protien. Also, when they say on the packages you need to take more to get adjusted, that's

They just want you to use more product and by it again fast. Be smart about it. For the average person, a good diet and lots of rest can work wonders.