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[Neo_ZX]

I'm sick of eating tuna and I'm really considering taking protein to get bigger. I'm about 5'10.5" and 175lbs looking to get up to 190-200lbs since I'm not as proportioned as I would like to be. I've been looking at ISO-PRO brand which is about 0.3% fat per serving and I think it was 23g of protein.

I train with heavy weights lifting 6-8 reps and 3 sets for most exercises. At 3-4 meals a day, I'm really getting sick of eating so I need something that is nutritious and isn't too filling.

The last concern is with my liver and stuff. If there have been any significant evidence of damage then I would have to re-think as well. Any brand recommendations would help.

 

[EdLuva]

http://proflexsports.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=HDT1&Category_Code=

This is what I currently use. I'm vegetarian, so sometimes I lack getting the protein I need. I also do some light workouts. This stuff tastes good and blends well with water (I use soy milk). It gives me gas, though.

 

[SlickWilly223]

I stopped taking proteins for about year, but I'm going to start taking them again soon since I'm beginning to take my workouts more seriously. I don't have too many answers regarding work outs (See that Matabolism thread...) but I often talk to a guy who owns a vitamin/health store (I talk with him personally since he works right across from my dad who have become good friends).

He tells me the best stuff to fill out with is this:

I only used this stuff once, but by the time I finished the bottle over a week and a half's time, I had gained about 4 pounds of muscle weight. Then I went on vacation, and started slacking off on my routine. (Keep in mind that last summer when I worked out hardcore, I'd have 3 shakes a day of this stuff and do some serious workouts. So obviously, you probably won't see a 4lb increase).

But my brother, he's training to become a Personal Trainer, and I can attest that this is the very stuff that he's been using for months and it's working nicely for him.

But if you're just interested in LOOKING big, try out creatine. It adds water mass to your muscles rather than the stuff that whey protein will add. It didn't work for me too well, but my friends who have used it got jacked up. The problem with them was that they took creatine exclusively, so they didn't actually get stronger, they just got bigger. I find that stupid, but if you mix it up and take whey protein and creatine it just might work wonders.

Anwyway, you're routine is just like mine. I work out with 4 exercises per muscle group, and do about 8-12 reps for each set and do about 4 sets of each exercise. Sucks up a lot of my time (and money) but it gets the job done perfectly.

 

[Neo_ZX]

I want to look bigger but I don't want the shrinking effects of Creatine when you stop taking it.

Another concern with protein is the turkey neck effect. Some people that have taken it have noticed an increase in fat only in certain spots. Don't know if there is really any consistency to this though.
I've heard that anything that leaves your ass will smell a lot worse too.

Lastly, there will be varying opinions on this I'm sure but how often should you take a shake and when?

 

[Dracor]

I will vouch for Designer Whey too. It has a really nice taste, and it is a lot easier to keep up on your protien shakes if the stuff tastes good. Try mixing it in the blender for the best results. You can even through in a banana or peanut butter,

 

[effzee]

I'd definitly go with AST's VP2, best whey on the market right now. Also, remember Protein doesn't replace meals, so if you truly are sick of "eating", try getting AST's meal replacement.

The last concern is with my liver and stuff. If there have been any significant evidence of damage then I would have to re-think as well. Any brand recommendations would help.

Don't worry about it, research has shown no significant risk even when people consume 2 grams of protein per lb of body weight. Not that i personally recommend taking that much, but taking a protein shake after working out won't kill your liver.

Another concern with protein is the turkey neck effect. Some people that have taken it have noticed an increase in fat only in certain spots. Don't know if there is really any consistency to this though.
I've heard that anything that leaves your ass will smell a lot worse too.

Rumors, and myths if you take protein after working out, it will go mostly towards recovery, so don't worry.

Lastly, there will be varying opinions on this I'm sure but how often should you take a shake and when?

You need to take 1 to 1.5 gram of protein per lb of body weight. So you have to work in that range plus the times its most advantageous to take it is right after working out, before going to sleep and right when waking up.

 

[Neo_ZX]

I'm full of questions today.

If I start taking it, technically my muscles should repair faster and I shouldn't feel as sore for as long as I do now right?

How do I know I've worked out enough so that the protein doesn't turn me into a fatass?

Should I use it on off days?

 

[SlickWilly223]

I'm full of questions today.

If I start taking it, technically my muscles should repair faster and I shouldn't feel as sore for as long as I do now right?

How do I know I've worked out enough so that the protein doesn't turn me into a fatass?

Should I use it on off days?

Depending upon the intensity of your work out, you should know the morning after whether or not your workout was a good one. Usually you'll get a sore but non-painful feeling in the muscle groups that you worked the day before. Generally this lets you know that you sucessfully shocked your muscles.

I take my protein everyday. I don't work out on Saturday or Sunday, but that's when my muscles are getting their full recovery, so of course I'd want to continue with the protein on my off days. The same goes for you. Off days are basically recovery days, so recover your muscles as best you can with some heaping scoops of protein.

And yah, the taste of Designer Whey is pretty good. I do the very same thing Dracor suggested, I put peanut butter and bananas in my Protein shake with 2% Milk. Fucking delicious.

And don't worry about your weight. You're only 175 at 5'10, so I'm sure that even if you did pack on a few pounds it will go unnoticable. Though you won't gain any fat if you work those muscles well, no pussy-footing when you're at the gym, but you can't over-work your muscles either. You have to push yourself during every workout, but not to the point of pain. If you do just that, you will gain weight.... but it will be muscle, not fat.

 

[AssMan]

Wait a minute. Along side with protein, and I can't remember the other thing, they reduce the soreness faster. I eat over 100 grams of protein at leat 5 days a week, and I hardly feel sore the next day after I work out, and I work out pretty hard.

 

[Brimstone]

If you want the best, your looking for a Whey-Casein protein powder. Cytosports EVOPRO is what your looking for. It combines Whey and Micellar Casein so you get protein from two different sources. Whey is fast acting, while Micellar Casein is slower acting. Also EVOPRO includes the amino acid Glutamine in it, which is great stuff.

An easy thing to overlook is taking multivtamins. Without taking them, you could be wasting your time because your body won't be in balance. Take an Animal Pak once a day.

 

[Neo_ZX]

I read it somewhere but why exactly is slow acting good again?

 

[Lil' Dice]

Creatine+Protein+Liquid Aminos+Glutamine+Gucosamine=The strongest guy @ GA.
I also have torn ligaments in my shoulders which KILL ME after bench workouts.
Please, take your gutamines and glucosamines when working out heavy....

 

[OmniGamer]

I also recommend Designer Whey...it also contains a good amount of Glutamine(L-Glutamine)...and they seem to be continuously upgrading their formula, just recently the current one(the pic listed above), has a half gram more protein per serving(18 instead of 17.5), and more Calcium, and more BCAA(Branched Chain Amino Acids)....and compared to some other stuff i've seen, it has much lower cholesterol.

The thing for me before was that it was pricey, but it can be had for $22.99 here, http://www.dpsnutrition.net/product_information.asp?number=NN094&variation=&back=yes

Damn, I just got mine delivered yesterday but now it's out of stock...at least that flavor.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

my brother takes whey and it makes his breathe smell like fcking death. Im talking peel the paint off the walls bad.

 

[effzee]

I'm full of questions today.

If I start taking it, technically my muscles should repair faster and I shouldn't feel as sore for as long as I do now right?

Yeah but its such a small difference in soreness you'll barely feel it. The best thing to sorta like get less soreness is stretching after the workout. That usually helps me.

How do I know I've worked out enough so that the protein doesn't turn me into a fatass?

Should I use it on off days?

A good 20-40 minute workout is good enough, just work out at high intensity and don't worry too much about the weight. As for off days, yeah if you have enough protein to spare.

I read it somewhere but why exactly is slow acting good again?

Its not really, well i mean not in the sense of protein to take right after working out. Slow can be good for things like before going to sleep, if the protein is digested slower it will keep feeding your body throughout the night at a slower rate than super fast absorbing protein. However, for morning and after workout protein intakes, again i would suggest AST products. They have the hydrolyzed olegiopeptide whey isolate (VP2) which is the hightest quality and fastest absorbing protein.

 

[Hitman]

If you take protein after working out.. but your workouts end up being weakass... wil you start gaining fat?

 

[Ristamar]

Designer Whey gets the job done. Tastes like shit, but that is typical of most protein shakes. I drink vanilla Myoplex, one shake an hour before a workout and one afterwards. They don't taste half bad, and they get the job done. If you add in a cup of milk to the mix, your looking at 50 grams of protein per shake.

 

[effzee]

If you take protein after working out.. but your workouts end up being weakass... wil you start gaining fat?

Nah, i mean one weak workout will not make you gain fat so much that you would even notice. Plus if are doing the workouts generally correct, you'll be developing the muscles and your body will already be used to burning more calories so it won't really matter if u mess up once or twice.