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[Kenobi]

edit: And seriously, there has to be a better way to take creatine in the powder(cheapest) format. I mix it with a sugar based drink(gatorade) and it tastes like I am drinking dirt water. Any suggestions?

Grape Juice.

 

[scorcho]

i would say dump the creatine completely. most of the muscle gained is water-based and evaporates once you're off the stuff. i took it for a month, blacked out several times and had to gorge myself on water constantly. if you are insistent on taking it then i would recommend liquid creatine (expensive). for powder, i used to mix it in a bannana/ice/milk shake right before the gym. the texture of the bannana helps somewhat with the grave-like taste, but YMMV.

as for meals, just eat small portions throughout the day and make sure to feed yourself protein right right after your workout and right before your sleep. if you're looking for mass you have to increase your calorie intake, though err on the side of complex carbs and low sugar. just on protein shakes and a lean chicken/tuna/turkey diet i gained 20 pound of muscle mass in about 2 years.

 

[GashPrex]

well it seems from what I read people are pretty divided on creatine. I have been taking it in fairly small doses and had no issues since last may, though I drink a lot of water during workouts.

grape juice huh? I will give that a try

 

[effzee]

My diet is decent, though I know it could be far better. I am not sure what I should be eating and how much(and how do I measure how much) to have maximum muscle growth but avoid putting on fat. I also have taken protein suppliments(whey protein mixed with milk). Should I be taking them on non-workout days? And how much? I have heard mixed information on the actual effectiveness of them beyond immediatly following a workout.

There are diet calculators on various bbing websites where they can tell u how many calories of carbs, fat and protein you need. I use the one on AST's site. Their protien recommendation is considered very high by most people (Not me) so idk if u want to use theirs.

Also your body always needs protein. Whether your working out or not. So even on the days ur not working out, i recommend taking it if you have enough protein. Also, the best times to take protein are right after working out, before going to sleep and right when you wake up. These are the times where your body needs the protein the most and will benefit you the most.

As for how much, that depends on what protein brand you have.

Secondaly, I usually only take 1 teaspoon of creatine about 20 min before a workout. Should I take some on non-workout days?

What brand of creatine is it? Also, from what i've read, Creatine should be taken 10 minutes before u stop working out and half and hour after the workout. Not before.

i would say dump the creatine completely. most of the muscle gained is water-based and evaporates once you're off the stuff. i took it for a month, blacked out several times and had to gorge myself on water constantly. if you are insistent on taking it then i would recommend liquid creatine (expensive). for powder, i used to mix it in a bannana/ice/milk shake right before the gym. the texture of the bannana helps somewhat with the grave-like taste, but YMMV.

Whoa, what creatine were you taking? I agree that creatine does require you to take in more water and the muscle size might decrease with out, however creatine also makes you stronger, and that strenght does not dissappear so easily. Creatine also has other benefits too like increasing endurance so I don't think people should just look over creatine.

Oh and about the liquid creatine, from all the reading i've done, its useless because creatine becomes another substance if kept in liquid form for a while.

 

[Macam]

Two comments on this thread:

Creatine is a waste in my opinion. Unless you care to do endless cycling and just have the water based mass, you're probably better off just avoiding it. It can help, but it's not dramatically noticeable in my experience and a good diet and workout regime can you just as far for less money. Use the money to grab a subscription to Men's Health instead, which despite having a miserable subscription service, has great advice month after month on what to eat, what and how to work out depending on your goals, and so on.

Your body needs protein for a number of things, and whey protein is the most effective as rebuilding muscle. That said, you shouldn't take more than 0.5-1.0 grams of protein per pound (according to Men's Health). If you're looking to tone and build, and not become a total meathead, I'd recommend following that advice. Besides, even eating 1g per pound is a ridiculous amount; I weigh around 180, and I'd be lucky enough to get close that amount, despite regularly eating protein laden meals every 2-3 hours.

 

[Vibri]

Wow, lots of knowledgeable people here. I have a full gym near me that no one uses, and it's free. I figure I should start using it...

Here's my question, and if anyone in the know would take a minute to answer your help that would be awesome!

Assuming I have just 20-25 minutes free every morning.... and these are my priorities:

1. Build upper body/arms/shoulders
2. Keep metabolism/energy high through the day
3. Burn fat (I'm not overweight but wanna stay healthy)

Five days a week - if anyone could give me specific suggestions that would be AWESOME. Right now I just do a 5 min warm up, 10 min uphill treadmil run, then 10 mins of crunches or lifting. Am I wasting my time here?

edit - what's considered a good healthy breakfast for this kind of routine these days, assuming my priorities? Bear in mind I'm not in bad shape and not overweight or anything, so I'm not looking to start eating some weird protein pak shit evey day.

 

[Myllz]

You people and your creatine-knowledge. Where's the frickin' hyrdroxycut specialists?

 

[Jim Bowie]

I have a question, as I'm an exercise novice. I just started going to exercise last week after a few years of inaction. I'm looking to not really gain any muscle, but just lose lots of weight. I've already changed my diet to lowfat and low calorie, mostly vegetables, and I'm trying to get into the gym twice a day (morning and night).

NOW, I know cardio is the way to go. I've been doing mostly the stair climbing torture device, the gazelle-like running torture device, and the bike. Bike's not torture. I was curious as to what (if any) other cardio machines should I be using? I've got basically a full spread to choose from.

Also, a large majority of the fat has settled in the gut region and the chest region. What exercises would be the best for removing the fat from there?

 

[Jim Bowie]

Anyone?

 

[teiresias]

Also, a large majority of the fat has settled in the gut region and the chest region. What exercises would be the best for removing the fat from there?

Spot reduction does not exist, you just have to lose fat until it finally decreases in the area you desire. I also wouldn't totally neglect resistance training even when trying to primarily lose weight. Muscle is harder to maintain and so if you increase the amount you have your metabolism increases since your body has to burn more calories during the day even when you're not actively exercising, further increasing your total calories burned during the day. I just wouldn't try and gain any great amount of mass when trying to drop a large amount of weight.

The only other aerobic machine I can think of is the treadmill, but depending on your knees that may or may not be a good option and sticking to the elliptical trainer may be your best bet as a replacement. Bike's good too.

 

[Jim Bowie]

Spot reduction does not exist, you just have to lose fat until it finally decreases in the area you desire. I also wouldn't totally neglect resistance training even when trying to primarily lose weight. Muscle is harder to maintain and so if you increase the amount you have your metabolism increases since your body has to burn more calories during the day even when you're not actively exercising, further increasing your total calories burned during the day. I just wouldn't try and gain any great amount of mass when trying to drop a large amount of weight.

The only other aerobic machine I can think of is the treadmill, but depending on your knees that may or may not be a good option and sticking to the elliptical trainer may be your best bet as a replacement. Bike's good too.

Thanks a lot.. I thought it'd be mostly cardio. I guess I'll do cardio in the morning and weight training in the evening. And my knees are solid thanks to years of DDR, so I'll give the treadmill a go. Thanks again.