A post work out shake should be something easily broken down and easily absorbed by your body, Whey works but there are some other specific post workout supplements out there that do a better job, PhD Recovery I think is one.
This is overly simplistic and completely inaccurate - the body needs ALL food types to repair muscle, even though it is synthesis of amino acids from protein that actually does the work. The intake of extra calories from carbs and fat is crucially important to compensate for the increase in basal metabolic rate (plus the intense training), and the balance of carbs, fat, fibre, minerals and protein is important for overall health. If you train like a bitch and eat too much protein and not enough carbs or fat, amino acids from the digested protein will be used to make glucose due to the carb/fat deficit and you'll go around being tired all day without ever gaining much muscle mass. Several years ago I realised the importance of calories, and only then did I really start to get really big. This is probably the most misunderstood part of weight training: over-emphasis on protein intake, and not enough accurate teaching about ENERGY. I've been weight training for almost 15 years now and when it comes to understanding how the body works, I know the wheat from the chaff.
Just an update on the Optimum Nutrition stuff... It mixes like frigging grit, the products them selves are top notch and the amount of protein per ££ it's spot on also the flavours are nice. But it doesn't dissolve into the water too well and leaves a bitty gritty after taste. This is true of their Serious Mass and and their Casein. But if you're like me and most other people how good something tastes is one of the last reasons for your putting it in your body, for me it works in this order. Nutritional Value, How easy it is to wolf down, prep time, smell, taste. Officially started my bulk yesterday, weighing in at 154.4lbs after 12 months off and a 5 week mini cut.
Lol so true. I think my potato salad is a little past its best but down the hatch it went (and the rest of it is in the bin). I remember one protein drink I tried about 8 years ago... I don't think it would have been humanly possible to keep it down; other than that, I'll eat or drink just about anyting short of raw eggs a la Rocky Balboa. Good luck with your bulking and keep your energy levels up.
Second post in this thread What do you guys do for motivation? When I'm in a gym I really struggle to find the motivation to do anything. Does it just come naturally to you or do you have something that makes you want to do it? Also, any tips for me to bulk up? I've heard you guys talking about all these supplements and I'm just sat here with a blank look on my face. I'm thinking of buying some weights and a chin up bar soon to get me started. But is there anything else you'd recommend?
Thanks mate, I've got a shake like that, Atlas Super Weight Gainer, I dare ANY MAN! To take more than 2 gulps of that and keep it down. Also what's wrong with raw eggs? My pre workout shake used to consist of 3 egg whites 1 yolk (too much cholesterol on the yolks) I wish motivation came naturally mate. I found you need the right soundtrack for starters, some songs just make you want to lift. Limp Bizkit - Break stuff makes me lift like a mad man. But no, I find my body alone is motivation for me, seeing results, wanting more etc. Try this video on for size see if this motivates you :
You're misreading what I wrote. I didnt say dont eat fats/carbs/mineral and nutrients because its proteins thats primarily in the repair of muscle. If you would have read what I wrote, I said eat a balanced diet with 20/30% protein (even if you are trying to build muscle) - hence why I displayed a picture of a plate of food that was well balanced and have repeated that point numerous times in this thread. You're jumping on one part of a post where I was criticising the bulking mentality which suggests you can intake what the hell you like, whether thats thousands of calories over your requirements, or whether thats **** loads of fats (ie eating more than you are burning off, purposely trying to put weight on). Doing that will not assist in muscle growth, it wont, period. Yes you need some fats in BALANCED diet which is what Iv said throughout this thread, but as soon as you go over your daily requirements (taking into account your weight, and level of activity) it is stored as fat and will not assist in muscle growth whatsoever. The amount of fat you need in a balanced diet is nowhere near the amount people who are 'bulking' eat.
Cheers, I reckon if I saw rewards I'd be happy and keep going, but I've never found that increase so I gave up. And Break Stuff always makes me want to do something, usually listen to it when I'm cycling. I'm not overly looking for being a chunk of muscle, but definitely bulking up. I'm 84.3Kg and 6'6" atm, ideally I want to be at the top end of the 90's and maybe even pushing 100kg. I can achieve this my just eating.. Buuut that just isn't good Any ideas?
Wait.. What?! Shake consists of : Supplement Facts: Serving Size: 1 level scoop (30g) Servings Per Container: 133 Per 30g Serving: Calories - 117 Protein - 22g Fat – 1.56g - of which saturates – 0.7g Carbohydrates – 5.1g - of which sugars – 2.1g Sodium – 37mg Fibre – 210mg Times everything by 2 as there's two scoops in there. How much fat do you think there is in that that I shouldn't be eating then mate? So 69g of Protein and less than 13g of fat.. less than 3g of which saturates... If you don't know what a persons bulking diet is... How can you comment?
No I'm not - here is your last post, quoted word-for-word: So you openly assert that "bulking won't help you build muscle," which is categorically and demonstrably untrue. Bulking is a combination of training hard, eating a lot of good food (in calculated amounts) and consequently gaining body weight in order to increase muscle mass. Bulking is a means to an end (not an end in and of itself) and it requires extensive planning and patience. Bulking is not mindless gluttony, as you seem to think. Bodybuilders bulk and cut; it's tried and tested and has been for decades, even though countless "experts" maintain it's a myth. I bulk and cut (read: I cut when I can be arsed) and people often say to me "wow Dave, you like the gym huh?" not "wow Dave, you are one FAT mofo!" In a nutshell, for those who don't like big long posts: 1) bulking = caloric surplus 2) caloric surplus = growth 3) caloric deficit = weight LOSS And for further clarification 1) bulking ≠ gluttony 2) caloric surplus ≠ obesity
For those like me who were sat looking at ≠ thinking... what's that... it means not equal to, so bulking does not mean gluttony etc etc. Sorry, it puzzled me for a bit as I was like bulking = gluttony?! wait.. what's ≠ <-- that..
Thats just semantics. For many people bulking is not "eating a lot of good food (in calculated amounts)" - they eat high protein high fat diets, and do not consider their actual daily requirements (and hence put on load of FAT and not muscle, because the muscle grows at the same speed whether one in takes shed loads of calories or not, as long as enough protein has been provided) . Im not talking about having a few tins of tuna, Im talking about the people, and Iv seen this all over the internet, who think that bodybuilding (ie bulking) means going out and eating everything in sight because that will somehow help gain muscle. You might say 'zomg 3lusive of course I didnt mean that', but you have to be careful what you mean when we are talking about loosely defined terms. Anyway, your point 3 is still categorically wrong for most people (at least if you mean weight loss in the sense of 'cant build muscle while losing weight'). Let me explain - Imagine you was 2/3/4 stone overweight. Well if you wanted to lose that weight, making a caloric deficit is one way you could do it. However, if you started to cut your calories (making a deficit) AND started to lift weights, you WOULD put on muscle and lose weight (body fat) at the same time. Your body would repair the muscles bigger, while using your bodyfat as a energy source seeing as you are cutting back what you eat (thus caloric deficit) If you have already got extremely low levels of bodyfat, then that wont happen, but for most people that is true. People like Steve already were probably underweight, which is why they look much healthier now they have more fat (and yes some muscle) on their body
I'm sorry mate, you can build muscle on a caloric deficit. HOWEVER, the process is much, much slower. If you want to spend years doing what a couple of bulk and cut cycles can achieve that's fair enough but please stop trying to tell people who are asking for advice that any other way except for yours is bollocks and unhealthy why put a downer on a proven method of gaining weight? And no, I was skinny but I wasn't "under weight" as the doctors told me over and over and over again, despite visible ribs this isn't under weight according to my GP : (me at 9 stone) I'm now sat comfortably at 11stone 2lbs after a cut and I'm certainly not carrying that much fat mate, a "healthy" weight range for my height (6ft) is 136 to 184 lbs. I'm now on a bulk again and am increasing my daily calorie intake by 500 each month till I hit 3,500 a day, possibly 4,000. But please don't think this is going to consist of take outs, mc donnalds etc, I weigh out my food ffs, its and methodical most people who bulk do the same, so if you've been talking to people about bulking and who just stuff their faces with everything and anything... I suggest you stop hanging around with idiots. Also it might just be me.. but this comes accross as derogatory when I read it : Some muscle? Are you telling me that is just very well shaped fat?!
OK 3lusive - so it seems we are in agreement for the most part, but you also need to be careful when you come out with absolutes like "bulking won't help build muscle" - like I said, completely false. Bulking is not a loosely defined term; bulking is a dietary technique of taking in a surplus of calories from a balanced diet which bodybuilers pair with intense hypertrophic weight training in order to help them build muscle mass. For the people who claim stuffing their face full of everything in sight is bulking, then it is they who are guilty of the misnomer and not me. And as for point 3) being wrong, you are not simply reading the words on the page, which would be a good start: I said weight loss, not anything else. You can burn perhaps 1lb of fat per week, but you can't gain 1lb of muscle per week. Forget about caloric deficit and muscle gain for a minute and look at the maths: WEIGHT LOSS, LOL. Point 3) stands. Incidentally the caveat that "you must be fat to build muscle whilst on a caloric deficit" is just ridiculous, although true - most people I know (or know of) that want to "get big" are scrawny guys who are unfit and underweight. The best approach when you want to build muscle is to take in a caloric surplus which is what most of the pro bodybuilders do. Any fat that is stored is perfectly healthy and poses no threat of heart failure etc... the only reason bodybuilders shed the fat they gain when bulking is so they can get stupidly ripped, nearly killing themselves in the process.
@ Steve, I think we are of a very similar build - I am 6 foot also and used to weigh about 9 stone (give or take) when I was at school, aged 17; now 28 I weigh 13 stone 7. At my peak I was about 12 stone 7 (I have a pic somewhere, will try to find it) and it goes to show that even skinny guys like me can get big with the right combination of diet and exercise!
Indeed LennyRhys, despite what people may think by reading my posts I'm not saying I didn't bust my balls in the gym, because I did... blood, sweat, vomit and tears made regular appearances (usually on leg days ha ha) and I worked damned hard. *looks at watch* Tuna time again *gag*
Woot, I found these pics which were taken nearly 6 years ago lol This is me at about 12 stone, immediately after a workout: And this is me at 12st 9 in 2006, with some LURVE HANDLES : I'll post a pic of the "current" me in a few weeks time when I finish my bulking phase!
Look how disgustingly fat you are there!! With your dirty bulking methods!! You fat ba**ard... Wait.. Sorry.. I'm clearly not even looking at your pictures there.. Looking hench mate, still training? You're also much bigger in the arms than I was when I hit 12 stone. Mine seems to go in my shoulders and traps, they love to grow.. but sadly my arms don't.
Cheers Steve - big arms are about big triceps, seeing that they make up 2/3 of the upper arm. These pics were taken a few months after I started hitting my triceps hard with a combination of compound (wide grip bench, dips, shoulder press) and isolation (close grip bench, skull crushers, french curls) exercises. I just started training last week after a four month hiatus folloing a bad rotator cuff injury (shoulder press, my own fault) and I'm loving it. Age is catching up with me though, and the nearer I get to 30 the harder it is to keep the fat off lol.
Don't forget your natural test levels have declined year by year since you were about 21ish. My tricep set list comprises of, Skull Crushers, BW Dips, Cable Push downs and Kick Backs, I train Triceps with Back allowing me to give my triceps and beating of their life on their own, then rest them in time for chest and bicep night. This is something I've just started to try and so far seems good. My last spout in the gym was a standard push / pull / leg split.
