Supplements and working out

Okay, so I'm a sucker! But the thing is I want to gain muscle weight, and I work out for an hour a day at lunch (usually 1:15-2:15).

So! What supplements should I take and when. I'm 6'2" and weigh 174lbs. I'm looking to gain weight, but it's very difficult for me.

Here's my current regimen:

7:30 AM - 50g whey protein drink (Isopure from Nature's Best)
7:30 AM - Vasostat Non-Arginine NO Amplifier - 2 capsules
12:45 PM - Vasostat Non-Arginine NO Amplifier - 2 capsules
12:45 PM - Mixed drink - milk powder, whey protein, soy protein (about 25-30g protein total)
1:15-2:15 - WORKOUT
2:15 PM - Gatorade with 5g Creatine (in capsules)
3:00 PM - 50g whey protein drink
3:30 PM - Massive pack o' vitamins (Nature's Best Super Multi Power Pack)
8:30 PM - 50g whey protein drink

So that puts me at about 175g protein from supplements/day (I'm a vegetarian, so this is the vast majority of the protein I get in a day - maybe 50g from non supplemental sources). I often skip one of the three above 50g whey drinks. I also often skip the vitamin pack.

That deal runs about $6.00ish/day, which is kinda expensive, but doable. I often skip on the weekends, which I probably shouldn't do.

My gym membership is a company benefit so I'm saving $ there.

Any tips would be appreciated.

david

(and I mean a serious body-builder) you cannot absorb more than 30g of protein at a time.

are always talking about drinking "1/2 protein shake".

Hmmmmmm... Do you know how far apart I should make the doses?

Thanks for the tip!

david

I drink protein drinks because I had gastric bypass surgery and need to supplement my protein in order to avoid malnutrition. I looked into lots of different shakes but my nutritionist told me that there was no point in spending a lot of money on a shake w/ 70g of protein because I was only going to absorb about 30g anyway.

I've been using 2 different supplements now... both with relatively low protein, but the good news is that I get to eat a few times a day :silly: and I can get some protein there.

I use Nectar whey protein- 23g (my favorite flavor is Roadside Lemonade) and I also use s/f Carnation Instant Breakfast - 12g.

Assuming that your workout has the proper intensity and focus, and your diet is in good shape, we can look at supplementation.

First, that's a lot of protein. A lot. 225 grams is significant. You're probably following the 1g/lb bodyweight adage. Nothing really wrong, per se, with that. At 6'2 and 174lbs, I'm also assuming you're a bit of an ectomorph, so quality calories might be a concern.

You're taking a nitric oxide supplement. That's good. What type/brand of creatine? I'd take it pre-workout, rather than post workout, and combine it with my NO supplement. In looking at the Vasostat product, with which I have no experience at all, I can see that it is somewhat costly. If you aren't getting the results you think you should, you could try another brand. I swear they should be paying me, as much as I promote them, but I really like NO Xplode by BSN, which will replace both your NO supplement and your creatine supplement, and probably be cheaper.

You could try to manipulate your testosterone levels, but I kind of feel queasy even suggesting it. Tribulus has long been a natural herb that promotes the male body's creation of test, sort of. Some say that stacking zinc and magnesium can increase free testosterone. HGF-1 is another. Since the recent pro-hormone ban, the marketplace has become a hotspot of one company trying to scoop the others with the latest pseudo-steroid. I have nothing against the test/hormone manipulating stuff, and think folks can legally do whatever they want with their bodies. I just don't know if you want to go that far.

Also, as a vegetarian, you may have concerns with supplements that come in gelatin, so read your labels.

I'd like to hear more about your workout regimen and diet, as one can't really supplement their way to muscles...legally.

Let's see...

First of all my creatine is ON Creatine 2500 caps by Creapure. I was under the impression that Creatine = Creatine = Creatine, but that was a few years ago, maybe it's not the case anymore.

Thanks for the tip on the NO Explode. I'm just starting this stuff, and the results are cool but not astounding, so I'd like to try some other stuff too.

Yes, I'd say I'm an ectomorph deluxe. It's taken me 2 years off and mostly on to gain about 20 lbs. I'm sure some of it is because I don't work out as hard as I probably could, but I do try to push it. I work out solo, so lack of a spotter keeps me from pushing the limits as often as I should, though I'm not overly bashful about failing and relying on the safety cradle whatever it's called. I should probably use a smith machine more often, though.

I usually workout an hour a day (M-F) at lunch. I've just switched to a workout-area/day

M: Chest
Tu: Shoulders
W: Back
Th: Arms
Fr: Legs

routine. The weights I do are pretty pathetic all things considered, but I am making gains. I usually do 5 sets with progressive weight ala

1 warm up just bar set 12 reps
1 set 10-12 reps 125 lbs
2 sets 6-8 reps 135 lbs
2 sets 2-6 reps 145 lbs
1 cool-down set 95 lbs 8 reps

And try to hit different areas on subsequent exercises:

e.g. chest day:

Bench press
Chest fly
Incline bench
Decline chest fly
Dips

I have to get it all done in an hour, and during lunch is about the only time I have to exercise.

As for diet, Ummmmmm, not great. Pretty much crap food and fruit. I should definitely do better on that, particularly because pop-tarts probably aren't supposed to be part of a good regimen.

An example of what I might eat in a day

7:30 AM 2 hardboiled eggs/fruit juice
9:30 AM some kinda pastry crap with coffee
11:00 AM banana
2:00 PM Taco Bell burritos
6:00 PM Red Bull on the way home
7:30 PM Tequila and some veggie bbq sandwich

I try to cram a couple more pieces of fruit in there and often bring along some veggies which usually go unconsumed.

The lunch is often replaced with other stuff, sandwich, salad and also often skipped.

Anyway, as always I appreciate any advice you have flvegan. I think we all appreciate your advice!

david

which quickly enter yr bloodstream, cause your insulin to spike, making you feel loggy, making you store excess fat, and making you crave more high-glycemic carbs.

Specifically fruit juice, pastry, banana, flour tortilla, and the bread on that sandwich.

You will be better off w more dense fruits and vegetables and less grains and juices.

flvegan will do a better job of analysing yr diet from a vegetarian perspective. But if I ate the carbs you are eating I know I would feel like crap, and the weight I gained would be fat, not muscle.

Don't skip lunch after working out either - your body need fuel to build muscle.

Best of Luck!

I don't gain much fat, but when I do, I can tell where it's coming from.

Anyway, thanks for the tips. I definitely have to work on the diet a little. It might be easier if I saw (this is kinda a terrible thing to say) hugely negative effects of my bad diet (e.g. I was gaining a lot of fat weight), but as I don't, I usually just let it go.

Thanks again!

david

but with the spacing of the meals and shakes, I don't see THAT much of a crash point. Also, as an ectomorph, I worry less about the fat storage and more about energy levels and glycogen replenishment.

Your points are extremely valid, in my opinion, with a mesomorph where we'd really have to take timing into consideration.

Educated post, certainly.

mesomorphs and endomorphs, so ectomorphs are way out of my paradigm - except that I remember really envying them when I was a fat 12 year old.

Creatine is not creatine. As a veg, you'll experience certain creatine advantages over others (should experience, anyway). Creapure is the be-all-end-all of the monohydrates. However, it's come a long way from there. Well, combinations have come a long way. Google dicreatine malate and you should get a good idea.

I'm also going to say, right now, that I appreciate your honesty in your diet. You had me at "pastry crap" and the tequila.

20 lbs in 2 years on an ectomorph is pretty good. Hell, 20 lbs on anyone, so long as it's lean mass, is pretty good. Don't worry about the spotter. I've never used a spotter, probably never will. Listen to your body. Push the weight up, let it down. When you can't do another, you'll know it before you try. Most folks concentrate on the number of reps a little too much.

I like the thought behind your chest workout. Push, squeeze, push, squeeze, push. Good science. Now, look at your rotation. I'd break bodyparts into push vs. pull exercises. In other words, chest followed by shoulders is push following push. Put back in between those two. Push, pull, push. I like arms all on one day, bis, tris and forearms. Blow those arms out. Same with legs.

I think that you summed up a lot of your progress with "I am making gains" which is very important. You don't appear to have plateaued, so to speak.

Here's the biggest giant-killer I can give you. The amount of weight? It doesn't matter. It's a number. Sure, keep track so you can see your progress and know you're improving. Poundage is just that. I work out next to a guy you might see on tv sometimes, goes by the name The Big Show. He's like 500 pounds and 7 feet tall. On the WWE shows, he's this monster. Watch him work out. He's not benching half a ton, nor ez-curling a couple hundred pounds. He's methodical and focused, and he has a good trainer (not me, I wish). I'd like to see any of my gym rat brethren tell him he's not moving enough iron.

We could go much more advanced than this...drop sets, pyramiding, superslow negatives (my favorites!), low-rep/high weight vs. high rep/med. weight, and on and on. PM me and we can go into further structure and detail if you want.

I'd suggest checking out the Protein Factory, www.proteinfactory.com. They sell by the lb, you can make your own custom mixes or use theirs, and they are cheap! It's cheap because they do no retail and have no packaging - the powder comes in plastic bags. You can request their invoices from the protein manufacturers if you want to know where it's coming from as well.

Aside from the price, I feel better about knowing that the mysterious powder I'm eating doesn't contain preservatives or crud, and that I'm in control of what I'm buying. The downside is that they're usually not as tasty as some commercial products, since they don't use any thickeners and other stuff. The straight CFM whey + chocolate flavor & stevia sweetener is usually what I buy. I only use the stuff right after a workout - real food is cheaper ;-)

I'll check into it.

I usually use "Isopure" low carb by Nature's Best. It mixes really well, so it's easy to just dump in some water, shake up and guzzle. The taste, if you don't add milk, is pretty ungood, but if I guzzle it I only have to deal with a quick 5 second bout with the aftertaste.

Kinda like tequila!

Thanks again!

david

Also, I would stay away the NO products. They have caused some serious problems. Stay away from slow burning protiens (milk) before and after workout, consider whey protien before and after. Next time get some creatine monohydrate powder rather than capsules. Everybody absorbs different amounts of protien in one sitting. One person might only absorb 30g while others might be able to absorb 50g. If it works for you, do it. It won't hurt you. What does your workout routine look like.

Sometimes protein overload gives me EBS (Explosive Bowel Syndrome), so I'll watch that and see how much I can take at a sitting - or I guess I should say take at a time.

Oh, and, no, I'm not on a Low Carb diet.

Thanks!

david