Nineteen Eleven

In response to Tom, I have never been one for supplements aside from taking a protein powder. I usually lift in the morning, so before that I will usually have my morning 3 to 4 cups of coffee and aim for good carbs like oatmeal.

In the past I have taken pre-workouts (I think I have tried two over a five year period) but never really felt any benefit, I truthfully think a lot of it is just placebo effect. But then again, I would consider myself more of a naturalist and think you can derive all the energy you need from your diet.

As for your question to Sean, eight scoops may seem like a lot, but if you add two scoops to your shakes (i.e 50g of protein), three or four shakes a day isn't that excessive. At least in my opinion.

And Ricky is right, I **** can't stand going into GNC.

Ricky, you can't even compare gold standard and syntha 6. Gold standard is hands down one of the best whey protein supplements on the market, but syntha 6 is a blend of whey and slower digesting proteins. So therefor it is a lot better for a meal replacement. Also there has been recent studies that protein blends with slow and fast digesting proteins might actually be better for muscle growth then straight up whey. And yes it is higher in sugar and shit compared to gold standard but it still is a way better source of nutrients and calories than even a sandwich.

ao_ wrote:In response to Tom, I have never been one for supplements aside from taking a protein powder. I usually lift in the morning, so before that I will usually have my morning 3 to 4 cups of coffee and aim for good carbs like oatmeal.

In the past I have taken pre-workouts (I think I have tried two over a five year period) but never really felt any benefit, I truthfully think a lot of it is just placebo effect. But then again, I would consider myself more of a naturalist and think you can derive all the energy you need from your diet.

As for your question to Sean, eight scoops may seem like a lot, but if you add two scoops to your shakes (i.e 50g of protein), three or four shakes a day isn't that excessive. At least in my opinion.

And Ricky is right, I **** can't stand going into GNC.

I guess I just need a pre-workout supp. because I work the graveyard shift and I'm usually dead tired after work. It never mattered if I ate or not so I take a BCAA mix with green tea extract for caffeine on the days I work. On my off days I don't take anything.

As for Sean, the 8 scoops doesn't seem like a lot. I've always read anywhere from 1.2-1.8 g/kg of body weight is how much protein you need in a day. The reason I asked when he took them is because whey protein only stays in your system for like 2 hours after digestion so if he drinks multiple shakes throughout the day then that is good, but if it is all right before/after a workout then the excess gets stored as fat. Casein breaks down over 6-8 hours which is why some people opt for that.

EDIT: Agreed that GNC is awful. I go to a local store call Sports Nutrition Center that is run by a married couple that are both pro bodybuilders.

http://www.optimumnutrition.com/product ... p-268.html

I use the Natural Pro Complex, but only because I have a close friend who's an ON rep, so I can get it at wholesale price. I highly recommend it if you can afford it. Other than that, I recommend the Natural ON Gold Standard to just about everyone who asks me.

The Stevia sweetened ones don't taste as good, but understand that if you are using a lot (like I typically do) you are pumping yourself full or Asuclfame Potassium and all sorts of other artificial shit. So, I stick to the Natural, and typically add things to it to help with the taste, whether it be cinnamon, almond/peanut butter, or bananas or something.

I typically do a 60 gram serving in a kale/veggie shake when I first wake up in the morning, and then another 60g serving right after lifting. The rest of my diet throughout the day is typically just plants and animals so I don't usually need another serving unless I feel like it post-evening workout or something.

Eric what do you include in your kale shake? Just out of curiosity, I am wondering how many calories and also protein someone your size takes in on a lifting day?

That Natural Pro Complex from Optimum does look like a very good blend but its a little too expensive for my taste.

ao_ wrote:Eric what do you include in your kale shake? Just out of curiosity, I am wondering how many calories and also protein someone your size takes in on a lifting day?

It varies, but the baseline is this:

4 large kale leafs
4 stalks of celery
1 **** (sliced)
1 chunk of ginger (about the size of a pager)
1 banana
1 cup Coconut Water
2 scoops ON Natural Pro Complex Vanilla

All thrown into a Blendtec Total Blender.

I also typically add a few cloves of raw garlic, but that can really take some getting used to, as it is quite strong and spicy. It sounds a whole lot grosser than it is. The sweetness of the banana/cocount water/whey really helps balance things out.

I typically have one of these right when I wake up, followed by a cup of matcha tea.

As far as protein goes, I typically have 2 60g servings of the pro complex a day, one right when I wake up, and one right after training. On non-training days, I'll typically have a second one at some point as a snack in the late afternoon.

I don't really keep track of my overall protein intake, so I imagine it varies a lot depending on how much I'm training. But, in addition to a minimum of the 120g I'm getting from the pro complex, I'd say I'm getting at least an additional 100g from my diet throughout the rest of the day on most days, mostly in the form of eggs, bacon, chicken breast, and grass fed beef.

This has been a great baseline for me, and I'm currently about 5'11 225 with 8-9% body fat.

Calories also varies a lot, but since I'm not trying to put on any mass right now, I'd say I'm only eating about 3000 calories a day. If I were training more diligently, I would shoot for 5000 calories. But, my BMR will be higher than most people because of the years of training I have behind me, I burn much more than most people.

MTS Nutrition Whey - this stuff is awesome.

www.tigerfitness.com

I just got ON Gold Standard Mocha Cappuccino. It is the most amazing tasting protein I've ever had.

1 chunk of ginger (about the size of a pager)

As you can see, Sears has been drinking this shake since at least before the late 90s.