selecting a protein powder - beginner

[tryingtoworkout]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm 24 and I started working out for the first time a few weeks ago. I've been doing a strength training program (just some beginning program that I found) and running as much as I can (1-3 miles) every other day. Things have been going well, but my diet has been pretty horrendous. Usually I would wake up, not eat for hours, eat a massive lunch/dinner, then not get hungry again until an hour or two before I went to bed. Then I'd binge on whatever I had because I was so hungry.

 

For the last week I've been making a sort of "breakfast smoothie" for myself when I wake up. This has: small amount of oatmeal (steel cut oats), a bit of flax seed, spinach, a banana, 2 different kinds of frozen fruit (strawberrries/blueberries/peaches usually), kefir yogurt, and orange juice. It tastes pretty good and it certainly helps me feel more full in the mornings. Today I tried a scoop of whey protein that my roommate (who lifts fairly extensively) offered to me. The difference felt huge. Not only did it make the whole shake taste better and give it a better consistency, but I felt much fuller for much longer.

 

So now I'm trying to find a protein powder for me. I've been doing a bit of research, and it seems to be universally a good thing. It can help with weight loss, muscle gain, feeling full, drinking after a workout to prevent overeating, etc. Obviously random web pages offering to "fill you in on secrets about protein powder the GOVERNMENT doesnt want you to know about!!" can only take me so far. This community has been knowledgable in the past, and I'd like to rely on you guys again! So, what protein powder would you suggest for someone like me? My main focus is slimming down while building a base amount of muscle. Any replies are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Toddbt12y1]

I like Nytrowhey for slimming down; it works great! Especially as a pre-workout. Though now I am using Myofusion for a bulkup, which is working for me. Optimum (probably mis-spelt) is great too!

 

Prosource for Nytrowhey. Bodybuilding.com for the rest, LOL. They have excellent shipping for me...Anyway try Nytrowhey. It tastes great and it has helped me with lean bulking.

[tman666]

First of all, if your goal is to put on muscle and lean out, I would ditch the running. Your goal of body recomposition (building muscle and losing fat at the same time) is going to be best achieved through intense resistance training. Running is doing nothing for you but burning off your muscle. If you are carrying a significant amount of flab and really do need the extra cardio, I would stick to uphill walking while in a fasted state. You will burn more fat this way without negatively impacting your recovery from your lifting sessions. If you are already pretty lean, you can still implement fasted low intensity steady state cardio, or you can focus more on shorter yet higher intensity conditioning sessions provided that they aren't hindering forward progress on the weights. Either way, I'd ditch the long distance running as it's likely not doing as much for you as you'd like.

 

The other big piece of the puzzle is your diet. You should be getting at least 1 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight per day. As far as carbs and fats go, I recommend timing your carb intake to mostly post training and upon breaking a fasted state. Your body's glycogen stores will be lowest at those times, and ingesting carbs will refill those stores while minimizing the amount of glucose that is converted for fat storage. There are literally a million ways to set up your nutrition plan, but the common theme, at least for when building muscle is a priority, is getting enough protein.

 

Now, to answer your question about protein, basic whey protein isolate/concentrate blend is fine. Bodybuildiing.com sells just about every variety you could ever want at reasonable prices. Keep in mind that it's just supplemental protein. It's not going to ever be a suitable replacement for proper nutrition. The big benefit of whey protein is that it's highly (and quickly) absorptive, which makes it ideal for post workout supplementation. If you are looking for longer-term satiety and more of a "steady supply" of amino acids over time, casein protein is superior.

 

You really do not need to spend a ton of money on supplements. Some supplements, such as Vitamin D, Creatine Monohydrate, and Whey Protein are helpful, while many, many others are complete wastes of money. Your training and your diet are the biggest factors, by far, that will determine your results.

[FitChick]

I buy Designer Whey at Trader Joe's.

[amaysngrace]

I buy Olympian Pea Protein online. It's vegan.

[whichwayisup]

Myofusion

 

Do you need to work out daily, to use Myofusion? Does it help put on a few pounds? Even if the goal isn't to bulk up muscle wise, it is healthy and OK to just drink one every day?

 

I don't know much about protein powders and how they work.

[xpaperxcutx]

Optimum 100% Whey. My boyfriend swears by it and he's been a personal trainer all his life. One scoop will help you recover after a workout and it blends well with food supplementation: banana, peanut butter, etc. Remember you are drinking protein for muscle recovery. You still need a good clean diet.

[Toddbt12y1]

Do you need to work out daily, to use Myofusion? Does it help put on a few pounds? Even if the goal isn't to bulk up muscle wise, it is healthy and OK to just drink one every day?

 

I don't know much about protein powders and how they work.

 

Generally, you would substitute one of your meals with a protein shake. Can you take it everyday? Yeah. Myofusion is good for putting on pounds; it is thick...so you might fill bloated. But I find it working. 5lbs of it is pretty good for a month +.

 

Anyway, this is how I take protein shakes. You should eat between six-seven meals a day.(six primarily ) well snacks comprise one of these six meals; generally you eat a healthy snack(protein bar?). Instead, I generally take my protein shakes in place of my snacks(just cheaper for me.)

 

I do this daily. Really, you should look into getting yourself a stack. A stack is a set of supplements that work well with one another, they compliment each other.

 

(Sorry I have a headache so this might not be well written.) Tmann is an excellent source of knowledge though; he could help you better.

 

What workout are you following? (I know you mentioned a few things, but who are you modelling your workouts after?)

[Toddbt12y1]

X is right, Optimum is a great protein as well. Think of protein as a way to recover, as X said.

 

Yes you should try to workout atleast five-six days a week. If you take protein shakes and fail to workout enough, it will put fat on you. Your body will store it as extra energy(fat).

 

You can limit cardio, if you bulkup. Actaully you'll continue to burn calories long after you finish your workout; as it boosts your metabolism. You should take a shake aftershocks workout(or eat something in high protein)

[monicaelise]

I buy Designer Whey at Trader Joe's.

 

This is a tried and true. It's been around forever and it's a good, basic product.

 

If you find whey difficult to digest, as many people do, try Isopure's Zero Carb. It's also lactose free. It's not great tasting, but it's less painful than a lot of the other products on the market.

 

Also, try timing your protein with a little care. Get it "in the tank" before anything else in the morning. I generally try to get 25-30 grams (usually in the form of a protein powder, but occasionally... if I have the motivation... via cooked eggs/egg whites or chicken) in within a half an hour of waking up. You'll be amazed at the effect this has on your appetite, as well as your gains at the gym.

[tman666]

Do you need to work out daily, to use Myofusion? Does it help put on a few pounds? Even if the goal isn't to bulk up muscle wise, it is healthy and OK to just drink one every day?

 

I don't know much about protein powders and how they work.

 

For some reason, lots of people seem to have the notion that protein powders do something that regular food does not. In some ways they are correct. Whey protein is highly bioavailable and highly absorptive. This basically means that it is very good for post training supplementation, but is less than ideal for simple meal replacement.

 

The benefit of supplemental protein as a meal replacement (if one is dieting down) is that you are getting a fairly pure protein and amino acid source without many additional carbohydrates and fats. This allows one to more closely monitor their caloric intake.

 

All macronutrients being equal, satiety (how full you feel) will be superior with meals comprised of "real" food versus liquid supplemental protein (especially whey~casein protein is a better choice, in my opinion, for meal replacement as it is slower digesting).

 

But to answer your question, no, there is nothing wrong with replacing a meal with a protein shake. You just have to understand that there's not necessarily any great benefit to it over regular food. Your training and your nutrition will have a much greater affect on your body composition than supplemental protein will. The main benefit, in my experience, of supplemental protein is when cutting body fat. It allows for my daily protein quota to be more easily met without the accompanying calories that most foods contain.

 

There are a lot of opinions out there on supplemental protein. Some say that it is entirely unnecessary. Some will claim that it is crucial. My belief is that as long as you have a clear purpose for why you are buying it (or any other supplement for that matter), then it can be money well spent.

[GLDheart]

...The main benefit, in my experience, of supplemental protein is when cutting body fat. It allows for my daily protein quota to be more easily met without the accompanying calories that most foods contain...

 

This.

 

I try to get about 150 to 200 grams of protein a day. All while keeping carbs to a bare minimum. Without protein powders, I would be eating all day.

 

Some other good suggestions: Add some Almonds to your diet as a snack. Also, I like Broccoli with melted cheese when I want a small "hold me over" meal. Oh, and a Freaking huge omelet (with ham/bacon/cheese) is another great way to get a bunch of protein and minimal carbs.

 

As for what type of protein I buy... meh... I just get whatever is cheapest and has next to nothing for carbs in it. AND DON'T mix it with milk... use water.

Edited December 19, 2012 by GLDheart

[Toddbt12y1]

If you want to go on a solid protein diet, then yes. But it is expensive to get protein, without excess in other areas. So, I myself replace only snacks with protein. I eat much healthier food, such as talipia for protein. Human body is meant to eat solids, not a liquid based solid.

 

Even if you buy right, buying a month's supply in daily needs is expense(no, I do not mean just protein.) In fact people stress over protein way too much: protein is only one base needed to build a solid body. Powder is just a cheap way, to get a fair amount of protein; the rest should be attained by healthy solids.

 

You need a good diet of carbs(healthy, steamed veggies help), fat(yes you always need fat.) Proteins, good rest, proper form. But mainly you hear way too much on protein alone.

 

Bodybuilding is a science of filling the body according to the need at which you well need.

[Imported]

I eat food.

[whichwayisup]

Generally, you would substitute one of your meals with a protein shake. Can you take it everyday? Yeah. Myofusion is good for putting on pounds; it is thick...so you might fill bloated. But I find it working. 5lbs of it is pretty good for a month +.

 

Anyway, this is how I take protein shakes. You should eat between six-seven meals a day.(six primarily ) well snacks comprise one of these six meals; generally you eat a healthy snack(protein bar?). Instead, I generally take my protein shakes in place of my snacks(just cheaper for me.)

 

I do this daily. Really, you should look into getting yourself a stack. A stack is a set of supplements that work well with one another, they compliment each other.

 

(Sorry I have a headache so this might not be well written.) Tmann is an excellent source of knowledge though; he could help you better.

 

What workout are you following? (I know you mentioned a few things, but who are you modelling your workouts after?)

 

Just looking at ways to get more protein and gain some weight but not because building muscles and working out, that's not gonna happen!. I have a B12 deficiency and can't process B12 properly, though I do get B12 shots monthly.

[Andy_K]

Unless you have some allergies or intolerances, it's not going to make a whole lot of difference which protein powder you take. Broadly speaking, they're all pretty much the same. Any differences will be more than outweighed by when you take them, how much you take, and where/when the rest of your nutritional intake comes from.

[ascendotum]

I buy Olympian Pea Protein online. It's vegan.

I use both pea protein now as well as hemp protein. I used to use Whey Protein Isolate, but after a little while it would upset my digestion & health. I'm intolerant to diary, and WPI is supposed to be very good for such people but its only a good drink for a short term for me. shame I love it though.

I used to find Max's or BSC the best when it came to whey for me.

Edited December 19, 2012 by ascendotum

[UpwardForward]

Lindberg Nutrition has been at it for a lot of years .. since 1949.

 

Lindberg Nutrition - Home Page

[TheFinalWord]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm 24 and I started working out for the first time a few weeks ago. I've been doing a strength training program (just some beginning program that I found) and running as much as I can (1-3 miles) every other day. Things have been going well, but my diet has been pretty horrendous. Usually I would wake up, not eat for hours, eat a massive lunch/dinner, then not get hungry again until an hour or two before I went to bed. Then I'd binge on whatever I had because I was so hungry.

 

For the last week I've been making a sort of "breakfast smoothie" for myself when I wake up. This has: small amount of oatmeal (steel cut oats), a bit of flax seed, spinach, a banana, 2 different kinds of frozen fruit (strawberrries/blueberries/peaches usually), kefir yogurt, and orange juice. It tastes pretty good and it certainly helps me feel more full in the mornings. Today I tried a scoop of whey protein that my roommate (who lifts fairly extensively) offered to me. The difference felt huge. Not only did it make the whole shake taste better and give it a better consistency, but I felt much fuller for much longer.

 

So now I'm trying to find a protein powder for me. I've been doing a bit of research, and it seems to be universally a good thing. It can help with weight loss, muscle gain, feeling full, drinking after a workout to prevent overeating, etc. Obviously random web pages offering to "fill you in on secrets about protein powder the GOVERNMENT doesnt want you to know about!!" can only take me so far. This community has been knowledgable in the past, and I'd like to rely on you guys again! So, what protein powder would you suggest for someone like me? My main focus is slimming down while building a base amount of muscle. Any replies are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

Which one did your roommate use? Does he have the label on it? You seem to really like that one If you were consuming a regular whey protein beforehand, and your roommate's made you feel that much different, you may have consumed some type of weight gainer. They tend to be much thicker and loaded with sugars so they taste pretty much like a milkshake. Unless you have a hard time gaining weight you will want to stay away from those or you may end up consuming an extra 1000 calories a day

 

Quality of protein often depends on the amount of whey isolate. They're pretty much all the same as long as you are getting from a reputable brand. Optimum nutrition is a tried and true brand. :)Some of the cheap store brands are pretty nasty tasting, so you will want to consider the brand.

 

Good tutorial on this topic from Lee Hayward:

 

[tryingtoworkout]

Which one did your roommate use? Does he have the label on it? You seem to really like that one If you were consuming a regular whey protein beforehand, and your roommate's made you feel that much different, you may have consumed some type of weight gainer. They tend to be much thicker and loaded with sugars so they taste pretty much like a milkshake. Unless you have a hard time gaining weight you will want to stay away from those or you may end up consuming an extra 1000 calories a day

 

Quality of protein often depends on the amount of whey isolate. They're pretty much all the same as long as you are getting from a reputable brand. Optimum nutrition is a tried and true brand. :)Some of the cheap store brands are pretty nasty tasting, so you will want to consider the brand.

 

Good tutorial on this topic from Lee Hayward:

 

 

 

So much helpful info in this thread . Thanks guys!

 

I got the On Gold Standard 100% Whey protein. My roommate has Iso Sensation (whey protein isolate). So far, it's been extremely helpful for me. It gives me more energy for workouts, I feel fuller longer, and if I have that desire to snack at night, tossing back another smoothie isn't a terrible choice (as I said before, it's mostly fruit, spinach, oatmeal, flaxseed, and orange juice) and with 24g of protein per scoop, 2 a day puts me at 48g from the powder.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but what I read was that the equation is 1g protein per kg of bodyweight. That puts me at ~70g per day. 1-2 smoothies plus a dinner seems pretty decent.

[tman666]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but what I read was that the equation is 1g protein per kg of bodyweight. That puts me at ~70g per day. 1-2 smoothies plus a dinner seems pretty decent.

 

No sir.

 

1 gram of protein per LB of bodyweight (this is considered to be a minimum by many. Some people lean more towards 1.5 g/lb bodymass).

 

If you are 70 kg (~154 lbs), you should be taking in at least 150 grams of protein per day to maintain your current muscle mass. If your goal is to bulk up, I would try to get in more than that-probably at least 180 grams of protein per day.

[tryingtoworkout]

No sir.

 

1 gram of protein per LB of bodyweight (this is considered to be a minimum by many. Some people lean more towards 1.5 g/lb bodymass).

 

If you are 70 kg (~154 lbs), you should be taking in at least 150 grams of protein per day to maintain your current muscle mass. If your goal is to bulk up, I would try to get in more than that-probably at least 180 grams of protein per day.

 

Well I'm glad you corrected me! So that means my smoothie/shake thing is SUPER ok twice per day!

[tman666]

Well I'm glad you corrected me! So that means my smoothie/shake thing is SUPER ok twice per day!

 

No problem, man. This stuff isn't really complicated, but it can be daunting as a beginner since there's such an oversaturation of information out there. It's hard to be able to tell what is good/applicable to you and what isn't. That's why experimentation and building experience is so crucial. "Time under the bar", so to speak. It's really a life-long journey. Everyone, no matter how advanced, started out as a rank beginner at some point.

 

Just keep focusing on improving your performance over time. Strive to break your own strength records, speed records, etc., and physique changes will follow; trust me. It's helpful to keep a log or journal to help track your progress. Log your exercises, your sets, reps, and weights used. It might also be wise to write a "summation" of each workout: how hard it felt, whether or not you currently are dealing with any injuries or other pains, whether or not your were adequately fed, hydrated and rested that day. That way, you will have a log for future reference of what works for you and what does not.

[TheFinalWord]

No problem, man. This stuff isn't really complicated, but it can be daunting as a beginner since there's such an oversaturation of information out there. It's hard to be able to tell what is good/applicable to you and what isn't. That's why experimentation and building experience is so crucial. "Time under the bar", so to speak. It's really a life-long journey. Everyone, no matter how advanced, started out as a rank beginner at some point.

 

Very true!

 

I agree too about experimentation. For me, I've always found 1 gram for lean pound of body weight more beneficial. Body weight - bf%.

 

Of course you can always take Ronnie C approach lol

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMgpIxSHR2M

Edited December 20, 2012 by TheFinalWord

[tryingtoworkout]

Hi everyone. I'm about a month or so in to my new routine/diet plan. I'd like to post it here (same thread so I don't clutter up this section) and get some feedback! My roommate has been lifting seriously for about 4 years now, and he helped me draw up this plan. Let me know what you guys think!

 

Diet:

 

Not Atkins, but I cut out carbs almost completely. Breads, pastas, etc. I just don't eat them anymore. My diet comprises almost solely of: chicken breasts/meats, veggies (all kinds. cooked or raw.), protein "shakes" after a workout (powder + water), a minimal amount of fruit on occasion, and plenty of water. I also bought a juicer, so I drink an enormous glass of fresh vegetable juice almost every day.

 

I feel 100x better after being on this diet for roughly a month. My fatigue has gone down drastically, I sleep better, I'm able to focus more, and my food cravings aren't really there any more. However, these foods are so filling that I'm concerned I'm not getting ENOUGH calories every day to build any substantial muscle.

 

 

Workout plan:

 

I ditched the running. Partially because it's so cold out now and running with ice on the ground seems perilous, but also because I put so much effort into my weight lifting that I don't have enough energy for a run afterwards (note: this is not due to a lack of energy in general. I'm more energetic than I've ever been). I purchased a set of adjustable dumbbells (with the extended weight plates so I can do very heavy lifts when I get there) and a pull-up bar. Here is my plan:

 

Day 1: Dumbbell Squats

Overhead Press

Pull ups

One-armed rows

Curls

Planks

 

1 intro set (50%-75% of my work weight) then 5 sets of 5-8 reps for each. For planks and pull ups I just do 5 sets to almost failure.

 

Day 2: Rest day

 

Day 3: Dumbbell Lunges

Push ups

Dumbbell Deadlifts

Pull ups

Standing tricep extensions

Planks

 

Again, the same number of sets, with the push ups going to almost failure again for all 5 sets.

 

Day 4: Rest day, then repeat.

 

 

There was some trepidation from my roommate about using only dumbbells for some of these exercises, but he's corrected my form and we've adjusted the workout to fit with dumbbells. What do you guys think?

 

Edit: I forgot to mention, I'm down 10 lbs so far and my muscles are actually starting to be noticeable!