Reddit mentions: The best creatinine nutritional supplements

Ok, this might be a lengthy response so I apologize! In the "before picture" I had done P90X all the way through about 2-3 times. I was getting tired of doing the same thing and wanted to know more about how lifting worked and how it could change my body. I joined a gym and started going every day and working on my own routines. I've bumped around a lot in terms of weekly splits, rep/set numbers, etc. What I usually do now is this:

Week 1: This week I focus on working up until failure. I usually do a warm up set (something I can do 10 reps pretty easily with), then do 3-4 more sets adding more and more weight with each set. I go until failure for every one, and on the last set (as soon as I fail) I drop back down to my warm-up weight and go until failure again. I do this with pretty much every exercise for this week. I do the muscle groups highlighted below for this week, so usually one major group a day.

Week 2: I usually like to do a 3-Day split, so Chest/Back, Legs/Abs, Shoulders/Arms. I'll do these two times a week, with one day being a designated "heavy day", where I work up to a one rep max, and one designated "light day", where I usually do more reps (usually 10, 15, 15, and 20 if I'm doing four sets of something). I like to do more compound movements on heavy days, and more isolation/body weight movements on light days.

Week 3: This week I divide up into a Heavy/Medium/Light split with 3 muscle groups a day. So Heavy Chest/Medium Shoulder/Light Tricep or Heavy Back/Medium Bicep/Light Legs. I then just switch up the order of these and do them 2 more times that week, so for example it would be Monday- Heavy Chest/Medium Shoulder/Light Tricep but then on Wednesday it would be Heavy Tricep/Medium Chest/Light Shoulder, and so on. Does that make sense? Sorry if that's tricky to understand! Usually for "medium" things I do 8-12 reps, and "light" I do 15-20 in this week.

Week 4: This week I usually just mess around with supersets and drop sets! Not much order going on here, haha.

These are some of the exercises I do for my muscle groups!

Monday (Chest/Calves): Incline Bench, Flat Bench Dumbbell Chest Press (superset with a Dumbbell Fly - loooong holds), Decline Cable Fly, Flat Cable Crossover, Incline Cable Fly, Hammer Strength Chest Press, Chest Dips. For calves, my favorite exercise is to take a step-up platform (I think that's what they're called) and put it at the Smith Machine. I put some weight on the bar and stand so my heels/feet are hanging slightly off the back of the platform and then I raise up. I also like to do calf raises on the leg press, and seated calf raises too!

Tuesday (Back/Abs): Deadlifts, Sumo Deadlifts, Hyperextensions, Bent Over Rows (both underhand and overhand grip) usually superset with a One-Arm Dumbbell Row, Hammer Strength Rows, Wide Pull-Ups (I used to climb a lot and these helped a ton), Close Grip Pull-Ups, Cable Rows, Lat Pulldowns (I do regular as well as reverse grip on these, I also sometimes like to take the handles vs the bar and pulldown as well!) I'll write my ab routine on Sunday (below).

Wednesday (Legs/Calves): Squats, Box Squats, Hack Squats (usually lighter weight but a huge hold at the bottom), Leg Extensions (superset with lying Leg Curls), Leg Press (I usually finish with this, I don't like it as much as squats), Walking Lunges (I grab a pair of dumbbells and go to town on the track, usually doing 100-150 lunges).

Thursday (Shoulders/Abs): Military Press, Arnold Press, Dumbbell Front Raises, Dumbbell Lateral Raises, Cable Upright Rows, Cable Lateral Raises, Shrugs, Bent Over Lateral Raises.

Friday (Arms/Calves): Barbell Curls, Preacher Curls, Cable Forearm Curls, Side Hammer Curls, 21's (curl from the bottom to halfway 7 times, from halfway to the top 7 times, then the full ROM 7 times), Negative Curls (if you have a partner, this is a great one that gives a delicious pump! Have them push down as you are bringing the weight back down, and fight their push), Incline Skull Crushers, Rope Tricep Extensions, Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks, Seated Overhead Tricep Press, Dips.

Saturday (The Big Three): Why, Squat/Bench/Deadlift, of course! I usually work up to 1 rep max on these and pyramid back down.

Sunday (Cardio/Abs): I usually swim for a half hour or so. I do slight cardio every day, usually about 10 minutes. For abs I really like to do weighted things, and then once I can't do any more I drop the weight and start doing just bodyweight. For abs my favorite things are Hanging Leg Raises, Decline Sit-Ups, V-Crunches, Windshield Wipers, Cable Crunches, Kayak Twist (I think that's what it's called), Oblique V-Ups, Dumbbell Decline Twists.

As far as my diet goes, I haven't quite figured out how to tailor calories/macros to fit my body yet, but plan to do that soon. I eat pretty healthy but once or twice a week I like to eat Dominoes cheesy bread or pecan pie or something. I usually just try to get about 2800-3000 calories in, and get about 250 or so grams of protein. Then the rest of the day I fill the rest with carbs/fats. My day is usually set up like this:

Breakfast: 2 Eggs, 4 whites, 1/2 cup oats, blueberries.

Mid-Day Snack: Almonds (Salt and Vinegar are awesome), protein shake

Lunch: Tuna or ground turkey with broccoli or spinach

Mid-Afternoon Snack: Quest Bar, Cottage Cheese with grapes or something

Dinner: Chicken or tilapia with vegetables and quinoa/rice

All in all, it's usually pretty clean but I'm not a guy who will shove clean eating down your throat. I do it because I like buying things kind of basic, I've never really liked chips/poptarts/etc. and I've always eaten this way. Not saying this is the "right way to do things", if you know how to track macros right, you can eat what you want and get great results. Just wanted to throw that out there just in case people might bash me!

As far as supplements go, keep it simple. No, and I repeat NO supplement is going to be some "miracle pill". Trust me, last year I spent 200$ on a month supply of Shredz like a sucker. Stuff like that's not worth your money. Spend it on food. Anywho, I take 5g of creatine a day (check this out, its what I use) and a scoop of whey protein after my workout (I use Gold Standard if anyone's interested). I also drink green tea every morning and take psyllium husk powder (for fiber) every day.

Well, that's about it! Give yourselves time and keep going, push yourself every day, and never lose sight of your goals! :)

If you want to gain weight and put on muscle you are going to need some access to some weights at the very least. Bodyweight routines can get you far and definitely help in getting you conditioned but to truly see serious strength gains you're going to need access to a gym.

Gaining weight shouldn't be too hard (assuming you aren't a hard gainer). Make sure you are taking in plenty of protein (1.5 grams per lbs of body weight) and try supplementing with creatine. Creatine will help your muscles retain water and assist in muscle synthesis. It's not a magic bullet, but it is one of the most studied supplements in fitness. It's cheap, effective and easy to take. I use this brand.

A great lifting program to help you gain strength is the stronglifts 5x5 program. Like I said beore, in order to gain real muscle you are going to need access to a some basic weights (bar and plates) but it'll will pay dividends in the end over bodyweight exercises alone.

In terms of WODs you can do without equipment (or with minimal equipment) you can check out these travel WODS which are desinged for CFers who are on the go and can't make it to a box.

Well I'm not going to nice guy or whatever but what are you looking to improve upon? Or in another way, what do you need motivation to accomplish?


Edit: I'll just post what I do for everyone -


Starting with Branch Chained Amino Acids (BCAAs): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branched-chain_amino_acid - and here is the important take away: "BCAAs promote protein synthesis and turnover, signaling pathways, and metabolism of glucose." So what does that mean exactly? Well "promote protein synthesis and turnover" means you’re going to recover faster AND build muscle faster while also burning fat faster, why? In non science terms when we work out we are tearing our muscles apart and rebuilding them, we're pumping protiens into our body to repair the muscles and to make them prepared for the next time we do that particular exercise. The BCAA accelerates that healing process thus the "recovery" part of BCAAs, even better they allow the muscles to absorb new protein faster which makes the workout more useful. Not only that but BCAAs will also prevent muscle loss when you take breaks, or help maintain gains, I take it every day regardless of if I'm working out or not. I use a powder, Cellucor, https://www.amazon.com/Cellucor-Supplement-Tropical-Punch-Servings/dp/B00CX98ULW/ref=sr_1_8_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1518185581&sr=8-8&keywords=bcaa%2Bcellucor&th=1 it doesn't have any BS in it like caffeine or sugar, it's just 10gs of BCAAs. It's not a hocus pocus stimulant or any other BS, it's the real deal. You can also get it at GNC.


I put one scoop of powder in with 20oz of water and drink while I'm working out, I do caution you, if you drink it fast it might make your skin tingle. I tend to work through 10oz and then refill my bottle trying to get 30oz of water in me while I'm working out.


I take creatine directly after my workout, I like the Cellucor brand, it’s no nonsense and works great: https://www.amazon.com/Cellucor-Micronized-Monohydrate-COR-Performance-Unflavored/dp/B01BVRO7T0/ref=sr_1_9_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1518186558&sr=1-9&keywords=creatine&th=1 There are 10 bajillion people who will tell you take it before, during, after, whatever, it’s one of those thing.. Personally I take a scoop of flavorless creatine in another 20oz of water directly after working out. So within that time line I’m downing 50oz of water with both BCAAs and creatine to great effect. When I travel I keep Ziploc bags with this stuff in it and an empty water bottle so I can hit the gym in hotels. Creatine is also great for losing weight, it’s not just for bulking up, that’s more the job of protein. Here is a copypasta “Yes! Creatine helps you gain and retain metabolically-active lean muscle tissue, which makes it an indirect fat burner. Put simply, the more muscle you have on your body, the harder you can work in the weight room, and the more calories you can burn both during and after your training sessions.”


Protein. I use a vegan powder, no nonsense, no BS, no added crap, here is another copypasta saying it better than I could say it: “As you are losing weight, your body loses both muscle and fat. During this process it is especially important that you continue to eat enough protein in your diet. Having adequate protein coming in from your food fuels fat burning while preserving calorie-burning lean muscle. I use: https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Organic-Protein/dp/B075KGR37C/ref=sr_1_5_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1518186788&sr=1-5&keywords=vegetable%2Bprotein%2Bpowder&th=1


How much protein should you have? Copypasta! “Protein intake around 30% of calories may be optimal for weight loss. This amounts to 150 grams per day for someone on a 2000 calorie diet. You can calculate it by multiplying your calorie intake by 0.075.” For me, I try to take in about 175 grams of protein a day which frankly is a challenge. For reference I’m 5’11” and bulked weigh 170, when maintaining I’m around 162, with 24g from the powder in the morning, about 25g from a salmon sandwich for lunch, 50g combined from vegan sourced powerbars, then I try to squeeze in another 75 through dinner or other methods. If you’re trying to lose weight it will fly off – those BCAAs – now you’re using them right, packing protein into your system, burning fat, and packing muscles full of what they live on.


This is starter information and I caution you on cheap supplements. The reason I go with Cellucor is because look at the reviews and ratings. It’s no BS, and I do vegan for protein because it’s planted based. Cheap or dodgy looking supplements that promise crap won’t deliver and can even cause health problems. You can start researching this stuff and get into a good rabbit hole to find out even more information.. what else.. As you go further down the path and want a 12 pack or whatever you’ll need to learn about cutting and bulking. I’m cutting right now and almost down to 155, over the course of the next 6-9 months I’ll add 15 pounds of pure muscle. That’s 2 pounds a month which is about as high as it gets.


Ok! Let’s workout. Weight is based entirely on you and what you can do. You’re not working to failure you’re working to almost failure this is called “volitional fatigue” and what the means is that by the end of 3 sets the last 2-3 motions should be quite hard and the last should be almost impossible. During the first set you should feel quite tired and the last motion should be hard. So if you’re slinging around a 10 pound weight and it’s easy, it’s pointless, jack it up to 15, try again. This is a learning process for you. I keep a printed piece of paper with me every time I work out and keep track of my weight class as I bulk up so I’m going from 20s to 25s to 30s to 35s throughout months of training.


We do a set and we rest for 90 seconds, keep a watch or clock around, if you ever wondered why there are clocks in gyms and people are staring at them, this is why. So I’ll say 1 set of 8, rest 90, means do 8 repetitions of this exercise then rest 90 seconds, then do set 2, rest 90, then do set 3, now rest 2 minutes. Now start the next exercise.


Day 1 – Phase 1 – 3 months. - I warm up by hitting the stupid elliptical or stair machine for 5 minutes, or row for 5km on the machine. It get's the body ready for what you're about to do to it.


Dumbell curls – Biceps : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av7-8igSXTs – 3 sets of 8


Goblett squat – thighs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIrcxSkwui8 - 3 sets of 8


Half getups – upper abs and back - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVP8ul6vRVM – 3 sets, complete entire cycle 20 times, yeah 20! Burn those abs baby!


Wide grip pull downs – back and lats - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gL2XgHghLY – 3 sets of 8


Triceps kickback – triceps of course - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO81bExngMI – 3 sets of 12 – you should be burning by the time you’re done with this, use enough weight.


Dumbell press – chest, different part of tris, bis, back, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3YrlBmjWrY – 3 sets of 8.


Chest supported dumbell row - bis shoulders back, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl2MnK1i504 – 3 sets of 10


Reverse crunch - lower abs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyv14e2QDq0 – 3 sets of build up, I do 3 sets of 150, I don’t suggest doing that day one. Go until you can’t anymore. Rest 2 minutes, do it again until you can’t do anymore. You want a V? This is how you get the V! BURN!!!


Ok So I’ve giving you the youtube links for day 1, y’all can search for these. This is day 2.

dumbell upright row – 3 sets of 8


machine crunches – 3 sets to fatigue, I do 150 per set


dumbell double standing row – 3 sets of 8


cross-body hammer curl – 3 sets of 8


cross-bench dumbell pullover – 3 sets of 8


lying leg curls – 3 sets of 12


side jack knife – 3 sets to fatigue, I do 50


dumbell front raise – 3 sets of 10.


I do day 1 Monday, day 2 Tuesday, rest Wednesday, day 1 Thursday, day 2 Friday, Saturday I ride my bike about 20-30 miles depending. Rest Sunday. If you do this for 90 days send me the progress pic because it will be amazing, this is my “get ready for the beach!” workout routine. I start it in January, ending in March, then I start my phase 2 routine which is summer body! The concept is to work out different muscle groups, the body gets used to different motions, so swap out routines by the day and then by the quarter. Any questions send me a note.

All the basics that help people stay regular. Eat a salad for lunch, the insoluble fiber will help with your constipation and as a benefit will keep your blood sugar stable and reduce your cravings for snacks in the afternoon.

You can try taking a probiotic, this is the one I'm using.

But you know what has seemed to really help eliminate my constipation problem, I mean totally eliminate it? Magnesium.

Not only are my poops no longer hard but they are many times actually soft. I recently decided I didn't like the direction my health was headed, got my blood work done and found I was pre-diabetic and had slight anemia. So I started hitting the gym nearly every day, eating way better, and supplementing. I did some research for supplements backed by science. The list I came up with was this:

Creatine Monohydrate

Magnesium (L-Threonate is supposedly better able to cross the blood-brain barrier)

Vitamin D3

Turmeric

Fish Oil

I've been taking all of this stuff for about two months now and between that, the better diet, and working out my energy levels are much higher, my strength is already improving a lot, and my poops are not hard anymore.

Right now I'm on a low dose of Suboxone, 2mg/day, so I'm sure that helps. After being on this drug for 11 years I'm a big believer in being on the lowest dose you can be comfortable on.

I don't want to get too off topic but this channel has been so helpful to me for to start improving my health that I'm going to link to the supplements video in case anyone else here finds it useful:

https://youtu.be/1U5W1pQjqmA

Good luck with your poop!

So I had a chance to look at Re-Power, and it has a similar amino acid profile to beef. All the extracts are pretty much garbage:

Chemical | Weight | %DV
---|---|---
Chicory Root (as Cichorium intybus Extract) & Rocket Plant (as Eruca sativa Extract) Blend| 500.00 mg|
Chinese Skullcap Root Extract (Scutellaria baicalensis) Catch Tree Bark Extract (Acacia catechu)| 62.50 mg|
Olive Leaf Extract (Olea europaea L.)(as Maslinic Acid)| 200.00 mg|
Olive Fruit Extract (Olea europaea L.)(as Hydroxytyrosol)| 50.00 mg|

Some do have studies done them but most results are nothing more than unremarkable in terms of use for fitness. Chicory root is a coffee substitute good for removing internal parasites. Rocket Plant is just arugula, so you might as well just eat it. Didn't see much studies on the benefits. Chinese skull cap seems to be a traditional Chinese remedy for various ailments with some conclusive evidence for efficacy but mostly it is a nootropic (smart drug). Cool but wholly unnecessary for this application. You'd be better off with Creatine as it is both a nootropic AND performance enhancer. Also, really cheap. I cannot find any info on even what a "Catch Tree" is so no conclusive data for what the extract might do. Olive Leaf/Fruit Extract seem to be super expensive antioxidants with anti-HIV properties. If you don't have HIV just drink Black coffee or tea or eat olives.

So, the good stuff in here seems to be Beta Alanine an Betaine, but Beta Alanine is cheap and Betaine is in beets (super cheap) or is made in your body from Choline (from eggs).

If you have any more questions please let me know. If you can't return these things then I guess just take them until they are gone, but definitely don't buy them again.

My thoughts exactly!!! I've discovered this subreddit a few months ago and since then the picture has become clearer on what I need to do to improve myself, but I can't focus or motivate myself to do some things I know I want to do. I enjoy the gym, so I go almost every day. No problem there. But the mental work is beyond my reach. I was one of the smartest in my school, and got all A's with almost no work. But when I got to university (that's exactly 10 years ago now), lots of work was required and I failed at that. I graduated, sure, but with a 2.7 GPA, which has prevented me from being taken seriously in the employment market since, even though the school I graduated from is Wharton and even though I was there on a full scholarship.

Anyway, after 10 years of me not performing the way I am sure I am capable of, I started researching what may be the cause of that (also, my "girlfriend" of 3 years broke up with me recently partly because "you lost your confidence that you had when we first met", but that's a Blue Pill example for another day). Went to the doctor (I'm in the UK) about possibly having ADHD, and he reluctantly said he'll start the ball rolling for me to be evaluated. In the meantime, I decided to experiment with some nootropics myself because I just can't take not living up to my potential anymore. Just yesterday ordered Centrum Performance, Choline, Caffeine, Theanine, fish oil and Creatine (and a blood pressure monitor to keep an eye on that just in case). From my initial research, it looks like Caffeine + Theanine is the safest thing to try for beginners. Centrum Performance and Choline should load me up on the B vitamin complex. And creatine should help mentally as well as at the gym. That's what I'll do for now. But Piracetam is my next step if I see no improvement in a few weeks.

As for whether drugs are "an artificial way to boost yourself", I wouldn't stop at anything to make myself a better man. I don't care whether people would say that's cheating or whatever. If there is one thing that the Red Pill has taught me so far (as well as my selfish ex-girlfriend) is that you should do what makes you happy first above all else. If taking nootropics helps me dig myself out of this hole I feel I'm in and helps me succeed, then that's what I'll do regardless of how people label it.

Reading your responses, I just have to say - Wow... You've done WAY more research for your son than most new guys do before they post for themselves! Amazing job! It sounds like you've got a great base of knowledge and are anxious to learn.

To answer your question - The reason people don't recommend mass gainers is not only because they are expensive, but because the majority of the calories are from a very inexpensive simple carb (maltodextrin). When you are making your own, you have control over everything. You can add healthy fats like PB and olive oil. You can add healthy complex carbs like oats. You can add fruit (bananas, berries). You can add vegetables (spinach). You can add things like chia/hemp seeds. You can control the sweetness with honey. One scoop protein, or two? You decide! It's just so flexible, and gives you way more nutritional value than a mass gainer will.

My strategy has always been to track my meals for the day. By night time, I look at the remaining calories, carbs, fats, and protein, and I make a shake tailored for that day to fill in all the gaps.

As for creatine, 5g of Creatine Monohydrate daily is what is recommended. I like ON Micronized Creatine. $40 for 380 (THREE-EIGHTY!) servings.

It also depends on how much you want to spend...

Honestly I've learned that you'd be better off spending that money on high quality food.

But my favorite protein right now is Ascent Protein Native Whey (Lemon Sorbet), tastes super delicious mixes easy, and doesn't stink if you leave it in your shaker over night. (https://www.vitaminshoppe.com/p/ascent-native-fuel-whey-lemon-sorbet-2-lb-powder/acp0003)


Creatine: Just pick any, I'm using Creatine from NF Sports, got a deal for $6/30 servings so I won't be buying any for the next year lol. (https://www.amazon.com/NF-Sports-Creatine-60-serving/dp/B06XC6X5N3/ref=pd_sim_121_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B06XC6X5N3&pd_rd_r=QETKDNMMBQYEJ3SYDCHK&pd_rd_w=K6y68&pd_rd_wg=9A3cJ&psc=1&refRID=QETKDNMMBQYEJ3SYDCHK)


In terms of caffiene.....just buy high quality coffee lol, I rarely use preworkouts in all honesty due to the fact that in my opinion there's a lot more hype than fact....but If you're looking for more of a preworkout I'd go with Fuel-5 from Xendurance (https://www.xendurance.com/fuel-5/ecomm-product-detail/193727/). It's got a good mix of carbs from different sources, as well as lactate, if anything that'll probably give you a better response to training than just a caffiene buzz.

Just my opinions here

Hey man. I wasn't quite that skinny, I was M/20/5'9"/135lbs. But I decided I wanted to be heavier, so I started tracking calories, trying to eat about 3000 a day and making sure to get minimum of 120g protein. I used MyFitnessPal (Free smartphone/web app). This mass gainer and creatine helped me a TON. They say to use "2 scoops" for the mass gainer but that's absolutely stupid. Just use 16 ounces of 2%/whole milk and ONE scoop, and it still adds up to like 800 calories.

Use a TDEE calculator and aim to go about 500-750 calories above that. A faster bulk will mean more fat mixed in with the muscle, but if you wanna gain weight faster, it's just how you do it.

Best of luck skinnybro! I gained 15 lbs in 6 weeks just between eating more, using that mass gainer, and creatine. Did I gain some fat? Sure, but by the end of it, My dad saw me (after not seeing me for about 2 months) and said "I barely recognized you! You're so much bigger!". So it made a huge difference, and I looked more muscular too, not ripped, but muscular.

If you're not going to the gym every day and eat a lot of red meat, you shouldn't need any creatine. If you're going every day and lifting heavy it would be good to get about 5 extra grams of creatine a day.
http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Unflavored-Servings/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1415508622&sr=1-1&keywords=creatine

Multi vitamins are the most unappreciated supplement in the world! Please get on a daily regimen, it'll do so much good for you.

Get some BCAA's combined with glutamine. It is good for recovery and helps build lean muscle. oldschoollabs.com makes a great BCAA with glutamine and creatine. I like it alot.
http://oldschoollabs.com/vintage-build/

As far as pre-workout, I cannot workout without it. Judging from you being 260 previously, you're not naturally motivated. Not to take away from your weight loss, which is still very incredible!
It will make your workouts much more efficient and make you want to do exercises.

My recommendations are C4 (Watermelon or Fruit Punch), it'll make you a little itchy at first but that's how you know its working.
http://www.amazon.com/Cellucor-Extreme-Fruit-Punch-grams/dp/B008LE8RE8/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1415508422&sr=1-2&keywords=c4

If your sensitive to creatine, there is a creatine free pre workout called volt that is pretty nice. It also happens to be the same parent company that makes the C4.
http://www.amazon.com/Neon-Sports-Pre-Workout-Watermelon-Servings/dp/B00E0NG44E/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1415508452&sr=1-1&keywords=volt

Good luck and keep at it!

Word of advice, do not buy from GNC if you plan on starting any supplements, they are super overpriced on basically everything, Amazon is the way to go. Protein can be helpful for supplementing your caloric intake, but probably the simplest supplement to start with would be creatine. It is super cheap and has noticeable effects, I'd suggest this brand as it is very safe and won't cause water loading like creatine monohydrate tends to do. Make sure to increase your water consumption if you plan on starting it and best of luck, being naturally and trying to bulk can be extremely frustrating at times.

It's definitely optional but if you have the rest of your diet and training dialed in then it could be useful to add to your routine. As u/JrDot13 said, 5 grams is a good daily dose. It's probably best to put it in your pre-workout meal/shake/drink, but overall that's not a huge deal. For the best value, I would go with something like Bulk Supplements on Amazon.

So yesterday I tried this combo:

1 scoop Jarrow Creatine
30 mins before Jiu Jitsu.

Breakfast:
8 a.m:

1 slice of Ezekiel sourdoug toast with almond cream cheese.
Shake with Nutiva hemp protein, 1/2 banana, blueberries, water, almond milk, almond butter and a splash of flax seed oil.

Tea mix of whole foods yerba matte and spoonful of matcha.


11:30 a.m:

1 scoop BCAA in my water bottle for during class & open mat (1.5 hours)

2 p.m.:

1 scoop Glutamine
1/2 Scoop Nutiva Hemp Protein Powder

Grilled two veggie sausages with a tad of almond cheese melted on two whole wheat hot dog buns.

About 20-30 mins after eating I pretty much crashed and had to take a nap. Was tired the rest of the day. Took 1 B-complex vitamin before bed and slept in till about 8:15 am. Usually wake up before 7 and feel fine.

If it matters, for dinner I had a bowl of quinoa with grilled corn, vegetables and some seitan chorizo, a small glass of wine and after a beer.

Noticed that at Jiu Jitsu I was in beast mode but felt my mind was clear. I was worried the creatine would give me anxiety like a lot of other similar supplements often do. I felt great and had some amazing matches. Went harder with some of the tougher dudes but held my own and felt great.

I'm thinking maybe I need to work on my post workout food/routine. Maybe I need to bring a shake that's ready for right after with protein powder and glutamine or something. Any suggestions?

Creatine is a great supplement. It's pretty much the only proven supplement that gives most folks a boost, has no negative side effects as long as you're healthy (besides maybe water weight bloat), and is cheap. The most studied and effective form is creatine monohydrate, or "CreaPure" is the patented process name. I use jarrow. Standard dose is 2-5g/day (I take 2g). Examine has a great entry on creatine - https://examine.com/supplements/creatine/

Check out Brian Turner, Jon Venus, Cory McCarthy, and Vegan Hustle TV on Youtube. They're great resources for vegan bodybuilding. The current recommendation for protein is ~0.68g/lb of lean body mass daily if you want to build muscle. But unless you're a competitive athlete, I wouldn't worry about it unless you have an otherwise shit, highly processed diet. Personally, I've found that as long as I eat high quality, whole, protein rich foods (hemp seeds, nuts, legumes, quinoa/buckwheat, etc) and hit/exceed my daily calorie goals (calories are most important) my strength and aesthetics are just the same as before I was vegan and tracking my macros, and even after I went vegan and still used protein powders and tracked my macros. The only thing I track now is calories.

Though if you want a protein powder, true nutrition's vegan protein optimizer is my favorite for cost and quality. Also check out /r/veganfitness.

I recommend getting a pull up bar (it's great for pull-ups, chin ups, push ups) and doing 3 sets of this workout, with pull ups added in. Starting out, you won't be able to do all the reps recommended, but just find what your limit is and do that. As you get stronger then you can increase. This regimen got me into pretty good shape before I recently started going to a gym and doing Wendler 5/3/1. And as /u/requires_distraction said, read up on /r/bodyweightfitness.

Edit: Also, diet is just as important as exercise. Make sure you're getting about 1g of protein for each pound of body mass, and you can calculate your approximate caloric needs here. I don't know how much detail you want to go into in tracking your diet, but using myfitnesspal to track macronutrients and calories has done wonders for me. Lastly, consider supplementing with creatine. It's a very cheap supplement (4 month supply for $16 on amazon), and has been proven to provide more energy during workouts (resulting in more productive workouts) with practically no side effects, other than the need for increased water consumption during the first week of loading.

Thank you for your responses, I appreciate your continued explanation.

I've endured a long and difficult relationship with psychoactives. I first took DXM 7 years ago, and I have since run the gamut. Drug combinations, dosing methods, kitchen extractions, you name it-- I've done it. In other words, learned the hard way. I think this may be why I have such reverence for your approach. I am humbled by your thoughtfulness.

Note: this post is very, very long.

My method:

Preparation begins several days in advance. Like you, I have obligations that necessitate some schedule-shuffling. In many ways, this makes the experience feel more like a vacation; it's a special occasion, so I treat it like a holiday.

I abstain from alcohol and other drugs for at least 72 hours before the trip. As you mention, hydration is key to basic health, and this is a component of the days leading up to the trip. If I haven't been hydrating well, this is my chance to catch up.

I clean my environment fully. I dust, vacuum, mop, and sanitize my bedroom. I clear rubbish and generally tidy any areas I might enter around the time of the trip, such as the bathroom, kitchen, and living room.

I make sure to eat plenty of fiber, protein, and nutrient-rich foods like nuts, leafy green vegetables, and fish. If I can't get fish, I make sure I take a good amount of high quality fish or cod liver oil. I practice a high-fat, adequate-protein diet; basically, it's a modified ketonic diet. I usually take in 1-2 tbsp of cold-pressed extra virgin coconut oil once or twice a day both for its health benefits and for increased absorption of other chemicals. However, I skip this on DXM day, which I'll explain later. I have a wide range of supplements I take as well. These include micronized creatine, HMB, a multivitamin, and a number of nootropics. My nootropic stack varies depending on whether I have to work or not, but usually includes piracetam, aniracetam, ashwagandha; sometimes I add phenibut and/or phenylpiracetam.

The day before the trip, I exercise-- hard. I push myself to my absolute limits with calisthenics, weightlifting, and cardio. If I have the time for it, I will go for 2-3 hours split up throughout the day. I find that this accomplishes two things: 1) I achieve a deeper state of rest the night before and 2) I have considerably less anxiety about the trip. At night, I take ZMA. This contains a form of magnesium, but I've never had any issues with interactions. I'm pretty certain that the peak levels of magnesium occur sometime during the night, but I would recommend caution when using magnesium supplements within 24 hours of DXM use. As I have said many times before, every body is different and every brain is different. Your mileage may vary.

> The biggest issue with veganism is that over 90% of vegans have deficiencies in nutrients that are vital to brain health (like vitamin B12).

Citation please? Because my recent bloodwork after 20 years vegan says otherwise. I also didn't get through university and grad school with honors and pass the CPA on the first try because my brain is addled by vegetables. Not a single meat-eater in my graduating class of 60 passed all 4 parts on the first go.

> There are several other nutrients as well, creatine (which affects muscles), vitamin D3 (which is much more effective than the plant based D2), carnosine (carno=meat, this is only found in animal tissue and protects against Parkinson's and Alzheimer's), Docosahexaenoic Acid (it's found in fish oil, and other animal products, the plant based version has to be converted, and humans are really shitty at converting it, it's the most abundant omaga-3 fatty acid in the brain).

Like I posted on your other comment, all of this information is almost entirely incorrect.

First, here's an article that says red meat can also raise your Alzheimer's risk. I think - at best - the science is still out on this one.

B12 is produced by bacteria, not by animals. You can easily find vegan B12 pills.

DHA you can also find in plants

D3 is also available in vegan form

Creatine as well

Please do a few seconds of research before you post this stuff.

http://www.bulksupplements.com
That company, but I generally just buy through their Amazon page as I have prime and get free shipping. 19$ for a kilo of creatine (on their Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E9M4XEE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NM57ybC3W811G ) is hard to beat, and it's ultra fine, I barely even notice it mixed with water. Of the multiple brands of creatine I have tried, this is my favorite (and cheapest). As well, they will give you few samples for repeat purchases, I got 20 servings of 2:1 BCAAs (but you can choose from all like 200 of their items) for free after purchasing 3 kilos of creatine.

Cheaper to buy in bulk.

Instead of getting 150g of creatine monohydrate from ON for $8.96 (17g creatine/dollar) he can get 2,000g of creatine monohydrate from ON for $37.79 (53g creatine/dollar).

Source: Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GIQS34/

Plus you save on shipping if you don't have a website that offers free shipping like Amazon (Amazon gives free standard shipping on certain products and free 2 day shipping on certain products if you have a prime account, which you can get for a 30 day trial free).

At 6'2 145, you aren't, and likely have never, been eating enough. Download MyFitnessPal, and track your calories. Don't estimate stuff, put it in a measuring cup or on a food scale. If I were you I would aim for 3000 calories a day to get started at least. It'll probably be tough for you to get there. If you're not gaining weight over the next couple weeks doing that every day, you're counting the calories wrong (fast and slow metabolisms are a lie).

A lot of people are saying there's no need for protein or creatine when you're just starting lifting. The first and most important thing is to eat more. If you don't eat more you won't get bigger. Once you start eating enough though, I would add protein and creatine on top of that. When you couple them with the newbie gains, in my experience, it's pretty noticeable.

You didn't mention lifting in your post, but my response is assuming that you are going to lift. If you don't, you'll only gain fat. Pick a good routine from the r/Fitness wiki, I really enjoy the PPL on there.

To sum things up:

1. most importantly, eat way more every day and lift consistently.
   
2. once #1 is happening, start taking one scoop of whey protein after workouts, and one teaspoon of micronized creatine monohydrate once a day every day (even on days you aren't working out)
   
   The protein I use is MyProtein Impact whey
   https://m.us.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/impact-whey-protein/10852500.html?_ga=2.11746045.855534342.1496496945-717054701.1457580580
   
   The creatine i use:
   Optimum Nutrition Creatine Powder, Unflavored, 600g https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_pURmzbBXDWFRS
   
   Feel free to ask if you have any questions

What brand/site/anything do you recommend for Creatine? Looking particularly for the best pricepoint (bigger bulk). I'm in Canada, so shipping is also a consideration. I've looked on bodybuilding.com and amazon. This is the best I've found so far, got anything better? :)

I think it really depends on how long you've been working out. When I was new to working out I said to myself that I would never try creatine (I still don't know why but ignorant people always seem to think it's not "natural"). However, I did a lot of reading on it and figured I'd finally give it a try last March since I kind of hit a plateau.

I started taking 5g a day (forget the "loading phase" there are no studies that actually support it) and about a week in I went from benching 200lbs x 8 to 220 x 8. I had an increase of about 10% on pretty much all my lifts! I gained 6 pounds in the first 3 weeks. I was also eating about 3500kcal a day at the time so I don't know how much of that was the creatine.

Didn't have any negative side effects apart from having to take a piss about 5 times a day due to drinking 5l of water.

Should you choose to try it be sure to buy quality creatine. Read the reviews or better yet, buy "creapure" creatine. It's manufactured in Germany and therefore strictly regulated. Most other products are from Asia/ eastern Europe and can cause all kinds of nasty side effects. It's well worth paying an extra 20% just to be sure. Creatine is still the cheapest supplement you'll find!

EDIT: I use Optimum Nutrition Creatine which is made from Creapure. At 5g/day it costs me 5$/month. Generic cheap creatine might be a dollar cheaper a month but it's not worth the risk.

So if you're trying to add mass/strength, your biggest concern with going vegetarian is probably going to be getting enough protein. I try to take in like ~200g/day. You can calculate what you need here.

I personally get most of my protein from protein shakes. I use pea protein exclusively, this brand. Unfortunately, it comes from China but I can't pass on the price point. I also add peanut flour, cocoa powder, bananas, flax seed meal (good source of omega-3's), psyllium husk fiber (helps to slow down digestion of protein), BCAA's, creatine, and beta-alanine all in almond milk. The reason for some of those supplements can be found here.

Thanks to the fiber and the flax seed, it gets super thick almost like pudding if you let it sit. Usually, I'll mix in cold brewed coffee to get the consistency I want. It's really good. I drink like ~48 ounces a day, every day. Still have yet to get tired of it.

As far as recipes go, I try to eat high protein meals usually with beans/legumes and quinoa. I use tofu or tempeh as meat substitutes quite a bit too. I eat a lot of chili and curries. My instant pot (pressure cooker) is always getting used.

I also supplement with this multivitamin.

In response to the anti-protein focus comment, I guess I would say that I eat at a calorie deficit so it's hard to hit my protein targets unless I supplement. However, you should still count your macros at least at first to make sure you're getting in the range of where you should be.

Creatine will effect women the same way it does men. It is one of the most researched supplements so you can show her research and let her know she already gets a natural source of creatine from meat.

Water retention is held in muscles and might make you weigh more but it's not going to make you "bloated" in the sense you get from like your period or eating a ton of salt.

I recommend pure creatine monohydrate for anyone interested in it. You can mix it in with any drink mix if you don't want to drink it straight because it has a slightly bitter taste and a weird texture. I like this brand because it's milled pretty fine, really cheap, and I can buy it in large quantities.

A few key facts:
1.)Creatine has been proven to work. Source:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/873.html

2.) 5 Grams a day is usually advised on the SIDE of your creatine container. 5 Grams is around a teaspoon. Source:http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Mass+of+one+teaspoon+of+Creatine+monohydrate

3.) Cycling creatine is key. Source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/phano85.htm

4.) Creatine is cheap. 14$ a serving. Source: http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-600g/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292895221&sr=8-1

A few comments on what ever people have posted. You should already be drinking a gallon of water a day. If you are don't worry about that. Creatine is usually grainy. It tastes like nothing. Throw it in a Protein shake. Do not expect to become god after taking it. Your mileage may vary. Penultimately, qho cares if you gain water weight? Odds are, you're not Arnold yet or anywhere close. Five extra pounds of water isn't going to break you. Finally, watch out for Grade A Bro science and stick to the good sources. Trust the NIH.

edit: minor spelling.

Good choice my friend. It's what I just bought a week ago. I usually go with ultra omega because it's reputable, and cheaper. I would skip on the muscle tech though. Creatine is usually creatine but I would opt for creapure, the german manufactured creatine. There's not much difference in different creatine mono's, but you're better off going with Optimum Nutritions, or the one I get which is Allmax Creatine. Both are creapure, but the Allmax has a scoop that comes with it, where most creatine powders don't come with one.

https://www.amazon.com/ALLMAX-NUTRITION-AllMax-Nutrition-CREATINE/dp/B00IP2I94O/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1493433718&sr=1-1&keywords=allmax+creatine+1000g

Allmax is pretty much the only creatine I've used and in reality all mono's will more then likely give the same result. I noticed creatine prices went up a bit. I would go for the 1000g by allmax 21$ not bad. It was 17$ when I got it last time though. Still cheaper per gram then the muscle tech.

No link on these since I came up with them myself. I can probably make an album this weekend though if there is interest. I'll link the products I use below. As far as how I make them, I just use a blender. I put the liquids (milk and oil) in first, then the frozen berries followed by all the powders, and finally the spinach. I blend it until everything is homogeneous then I add in the oats and pulse a few times just to combine them without pulverizing them. This is not a smooth shake like you might get from a smoothy place. There are bits of of spinach (although quite tiny) and the seeds from the berries. The oats are mostly whole still. I prefer it like that and feel that it helps prevent any possible stomach issues since there is some whole food for your stomach to work on instead of pure liquid. You could always blend it longer to get a smoother texture, but it will start to warm up since there is no ice.

• Protien Powder (I get the vanilla)
  
  
• Spinach
  
  
• Frozen Berries
  
  
• Flax Seed Oil
  
  
• Super Greens phyto nutrient blend
  
  
• Oats
  
  
• 2% Milk
  
  I also add the following for my exercise supplements
  
  
• Creatine
  
  
• BCAA blend
  
  
• Arginine
  
  
  I will also sometimes put in a scoop of fiber if I think about it (I LOVE MYOFiber, but any fiber is good). You can also sub out peanut butter for the flax oil. It's still healthy fats, but you miss out on a lot of the benefits of high lignan flax, particularly the Omegas. You can also tailor it a bit to your needs. If you want a carb heavy version, swap the milk for OJ. Want less calories? Swap the milk for water and cut the oil in half. Prefer chocolate? Change the whey flavor and use a banana instead of the berries. etc. etc.

I feel like this is my 2nd time asking this but people keep telling me on different approaches about when and how much creatine to take.

My stats M/20/5'2" and 132 lbs

I'm just bought some a few Optimum Nutrition's creatine and they've yet to arrive. I'm currently planning on loading at 15g every other day half before and half after my workout for the first week. After the first week, I will be taking 5g again split before and after my workout.

My questions are:

1. Is the amount that I am planning on taking correct?
   
   
2. Does it really make a difference if I take half before/after workout? Or would it be the same if I just took it all at once? If it's the same, should I take it before or after working out?
   
   
3. I drink whey protein after every workout and from what I've read, creatine doesn't mix well with protein shakes. If I mixed it in with my shake, will it affect how much of the creatine I absorb?
   
   Thanks for reading. Please feel free to give additional suggestions :)

Creatine + puberty is a pretty powerful combination, I remember friends in high school who started it and would gain like 20# over a summer. Not sure how much of that could be attributed to the creatine instead of the puberty, but the stuff seemed to work like magic for 15 & 16-year old meatheads.

Personally, I don't notice any effect from the stuff. No noticeable change in performance, bodyweight, or recovery, and zero side effects either (gas, bloating, diarrhea, etc). About the only thing it does to me is make thirstier in the morning.

Honestly, creatine is so cheap per serving that there's no reason not to experiment with it. Don't spring for anything fancy, get something like this and see where it takes you after 2 weeks. If you like it, keep taking it, if you don't, stop.

I use ON Creatine just because its not too expensive and I get my protein from ON as well. 10g certainly wont hurt either way, but I would try taking less and see if it still gives you the desired effects. You could always try mixing it with food if the texture is too apparent in liquid.

Most of what I feel in the preworkout is the caffeine, I take about 3/4 of a serving and thats over 300mg of caffeine which is a ton for me so I usually only take it if I'm really feeling sluggish beforehand. It also gives me a really good pump, I'm not sure if it helps with any lifts but I certainly enjoy it.

To answer your direct question, a study found no accelerated loss in strength or muscle mass 12 weeks after stopping creatine supplementation and moving to reduced-volume training. I'm not aware of any studies that go beyond 12 weeks. The participants were also older men (age 77), so the impact may or may not be the same for someone younger, or for someone who maintains the same level of intensity in their workouts. See study here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15263100

The indirect question raised by your post is creatine cost. Simply put, creatine is one of the cheapest and best value supplements in existence, particularly given that is so heavily supported by well-designed research. A 380-serving tub of Optimum Nutrition unflavored creatine monohydrate powder is currently $39.69 on Amazon, with free shipping. That's more than a year's worth of creatine at less than 10-cents per day. That's about $2.90 per month, assuming an average of 30 days in a month.

There are probably even better deals to be found from other bulk suppliers, but I generally like ON products and have Amazon Prime so I went with something easy. Find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Micronized-Creatine-Unflavored/dp/B000GIQS34/

I think there are products that are both cheaper and better than the ones you're looking at. I always aim for the cheapest price per unit (bulk powder in large quantities) while still making sure it's a high quality product. For protein, I would suggest unflavored Now Foods Whey Isolate. For oats, if you're planning to use a lot, stock up here. For creatine, creatine monohydrate from BulkSupplements. I don't have a recommendation for ZMA, but Optimum Nutrition is probably a safe bet, or just buy zinc and magnesium separately from Now Foods. Don't worry about supplementing glutamine. It will not do anything for recovery or growth.

I make my own pre-workout using beta alanine, citrulline, and sometimes some caffeine. For extra energy throughout the day, I would suggest vitamin D, Rhodiola, Tyrosine, and maybe some ALCAR, assuming you're already taking fish oil as mentioned.

The "Creapure" process is patented, strictly quality controlled, and vegan. You can just find a "creapure" version and you're good. It's awesome. It basically causes you to retain more water and lets you lift a bit more weight and squeeze out an additional rep or two. I gain 5-8lbs of water weight when I take it. I take 5g every day.

Jarrow is a good brand https://www.amazon.com/Jarrow-Formulas-Creatine-Monohydrate-Performance/dp/B000BN8WHO

I use this one because it was the cheapest I could find at the time https://www.amazon.com/ALLMAX-NUTRITION-AllMax-Nutrition-CREATINE/dp/B00IP2I94O/ref=sr_1_8_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1497053035&sr=1-8&keywords=creapure

True nutrition sells it https://truenutrition.com/vegan-supplements.aspx (use "5PERCENTOFF" for a discount)

MyProtein https://us.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/creapure-creatine-monohydrate/10852407.html

>all I want is a little boost on my gains

Sadly there is no supplement for this, unless you count protein powder...

Honestly all you need is some plain creatine monohydrate, and solid whey protein.

If you are under 40 you don't need a pre-workout, you should have natural energy and you can just eat a piece of fruit before hitting the gym, all you are paying for in most supplements is caffeine. Granted I would say caffeine is a welcomed boost after a low sleep night.

In summary

• Protein Powder
  
  
• Creatine
  
  
• Caffeine (If you need a boost once in a while)

[Hard Rhino] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L5PHIU4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_QdZ7ybP34VEXY) is pretty great and what I use. It's a powder so it dissolves a lot better than the crystallized salt-like versions out there. Plus, it's cheap, good quality and you'll have enough for eternity.

I get straight soy protein from Winco. It has a very mild flavor that I like, and can be bought for $5.5-$6.5 / lb. Note that your caloric intake is a bigger factor than your protein intake. Since you're really skinny, you'll have to eat significantly more than you're used to in order to gain muscle.

I'd also recommend creatine, which is a pretty standard supplement. It's around $20 for 200 servings

Most supplements are vegan. Make sure it's micronized for better mixing with your drink of choice. One of the top rated creatines that I usually buy is this one. I find my stomach agrees better with creatine in general in an acidic juice like OJ.

This. I've been doing this for about 6 months now. Not only is it cheaper, but you know exactly what's going into your body. I highly recommend the 200mg of caffeine, and sticking towards the top end of his BA/CM dosages.


If you're into that "focus"/"mind muscle connection" aspect of many preworkouts, you can toss in 1-2g of ALCAR as well.


Creatine can be taken any time during the day and the impact is unchanged, but you can just make it more convenient for yourself by pre-mixing little baggies with all of your supps.


Also it's important to note this is WAY CHEAPER!


Beta Alanine, 125 Servings for $24

Citrulline Malate, 25 Servings for $16

Creatine, 200 Servings for $19

ALCAR, ~500 Servings for $18

*Caffeine, 100 Servings for $5

Yup. As someone else pointed out, Optimum Nutrition uses Creapure and is micronized ($14.50 for 600g w/ amazon prime shipping), and this is the stuff I got most recently. It claims to be "ultra-micronized" or something and is even more fine than the ON stuff. It is almost like powdered sugar fine. I don't believe it is "Creapure", but at $15 for 800 grams and free shipping, I'm pleased so far.

BulkSupplements Creatine Monohydrate 1kg - $0.09 per 5g serving

BulkSupplements Beta Alanine 500g - $0.15 per 4g serving

BulkSupplements Citrulline Malate 1kg - $0.27 per 8g serving.

Total in bulk - $0.51 per serving
Total with pre-made - $0.83 per serving

I'd say overall it's not bad, but it'll certainly be cheaper per serving to buy in bulk. And while it's refreshing to see more supplement companies not using proprietary blends and using effective doses I find it odd they decided to include creatine and beta alanine in a product marketed as a pre-workout, given these supplements are not timing dependent.

Also, unless you're doing a large volume of high rep work (15+ rep sets) you might not be getting much benefit from beta-alanine.

here's the creatine i get: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DSOV60I/ref=pd_luc_sim_02_01_t_lh?ie=UTF8&psc=1

so long as it's monohydrate & micronised, i think it's all pretty much the same stuff.

if i were you i'd pick a lifting program and get started on it asap, you'll be able to loose fat and gain muscle at the same time to begin with, by the time that's worn off, you should have a better idea of what to do and how to go about it. -if you're really unsure, just do strong lifts or starting strength for a bit, get used to the lifts and stuff.

I will definitely look for that. Have you ever heard of cq10? Is it okay to take on keto? It's just antioxidants.

cq10:

Doctor's Best High Absorption Coq10 (100 mg), Softgel Capsules, 30-Count
http://amzn.com/B0007RDQJS

Also I found the creatine on Amazon for a decent price:

Optimum Nutrition Creatine Powder, Unflavored, 600g
http://amzn.com/B002DYIZEO

Well first, I do shoulders on their own day. One thing I changed was I started doing incline DB first then flat BB. Good way to change shit up. And besides those 2 major lifts, I do your normal stuff: incline cable fly, decline cable fly, bodyweight and weighted/machine dips. Another thing is that I always go to failure on the last 1 or 2 sets and having a great gym partner is key for that. I don't think I would be wear I am today if my partner wasn't helping me force out that last rep. I remember Arnold saying something like, the only rep that counts is the last one, that's the only one building muscle. Never leave a rep in the tank on your last set.

Also I started taking Kre-Alkalyn. I don't think its a miracle creatine but its worth trying out. The smaller bottle is only 14$ with free shipping with prime. My friend recommended it to me about 2 months ago.

• OPTIMUM NUTRITION Gold Standard Double Rich Chocolate
  
  
• Flat shoes for lifts. If you have the money you can do something like adidas powerlift 2.0 shoes for 90 dollars or so and use them for squats and such. Grab some barefoot shoes or just deadlift barfoot.
  
  
• Grip chalk. You likely won't need it now but getting a brick
  
  
• calipers. You don't really need this unless you just want to track it and to ensure not gaining too much fat.
  
  
• Maybe some vitamins
  
  
• Creatine
  
  
• blender bottles. Grab a couple.
  
  
• Gym bag, lock
  
  
• Small tanktops to show off the gains

Creatine: Don't buy into any bullshit here. Whatever a supplement company is adding to their creatine probably isn't doing anything for you. If you want creatine, just get a huge stock of plain creatine monohydrate. This is personally what I take.

Protein: It's harder to make a decision here because just about every company is hawking some form of whey. Like others have said, some companies have been known to lie about their protein amounts. I would recommend just sticking to a trusted brand like Optimum Nutrition until you've had some time to look at reviews of some other brands you may have seen. Plus ON has the glutamine and BCAAs thrown into their blend, so why not. My only other recommendation would be not to buy into the "hydro-whey" hype. Unless you really have the extra money to throw around, it's probably not going to be worth it in any capacity.

Widely used, tastes pretty good: http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1398812111&sr=8-2&keywords=on+double+chocolate

Also, creatine isn't a substitute to protein - creatine is creatine, I generally buy the cheapest I can and take 5g of it a day. Something like this is fine: http://www.amazon.com/NOW-Foods-Creatine-Powder-Pounds/dp/B0013OXD38/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398812354&sr=8-1&keywords=now+foods+creatine

Do not buy from GNC, they are incredibly overpriced. I quickly perused some nutritional info and prices on their site and found that, for most of their products, you are paying about $1/day of use. Eg this, one of their top-selling creatines, costs 25 bucks, and contains 30 servings, with 10 grams per serving, much of which is sugar and other added crap.

This is turning into /r/fitness circlejerk, but this right here is what you want to buy. Currently on sale (act fast!) for 30 bucks, and it contains 225 servings with 5 grams per serving, none of which is sugar or other added crap. You don't have to be a math whiz to figure that out. It's either 25/month at GNC, or 30 for 9 months on Amazon

edit: ok, just found a different creatine sold by GNC which is 17 bucks for 100 servings of 5 grams creatine. Much more acceptable, but you can still get a better deal elsewhere

Yea, it's much cheaper if you buy it in big quantities. This is the caffeine I get, and this is the creatine I get. You can get them in varying sizes, and the bigger quantity you buy, the cheaper it gets. But regardless of the quantity, it's massively cheaper than pre-packaged pre-workouts, and if you mix it with a powder that has a good amount of simple carbs (Gatorade, Lemonade, Tang, etc) you get a good performance boost from the added glycogen in your system during a workout, which is something that seems to have been lost somewhere along the line with pre-workouts (probably for companies to have a bigger profit margin=/)

I actually like optimum nutrition, it's what I use recommend. I've got good news for you to, compared to most supplements, creatine is cheap.

If you want the powder, go with this stuff
http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-Unflavored/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=as_li_tf_mfw?&linkCode=wey&tag=fuel0d3-20

and if you want capsules (they're 2.5 g a piece) go with these http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-2500mg-Capsules/dp/B000GIQS0W/ref=as_li_tf_mfw?&linkCode=wey&tag=fuel0d3-20

OP. Just eat right and remove all forms of sugars like cane and beet sugar. In America its mostly cane sugar so remove that. No more fast food, cook everything at home and eat 3-5 times a day, eat foods with lots of fiber at least 50 grams of fiber a day to slow down the absorption rate of carbs. Get more fresh air so walk, run outside for an hour at least. Wake up in the morning and go out for an hour even if its cold and miserable outside. Drink lots of water with creatine. I buy this for 20 USD 2.2 pounds http://www.amazon.com/NOW-Foods-Creatine-Powder-Pounds/dp/B0013OXD38/ref=sr_1_3?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1413683487&sr=1-3&keywords=creatine and drink it 3 times a day with glutamine. And drop those energy drinks. Do this for 2 weeks at least and you will not need coffee or energy drinks and your energy levels will skyrocket and most importantly, you will feel good mentally and physically as well.

I eat my breakfast before working out. Eggs, bacon, pork, a little salsa. That usually gives me a little kick. Helps me wake up too knowing there's some good food waiting for me (I make the food in advance so I don't have to cook so early.)

Afterwards I have a whey protein shake I got in bulk on Amazon. You could actually do the protien shake with a little [creatine powder]
(https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-Unflavored/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=zg_bs_3773431_1?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=TFWW9YVQXZW3HAMASQ19&th=1) mixed in before working out. That's worked well for me too.

I'm not a fitness expert so take that with a grain of salt, but it's worked well for me and it's reasonably easy.

No, I usually buy my creatine through Smart Powders or on Amazon from Bulk Supplements. Plain old creatine monohydrate is going to be the same from any brand, so I go with what gives me the best deal. I currently am working my way through this right here. It is $20 for 2.2lbs of it, as opposed to $15 for ON's 1.3lbs of it. Just remember whatever brand you get, look for micronized!

Edit: Micronized creatine monohydrate has the consistency of powdered sugar, which is why it dissolves way better than the normal granules it usually comes in.

> BCAA

Creatine yes, BCAAs are really only valuable if you're taking them immediately before a workout after fasting for a significant length of time (great for IF dieters).

Amazon. Get Creatine Monohydrate. I buy this.

38M here, you most likely don't need to supplement testosterone. In fact there is no testosterone "supplement", there is either full testosterone replacement or nothing. As you get more active and lift more, not only will the DOMs go away, but your testosterone will naturally rise to accommodate your activity level. Also, don't forget about ibuprofen. It's a wonder drug.

Creatine does help, though. I like this stuff.

So I am going to start bulking at 19 years old, 188 pounds, at 5'10, I have a bit of a stomach of fat.

Anyways, I cannot cook so I figured I am going to buy these two things: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DYIZEO/?coliid=IQL91CIFTEP&colid=2MIAXA4JE1WTI&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

and
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QSNYGI/?coliid=I1FE6EB8OWFGK0&colid=218IHU42Y9RAW&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1

I am also going to be eating peanut butter, tuna, top ramen, peanuts, and almonds

I cannot cook. Where I live, I just can't store food or cook it. Believe me, if I had another solution I would.

So where the foods don't make up in protein for the 220g I need recommended on a calculator, I will make up for it with protein shakes.

Will I be able to bulk?

Edit: are reps of 5x5 a good pace to start?

I also agree that it is a waste of money to buy into the flashy marketing gimmicks of the GNC or Vitamin Shoppe flavor of the week brands. So long as it is a decently manufactured mono, I am all good. I have been getting these auto-delivered to me for over a year now. They do the job in splendid fashion and I am out a whopping 8 bucks for 240 capsules.

I buy Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey, as well as their unflavored Creatine Monohydrate.

ON's gold standard whey is widely accepted to be high quality, as well as one of the less expensive brands. I personally use the milk chocolate and double rich chocolate flavors. And creatine monohydrate is just creatine monohydrate, no matter how you slice it.

Creatine is available (and usually way cheaper!) as a flavorless powder that dissolves into a glass of water, protein shake, or any other drink.

You can get fish oil in liquid form instead of capsules/chewables if that's easier.

Multivitamins are not even helpful for most people. Unless you're vegan, you almost certainly get plenty of glutamine from your diet and gain no benefit from supplementing. You should reexamine why you are taking these at all.

Creatine Monohydrate Powder Micronized by BulkSupplements (1 kilogram) | 99.99% Pure High Performance Formula | Pre/Post Workout Bodybuilding/Crossfit Supplement https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E9M4XEE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Zae0AbHZWJY8C

I bought this brand. It's like 2 cents a gram when you buy a kilo of it, so honestly cheap enough and definitely safe to take for more than 3 months.

I like these capsules. There may be better/cheaper options out there, but I get 15% off with Amazon Subscribe and Save and haven't felt the need to switch.

> Additionally, what about important nutrients which are difficult to obtain from a vegan diet

Creatine. It exclusively comes from animal sources unless you take synthetic supplements. It's marketed towards bodybuilders but is also important to vegans/vegetarians. There are hundreds of studies confirming its safety and effectiveness. Cheap on Amazon. 5 g/day in a glass of water is all you need.

If you're willing to make small exceptions to your vegan diet for the sake of your health, you should take fish oil for omega-3. Vegan supplements claim to contain omega-3, but they contain ALA, which your body cannot process efficiently. The optimal source of omega-3 is EPA and DHA, which only come from fish.

I did exactly what you want to do the first time, got 5 pounds Whey Gold from Optimum Nutrition and Universal Creatine, and yes, i did do the loading phase for a week, then i reduced the intake to 5g a day, it does work, you have a lot of energy and feel like you can weightlift more.

My advice is, skip the creatine powder, and wait till you run out of protein, then get protein powders like MuscleTech NitroTech Whey Protein Powder, as it already has creatine in it, remember that creatine is not water soluble, so when you take creatine, you have to add water, stir it, drink, then stir it again, and drink until you are done, having in it in a protein shake solves that problem.

Creatine is not a miracle supplement, so i don't see why would someone spend $20, maybe $30 on creatine, when you can get in included in your protein shake.

Really?

http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-Unflavored/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367540393&sr=8-1&keywords=ON+creatine

This is pretty cheap. $16.50 for 120 servings. Pretty cheap. What monohydrates are cheaper?

O.o OK first off, I thought I was thin when I was younger. Freshman Year of High-School I was 5'3-4, weighing in at 90 lbs appx. 4 years later and I am 5'11, weighing in at 165 (also due to the help eating properly/pushing myself during workouts/bodybuilding.

Unfortunately if you want to put on some bulk, you will need to eat more now then ever. And if you think you are eating enough at this moment, you are wrong.

Food that you will need to incorporate are:

• Chicken, Pork, Beef, Turkey
  
• Eggs/Egg Whites
  
• Steel Cut Oats (Not Oatmeal as that has no nutritional value in it)
  
• Veggies...
  
• Some fruits, not all since most contain a decent amount of sugar, but with your frame/weight I doubt a little bit of sugar would hurt
  
• If you can afford it, protein shakes (Optimal is ON or Cytosport 100% Whey Protein Powder at Costco if nearby)
  
• Creatine Monohydrate
  
• Pre-workout (Not neccesary but can be provided useful)
  
  Edit:
  
  
• Recommended Creatine: Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder (2000g) from Amazon.
  
  
• Recommended Pre-Workout: C4 60 Serving of Pineapple and Pink Lemonade (My favorite flavors) from Amazon.
  
  
  You will need a routine, but you should workout Mon-Fri. My order starting from Mon is Back, then Chest, Legs, Bi/Tris and end with shoulders/traps. Starting Monday and cycling on and off, you should do Abs, Calves, Abs, Calves, Abs. Weekends are rest days.
  
  Repeat
  
  Last and just as important, proper sleep. I do not know if you are a early bird or a night owl, but if you are a night owl, BOOM, stop what you are doing and start going to bed early. If you don't rest at a proper time, and for a proper amount, it will severely restrict any kinda of Gains you get in the gym, as known hopefully by most, you don't gain muscle in the gym, you gain muscle when you rest.
  
  Hope this helps.
  
  Unfortunately, this is going to cost a decent amount of money/and/or communication with your parents about purchasing said meals and having a gym membership, as I doubt you have anyone nearby that has an at home gym like I do. It's not uber common.
  
  Always remember, Gains are consistent of Rest, Food, and Working Out. If one is out of balance, it screws with the entire order of how quickly you make progress in the gym.
  

>so I just went with the cheapest

Looks like you went with a relatively small container. Make sure you're getting a good price per gram. It's often significantly cheaper to take a bigger chunk of change up front and just spend it on a big tub. I use this one in a larger size, if it helps.

> ement industry before. And with that many ratings, you have to be skeptical. You're better off going with oximega by controlled labs for their third party testing or Now Foods ultra omega because it's very reputable. I read some of these reviews on th

Thank you for the advice, I think I am going to try this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015L2LBE/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER.

As for creatine, I am going to try this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IUHNCIW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

>What I meant by high end are the more known names and more pricier products on the shelf at my gym like the optimum nutrition branded creatine. "ALR Industries Cyclo-Creation Creatine" 3g creatine per scoop. Ingredients are cyclo-creatine phosphate, creatine phosphate, cysteine, glycocyamine and taurine.


[How is this] (http://www.muscleandstrength.com/store/cyclo-creation.html) any cheaper than [ON] (http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Unflavored-Servings/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418744838&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=alr+creatine)...especially when ALR is only giving you 3g's when you should be aiming for 5.

Creatine Mono is all you need

This is the one I get. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E9M4XEE/

You'll feel like fucking Scarface when you open the bag. Looks like a kilo of cocaine. Mix a rounded teaspoon a day into your protein, or a glass of water. Make sure you hydrate throughout the day.

Creatine Monohydrate is pretty ubiquitous, I would make sure of a couple things:

• Unsweetened (Creatine is flavorless normally anyway)
  
• Powdered, not capsules
  
• Monohydrate
  
  
  Other than that just avoid any gimmicky products, here's a good one for instance:
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-Unflavored/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1370555029&sr=1-1&keywords=creatine

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E9M4XEE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_1tI2xbD7BD9EP bulk supplements creatine is pretty and cheap. Easy mixes in water

a) smarties!!!! we both have them on our lists!!!

now that im looking we have a lot in common on our lists same protein powder, sour patch kids. creatine. and now im going to add the bumper dumper


b) since we have a lot of the same items, im gonna try to pull things off my wishlist that you might like:

You seem to do a lot of outdoors type stuff, how about a waterproof iphone case. a recovery strap incase you ever get suck or need to pull someone out.

You must workout since you have protein powder and the like: i hear this is a great workout book.

and last but not least, a camping cot

Optimum Nutrition has gotten a lot of positive reviews and a lot of my Crossfit buddies recommended it. I'm on Day 3 of loading (shifted from 15g to 10g based on this thread) and it's fine.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DYIZEO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bulk Supplements is less than 10 cents per 5g serving of pure creatine. That is more than 6 months worth for under twenty bucks. Mix it with whatever you want or just take it straight.

That X3 stuff is a 35 cents per 33g scoop serving with only 8g of creatine in it. You're paying a lot for a scoop of sugar with some creatine in it..

Protein is necessary.

Protein supplements are not, IF you can get your protein needs from a standard diet. Protein powder is just easy food, so it is fine to take, but pointless if your diet is on point.

As for supplements, I'd suggest 5g of creatine mono daily. This is the best bang for your buck besides some powder sites

Roughly 10 cents a day I believe. PWO isn't necessary but ok, so long as you don't dive straight into the "fun" stuff. C4 is decent, NoXplode will make you shit your self, and optimum nutritions stuff put me to sleep.

So supplements are fine, just keep it simple, since the vast majority of legal options are snake oil.

I came across the same article. I'm weary about it as well and will monitor closely.

Is chamomile a good substitute for passion flower. It seems they both contain the same compound called Apigenins

I already take ON creatine monohydrate 5mg daily.

Just start with caffeine. Either via coffee or pop. I have no experience with pill based caffeine.

As for creatine, I like
muscletech (which makes garbage whey powder, keep in mind).

Good creatine should look like flour, not salt.

Amazon says it is half off, but according to camelcamelcamel the highest it has sold for in the past 3 years is $54.48. And it looks like it averages around $38. Not really a deal (unless amazon is showing you a different price than me - $36.94).

I buy this: http://www.amazon.com/BulkSupplements-Micronized-Creatine-Monohydrate-Kilogram/dp/B00E9M4XEE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1409336000&sr=8-2&keywords=creatine%
400 servings per 2.5 grams. I take 5 grams every day, this will last me over half a year for less than $20. Pretty good deal.

Amazon is a great source for well-priced supps.

Optimum Creatine

They do have it in supplemental form! I love this stuff!

http://www.amazon.com/NOW-Foods-Creatine-Powder-Pounds/dp/B0013OXD38

>The money is probably better spent on higher quality diet. You’ll build more actual muscle rather than just surrounding your tissue with water. $30/mo buys you steak instead of ground beef, and that’s about what you’d be spending on quality creatine.

What, no... just... what are you talking about?

First of all, creatine increases the volume of water INSIDE your muscle cells.

2nd of all here's 200 days worth of quality creatine for less than $20
https://www.amazon.com/Monohydrate-Micronized-BulkSupplements-Performance-Bodybuilding/dp/B00E9M4XEE?th=1

It's fine to just stick to creatine monohydrate; it's cheap and readily available anywhere. Brand is irrelevant, although I personally get mine from Optimum Nutrition (600g for $20 on Amazon, which is about 4 month's worth). There are other forms of creatine, but they haven't been shown to be as reliable or effective for everyone, last time that I checked.

PlantFusion Complete Plant Based Protein Powder, Chocolate, 2 Lb Tub, 30 Servings, 1 Count, Gluten Free, Vegan, Non-GMO, Packaging May Vary https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0021FAITU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dbsUBbF4N2DWP


Clean Machine Cell Block 80 Supplement, Natural Testosterone Booster, Estrogen Blocker, DHT Blocker, Cortisol Blocker, Non-GMNO - 56 Vegan Capsules https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EHVZHAG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_gcsUBbW7CQPSW


EFX Sports Kre-Alkalyn EFX, 240 Capsules https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00117ZRXQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ZcsUBb5A4BPZV

Scivation Xtend BCAA Powder, Branched Chain Amino Acids, BCAAs, Blue Raspberry, 30 Servings https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LALNIOI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_rdsUBbEZ2QN2T

I don't think its sufficient personally. I take 5g of creatine post-workout as well as the stuff that is in my pre-workout. Monohydrate is what I take. Here is what I take. I have seen really good results.

I bought a different type of Creatine on Amazon. Mostly because it was cheap but I liked the packaging to boot.

Optimum Nutrition Creatine Powder, Unflavored, 600g, 114 Servings https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_CYkCub1DYYPHF

Who actually buys the $100 tubs at GNC anyway?

Mono powder has the most research backing it's effectiveness--not to mention it's super cheap and tasteless.

This is what I've been taking:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DYIZEO/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=1278548962&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000M4CFT8&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01RS5S8PHMSKX23N314H

Cheap, well reviewed. Mixes really nice.

http://www.amazon.com/BulkSupplements-Micronized-Creatine-Monohydrate-Kilogram/dp/B00E9M4XEE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1410396068&sr=8-2&keywords=creatine

Try Bulksupplements on amazon, they have pretty cheap Creatine.

18 Bucks for A Kilo

I use https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E9M4XEE/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Rt3-ub1WGW7BR and it works great for me

I take Kre-Alkalyn...supposed to be pH balanced or some shit so that it absorbs more efficiently. It's fairly inexpensive and you can take less than 5g since it absorbs better. I think the studies show it is I've liked the results.

Link

I do protein and 5 grams of creatine daily. I think it has made a considerable difference in my energy level and I feel more active throughout the entire duration.

Where are you? EU? US? ...?
I have good experience with whey unflavored from Jarrow whey and Creatine from BulkSupplements which I think should be the cheapest available creatine
Both are available on amazon.com

They make creatine pills at 1.25g/pill. You effectively need 4/day at an average of $0.30/day.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GIQS0W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qG9ODbJ97MXXK

Another in a long line of options. Personally, I went with the powder because it dissolves in coffee mostly okay and doesn't really affect the flavor.

Creatine, not even once, but if you are going to start using I would suggest this. It is the brand my brother used before he OD'ed on the stuff.


Stay safe op

I read some of your comments, and if you had to choose only one extra supplement to add to your diet it would be creatine. BCAA's should come later down the line when you're either 1) more advanced, or 2) going on a cut, and you're eating so little food that you need to supplement with important amino acids to make up for your lacking diet. I hope this helps.

Amazon, over the years my boyfriend and I have just gone to bulk micronized creatine. Careful if you like caffeine because it is easy to OD on micronized caffeine. My boyfriend used to be a fan of Jack'd, but since that got stripped of ingredients neither one of us partake in amino acids.

I am also going to be trying out VitaCost for my next shipment of protein.

> can someone explain how/why it would be worth it

examine. one of the most proven (and frugal) supplements you could take.

> which type I should get

any creatine monohydrate would work. people, myself included, tend to like the ON products.

> how it should be taken

5g/daily, forever and ever, amen.

I had a $5 credit on amazon so I decided to go with ON for $3.54 FS! I am uneducated if there are different types so I hope this one will suffice.

Here's 2.2 pounds of creatine for $20. This is just as effective as any other creatine.

1 kilo of Creatine - http://www.amazon.com/NOW-Foods-Creatine-Powder-Pounds/dp/B0013OXD38/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1346954568&sr=8-4&keywords=creatine - good for 200 days, is $20.

What chucks are you getting for $36.5?

Found another brand (ON, the ones that make the Gold Standard whey which I've used and liked) http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-Unflavored/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394662658&sr=8-1&keywords=creatine+monohydrate

Thoughts? Or if you know a better place to get it for cheap?

Just buy plain, micro-ionized, creatine monohydrate. It's pretty cheap and it's flavorless. Link

Edit: link

Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Powder, Unflavored, Keto Friendly, 600 grams (Packaging May Vary) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_d0xHDbSF8PHQN

You should definitely take creatine. The best and cheapest you can get is from BulkSuppliments, you can get it on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E9M4XEE

In regards to casein, whey, etc. you only need them to fill in the holes in your protein macro. If you're already getting enough protein from food, then you don't need them at all.

With the exception of creatine, no, supplements don't make a significant difference. Whey/casein is not considered by many to be a supplement, but a food source.

Your creatine is absurdly expensive. I use this creatine which is $19 for a kilo (200 servings, 9.5 cents / serving) and it's great.

Creatine is crazy cheap compared to ~every other supplement out there, I can't believe you managed to spend so much on yours!

If you feel like throwing money away, it's fine.

That's 54cents a dose or ~$16.25/mo with the sale price.

https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-Unflavored/dp/B002DYIZEO is 12cents a dose or ~$3.80/mo

I got this from Amazon. 1KG for $18. Works fine for me, or roll with ON like everyone else is saying.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E9M4XEE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00

$18.50 with free shipping

Your lunch looks weak. Eat a chicken breast for lunch and a 1/3 cup of brown rice or figure something out. I'd also throw in a snack between lunch and dinner as that could be a 6 hour stretch (you should be eating roughly every 3 hours).

For my snack I have 2 PB&J sandwiches with a banana and milk.

Dinner for me is the same as lunch, except 2 nights a week I make steak with a fatty sauce + rice. I'm also eating 1/4 cup of broccoli with lunch and dinner.

With dinner I have a rounded teaspoon of creatine. It's pretty cheap and I do see results!

This is all at my weight (158lb). You need more than me and it sounds like you're getting less.

well, depends where are you from. although i'm ~5,653 mi away from the us, i still buy supplements on amazon))
thus, Citrulline Malate 2:1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E7YL0UI/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2YD2H3KGK1F4L

Beta Alanine (Carnosyn) https://www.amazon.com/Foods-Beta-Alanine-Powder-500G/dp/B0017KU74Q/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1494529377&sr=8-1&keywords=beta+alanine+now

Creatine Monohydrate (Creapure) https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Nutrition-Creapure-Creatine-Monohydrate/dp/B0009V8MA0/ref=pd_sim_121_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0009V8MA0&pd_rd_r=RZRWN6CKFVHANF4HA18S&pd_rd_w=y3w33&pd_rd_wg=NHZri&psc=1&refRID=RZRWN6CKFVHANF4HA18S

Betaine TMG https://www.amazon.com/Nutricost-Betaine-Anhydrous-Trimethylglycine-Powder/dp/B01BCQ3RLE/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1494529481&sr=1-4&keywords=betaine+tmg

Do some research on it first. Pretty much it puts more ATP and water in your muscles, so it's important to drink extra water. Heres a link for 120 servings for ~14$.

That's really expensive. You can get the same for like 18 bucks on amazon

https://www.amazon.com/BulkSupplements-Micronized-Creatine-Monohydrate-Powder/dp/B00E9M4XEE

http://www.amazon.com/BulkSupplements-Micronized-Creatine-Monohydrate-Kilogram/dp/B00E9M4XEE

good luck finding it cheaper.

creatine is creatine, don't get fooled into buying the expensive shit.

This should answer most of your questions.

I've never heard of not doing the initial saturation or loading period. Just get straight creatine monohydrate. There should be instructions on the container. You don't have to take it with juice. You could buy just straight dextrose and mix the two with water. As for the caffeine, again read the Examine article.

That one will work. What you're lookin at is a micronized monohydrate creatine which from what I understand is just a finer powder so it is more soluble. It's supposed to be better for your intestinal tract.

Here's the one I bought which is similar to that ON one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00E9M4XEE/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1394668346&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

Try this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L5PHIU4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's micronized so it dissolves easier and it's 100% pure

I bought this last year.. Still going through it. Would that help?

Not bad. I buy in bulk along with my other supplements. Make sure you stay hydrated. It could make you insanely thirsty.

http://www.amazon.com/BulkSupplements-Micronized-Creatine-Monohydrate-Kilogram/dp/B00E9M4XEE

Creatine is recommended for everyone: Creatine Monohydrate, 5 grams a day, every day. No loading phase (if you don't know what that is just ignore). Here is an example. It does not matter what time in the day you take it.

Like he said, Preworkout is just caffeine with a few other things thrown in. Coffee will likely be fine. I'd stick to coffee or caffeine tabs as a newb, but if you really want some go for it.

If you are drinking it in water I would recomend this amazon.com/gp/product/B00E9M4XEE creatine.

Most creatine is somewhat gritty, this stuff is like powder.

In my opinion, in order of supplement importance - protein, fish oil, and creatine.

Optimum Nutrition is cheaper if you buy the 2kg container, and the plastic container is easier to deal with imo.

Also if you are trying to bulk do yourself a favor and pick up some of this http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-Unflavored/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397192395&sr=8-1&keywords=creatine

Agree with the creatine powder suggestion, I've been using the powder ,with a cycling period, and its lasted me the whole program (on week 12 now). Here is a link:

http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-Unflavored/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318595627&sr=8-1

I'm using BulkSupplements stuff (micronized creatine monohydrate):

http://www.amazon.com/BulkSupplements-Micronized-Creatine-Monohydrate-Kilogram/dp/B00E9M4XEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414678212&sr=8-1&keywords=BulkSupplements+Creatine

I like it because it doesn't have a ton of stuff in it I don't want. Can't comment on the taste as I throw it in my morning drink with 2 other supplements and enough cristal lite grape flavoring to mask the flavor of camel dung.

http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-Unflavored/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AN50ICBWVNTYF&s=generic&qid=1312434600&sr=1-1

creatine 2000g is also pretty low!

As a note, PWO are generally really expensive for what you get. You can generally get the raw ingredients for much cheaper, tailor it to your preferred proportions, and throw it into your protein shake or make your own PWO without getting as many random add-on ingredients that don't really do much that PWO love to throw in.

The main ingredients, caffeine, beta-alanine and creatine are dirt cheap and you can mix them to your own proportions. E.g. C4 $35 for 60 servings comes out to ~$0.58/serving for 1.5g beta-alanine, 135mg caffeine, and 1g creatine.

Doing it yourself with 1.5g beta-alanine =~$0.08, 200mg caffeine =~$0.08, and 5g creatine =~$0.13 or $0.29/serving to get more caffeine and the recommended amount of creatine. You can get it even cheaper ordering in bulk powders.

You'll probably also want to get a cheap food scale ~$10 to get the correct amounts since scoop measurements can be unreliable. Definitely get a scale if you mess with powdered caffeine.

edit: mathed wrong on cost/serving of C4

Looks like it:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005P0RPGC/ref=sxts1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1475252094&sr=1

It was an add on item

This is fine. It literally tastes like nothing.

Well I got this stuff from Amazon. $14 for 60 servings. Not sure if you can get much cheaper than that.

This isn't a product imported from Alibaba, I assure you. I will link to the product here

https://www.amazon.com/MET-Rx-Creatine-4200-240-count/dp/B005P0RPGC

Don't buy the pills, buy in bulk by the kilogram. The stuff is tasteless and dissolves easily.

I get this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E9M4XEE

> creatine but have no idea which type.

Creatine monohydrate. Personally, I use this.

You really don't need other supplements but some sort of protein powder can make it easier to hit one's macros.

> I plan to do my own research on this. But I'm assuming these supplements were manufactured/synthesized ethically?

Well, they are usually vegan. The top taurine and creatine supplements on amazon are vegan.

> This is controversial. Some sources say the iron found in plants is inferior to heme iron.

It's absorbed differently. All you need is enough iron at the end of the day, and plants provide plenty as long as you eat a well balanced diet.

For $40 you get 120 tabs of 625mg of creatine. That's 75g for $40, or $0.53 per gram.

Let's look at a decent product, ON's Creatine Monohydrate. http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-300g/dp/B002DYIZEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341848673&sr=8-1&keywords=on+creatine+monohydrate

This one is $37.79 for 2000g. Cheaper and you get WAY more. Less than $0.02 per gram.

Don't buy GNC shit.

Matters where you are based ? I just use Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Monohydrate-Micronized-BulkSupplements-Performance-Bodybuilding/dp/B00E9M4XEE?th=1

One Kilo which would last you a long time.

Here you go. 1,000 grams for 20 bucks.

NOW Foods Creatine Powder, 2.2 Pounds https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013OXD38/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_H2Q9ub0B2YWTV

At 5g/day, that's more than six months worth. A dime a day. Take the extra cash and buy chicken.

I generally buy optimum nutrition, mainly because they sell it in bulk, and it mixes rather well with whatever protein powder I'm using at the time.

Unless you really needed pill, you should consider the powder.. Much cheaper.http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002DYIZEO/ref=mp_s_a_1_sc_1?qid=1418314812&sr=8-1-spell&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

Also look on examine.com for their creation article. It's all there.

Do you get flavored creatine or something?

https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-Unflavored/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1484265712&sr=1-4&keywords=creatine

This is the stuff I use and its flavorless, and can be mixed with anything without noticing any difference except for maybe the graininess of the creatine in the water or w/e.

There's no need to cut dose, it will just take that much longer for you body to get the proper results from creatine supplementation. If the taste really bothers you, how about getting your 5g dose and putting in a shot glass with water, and shooting it back like youre taking a shot of tequila or something? Lol

...you know, you can just buy a kilo of caffeine on Amazon for $19? It's on Prime, too...

I used to buy that one, but then I switched to this one from BulkSupplements. Way cheaper on Amazon and it's nowhere near as gritty as the ON stuff.

Just get creatine monohydrate, any brand.

ON makes the top seller

Considering all creatine is synthetic, nope.

Amazons first result, 600g/15$

At 5g/day, it's 12.5cts/day. What does your meat cost ? Because 5g of creatine requires you to eat 2.5lbs of beef. Can you buy 2.5lbs of meat for 12.5cts from your butcher ?

Take a look at this one from Amazon -

Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Powder, Unflavored, 600g https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_1X7GAbV4CHWAC

I use this one MuscleTech Platinum Creatine Monohydrate Powder, 100% Pure Micronized Creatine Powder, 14.1oz (80 Servings) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IUHNCIW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_9s-BCbEG6KTSD

It dissolves completely into water and is really affordable at $9. No gritty water 👍

I loaded for the first week, now on maintenance of 5g/day. I definitely noticed some water retention but I feel like it’s helping my lifts...maybe it’s placebo effect but it can’t hurt.

Woah! 300 gram of creatine for $16? That's a ripoff.

Here's 1 kg for $19: http://www.amazon.com/BulkSupplements-Micronized-Creatine-Monohydrate-Kilogram/dp/B00E9M4XEE/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1419532553&sr=1-2&keywords=creatine

Likely the result of a rounded vs leveled scoop. A serving of the one you bought is 2.5g, a serving of Optimum Nutrition creatine is 5g. See how many scoops it actually takes to make 5g and use that.

I just bought this Big Chungus off of Amazon myself

I just used amazon and found the highly rated one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GIQS34/ref=s9_acsd_top_hd_bw_bFpdn_c_x_3_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&pf_rd_r=3W0GEHGDXSPV6QZHSFJC&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=9e116c2a-041f-5090-aa8b-4d61d62aed7a&pf_rd_i=3773431

Amazon has a quality brand for less than half half that much.

http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-Unflavored/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346858485&sr=8-1&keywords=creatine

If it must be on Amazon, here you go.

Don't waste your money and just buy this:
http://www.amazon.com/NOW-Foods-Creatine-Powder-Pounds/dp/B0013OXD38/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1372301150&sr=8-2&keywords=creatine

Ths is micronized creatine, and it does say that it is creatine monohydrate. I do believe that it is working, as some of my workouts seem to be going faster, I need less rest and whatnot.

As for my program, I'm not doing any set program of SS or SL, I have 3 days, Chest/Tri, Shoulders/Back/Bi, and Legs that I alternate, lifting 4x/week for about a year and a half now, but I only started taking creatine this spring.

You're really overpaying. Right now you're paying 20 dollars per pound for protein from GNC. ON Whey protein is $11.60 per pound of protein. You can also get 30% more creatine for the same price from Amazon. Their shipping is also very fast, and you can always just order around a week before your supply runs out and it will get there in time.

Optimum Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate is a little under 16 US dollars for 120 servings on Amazon. It's not stupidly cheap but it's a reputable company and it's not expensive by any means.

I use this Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Powder, Unflavored, 2000g https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GIQS34/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_UCFEAb2TDJN10

Creatine Monohydrate power is all you need. Nothing else.

http://www.amazon.com/NOW-Foods-Creatine-Powder-Pounds/dp/B0013OXD38/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1347367898&sr=8-2&keywords=creatine+monohydrate

Optimum Creatine on Amazon

Optimum Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate. Extremely cheap and reputiable. Here is a link.

amazon has inexpensive unflavored creatine from ON.

Optimum Nutrition Creatine Powder, Unflavored, 600g, 114 Servings

Should last you around half a year for 15$.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DYIZEO/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01

this exactly. I took the 20mg all at once was that a mistake? I feel fine now to be clear. it was just 10-30 mins after I got an odd feeling. it passed in under 10 min.