Does anyone use creatine??

[SSBUB]

As for protein brands - not all are the same.
I see some use Musashi (been around for years) and i wouldnt touch it simply because there is better out there. Max's i havent used before so cant comment. I use AST stuff and it works pretty well. Just remember price may not reflect the quality, but in most cases, the opposite is sometimes true for supplements.
Some popular brands include:
AST
MuscleTech
EAS
Bsc Bodyscience
Horleys
MRM

[ssb2005]

so basically creatine makes you able to go harder for longer?
im using Hydroxy "ripped" protein at the moment in a vain attempt to buff up a bit and increase fitness.

so would creatine help me go for longer and any tips for a first time user?

[TATT2]

Originally Posted by SSBUB

As for protein brands - not all are the same.
I see some use Musashi (been around for years) and i wouldnt touch it simply because there is better out there. Max's i havent used before so cant comment. I use AST stuff and it works pretty well. Just remember price may not reflect the quality, but in most cases, the opposite is sometimes true for supplements.
Some popular brands include:
AST
MuscleTech
EAS
Bsc Bodyscience
Horleys
MRM

ADD "ON" whey to that list..i find it good..

[XRated]

Originally Posted by ssb2005

so basically creatine makes you able to go harder for longer?
im using Hydroxy "ripped" protein at the moment in a vain attempt to buff up a bit and increase fitness.

so would creatine help me go for longer and any tips for a first time user?

I hope this makes sense and is accurate.

A lot of recommendations say to have a "loading" phase - taking x amount each day for a week or two. Then you lower the intake when training (take it about half an hour to an hour in something like fruit juice). It'll basically allow you to push a couple more sets on the bench for example, it also helps your body retain fluid so you appear bigger (i.e. muscle size). But in saying that, if you're pushing more than you would without it; obviously you get that benefit.

It does work, but the size is more attributed to the water retention. Not long after I stopped taking it my size went down really rapidly.

[TATT2]

Originally Posted by ssb2005

so basically creatine makes you able to go harder for longer?
im using Hydroxy "ripped" protein at the moment in a vain attempt to buff up a bit and increase fitness.

so would creatine help me go for longer and any tips for a first time user?

Syn-Tec make a product called Creabolan which a few people who have tried it recommend....and it has no loading phase

[ssb2005]

what about thermogenic's for stripping fat? anyone had any luck with that?

the water retention side of it is a bit of a turnoff for me witht he creatine. :

[bob^]

I decided to switch last week, because I was about to start the cycle again, and ended up choosing Muscletech Cell-tech - Eughh never again. 300 calories per serve, which works out to $6.60 a serve also(10 serves in a 1kg tub). Way overpriced and way too sweet.

[Shonky]

Originally Posted by MO

Shonky and others who have taken exception to my posts..I will get back..at the moment I'm tied up with other matters..which are of greater import than your exceptions.

I have no exception whatsoever of your opinion regarding supplements.

I do take exception to you attacking other peoples spelling and linguistic ability when you aren't much better yourself.

I can't stand hypocricy.

Sorry for going off topic. Continue.

[SSBUB]

Originally Posted by TATT2

ADD "ON" whey to that list..i find it good..

i should have been specific - they are all whey...i wouldnt touch soy protein with a 10 foot pole

[SSBUB]

Originally Posted by ssb2005

so basically creatine makes you able to go harder for longer?
im using Hydroxy "ripped" protein at the moment in a vain attempt to buff up a bit and increase fitness.

so would creatine help me go for longer and any tips for a first time user?

Yes you will go harder for longer - its not a steroid or anything, but you will get a slight gain out of it. Im not sure about hydroxy ripped - as long as its a whey protein your doing ok....whey isolate being the best around exercise time to supplement with.

Creatine can be taken 1 of two ways. You can incorperate a loading phase or not. A loading phase usually consists of:
20grams per day for 5 days, 5 grams per day thereafter for about 6 weeks.
OR
Just take 5 grams a day - you body will get the effects eventually, but will take about two weeks. Loading phase is about getting alot in there over a short time (5 days) and maintaining. The 'other' way nets the same results, will just take a couple of weeks to reach full muscle saturation.

[SSBUB]

Originally Posted by ssb2005

what about thermogenic's for stripping fat? anyone had any luck with that?

the water retention side of it is a bit of a turnoff for me witht he creatine. :

Thermogenics would be more of a risk than creatine. Most thermogenics have ephadrine in them which can cause heart palpitations, anxiety and just general 'on edge' feelings. That is their prupose though - to amp your body up thus using energy, thus using fat as one of those fuels. Not everyone can take them though. I cant handle caffeine, so these are a definate no-no for me.

It sounds like you are a bit frightened about creatine. Dont be - micronised creatine is by far one of the most proven and accepted supplements worldwide.
Up to 75% of NFL players use some form of creatine supplement, it's also used by the US Navy SEALS. Reports reveal that over 90% of US bodybuilders and weightlifters are devoted users of creatine. While a survey in England showed that over 57% of elite British athletes use creatine regularly.
Its not a drug, it occurs naturally in the body - so why take it you ask? Because lifting weights depletes creatine greatly.

[SSBUB]

Originally Posted by bob^

I decided to switch last week, because I was about to start the cycle again, and ended up choosing Muscletech Cell-tech - Eughh never again. 300 calories per serve, which works out to $6.60 a serve also(10 serves in a 1kg tub). Way overpriced and way too sweet.

Muscletech is very expensive - ok gear, but very pricet. 300 cals per serve means its just not creatine. It would have been combined with dextrose or some form of 'sugar' to help absorbtion. When companies do this you unfortunately end up with alot of calories.
Try micronised creatine on its own and drink it with a powerade or even a glass of juice. Something high glycemic.

[XRCIST]

Originally Posted by SSBUB

Yes you will go harder for longer - its not a steroid or anything, but you will get a slight gain out of it. Im not sure about hydroxy ripped - as long as its a whey protein your doing ok....whey isolate being the best around exercise time to supplement with.

Creatine can be taken 1 of two ways. You can incorperate a loading phase or not. A loading phase usually consists of:
20grams per day for 5 days, 5 grams per day thereafter for about 6 weeks.
OR
Just take 5 grams a day - you body will get the effects eventually, but will take about two weeks. Loading phase is about getting alot in there over a short time (5 days) and maintaining. The 'other' way nets the same results, will just take a couple of weeks to reach full muscle saturation.

Hey mate, you seem to have alot of good info on supplements.

I began my weight training about 2 months ago, however last week i purchased some of MAXs supplements, the daytime protein (high in carbs for mass gains) and the post workout mix containing 3g of creatine per serve mixed with the protein.

I havent gone down the loading phase path, i just take 3g of it every day (seeing as it is combined in the protein mix) .
Do you think this is a good amount to take or should i be taking more every day?
You mentioned in the above post that you take it for about 6 weeks after the loading phase. How long are you supposed to take it if you are just taking it normally i.e no loading phase?

Also what are your thoughts on MAXs products.

Cheers

[Gammaboy]

Tried Creatine back when I was still racing... found it helped me train harder when I was doing strength work in the hills (seated climbing efforts) but the extra muscle bulk wasn't helping me, even made me climb worse, fantastic for flat time trials and criterium racing though...
Basically i think if I was doing 1000++km a week again i'd use it to aid recovery, but would avoid its use during the strength cycle of training.

5 years after giving up racing I'm 20kg heavier than when I was at race weight, and feel healthier for it.

[XR666T]

Creatine is the most researched sports supplement on the market today. Some of you have been listening to the wrong people (those that are uneducated). Creatine has been proven effective and safe time and time again. I don't see how it can be harmful in normal dosages, it's not as if you're introducing a foreign substance to your body. Creatine is found in red meat (although in much smaller quantities).

Not everyone responds to Monohydrate... I didn't either. I am currently taking Creatine Ethyl Ester and so far it's been great! You only need to take 2x 2 gram servings a day because it absorbs so well, unlike Micronized Creatine. But regardless you must drink PLENTY of water while taking Creatine, but you should be drinking a lot anyway.

That being said, no supplement will help if your diet isn't in check. That's where I've made the most improvement as of late, that and making sure I get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Get your diet right, your training down to a point and then look into more exotic supplements.

[ssb2005]

how much extra water would you say you have to drink with it?

out of curiositys sake

[XR666T]

Originally Posted by ssb2005

how much extra water would you say you have to drink with it?

out of curiositys sake

It's hard to put an exact figure on it. I carry my water bottle (600ml) around with me basically everywhere I go, I fill it up anywhere from 3-5 times during the day (more in the hot weather naturally). When I'm in the gym I also drink about 1 litre throughout my workout.

I suppose it's best if you gradually increase your consumption and go by how you feel. This isn't the nicest way to tell, but a good rule is generally... the clearer your urine is, the closer you are to drinking enough water .

[SSBUB]

Originally Posted by XRCIST

Hey mate, you seem to have alot of good info on supplements.

I began my weight training about 2 months ago, however last week i purchased some of MAXs supplements, the daytime protein (high in carbs for mass gains) and the post workout mix containing 3g of creatine per serve mixed with the protein.

I havent gone down the loading phase path, i just take 3g of it every day (seeing as it is combined in the protein mix) .
Do you think this is a good amount to take or should i be taking more every day?
You mentioned in the above post that you take it for about 6 weeks after the loading phase. How long are you supposed to take it if you are just taking it normally i.e no loading phase?

Also what are your thoughts on MAXs products.

Cheers

i would take 5 grams - that seems to be the base level of recieving benefits from studies done - plus its only 2 grams on top of what your taking now...you can take this for 6 weeks still - it just means 4 weeks your at your prime, rather than 5 weeks, 2 days kind of thing with the loading. But some people dont cycle. At the moment im trying to lean out for a local competition (not bodybuilding but one of those biggest loser ones) - and i dont have too much fat to loose so i need to keep all the muscle i get...hence creatine (and glutamine!!!).
I used max's once i now remember, it was a pineapple whey isolate from memory. Max's are ok i believe. If you are dead serious i would use AST products. They have worked well for me. Not pushing their products but they are pretty good - go to ast-ss.com and have a look. Alot of good articles, some product pushing as per normal - but just cut through the bull and read the articles and research. They seem to be on the level which is rare for a bodybuilding supplement company - plus the head exercise physiologist is an aussie! Daniel Chick uses ast just for the record, and ya know hes a tough nut.

[SSBUB]

Originally Posted by ssb2005

how much extra water would you say you have to drink with it?

out of curiositys sake

As Redline said, you atleast want 2 litres a day, plus 600ml for every 15 mins of intense exercise....is it that strict and correct? prob not. I have drunk 1 litre per day on occasion...there are no dramas, but i do carry a 1.5l bottle of water around with me for the day and it gets filled once....but yeah, i work out in the field and sometimes all i have is my 1.5l for the day....it wont kill ya, its just better to drink more water anyway

[XA Coupsta]

Yeh I just wanna say SSBub its pretty obvious you are well learned on this topic. I've enjoyed reading your posts.

I say keep it coming Ford Forums!!! Seems there are quite a few fellow gym trainers here and I like hearing what other people are doing with their training.

.....Im seriously starting to consider some creatine now........

[ssb2005]

same when i get a decent routine going

[SSBUB]

lol...if you want any help or anything just PM me or ask on here coz i noticed that there are a few here who seem to be knowledgable with this sort of thing too.
Key things to make you grow muscle:
PRogressive overload of weights (dont lift the same amount week in week out)
Rest - this is when your muscles grow
Whey protein - total protein consumption should be around 1 gram per pound of body weight. 1kg = 2.2 pounds....and yes thats alot of protein, but remember your body is not designed to grow muscle...its not a key for its survival - it would be much happier hording the fat. Protein is the only thing that will give you an increase in muscle size.
DO Cardio - you gotta see the muscle!

Those are the basics. Creatine etc is another step, but if you get the above down you are doing well. And if your new to weight lifting, your gonna grow like a weed to begin with and taper off, so look forward to the initial quick growth spurt if you stick to it!

[red_hotxr6]

A proper diet is a must at all times, and surely every one knows that over doing ANY thing can be harmful.Now a days there are people that start to do gym work or start a new sport hear about creatine and obviously try/use the product.My husband trains very hard, ie if he is doing his biceps he will start with a light weight and keep adding weight on the bar until he can only do 1 rep then he takes the weight of in increments until he is down to the bar, which could be ten-twelve sets at 3 different exercises.Then creatine came along and bang he was on a different level all together every thing increased, especially his energy levels, he just couldnt stop talking about it.And the main point about the stuff is that the harder you train the more or better it seems to work.

[bob^]

Originally Posted by SSBUB

Muscletech is very expensive - ok gear, but very pricet. 300 cals per serve means its just not creatine. It would have been combined with dextrose or some form of 'sugar' to help absorbtion. When companies do this you unfortunately end up with alot of calories.
Try micronised creatine on its own and drink it with a powerade or even a glass of juice. Something high glycemic.

Yeah its stacked full of other things to help with absorbtion - dextrose (ala glucose). One serve (100g) has 75g dextrose and 10g of creatine.
I've been reading up on people having similar effects by mixing creatine with just glucose, or 50g glucose and 50g protein.
I was using micronised creatine with juice or ribena previously, but wanted to try something different this cycle around.

[XA Coupsta]

What other supps are out there (so we've covered protein and creatine) that will get results? I checked out the supplement den link and they had heaps of stuff. Unfortunately I found the 'research' article was generally written by the company selling the product - therefore its pretty hard to believe their claims.

Hey has anyone heard of hypertrophy as a training method when resistance training?

[edit - coz my trainer has put me onto it and im using it currently - its just a variation on how you do your sets. 5 counts to load the muscle up, then 1 count exertion. like an explosive push - burns hard!]

[loxxr6]

what about thermogenic's for stripping fat? anyone had any luck with that?

I find your body get used to it too quickly eg thermocuts, thermoshred tablets etc. Short term they do help you cut the craving and give you a bit of an extra kick through the day.

If you monitor your eating and get your cardio in, you'll lose the weight so your weight lifting gains show through, you won't need the thermogenics.

With Ripped Factors stuff I have, it has some of that stuff in it already.

[XR666T]

Originally Posted by XA Coupsta

What other supps are out there (so we've covered protein and creatine) that will get results? I checked out the supplement den link and they had heaps of stuff. Unfortunately I found the 'research' article was generally written by the company selling the product - therefore its pretty hard to believe their claims.

Hey has anyone heard of hypertrophy as a training method when resistance training?

[edit - coz my trainer has put me onto it and im using it currently - its just a variation on how you do your sets. 5 counts to load the muscle up, then 1 count exertion. like an explosive push - burns hard!]

Sounds like you're talking about slow negative (the lowering part of a rep) reps there. It basically uses the 'time under tension' principle... it is believed that you place your muscles under the most stress while performing the negative phase of a repetition. So in THEORY more stress for a longer period of time = more growth.

I like to use it every so often, for biceps in particular (burns like hell). I cringe when I'm in the gym and I see a young guy almost dropping the bar and bouncing it off his chest when bench pressing for example.

Controlled reps are paramount.

[SSBUB]

Originally Posted by Redline

Sounds like you're talking about slow negative (the lowering part of a rep) reps there. It basically uses the 'time under tension' principle... it is believed that you place your muscles under the most stress while performing the negative phase of a repetition. So in THEORY more stress for a longer period of time = more growth.

I like to use it every so often, for biceps in particular (burns like hell). I cringe when I'm in the gym and I see a young guy almost dropping the bar and bouncing it off his chest when bench pressing for example.

Controlled reps are paramount.

x2
The key is to increase your weights over time - so many methods such as pyramiding, and the slow eccentric phases your doing, but in the end you will only get bigger one way - by lifting more and more

[SSBUB]

Originally Posted by XA Coupsta

What other supps are out there (so we've covered protein and creatine) that will get results? I checked out the supplement den link and they had heaps of stuff. Unfortunately I found the 'research' article was generally written by the company selling the product - therefore its pretty hard to believe their claims.

Hey has anyone heard of hypertrophy as a training method when resistance training?

[edit - coz my trainer has put me onto it and im using it currently - its just a variation on how you do your sets. 5 counts to load the muscle up, then 1 count exertion. like an explosive push - burns hard!]

You will get 100 diff answers as to what works.
I believe:
Creatine, glutamine, whey isolate and a good multi will do everything you need.
You can go a step further and take ALA, CLA, tribulus and a thermogenic, which i believe all work also - but in the end its a matter of funds and how hardcore you are lol.

[Tony xa]

Originally Posted by SSBUB

creatine does not cause heart problems

and as far as fake size and strength? Creatine helps you lift more, thus create more muscle - in the end, how is that fake? Its not in the long term.

It does help with heart problems and it is a short term gain in strength and size .I am also not a fly buy in this area of the game and know what I am doing and saying and I also pointed out that this is what happened to me and also noted that the size and strength part was not just me but others I trained as well.

The fake part is that once the creatine is gone from your system so is the strength and in time the muscles do reduce to the there normal size .Creatine is more of a volume enhancer by keeping fluid in the muscle cells which in return makes them bigger until its all gone .