Supplement Question

JNick77

I can't speak to those- because supplements for digestion are different that supplements designed for workout boosts/muscle gains/enhancements etc etc...

I don't have issues with digestion- so I don't bother with those either- but I could totally see how they might be needed with GI issues.

Shrug- not a topic I'm familiar with outside " I need to eat more fiber" LMAO MOAR FIBAR!!!!

The way I look at muscle enhancements... If anything were truly worth it in-terms of significant muscle or strength gains, the FDA would ban it or it would be a prescription type drug.

Yeah, unfortunately I have digestion issues. It's funny because since I started taking the digestive enzyme supplement I've noticed improved recover and I look leaner lately. I have not changed my diet and I can only assume that it's related to my food being properly digested and used for recovery by my body and not as much is being wasted.

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Taterpoof

I really like Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy (Watermelon flavor). I recently tried N.O. Xplode, but unfortunately bought the grape flavor which is pretty nasty =P

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JoRocka

Pretty much- that's how I view it- plus i much prefer to say this is all my own hard work... not extra supplements and ****.

well appearance/BF% and diet/how we process are obviously intrinsically tied together and if you weren't getting what you needed due to digestion issues- then yeah- I bet you look better!!!

Also you might feel better- causing more productive workouts. Always a bonus- it's hard to come smash a work out when you aren't feeling your best.

There was a year where I was having a hard time with random issues of essentially IBS- not connected with any particular food- no time of day no anything- it was very odd- I started changing a few things and I stopped having issues with it- but I couldn't imagine trying to function long term when every 2-3 days I was curled up on the bath room floor in cold sweats with awful cramps. God I'm grateful that lasted only a year or two!!!

Taterpoof

Nah, I legitimately find that the pre-workout keeps me going until the end of my workout, whereas without I struggle at the end. I'm not stupid, I know the pre-workout will not make me stronger by itself - but it allows me to push more reps and lift heavier weight, which leads to more muscle growth. Money is not an issue for me.

My boyfriend introduced me to pre-workout and even though I had loved working out before, this gives me an extra boost to really make the most out of my workouts. It actually makes me excited to work out.

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Taterpoof

I really like Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy (Watermelon flavor). I recently tried N.O. Xplode, but unfortunately bought the grape flavor which is pretty nasty =P

CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG lol

yep, got it for the effect not the flavor so your post is pretty accurate haha

JoRocka

My boyfriend introduced me to pre-workout and even though I had loved working out before, this gives me an extra boost to really make the most out of my workouts. It actually makes me excited to work out.

why weren't you excited to work out before?

I don't understand this- I realize everyone has off days- but hell I WORK at a gym and I still get super excited to go smash it out. Might I suggestion another type of work out that gets you more fired up and doesn't rely on fake additives??

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Taterpoof

My boyfriend introduced me to pre-workout and even though I had loved working out before, this gives me an extra boost to really make the most out of my workouts. It actually makes me excited to work out.

why weren't you excited to work out before?

I don't understand this- I realize everyone has off days- but hell I WORK at a gym and I still get super excited to go smash it out. Might I suggestion another type of work out that gets you more fired up and doesn't rely on fake additives??

Sometimes with school and work it's tough to get motivated. I'm going to go to the gym regardless, but like I said before, it gives me that extra boost. I can see why people are against it, but this isn't a weightloss pill or anything gimmicky and it works for me.

JNick77

If that's what it takes to get motivated then do it I guess. Although I'm confident they're cheaper and SAFER stimulant-based supplements. Heck, get a TSP of creatine mono and knock it back with 16-ounces of black coffee if you can do that.

JoRocka

Everyone is different bro, just because some people aren't amped to work out all the time, doesn't mean you are somehow better then us.

Also, why do you use working in a gym as a reason why you wouldn't want to work out more. Seeing people work out all day should give you MORE motivation to work out.

You'd be surprised- most people who work at gyms full time are very lazy. I am a part timer and I love being there- but I LOVE working out- I'm a total addict- it's almost unhealthy and I admit that. I also never implied I was better than anyone- I think I'm more disciplined than a lot of people but not better. better is way to subjective.

I'm just more curious as to why she wasn't enjoying her workout- if she didn't enjoy it- she should may be change it.

Trust me- I get tired- I work 3 jobs- and I am gone from 7 AM to 11 PM at night- I cook for myself and live with a full grown 32 year old child (essentially) I clean up after him and his dying dog- take care of OUR house/community space and have to balance an out of town relationship... so I get it- working out can be slow to start- or hard to get there... even on the off days- by the time I get started/half way through- I'm hard charging- no stopping me. I always feel better through my workout- not the opposite.

Not judgying... relax.

bwright9752

You really don't want any pre-workout supplements. In the grand-scheme of things their benefit, aside from maybe Creatine, is extremely minor and not worth the money. If you're exercising after 5pm, you probably don't want a stimulant do you? BCAA's are fine if you feel they help. Creatine is probably the most legit supplement there is, aside from Whey, and you don't need ConCret or Assault or anything fancy, basic Creatine Monohydrate is perfect as-is.

have you even tried a pre-workout before? they do work..

Oh yeah, me and supplementation go way back. I use to use Ultimate Orange way back in the day before it became a banned product. I've used White Flood, Green Magnitude (very similar to ConCret), Green Buldge (name? from Controlled Labs) the one from ProLab (I think? can't recall), the one from MusclePharm (Armor something...) and just straight-up caffeine pills.

I can honestly say that the best results I've ever had came from basic Creatine Monohydrate and a Caffeine pill in the morning before working out. The Green Mag with White Flood was a good combination but I had just as many "bad" lifting sessions as I did with basic Creatine Mono and Caffeine, as I do without Creatine at all. Yes, pre-workouts do have some small value but I don't believe the value is worth the money, and nor is it worth the overall benefit. What do you do when you can't find the supplement, run-out, or don't have money for the supplement? I think some people become reliant on various supplements and of course supplement companies sell the **** out of their product and unknowing people buy into it. I recently went to a Vitamin Shoppe to get some Whey Protein and Cinnamon Extract and there was a rep from ConCret there giving free samples of ConCret and talking about how it makes you 45% stronger. I played along and said, so this will make me 45% stronger? She said, yes, that's what research as shown. Okay, then my 1RM on the deadlift is 405, so if I take ConCret I can then deadlift 580lbs??? I don't think so...

Most of the supplements that I use these days focus on digestion and recovery. I did decide to try this WaxyMaise supplement that's a good carbohydrate combination for pre and post workout, but it's nothing special other than a solid carb mix that's quick to consume and digests fast as I don't have a lot of time in the morning. I don't use it post-workout, instead to get some good quick carbs in me I have a mix of berries, 1 TBSP of local honey, whey, and almond butter or coconut oil. I used strictly oats, whey, and almond butter prior to working out for a long time and it was fine; I really did not notice much difference in NOT supplementing Creatine anymore. The caffeine pills of course stayed because I get up really early and need a quick wake-up, plus caffeine has shown to have positive effects on fat mobilization. The only reason I would consider creatine supplementation again is for it's recovery attributes. My updated supplementation:

- Whey
- WaxyMaise (I'm going to give it a 54 day trial-run)
- Flax Seed Oil 6grams / day (I ran out of Fish Oil and my GF had a big bottle of this stuffed in the back. LOL)
- Cinnamon Extract @ 6 grams / day
- Multi-Vitamin
- Gaba 750mg
- Digestive Enzymes
- Glucosamine Chondritin

For those of you that like CLA, you may want to read this before you buy your next bottle. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21990002

At the end of the day no supplement beats a solid diet plan, hard work, and adequate sleep. My recommendation would be to use as few supplements as possible.

I agree on caffeine and creatine but I recently started taking Big Blue by BioRhythm too. It has L-Arginine AKC (you get that NO pump) plus Beta Alanine to help with the lactic acid removal. Endurance is up and I've only been on it a couple of weeks, it should take 6 weeks to fully build the B-alanine in the system. To save money I think I'll go to dosing Big Blue pre-workout (morning) and just plain B-alanine in the evening - although my wife doesn't mind the "other" effect of the NO in big blue.