Lifting, supplements, progress, Oh My!
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cmcollins001
Posts: 3,472 Member
Ok, so here's the deal. Went to the gym the other night and the local "health and wellness" store had set up inside and they were giving away some free samples of their "best products." The guy told me the stuff in the white package, the NOXPRO, "will make your face tingle for the first 5 minutes, but when you start lifting it'll go away..it's perfectly normal and you will really feel the pump!"
I've never been a serious lifter by any stretch of the imagination and just recently in the last month or so I've gotten back into going to the gym and this time more serious than ever. I'm doing 30-40 mins of cardio mostly because I want to, and then anywhere from 45-90 minutes of some sort of lifting and pulling and moving heavy stuff. I currently have about 45 lbs to lose before I reach my "first" goal weight of 200 lbs and then from there I'm going to evaluate how I feel and what direction I want to go, and by direction I want to know how big I want to get. I lift now to both lose fat and build some strength and make sure my body knows I want to use my muscle for stuff and that I would prefer it burn the excess fat first.
I do notice that I'm getting more definition around my shoulders, quads, and calves, and I'm starting to really feel my manly boobs (a.k.a. pecs) under my man boobs (a.k.a moobs). I don't expect to bulk up, well, not really, since I am eating at a deficit, but I do expect some results. I've noticed that some nights I can go in and lift almost with ease the same weight I was really pushing hard to lift a few nights before. Then, I'll go in a day or two later and try to lift it again and I struggle through the first set. It's like I make progress then end up going backwards.
My question would be, do I even need to bother with supplements right now? Do they help or are they like everything else and more gimmick that fact. I know I want my end result to be a big scary muscle guy instead of the big scary fat guy. Do I focus on fat loss now and real muscle gain later with bulking and cutting, or should I have a different mindset on the whole thing?
I've never been a serious lifter by any stretch of the imagination and just recently in the last month or so I've gotten back into going to the gym and this time more serious than ever. I'm doing 30-40 mins of cardio mostly because I want to, and then anywhere from 45-90 minutes of some sort of lifting and pulling and moving heavy stuff. I currently have about 45 lbs to lose before I reach my "first" goal weight of 200 lbs and then from there I'm going to evaluate how I feel and what direction I want to go, and by direction I want to know how big I want to get. I lift now to both lose fat and build some strength and make sure my body knows I want to use my muscle for stuff and that I would prefer it burn the excess fat first.
I do notice that I'm getting more definition around my shoulders, quads, and calves, and I'm starting to really feel my manly boobs (a.k.a. pecs) under my man boobs (a.k.a moobs). I don't expect to bulk up, well, not really, since I am eating at a deficit, but I do expect some results. I've noticed that some nights I can go in and lift almost with ease the same weight I was really pushing hard to lift a few nights before. Then, I'll go in a day or two later and try to lift it again and I struggle through the first set. It's like I make progress then end up going backwards.
My question would be, do I even need to bother with supplements right now? Do they help or are they like everything else and more gimmick that fact. I know I want my end result to be a big scary muscle guy instead of the big scary fat guy. Do I focus on fat loss now and real muscle gain later with bulking and cutting, or should I have a different mindset on the whole thing?
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Replies
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Question: why are you lifting the same weight once you've lifted it sucessfully? Progress upwards in weight--even small increments. Sorry can't help you about supplements. I think the body will only provide the strength we challenge it with. If you are lifting the same, your muscles will provide that and no more. Of course, I am a noobie to lifting, (3 months in), so there will prob. be better advice/opinions.0
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Question: why are you lifting the same weight once you've lifted it sucessfully? Progress upwards in weight--even small increments. Sorry can't help you about supplements. I think the body will only provide the strength we challenge it with. If you are lifting the same, your muscles will provide that and no more. Of course, I am a noobie to lifting, (3 months in), so there will prob. be better advice/opinions.
I lift it successfully, then the next time I go in, I load with that weight for a one set warm-up...and normally, I'm able to add more weight, but sometimes, I end up struggling through my warm up and it's like I made no progress at all.0 -
I wouldn't touch it. Seriously. Take a high quality Omega 3 (triple potency) & some magnesium... Eat real food to give you real fuel and you'll be good.
ETA: you can't expect to add weight each time you go in. There are a lot of factors in training. fatigue and poor nutrition are usual suspects. Some days I can deadlift 240, other days it's a struggle to get 230 up.0 -
How confident are you in your form for lifts?
Since you're just getting back into it I'd venture a guess that your difficulties with weight that was easy has more to do with that than with supps.0 -
Ok, I think I see. I've recently been told I am not warming up correctly, (been doing what you have been doing). Not sure what's right or wrong, but think I'll try 10 15 min of progressively intense cardio prior to lifting. I have had occasional trouble lifting an accomplised weight but I think it's due to not warming up enough and not enough stretching after the workout. My muscles feel fine, it's tendons and ligaments that aren't.Question: why are you lifting the same weight once you've lifted it sucessfully? Progress upwards in weight--even small increments. Sorry can't help you about supplements. I think the body will only provide the strength we challenge it with. If you are lifting the same, your muscles will provide that and no more. Of course, I am a noobie to lifting, (3 months in), so there will prob. be better advice/opinions.
I lift it successfully, then the next time I go in, I load with that weight for a one set warm-up...and normally, I'm able to add more weight, but sometimes, I end up struggling through my warm up and it's like I made no progress at all.0 -
Question: why are you lifting the same weight once you've lifted it sucessfully? Progress upwards in weight--even small increments. Sorry can't help you about supplements. I think the body will only provide the strength we challenge it with. If you are lifting the same, your muscles will provide that and no more. Of course, I am a noobie to lifting, (3 months in), so there will prob. be better advice/opinions.
This works when you first start out, it doesn't work like that forever.0 -
I don't know if you rest a day. But if I don't rest my muscles are too tired to do half what I could the day before. Best to do cardio weights switching back and forth. I think many supplements are either scams and sometimes dangerous. I took one and thought I was having heart palpitations standing. Read and know what it is you take before. These supplements are not regulated by the fda. I would take a protein shake. However there are many types. Do your research first especially if you take medication! Good luck!0
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My question would be, do I even need to bother with supplements right now? Do they help or are they like everything else and more gimmick that fact.
Going off your vest, im going to assume you ride bikes too.
Supplements are like mods for your bike.
Some actually do something useful, like a bigger carb could give you more power.
Other things dont do anything useful, like chrome covers.
the catch is.. is what it does applicable to you.. for the bike example, that larger carb might gives more power if the previous carb was choking the engine.. but if the old one was big enough, the new one wont show much change.
If you're deficient in something, from your diet or general health.. they could help you.
if you need help doing something.. they could help you.
but a "overall in general magic helper" is usually just a BS supplement that does nothing.0 -
I lift it successfully, then the next time I go in, I load with that weight for a one set warm-up...and normally, I'm able to add more weight, but sometimes, I end up struggling through my warm up and it's like I made no progress at all.
Are you warming up at all before that? Give me an example of say your squat routine.0 -
Question: why are you lifting the same weight once you've lifted it sucessfully? Progress upwards in weight--even small increments. Sorry can't help you about supplements. I think the body will only provide the strength we challenge it with. If you are lifting the same, your muscles will provide that and no more. Of course, I am a noobie to lifting, (3 months in), so there will prob. be better advice/opinions.
This works when you first start out, it doesn't work like that forever.
/quote]
I'm sure you are right....there are limits to everything. What do you do when you've reached your strength limit?0 -
Solid question by sheleen!
As for the supplements. Don't waste your money. 98% of that stuff is useless crap. Protein, creatine, and fish oil are the only things that get my money. Well, and vitamins.
As for what to concentrate on now, the answer is both. Keep lifting as heavy as you can. Eat in a deficit. Worked for me. Will work for you too.0 -
Check the ingredients. Most of the weight loss stuff contains caffeine.0
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I'm sure you are right....there are limits to everything. What do you do when you've reached your strength limit?
PM sent so as not to hijack the thread, but basically switch to a non-linear program and set your working sets at sub-maximal levels.0 -
I have been lifting for over 30 years. I don't use supplements and I have made gains over the years without them. I would rather spend my hard earned money on good, wholesome food to fuel my body instead. :happy:0
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Solid question by sheleen!
As for the supplements. Don't waste your money. 98% of that stuff is useless crap. Protein, creatine, and fish oil are the only things that get my money. Well, and vitamins.
As for what to concentrate on now, the answer is both. Keep lifting as heavy as you can. Eat in a deficit. Worked for me. Will work for you too.
Thanks for all the responses. Kinda what I figured, that's why I haven't used any of the stuff. I did score a couple protein powder packs that seem to be decent, and I'll use those, but the rest of this stuff is most likely going to get trashed.
I'm already doing the protein through powders and food, and take vitamins and fish oil supplements, but haven't picked up any creatine yet....wasn't sure if it was worth it or not. Guess I'll pick some up and give it a shot.0 -
Solid question by sheleen!
As for the supplements. Don't waste your money. 98% of that stuff is useless crap. Protein, creatine, and fish oil are the only things that get my money. Well, and vitamins.
As for what to concentrate on now, the answer is both. Keep lifting as heavy as you can. Eat in a deficit. Worked for me. Will work for you too.
He's pretty much got it on point. Protein, creatine, fish oils, and a multi vitamin. Preferably NOT any type of TABLET vitamin i.e. One a Day, Gummy vitamins, Centrum, GNC Vitapaks, Animal paks, etc. The fact is that with any tablet multi vitamin it has gone through a heating process which has killed a majority of the nutrients in the vitamin (just like how you can overcook veggies and kill/leech the nutrients). With a tablet you will pee 90% of the vitamins out and only absorb 10%.
Get a liquid or powdered form multi vitamin that has gone though a cold filtering/cold processing process. You will absorb 90-100% of the vitamins from a liquid or powdered form multi. Tablets are junk and a waste of money.
The benefit of other supplements like the pre workouts that he gave you is that with pre workouts specifically they will give you more energy so you will get a better workout and burn more calories. I burn about 500 calories/hour of workout without a pre workout but burn about 700 calories when I use one.
There are numerous benefits of certain supplements depending on the person's specific goals and their workout frequency, length, intensity, and style (weight lifting, cycling, cardio machines, cross fit, etc.)
For your specific incident of your lifting when you are able to use a certain weight one day really easily and then the next time it is harder... You should look at how much cardio/type of cardio you are doing before you get into your lifting routine, the food you eat that day and the day before, and the amount of sleep you got the previous night. Just one change between one of those factors can create a huge difference in your strength.
I would recommend doing the majority of your cardio AFTER you lift weights. Do a 5-10 min cardio warm up and then get into the weights, then finish your 30-45 min of cardio afterwards. The benefit of doing this is that you will get a MUCH better weight workout and still burn just as many calories doing your cardio from before vs. after. You will most likely burn more calories by doing this as well because your weight workout will be much more intense (burn more calories during weight lifting) and your cardio, as long as you don't change the speed/time working out then you will burn just as much after than you do when you do it before.
Does this make sense? PM me if you have questions0 -
Solid question by sheleen!
As for the supplements. Don't waste your money. 98% of that stuff is useless crap. Protein, creatine, and fish oil are the only things that get my money. Well, and vitamins.
As for what to concentrate on now, the answer is both. Keep lifting as heavy as you can. Eat in a deficit. Worked for me. Will work for you too.
He's pretty much got it on point. Protein, creatine, fish oils, and a multi vitamin. Preferably NOT any type of TABLET vitamin i.e. One a Day, Gummy vitamins, Centrum, GNC Vitapaks, Animal paks, etc. The fact is that with any tablet multi vitamin it has gone through a heating process which has killed a majority of the nutrients in the vitamin (just like how you can overcook veggies and kill/leech the nutrients). With a tablet you will pee 90% of the vitamins out and only absorb 10%.
Get a liquid or powdered form multi vitamin that has gone though a cold filtering/cold processing process. You will absorb 90-100% of the vitamins from a liquid or powdered form multi. Tablets are junk and a waste of money.
The benefit of other supplements like the pre workouts that he gave you is that with pre workouts specifically they will give you more energy so you will get a better workout and burn more calories. I burn about 500 calories/hour of workout without a pre workout but burn about 700 calories when I use one.
There are numerous benefits of certain supplements depending on the person's specific goals and their workout frequency, length, intensity, and style (weight lifting, cycling, cardio machines, cross fit, etc.)
For your specific incident of your lifting when you are able to use a certain weight one day really easily and then the next time it is harder... You should look at how much cardio/type of cardio you are doing before you get into your lifting routine, the food you eat that day and the day before, and the amount of sleep you got the previous night. Just one change between one of those factors can create a huge difference in your strength.
I would recommend doing the majority of your cardio AFTER you lift weights. Do a 5-10 min cardio warm up and then get into the weights, then finish your 30-45 min of cardio afterwards. The benefit of doing this is that you will get a MUCH better weight workout and still burn just as many calories doing your cardio from before vs. after. You will most likely burn more calories by doing this as well because your weight workout will be much more intense (burn more calories during weight lifting) and your cardio, as long as you don't change the speed/time working out then you will burn just as much after than you do when you do it before.
Does this make sense? PM me if you have questions
Didn't have a clue about the tablet form of the vitamins. I also didn't realize it until you mentioned it, but the days I don't lift as well, I do more cardio upfront before I head back and lift...never really connected the two until I read that. Thanks!0 -
Just wanted to add a thought about the progressing/regressing phenomenon. A yoga teacher in the distant past told me to think of aarchery. You have to pull the arrow back before it can fly forward. This is applicable to so many situations - learning a new skill, diet plateaus, yoga, weight lifting. It's o.k., even desirable, for the body to pull back periodically.0
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