What Makes a Good Protein Powder?

Good or bad depends on your goals really.. I pick them based on that and there is a couple of factors I look at as well.

* Price (I don't concern myself with brands, it really doesn't matter)
* Protein (typically ranges from 25g-30g per scoop)
* Calories. Depends if i'm bulking or cutting, it can range from 100 cals to 500.
* Sodium (some can have a ridiculous amount)

I don't see anything "wrong" with the one you provided. It doesn't show the amount of calories, but since you're trying to add size, then the more the better. I'd be looking into a mass gainer to be honest.

It does state it has 5g of creatine in it. If you're taking 2 or more shakes a day, you wouldn't need that much creatine. I buy my creatine separately. For monohydrate its about 10-15$. So depending on how much more you pay for that type of protein, it's something to look into.

Things to look out for

- unreasonably high sugar content (can be disguised as 'maltodrexin/dextrose etc') - you see some powders with 4-5+ grams of sugar per scoop this is the company using a sugar as a cheap filler to increase profit margin and give you less actual protein
- single amino acids listed near the top of the ingredient list...again some companies are using 2-3 amino acids as a method of giving you less protein

I also don't buy the protein+creatine blended products......creatine is dirt cheap you are paying over the odds for convenience of having the 2 together.

What's the difference between a mass gainer and whey protein? What even is mass gainer? And what brand would you suggest for me?

One scoop of this nitrotech stuff has 130 cals and 30 grams of sodium. Also a tub of this stuff runs you about 70$

Most of them say Mass Gainer, or Gainer on them. Check the servings, if 1 or 2 scoops would be around 500 cals.

Cals are good, 30g of sodium????? I hope that's a typo haha, 2300mg is recommended daily, and that's 30000mg!

$70 for a 2lb tub?? Wow, yeah, that's really expensive. A 2lb tub at Walmart $20-$30, 80 servings of Creatine monohydrate(tub) $12.

- unreasonably high sugar content (can be disguised as 'maltodrexin/dextrose etc') - you see some powders with 4-5+ grams of sugar per scoop this is the company using a sugar as a cheap filler to increase profit margin and give you less actual protein
- single amino acids listed near the top of the ingredient list...again some companies are using 2-3 amino acids as a method of giving you less protein

This.

Outside of those two things the most important thing to find is something that you can enjoy/stand the taste of.

I like BioChem's Natural Whey which has zero additives. I get the BodyTech natural casein for the same reason. You can add your own carbs to either.

Store bought weight gainers are not the answer:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/vinced1.htm

Take what articles they publish with a grain of salt IMO

Store bought weight gainers are a cheap and easy way to get protein and calories, and that's pretty much it. For 99% of us, it's what we are looking for.

and not the answer to what?

BAD Protein powders have fillers in them, look out for those, also I am of the school that you want a Protein powder that has no artificial sweetner so I go for a Stevia sweetened one.

There are a lot of Protein powders with fillers and artificial sweeteners.

Also depends what you are looking for, I try keep my Carbs low so I look for one with lower carbs. I get an Isolate as well.

I go for the Nar Labs Isolate, it's a good tasting powder and not too bad price wise really.