Whats the best thing (supplement or otherwise) to give me more power and energy when weightlifting WITHOUT makin me tweak?
June 9, 2011 1:05 PM Subscribe
Whats the best thing (supplement or otherwise) to give me more power and energy when weightlifting WITHOUT makin me tweak?
Simple as that. Could be food, supplement, drink, whathaveyou.
Trying to bust thru some plateaus with my lifting.
Any idears that won't turn me into a yammering spaz?
Simple as that. Could be food, supplement, drink, whathaveyou.
Trying to bust thru some plateaus with my lifting.
Any idears that won't turn me into a yammering spaz?
I assume you are keeping properly hydrated with plain old water? Dehydration can make you plateau no matter what kind of exercise you're doing.
posted by dfriedman at 1:18 PM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by dfriedman at 1:18 PM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Just two scoops of Muscle Milk daily and I try to eat right.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 1:18 PM on June 9, 2011
posted by Senor Cardgage at 1:18 PM on June 9, 2011
Response by poster: And I drink 2+ liters of water daily
posted by Senor Cardgage at 1:19 PM on June 9, 2011
posted by Senor Cardgage at 1:19 PM on June 9, 2011
If you are high-protein/low-carbing it, I've found that my damnable plateaus can break with adding a few more g of carbohydrates for a few days.
I've also noticed that when I slack off after training for an extended period of time (say, lifting 3x weekly for three or four months and then blowing off the gym for finals week) that I lift more upon my return. As always, YMMV.
posted by sinnesloeschen at 1:22 PM on June 9, 2011
I've also noticed that when I slack off after training for an extended period of time (say, lifting 3x weekly for three or four months and then blowing off the gym for finals week) that I lift more upon my return. As always, YMMV.
posted by sinnesloeschen at 1:22 PM on June 9, 2011
If you are already doing optimal nutrition, creatine might give you a little boost:
See e.g., http://articles.latimes.com/2004/may/03/health/he-creatine3
and
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/fitness/exercise/fitness-research/article975991.ece
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 1:39 PM on June 9, 2011
See e.g., http://articles.latimes.com/2004/may/03/health/he-creatine3
and
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/fitness/exercise/fitness-research/article975991.ece
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 1:39 PM on June 9, 2011
Eat more. Sleep more, and consistently. You could try resetting your lifts that are stalling (drop 10% of load).
posted by telegraph at 1:44 PM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by telegraph at 1:44 PM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Optimum Threshold. It makes your body tingle but doesn't make your mind tweak. Amino Energy. BSN N.O. X-Plode.
posted by phaedon at 1:46 PM on June 9, 2011
posted by phaedon at 1:46 PM on June 9, 2011
Have you tried creatine? There's plenty of evidence that it works, and it's as far as anyone can tell it's not harmful in reasonable doses. Monster Milk has 2g per shake -- maybe try switching to that for a month and see what you think?
I've had good results from fish oil, and omega-3s are good for you in general, so you might as well try it.
Also, are you getting good deep sleep every night, and enough of it? It seems paradoxical, but rest and recovery would be among the first variables I experimented with.
posted by vorfeed at 1:49 PM on June 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
I've had good results from fish oil, and omega-3s are good for you in general, so you might as well try it.
Also, are you getting good deep sleep every night, and enough of it? It seems paradoxical, but rest and recovery would be among the first variables I experimented with.
posted by vorfeed at 1:49 PM on June 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
Creatine. Not a stimulant but it should be a part of daily supplemntation for anyone who is serious about lifting.
posted by P.o.B. at 4:38 PM on June 9, 2011
posted by P.o.B. at 4:38 PM on June 9, 2011
Response by poster: Creatine purchased. Thanks guys!
Two questions:
1. the guy at the GNC said I should spend a week creative loading or it will take a month to kick in. True?
2. Can I just put this in my Muscle Milk?
posted by Senor Cardgage at 5:02 PM on June 9, 2011
Two questions:
1. the guy at the GNC said I should spend a week creative loading or it will take a month to kick in. True?
2. Can I just put this in my Muscle Milk?
posted by Senor Cardgage at 5:02 PM on June 9, 2011
Loading is unnecessary - at two weeks serum levels are equal whether you've loaded or not. the only difference with the former is you've pissed more creatine down the toilet, which is why the GNC stooge told you to load.
Creatine can be taken pretty much any time of day, though received wisdom usually states to do so with plenty of water, never around heavy meals, and generally within an hour of pre/post workout. Uptake is related to sodium intake, so add a pinch of salt to your shake. 5g daily is the sensible limit.
Opinions are divided on the need to cycle. Personally I don't believe it's necessary, and have heard no accounts of ill effects from permanent use.
I also hope you bought creatine monohydrate, which is the cheapest and most effective (again, the GNC stooge will likely tell you different).
posted by Kandarp Von Bontee at 5:10 PM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Creatine can be taken pretty much any time of day, though received wisdom usually states to do so with plenty of water, never around heavy meals, and generally within an hour of pre/post workout. Uptake is related to sodium intake, so add a pinch of salt to your shake. 5g daily is the sensible limit.
Opinions are divided on the need to cycle. Personally I don't believe it's necessary, and have heard no accounts of ill effects from permanent use.
I also hope you bought creatine monohydrate, which is the cheapest and most effective (again, the GNC stooge will likely tell you different).
posted by Kandarp Von Bontee at 5:10 PM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Yeah its the monohydrate. Thanks for the help!
posted by Senor Cardgage at 5:18 PM on June 9, 2011
posted by Senor Cardgage at 5:18 PM on June 9, 2011
I took creatine for a while and it really worked well. I did experience some mood swings which I found a little disturbing. Just make sure you are conscious of the possibility and back off if you feel the same way.
posted by arveale at 5:57 PM on June 9, 2011
posted by arveale at 5:57 PM on June 9, 2011
In the future, don't buy anything at GNC, they're horrifically overpriced.
Cycle two weeks on, one week off the creatine. Some people find it just makes the bloated, others find it helps with the lifting. I take it to preserve muscle mass while I work on dropping weight, but while maintaining I find it doesn't do a thing.
I'd suggest BCAAs, they're one of the few pre-workout supplements (aside from caffeine or pseudoephedrine) that I really feel make a difference--and they aren't stimulants. You'll probably want to track down reviews on this, apparently some brands taste pretty terrible. Mine are from At Large Nutrition and taste quite good, but may be on the high end of price range. However, customer service is fantastic and the guy is very passionate about delivery high-quality supplements and is truly not the sort of supplement huckster you'll find at other places (like GNC!). Full disclosure: I do know him, but you can find independent reviews of him and his stuff everywhere.
posted by Anonymous at 8:56 PM on June 9, 2011
Cycle two weeks on, one week off the creatine. Some people find it just makes the bloated, others find it helps with the lifting. I take it to preserve muscle mass while I work on dropping weight, but while maintaining I find it doesn't do a thing.
I'd suggest BCAAs, they're one of the few pre-workout supplements (aside from caffeine or pseudoephedrine) that I really feel make a difference--and they aren't stimulants. You'll probably want to track down reviews on this, apparently some brands taste pretty terrible. Mine are from At Large Nutrition and taste quite good, but may be on the high end of price range. However, customer service is fantastic and the guy is very passionate about delivery high-quality supplements and is truly not the sort of supplement huckster you'll find at other places (like GNC!). Full disclosure: I do know him, but you can find independent reviews of him and his stuff everywhere.
posted by Anonymous at 8:56 PM on June 9, 2011
However, if you're hitting lifting plateaus there are a lot other things you'll want to look at before supplements--programming, diet, sleep, nutrition . . .
posted by Anonymous at 8:58 PM on June 9, 2011
posted by Anonymous at 8:58 PM on June 9, 2011
I've never found loading to do anything special, the same with cycling. Loading is probably a waste and you could try cycling but give it a good two months before you do that. Take it with your workout shake, assuming you have one, or mix it with a sugary drink like fruit juice or Kool Aid post workout. The post workout insulin spike is a great time for your body to take in creatine, protein, etc..
posted by P.o.B. at 11:03 PM on June 9, 2011
posted by P.o.B. at 11:03 PM on June 9, 2011
Honestly, the best thing I've found is simply diet. Protein supplements - for me - caused more digestive problems than it helped in the weightlifting.
My energy levels are best when I'm eating 4-5 small meals a day, with a source of carbs (usually brown rice) and protein (chicken breast, fish, small portions of red meat) and it definitely helps.
posted by Thistledown at 8:14 AM on June 10, 2011
My energy levels are best when I'm eating 4-5 small meals a day, with a source of carbs (usually brown rice) and protein (chicken breast, fish, small portions of red meat) and it definitely helps.
posted by Thistledown at 8:14 AM on June 10, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Khalad at 1:15 PM on June 9, 2011