NO WHEY!!!!!

For the fitness enthusiast such as myself you know that while a solid diet cannot be supplemented there are things that you can add into your diet to assure you are meeting the requirements your body needs in order to do what it is you are asking of it. I am not a huge fan of all of these special supplements that the kids use these days that promise to "Get ripped fast" "Get huge" "SHREDDED SIX PACK AND LOTS OF BODY OIL" but that doesn't mean I am against all supplements. If you read any articles anywhere about supplements the first thing they will tell you is that you cannot replace a good well rounded diet and that is spot on. Without the basic nutrition building blocks you are throwing your money away. A good multi vitamin cannot replace eating fruits and veggies. Creatine can't make up for eating lucky charms for breatfast, pizza for lunch, and burgers for dinner. Without eating a wide variety of healthy foods you cannot get big and strong it is as simple as that. However if you eat your broccoli, pick a salad instead of fries, and consciously chose healthy foods filled with vitamins minerals and other good natural ingredients supplements can be a valuable asset for someone trying to improve themselves.

The reason I am bringing this up is because I recently spent some time (an hour and a half) on bb.com looking for some new protein powder. I was doing this because my tub is almost out and the price rose from 28 bucks to an outrageous 35 dollars and I was not having any of that so I spent the rest of my night looking for cheaper alternatives that fit my needs. I finally settled on SciVation whey, a ten pound jug for 70 bucks. I realized while I was buying it that I'm not actually saving any money than if I had stuck with my current powder but oh well variety is the spice of life. It can't hurt to try new things, especially from a trusted brand like SciVation. Also I had a coupon for 10% off and I saved money by not having to order two five pound containers sepratly so over all I saved about 15 dollars, not bad. Especially if I had gone to GNC or Vitamin World, I don't get why anyone would buy anything there, everything is marked up at least 20%, but thats a different story.

I only take three supplements they are whey, a multi vitamin, and creatine. I take Optimen by Optimum Nutrition which I find to be a very good mutli. For 24 dollars I get two months worth of pills which are very easy to take, three a day, and help to ensure that I am getting all of my vitamins and minerals that my diet my lack or help to make sure I go above and beyond my daily value of essential nutrients. The creatine I take is micronized creatine by Higher Power Nutrition. For 15 bucks I got 500 grams (great value) which will last me approxamatly 1000 years so if my math is correct that like a dollar a week! Amazing I know. Creatine is naturally produced by the body but not in lager amounts a good source is red meat but buying it is much more efficent and easier. What creatine does for the body is it aids in the production of ATP which I like the bodys gasoline required for movement and physical activity. While you exercise you use ATP for energy and eventually you run out the creatine lets you produce more and replenish lost ATP fast so you can do more work in less time leading to more muscle hypertrophy and eventually more gains. Also with extended use (2-6 weeks) it can make muscles harder, more defined and larger, which is always a good thing.

Time in regards to supplementation is vary important. Professional bodybuilders are meticulous about there dosage amounts and times because there is a best time for everything. I will avoid going into depth about feeding and fueling your body and save it for another post but will stick to the best times to take your supplements. For someone like myslef

Apon waking while you are eating your breakfast this is the best time to take your multi. Getting it in the morning is also easier to remember and will help ensure regularity which is key. Taking about 20-25 grams of protein beofre you lift is advised because it minimizes muscle lose while lifting and gives your body something to use immediatly to help repair fibers. Taking 5 grams of creatine with your protein is recommended because if helps provide your muscles with more energy which will enable you to train harder. Once you are done working out as soon as possible you should take around 50 grams of protein to aid with growth. Whey is ideal in this situation because it is absorbed very quickly. Also another 5 grams creatine will help in your recovery.

It's really late and I need my eight hours minimum in order to be at optimal levels tomorrow so I'm going to end it there and if there is anything I missed I will go back and address it in a later post.