Gym And Supplement Discussion

[Birds]

What Dezz said...just like workout programs, people over-think and over-research this shit before they start doing it. Getting into super scientific factors of the human body, instead of just doing some basic reading up, going to the gym, and lifting.

Which Ultimate Nutrition are you using? I was using the ISO Mass Xtreme Gainer...shit was very good (too good) at putting on the weight and boosting energy pre-workout. It does have carbs though, which explains why it tastes a lot better than most proteins and mixes well...so definitely have to keep the cardio up to keep off the fat. If you want energy from a shake pre-workout, you probably have to go for something with a decent amount of sugar/carbs.

[PM-R33]

I use the Real Gains one for a lot of calories (600 per serving). My metabolism is extremely fast and i'm naturally quite lean so it is very difficult for me to put on weight. Works well however. In the last 1-2 months put on around 4kg of muscle which for my body type is fantastic.

Where as my missus and mum take one with next to no carbs and a bunch of crap for burning fat calls.

I realise most powders/shakes/pills etc are a bit bullshit hence why I always over research everything before I do it, it's just the way I am lol.

Anyway the guy emailed me last night regarding bringing stuff into Australia. He said what he normally does is supply the paperwork (COa certificates) before sending it so you can make sure with customs it will be fine to clear. Might look into this some more.

[dezz]

If you want to come and grab a bit to try, you are more than welcome mate.

I kid you not when i say the strawberry one from BN is almost like a milkshake (with milk).

Or with water it mixes perfectly after a quick 4-5 sec shake, like flavoured water almost.

Thanks for the offer but I don't think I can be fked coming to get it lol. I don't need it to be tasty though, so it should be fine.

If people are after taste, try Dymatize chocolate. It's like drinking cake mix lol

[R31Nismoid]

lol no worries, its fine taste wise though - of that you can hold me too

[25GTT]

OK, so from personal experience.

Bodybuilding.com onlie store was one of the best i used. One you make an order with them, they generally e-mail you discount vouchers for further purchases.

NO XPLODE and pre workout supps were always fine with customs. I ordered many many tubs of pre workout supps without having an issue what so ever.

NOW comes the annoying bit. I bought 5 cement bags of protein powder from them (ON nutrition big bags) came into Australia customs rejected it, i got charged $150 in freight and had to pay it to BB.com if i wanted to further purchase products from them.

I like to think I am the reason why they now have a disclaimer on their website that certain products will not be accepted by Australian customs.

I have some members however who have managed to get small protein tubs through no probs as well.

It is more the bulk orders which customs dont like. Customs returned it due to (Egg abdumen) if i can recall correctly.

[PM-R33]

I'll let you guys know of any furthur information I find regarding this.

As you said, I think most preworkout sups are fine (as long as they don't contain illegal ingredients that are not approved in Aus). It appears it's mainly the proteins which are a bit tricky.

I'm going to get the COa certificates for some of the Universal Nutrition stuff and see what customs say. If it's all good will start bringing some in. I gotta send my old man some supplements to Afghanistan quite regularly so the cheaper I can get all these things the better

[macdog]

Speaking of Protein,

Saw an interesting story on 9 news last week about it.

Basically said that it's all crap and you only need it if your training at an elite level..

Cat amongst the pigeons?

[dezz]

lol, 9 news would know....

[PM-R33]

For building muscle diet is the most important thing. No point working out at the gym every day if you are eating the wrong foods at the wrong times.

While I agree that most supplements try to make themselves seem like wonder drugs it simply comes down to what your body needs and when it needs it.

After a workout you want fast acting protein and a bunch of nutrients to help your muscles recover as fast as they can.

Before bedtime you also want some good slow releasing nutrients to get you through your sleep.

When you wakeup you want the correct nutrients to replenish your body.

It all comes down to diet and as you can see it is quite comlex and I in no way admit to understanding it all. Good supplements definetely play their role but they are no way a wonder drug that will magically allow you to put on 10lb of muscle in a couple of days (like some claim). You really do have to dig through all the marketing bullshit to find what works well and what doesn't.

[NickR33]

Speaking of Protein,

Saw an interesting story on 9 news last week about it.

Basically said that it's all crap and you only need it if your training at an elite level..

Cat amongst the pigeons?

just maybe not as important as the industry would have you think... also depends a lot on body type

I don't use any... but that's because I put muscle on relatively easily but I also put fat on really easily... so I have to watch my diet and make sure I'm in calorie deficit otherwise I just get fat

a website I've found really useful for diet is this http://swole.me/ you can add in shakes so it will work out a diet based upon how many calories you want to take in and you can select from a list of foods/shakes etc

[IOWNU]

Protein shakes are the one type of supp that work.

That is because they fill a protein gap in your diet.

Protein builds muscle, it is as simple as that.

In terms of importing, I wouldn't risk it with protein powders, they often get seized. Then if you apply for an 'import permit', the companies involved will not give you the ingredient listing (including percentage of water) as

they normally have exclusivity with dealers in Australia.

If you want to waste your money on pills and NO supps etc, feel free.

[PM-R33]

I wasn't going to just order something and hope it didn't get siezed. Wanted to do it properly with paperwork. Might not end up doing it but still weighing up the options. Like I said, the savings are worth it if you know where to look.

Anyway onto the topic of powders/pills/potions etc (since that seems to be the way this thread is turning).

I 100% agree that a lot of the products you see on the market are bullshit and it is just all marketing hype. Hell, open up any fitness mag and every second page is an advert for the latest and greatest product with amazing before and after photos.

The thing is every bodys somatotype is different and everyones genes are different. Some people react differently to certain things than other people do. So just because person "a" has no results, person "b" may get the results that they wanted. Same with workout regimes. Also every ones goals are different - bulking up, toning, losing weight, adding muscle etc.

Me and my old man find the whole topic quite interesting and do a lot of reading on it. My old man is also one of the fittest people I know and is close to 50! Hell he's the oldest man in Australia (or was, may not be anymore) to get through the SASR selection course. I realise as others have said previously that some people look into things to much and to instead just hit the gym and go for it and that is fine. However other people find an interest in it and want to learn as much as they can about it for their own personal knowledge. Also helps in seeing through a lot of the bullshit.

One of the key things to realise is the roles of supplements. They are to aid in filling holes in your diet. If your diet is perfect (this is why professional body builders pay other professionals to organise their whole diet) then there may be little need for a lot of extra supplements. However most of our diets are not perfect, and this doesn't simply mean "eating healthy".

Anyway from my research, supplements come into the following categories:

VITAMINS: The first and most important for all people should be a good multivitamin. This doesn't obviously aid much in bodybuilding but is a solid foundation to work from since most people will be lacking certain vitamins in their diet. The next most important is Omega 3. Once again, not really for body building but all research shows the benefits (improving cholesterol, reducing risk of high blood pressure, lowering triglycerides, improved immune, improved brain function and the list goes on). Also most people are deficient in omega 3 since we don't eat that much fish anymore.

PROTEIN: The most discussed. Two main types, Whey and Casein (there are others). Both have their strengths and weaknesses however the main difference is the speed of digestion and release. That's why Whey should be used postworkout as it is the quicker one. Casein is better suited for before bedtime since it will get you through the night better and also good for breakfast if you have a late lunch. The main thing is protein should be consumed within one hour of a workout as this is your body's window when it is screaming for it.

CREATINE MONOHYDRATE: One of the most popular supplements used by athletes and usually the most advertised as being the latest and greatest, 10 times stronger than the last. Mostly all crap. There are different ways of taking this but the most beneficial seems to be the cylcing of 20-25grams/day with 10grams/day for maintenance.

BRANCHED CHAIN AMINO ACIDS: Used to aid muscle recovery and protein synthesis. One that isn't all that flash however good for holding onto muscle if consuming less calories (ie dieting).

TESTOSTERONE BOOSTERS: Talking about natural ones here, not synthetic. A lot of these herbs can boost the natural testosterone levels in men by up to 50% by stimulating luteinizing hormones. Usually used to increase aggression and energy levels (including sex drive).

CAFFEINE + NITRIC OXIDE: This is what forms most of your preworkout supplements. Used to increase oxygen, blood flow and the amount of calories burned. Problem with a lot of these is you build up a tolerance and start getting no effects. There are a number of different types and cycling can help in reducing building a tolerance.

So that's basically it. It really depends how serious you are and how your body reacts to things, every one is different and some things work well for some, not for others.

[PM-R33]

Apparantely everything got merged.

[R31Nismoid]

[mad082]

what? didn't make sense having 3 threads about the one thing.

[dezz]

Considering this section was made after the 'gym & supplements' thread, which was basically being used as a gym/fitness forum because there wasn't one, obviously there is going to be new threads that overlap...I don't see the need to merge them.

Woulda thought the moderator of a fitness forum would be someone who's actually into gym/fitness/bodybuilding etc..

[Trozzle]

Considering this section was made after the 'gym & supplements' thread, which was basically being used as a gym/fitness forum because there wasn't one, obviously there is going to be new threads that overlap...I don't see the need to merge them.

Woulda thought the moderator of a fitness forum would be someone who's actually into gym/fitness/bodybuilding etc..

[mad082]

Considering this section was made after the 'gym & supplements' thread, which was basically being used as a gym/fitness forum because there wasn't one, obviously there is going to be new threads that overlap...I don't see the need to merge them.

Woulda thought the moderator of a fitness forum would be someone who's actually into gym/fitness/bodybuilding etc..

so working in a bike shop and being a keen cyclist isn't being interested in fitness? besides, you don't have to like posing in front of a mirror flexing to post in this thread, since it is also about well being

[dezz]

tis pretty clear what the dominant topic is in here though

[R31Nismoid]

what? didn't make sense having 3 threads about the one thing.

Ye it did...

One was about importing supplements internationally, issues & restrictions

One was about discussing various supplements/uses/thoughts

Two distinctly different topics IMO.

If it was easy to "reverse", I'd do it but i honestly CBF'd, would take me an hour

Sometimes less moderation = more. Just perhaps ask Dan, Adzmax or myself first until you get your feet

This is the H&WB section, so obviously some topics will be similar - which is fine.