The Fitness Thread

[LdQout]

Yep.  Whatever floats your boat.

I use fitness as a way of taking out my agression when I'm really mad, because I know that after I work out, I don't have much energy left to be mad at anything lol.

If you want to lose weight, there are some foods that take more energy to digest than the energy they give you, and that's what some programs work around.  Celery, for one, if eaten by itself, give less energy than it takes to digest it, so most diet guides will use it as a vegetable to be eaten.  I've heard another one is apples.

[LdQout]

Like all supplements nothing works like a miracle pill. It still comes down to hard work and discipline. I've never tried hydroxycut so I just threw that out there as an example based on my coworker's results. Again he took it in addition to healthier eating and exercising. I'm trying to bulk up so I rely on other supplements. I never use to believe in taking any supplements at all. Like LdQout I wanted natural gains. I changed my mind last year after taking on my friend's workout program which included creatine and protein supplements. I achieved more gains than I ever did in my entire life. I'm very in tune with my body, so I wouldn't use anything that I thought was a simple placebo.
So did the supplements give me results? No. Working my ass off gave me results, but the supplements helped me get there faster.

Never used Creatine either. XD  Though Creatine did help a lot of players I used to play with get bigger, I didn't want that weight and bulk.  100% hard-ass work paid dividends in the end.  I was smaller than some people on creatine, but I would still be able to outwork them.  Dunno what the cause of that was, or what Creatine does besides retaining water, but I felt good knowing that without it, I could still get to where I want to be.

You're right though, Creatine does help get you there faster.  It gives your muscles more energy to work with, so you are able to lift more and do more reps.

[M-Ziggy]

Supplements just make you work harder. That's why they "work". I personally use protein powder but only because I can't get enough of it in my diet on my workout days.

[LdQout]

Time to take a rare steak with you to the gym. XD

[M-Ziggy]

I'm not a big meat eater. Salmon and chicken are my main sources of protein. Sometimes some cottage cheese. Just depends how I plan my day and what I feel like.

Oh...here's a wicked protein french toast recipe I came up with though!

Serves 1:

2 egg whites
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp sugar free syrup
2 slices whole wheat bread or whatever kind you like to use

Combine egg whites, milk, cinnamon, vanilla and protein powder in a medium bowl and blend well. Pour the mixture into a flat dish. Spray pan with cooking spray. Dip bread in egg mixture and cook in pan until brown. Top with syrup. Enjoy!

I make this the night before, pop a couple of slices in the freezer and then in the toaster in the morning. Yummy!

[LdQout]

Gawd...me being hungry right now and reading that makes me really want to take lunch early. D:<

I'm not a big steak eater either.  It takes a long time to digest since it's tougher than most to eat.  I prefer fish and chicken for my protein. XD  Omega fatty acids from fish are good too.

...I'm really hungry now...

[Knifeboy]

I eat tons of meat and I still don't get enough protein. That's why I use protein powder to make up for what's missing. But I only drink protein shakes after workout days, on my off days I just stick to my regular diet. Same goes for the creatine. I know some people who take both everyday, but I find that if they're not keeping up with their workouts they tend to put on undesirable weight.
Honestly depending on each person's diet one might already have enough to achieve gains without any supplements. I wish my meals were that complete, but reality is I don't always have the time to eat, let alone engineer a perfect meal on a daily basis. That's where the extra supplements come into play. At least with protein and creatine, you're not introducing anything unfamiliar into your body. Your body produces creatine naturally so the creatine powder, much like protein powder, is simply a way to make up for what's lacking in the diet. Some people swear off supplements just like I swear off vitamins pills. Well, maybe with the exception of those Flintstones chewables for kids cuz they taste pretty darn good, especially Dino cuz he's grape flavored.... but I digress. I just think there's a place for supplements in a fitness program, at least mine. But in the end, it's still good ol fashioned hard work that gets you into the shape you want to be.

Boy, that protein french toast sounds good. I'll try to dig up a recipe I had for a power shake I use to make. It's mostly Ginseng, cinnamon, fresh squeezed OJ, bananas, and a little bit of other stuff all blended up. I just can't remember the quantities right now.

[M-Ziggy]

Are you sure you're not getting enough protein? An active male should be taking in 1g of protein per pound of body weight but no more than 200g. Do you keep track or your protein to carb to fat ratios?

Either way, it's important to do what's right for you. I take protein everyday, especially the day after a workout when the muscles are repairing. I keep the rest of my diet very consistent.

I think vitamins are a waste of money. Man-made vitamins just don't bind to cells the way vitamins from real foods do. You pee them out. But that's only my 2 cents.

That protein french toast is awesome! The protein powder gives it a little bit of a crispy skin.

[LdQout]

So I guess those pound of wings sales aren't good deals to go far. XD

I'm turned off by protein shakes now.  I used to take them every weekday during hockey.  I got sick of it by the end -_-.  It's pretty heavy.  Never try anything but chocolate.  The rest tastes like crap. lol

[M-Ziggy]

I use Kazein protein powder in the vanilla ice cream flavour. I quite like it.

[LdQout]

Maybe they've improved since when I had mine.  Vanilla sure didn't taste like Vanilla back then XP.  I tasted more like...powdery crud XD.

Before going for an intense workout, it's best to stretch first , but only stretch after warming up.  Stretching when cold can actually increase chances of injury because you're trying to elongate a muscle that has not yet been loosened up.

[Knifeboy]

Are you sure you're not getting enough protein? An active male should be taking in 1g of protein per pound of body weight but no more than 200g. Do you keep track or your protein to carb to fat ratios?

Either way, it's important to do what's right for you. I take protein everyday, especially the day after a workout when the muscles are repairing. I keep the rest of my diet very consistent.

I think vitamins are a waste of money. Man-made vitamins just don't bind to cells the way vitamins from real foods do. You pee them out. But that's only my 2 cents.

That protein french toast is awesome! The protein powder gives it a little bit of a crispy skin.

I don't monitor the P-C-F ratio, but I go off the results of increased protein supplement vs not. My diet has been pretty consistent most of my life so I basically just look at the gains I've achieved in the past 10yrs on my regular diet alone, vs the gains in 6 months on protein shakes. While taking protein shakes my recovery time in between workouts is much shorter. Especially noticeable when I started working out after almost a year away from the gym. In addition to the short recovery time I also put on mass much quicker. Over the past ten or so years I've been working out (on and off of course) without any supplements, I slowly put on 10lbs then seemed to plateau at about 145lbs. Last summer I put on 10lbs of muscle (and about 5lbs of water weight from the creatine) in a short 6 months while using protein shakes. I've been off supplements for the last 7months or so, because I haven't been working out regularly, and my weight has slowly dropped back down to 145lbs. It's not a very scientific study, but judging from my personal results I'd have to conclude that the added protein intake gave greater gains, therefore suggesting that my diet was not providing a sufficient quantity of protein. With the workout routine and diet being more or less constant, the only variable is the protein powder.

Yes I agree vitamins are a waste of money. So is glucosamine. And a list of other junk they try to bottle up and sell.

I'm using Whey Iso Burst in a banana flavor. It was alrite at first but now it's getting gross. When I'm done with the 6lb pail I'll try looking for unflavored protein powder. I usually make my shakes with milk, fruit, and yogurt anyways so I can do without the disgusting artificial taste.

[LdQout]

Your analysis seems pretty thorough o_o.  Are you a science major by any chance?

Haha, I made mine with yogurt, fruits and milk as well...That didn't help much. XP

And banana flavour?!  Are you serious?! XP  I wouldn't have touched that as the first 6lb pail to buy, lol.  6 lbs....geebuss!

It's weird, nowadays since I work out less and don't take protein shakes, I actually got bigger than I did when I was on them >_>;  Maybe it was the hours I worked out, or something, but it's working the other way around for me. o_o

[M-Ziggy]

That's great Knifeboy. You seem to know what works for you.

[Knifeboy]

Your analysis seems pretty thorough o_o.  Are you a science major by any chance?

Hahaha... pretty far from it. I took a few science courses in university only to abandon all of it and do something completely unrelated to my studies. I'm in steel fabrication.


M-Ziggy>> Where do you find Kazein? And is it good as in "mmmm.... I can't believe it's not real ice cream!", or just good as in palatable but I'd rather chug raw eggs??

[jefferino]

I use Optimum Nutrition brand whey protein and I highly recommend it. They have lots of flavours and they all taste good. I order mine online from http://sndcanada.com/

[rancid]

I used to use the Optimum Nutrition whey protein....kinda got sick of the taste.  It's not as bad as other protein shakes but the flavor (chocolate) really wears down after awhile.  Tastes rather bland to me.

I'm using the same brand that M-ziggy is using.  Kaizen....You can get it from Costco.  It's the Whey Isolate and not a blend.  Get more protein per serving out of it as well.  It also cuts out the cholesterol that you find on the Optimum Nutrition one.  I got the chocolate flavor and it's awesome!  Kinda tastes like the chocolate waffers that you can get. 

I do use some supplements as well.  Just your average multivitamins and the glucosamine.  I've actually found them to be quite helpful for me.  I'm not a morning person but I have noticed some improvement in the morning after taking the multivitamins for awhile.  It is true your body excretes most of it...your pee turns a yellow color but some of it does get absorbed.  I'm more awake and energetic in the morning now...trust me, I can barely get up for my day shifts.  Night shifts....no problems...cruisin!!  The glucosamine, I have noticed a difference in my joints.  I'm up on my feet 12hrs a day for 5 days in a row...sometimes more depending on my shifts and how much I pick up.  I have noticed a huge reduction in the amount of pain that my joints get.  Especially my ankles and knees.  The supplements, there's no solid proof that they actually help as there are many mixed results, even in clinical trials across how many years.  There's lots of studies on calcium as well as some other meds for healthy bones in the elderly and they were more consistent.  The glucosamine, some of my co-workers have taken it and it's mixed....some have relief while others didn't really see much of a difference.

[M-Ziggy]

I got the Kazein from Costco like Rancid noted. The vanilla ice cream flavour actually tastes like vanilla and not chalk. I was pleasantly surprised. It's 150 calories and 35g of protein per scoop. My main concern was the sugar content and it's minimal with this brand. Best of all, you can return anything at Costco...sooooo, if you don't like the flavour, take it back!

[M-Ziggy]

Today is the end of my 84 day long fitness competition thingy. I have a ways to go to get to my goal but the results thus far are pretty impressive. I can't wait till January for the next one to begin. Who's in?

[Username]

Out of curiousity, what is your goal?

  Kev