New to Supplements, please help.

Frotsmud

New member
I'm new to taking supplements. I bought N.O. Xplode and some GNC brand Creatine, are those good supplements to start with?

Are there any (supplements) that you would recommend (and what purpose do they serve?) I'm not trying to gain weight just get stronger. Also if you have any tips on maximizing my time in the gym please let me know. thanks.
 
There are worse choices. Since you already have them, unless you want to return them may as well use them. The only other supplements i'd recommend to start with are a multivitamin and maybe fish oil, just general health stuff. Theres no advantage to going from no supplements to a huge heaping mass of them. So start with what you have and try different things over time as you run out of one or another.
 
Agreed, don't waste money on excessive supplements when you may not have yet learned to eat or lift correctly. But since you already had them go ahead and take them.
 
Diet:
You'll want to research some different diets: CKD, TKD, AD, 40/40/20, etc this will help you to reach whatever your goals maybe ( I think you specified power )

I use fitday.com to log everything that I eat everyday and its really help me to hone (sp?) my diet by the process of elimination. My advice is make yourself accountable by measuring things and logging it

Routine:
You sound like you may be new to the weight training ( I apologize if your not - welcome to AM.com btw ) you may want to look into picking up one of the tried and true routines that we on AM.com and others in the BB community have been doing for years. They're simple but work, i.e. - HST ( I love this but wouldnt recommend it for strength ), 5x5, HFT, WSB, etc

Supps:
Take EZs advice, great guy whose always looking to help people, and pick up a multi and some fish oil ( very important stuff, utilize the search button for this ). I would stay with the creatine since your looking for power and personally my body responses VERY well to creatine, my lifts make some insane jumps about a couple of weeks into starting creatine ( I dont load it ).

Take Away:
Read lots and search lots if your confused ask lots of questions because in the end were all after the same thing.

Good Luck!
 
Fish oils are a necessity IMO. But make sure you get a high quality brand. You want to make sure you get the highest percentage of EPA/DHA per capsule. There are some really good choices out there. The one I use has a 50% ratio of EPA/DHA to Fat, but there are some 70% capsules out there. They are kind of expensive though.

Stay Positive!!! This game is more mental than anything.
 
Yeah, at least you didn't buy a Muscletech product lol! Lots of people swear by NO-Xplode, and creatine is a good one as well. But just remember, a supplement is just that- a supplement to an already beneficial diet regimine. So remember that first and foremost should be diet, it makes the largest difference. Then like EZ said, a multi-vitamin, and fish oil along with what you have would help. But keep this in mind: plan your supplements around your diet, not your diet around your supplements.
 
Frotsmud, I was in the same position as you pretty recently and I got suckered into buying a bunch of supps that I didn't need. Now I just take creatine, fish oil, green tea, and a multi. You probably don't even need the NO-xplode yet. You're in the place where you will make great gains on your own. Good food is your most important thing right now.
 
Make sure that u drink lots of water with NO explode and creatine. a lot people that i know had really bad GI discomfort introducing creatine into their system.
 
Frotsmud said:
I'm new to taking supplements. I bought N.O. Xplode and some GNC brand Creatine, are those good supplements to start with?

Are there any (supplements) that you would recommend (and what purpose do they serve?) I'm not trying to gain weight just get stronger. Also if you have any tips on maximizing my time in the gym please let me know. thanks.
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You'll get plenty of supplement advice, from Basic's
Protien
Multi
Creatine
Fish oil
To other "special" supp's like test boosters, ect..

I'd urge you to Edjucate yourself... Read the stickies, search the fourms, and study the items of interest. Be mindfull of the snowball effect which working out can have because before you know it your in the other fourms asking "I'm a newbie what's PCT?"

To best use your time in the gym pick a time that the gym isn't crowded. Search out strength training routines, which use lots of weight for short rep's vs an endurance one with moderate weights lifted at high reps (10-15)

You'll find people on AM very knowledgable and excellent resources to learn from, most of what I wrote is a repeat from their post's!
 
A variety of things including reducing inflammation, enhancing mood, aiding in concentration, helping the body oxidize more fat. Most people don't get as much in the way of omega 3/6/9 fats as they should, so taking fish oils helps meet that need. I think most people should take at least 3-6g a day.
 
Frotsmud said:
I'm new to taking supplements. I bought N.O. Xplode and some GNC brand Creatine, are those good supplements to start with?

Are there any (supplements) that you would recommend (and what purpose do they serve?) I'm not trying to gain weight just get stronger. Also if you have any tips on maximizing my time in the gym please let me know. thanks.
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I think everyone has made good comments.

But I would just add, even if a tight diet isnt for you, you should consider a protein shake after you work out.
 
JDF said:
I use fitday.com to log everything that I eat everyday and its really help me to hone (sp?) my diet by the process of elimination. My advice is make yourself accountable by measuring things and logging it
Why not use the Diet Tracker here @ AM. It would make sense if you visit the site daily anyways. It is pretty user friendly and you can make it public so other users can see it and give you better advice.;)
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im a creature of habit, plus I have a ton of custom food in fitday.com and that means i'd have to re-enter all that food
 
arizonanewbie said:
Frotsmud, I was in the same position as you pretty recently and I got suckered into buying a bunch of supps that I didn't need. Now I just take creatine, fish oil, green tea, and a multi. You probably don't even need the NO-xplode yet. You're in the place where you will make great gains on your own. Good food is your most important thing right now.
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You know ... I'm not going to trash food I mean it is nutition but some of these supplements do help beyond what food does ... I have a pretty average or even crappy diet and RPM and Drive has me pretty pumped. I've gained weight, I'm stronger and I've increased in size. Also, it has only been 2 weeks.
 
fitday.com is a godsend... diet is, imo, the key to good results in the gym and good health in general.

i think protein, creatine & a multivitamin are a good start. you shouldnt need anything else the first year or two of lifting...


i would read up on proper form... ****ty form is the biggest mistake i see in the gym.
 
diet is really key, its 80-90% of results. If you are doing this well now, you'd do even spectactularly better if diet was under control.
 
rcarracedo said:
You know ... I'm not going to trash food I mean it is nutition but some of these supplements do help beyond what food does ... I have a pretty average or even crappy diet and RPM and Drive has me pretty pumped. I've gained weight, I'm stronger and I've increased in size. Also, it has only been 2 weeks.
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Genetics my friend, genetics...



...I've yelled at my parents numerous times for making me 5'7 with short stubby arms/legs and a very short torso which helps to make me look like a bowling ball with big shoulders
 
JDF said:
Genetics my friend, genetics...



...I've yelled at my parents numerous times for making me 5'7 with short stubby arms/legs and a very short torso which helps to make me look like a bowling ball with big shoulders
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Yeah to a point I guess you are right ...

I'm 5' 9 1/2", 170 lbs ... but 29 inch waist ... pretty big arms, legs, chest, back ... shoulders are so, so ... but significantly pumped for my weight .... pretty lean considering what I eat .... which is about anything you can think of, fried foods, ice cream, cake, etc. I think what keeps me lean is the excessive coffee I drink ... oh yeah... I also smoke.

Imagine if I got deciplined.
 
rcarracedo said:
Yeah to a point I guess you are right ...

I'm 5' 9 1/2", 170 lbs ... but 29 inch waist ... pretty big arms, legs, chest, back ... shoulders are so, so ... but significantly pumped for my weight .... pretty lean considering what I eat .... which is about anything you can think of, fried foods, ice cream, cake, etc. I think what keeps me lean is the excessive coffee I drink ... oh yeah... I also smoke.

Imagine if I got deciplined.
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.......(sigh)......Yeah I'm sure your ripped cakeboy. Do you smoke while you workout?
 
...and while eating ice cream ( j/k )


but seriously I hate you, I feel like if I smell food I gain weight
 
Big BAMA said:
.......(sigh)......Yeah I'm sure your ripped cakeboy. Do you smoke while you workout?
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:-) ... funny ... I'm not ripped. I said that considering what I eat I am in pretty good shape. I do not want to be diciplined. I want to live my life. I have to take measurements ... really, for what I eat, I am pretty lean and have good size. It does not take long before my work-outs show.

Yeah, I have my own gym so I do smoke while working out sometimes. "Cake Boy" ... I like the sound of that.:bb2:
 
rcarracedo said:
:-) ... funny ... I'm not ripped. I said that considering what I eat I am in pretty good shape. I do not want to be diciplined. I want to live my life. I have to take measurements ... really
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Being disciplined is the best thing you can do for yourself and it doesn't require you to stop being social or give up your life like you are implying. That is the dumbest thing I have heard in a while. There is plenty of food that is great for you an taste awesome. All the supplements there are won't do sh*t for you unless your diet and training is in check.
If you are serious that you don't want to be disciplend then you are not serious about wanting to get stronger. If you are looking for a miracle supp you are going to be in for a big dissapointment.

What else are you doing in your free time that is soo important?
 
stl123 said:
Being disciplined is the best thing you can do for yourself and it doesn't require you to stop being social or give up your life like you are implying. That is the dumbest thing I have heard in a while. There is plenty of food that is great for you an taste awesome. All the supplements there are won't do sh*t for you unless your diet and training is in check.
If you are serious that you don't want to be disciplend then you are not serious about wanting to get stronger. If you are looking for a miracle supp you are going to be in for a big dissapointment.

What else are you doing in your free time that is soo important?
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I would like to be diplomatic and agree with you but I'll have to disagree to some degree. I agree that eating well is the best option and that the supplements would work better but don't say that a diet is needed for them to work because as I said ... I do not follow a good diet ... I've been on RPM and Drive for two weeks and I have grown, I am stronger and I feel better. No doubt. As far as the type of life you are talking about and "a life"... I'm married ... enough said.
 
rcarracedo said:
I would like to be diplomatic and agree with you but I'll have to disagree to some degree. I agree that eating well is the best option and that the supplements would work better but don't say that a diet is needed for them to work because as I said ... I do not follow a good diet ... I've been on RPM and Drive for two weeks and I have grown, I am stronger and I feel better. No doubt. As far as the type of life you are talking about and "a life"... I'm married ... enough said.
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My point is that being disciplined is on of the easiest and most important things you can do, rather than just spending money on supps and hoping for the best.

I am married with children, work 50hrs + a week, and have a social life. I can find time to be disciplined and educate myself on what is good and bad as far as diet and training goes. So I don't know what being married has to do with anything. There are a lot of people here that are married. (thats a moot point)
 
stl123 said:
My point is that being disciplined is on of the easiest and most important things you can do, rather than just spending money on supps and hoping for the best.

I am married with children, work 50hrs + a week, and have a social life. I can find time to be disciplined and educate myself on what is good and bad as far as diet and training goes. So I don't know what being married has to do with anything. There are a lot of people here that are married. (thats a moot point)
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I'm going to have to concede that you are right. Good nutrition and supps are better than bad and supps. No argument there. As far as a life, I meant I don't necessarily agree that to be happy you need to eat good food all the time. I do not want to deprive myself of some of the "no, nos" that are frequently documented in fitness mags and articles ... the fact is ... I'm not diciplined and the supps do work for me. You're also right as far as mariage ... it is a life ... and I am quite happy. I just don't socialize much outside of my family. I do not have the time. I do not know how socializing got into the conversation as some of us are intreverts and happy being so.

However, you have me thinking. If these supplements work well and I am not even trying ... I'm tempted to try it the right way. Maybe I'll end up looking like him ....:bb: ... but with hair of course.
 
JDF said:
...and while eating ice cream ( j/k )


but seriously I hate you, I feel like if I smell food I gain weight
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that's what my wife says. she always has to watch what she eats. i bring stuff home and it is hard for her.

there is a bad side though. When I want to put on weight it is tough. In order to gain weight, I have to eat a lot and lift heavy ... nothing else works. If I just eat ... no matter how much ... I just remain at the same weight.
 
rcarracedo said:
I'm going to have to concede that you are right. Good nutrition and supps are better than bad and supps. No argument there. As far as a life, I meant I don't necessarily agree that to be happy you need to eat good food all the time. I do not want to deprive myself of some of the "no, nos" that are frequently documented in fitness mags and articles ... the fact is ... I'm not diciplined and the supps do work for me. You're also right as far as mariage ... it is a life ... and I am quite happy. I just don't socialize much outside of my family. I do not have the time. I do not know how socializing got into the conversation as some of us are intreverts and happy being so.

However, you have me thinking. If these supplements work well and I am not even trying ... I'm tempted to try it the right way. Maybe I'll end up looking like him ....:bb: ... but with hair of course.
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Sorry if I came of sounding like a d*ck. I really didn't mean to.:cheers:

I have at least one or two days a week where I eat whatever I want to also. I believe that you have to allow yourself that for all that hard work you do over the week. MOST things in moderation are good.

To be 100% honest with you, when I was in college playing baseball I didn't care what I was eating and was in great shape just like you are talking about. I started researching on different eating establishments nutritional information and was totally shocked at how bad some of the things I was eating were. Things that I believed were good for me.

Some people just have gifted genetics. You are probably one of them, but just think how much more progress you could make with a decent diet on top of those supplements.

By the way how do you like the DRIVE. I have been wanting to try it.
 
Really though, making changes to the diet is something to just continually work at. It doesn't mean you can't break from it on occasion, but having a stronger base diet will get you better results. If you normally have a scrambled 3 egg sandwich with bacon for breakfast on white toast, try 1 whole egg + 2 whites, on whole grain toast or a wrap, and try salsa to jazz the flavor instead of the bacon. Try ordering salmon instead of a steak, or mixed veggies instead of a potato. Brown rice instead of white, etc. Theres a lot of changes you can make a bit at time, and eventually as they each become habits (or you find things you really like) they will feel completely normal.

Weird as it may sound, I REALLY like having a tilapia fillet quick gridle fried with jamaican jerk seasoning (a dab of coconut oil to grease the griddle), quinoa cooked with goya sazon, and 2 eggs over easy for breakfast. I'd rather have that than most anything else. I make banana pecan pancakes now for my whole family using 1/3 quinoa flour, 1/3 soy and 1/3 whole wheat, coconut oil in place of corn oil, and stevia or any of the non sugar sweeteners. They like it, and I don't feel bad having 1 or 2 along with a 3 egg white omlet with fat free cheddar cheese :)
 
stl123 said:
Sorry if I came of sounding like a d*ck. I really didn't mean to.:cheers:

I have at least one or two days a week where I eat whatever I want to also. I believe that you have to allow yourself that for all that hard work you do over the week. MOST things in moderation are good.

To be 100% honest with you, when I was in college playing baseball I didn't care what I was eating and was in great shape just like you are talking about. I started researching on different eating establishments nutritional information and was totally shocked at how bad some of the things I was eating were. Things that I believed were good for me.

Some people just have gifted genetics. You are probably one of them, but just think how much more progress you could make with a decent diet on top of those supplements.

By the way how do you like the DRIVE. I have been wanting to try it.
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I am currently doing RPM and Drive (not the suggested but less) ... It is working quite well. I like it.
 
EasyEJL said:
Really though, making changes to the diet is something to just continually work at. It doesn't mean you can't break from it on occasion, but having a stronger base diet will get you better results. If you normally have a scrambled 3 egg sandwich with bacon for breakfast on white toast, try 1 whole egg + 2 whites, on whole grain toast or a wrap, and try salsa to jazz the flavor instead of the bacon. Try ordering salmon instead of a steak, or mixed veggies instead of a potato. Brown rice instead of white, etc. Theres a lot of changes you can make a bit at time, and eventually as they each become habits (or you find things you really like) they will feel completely normal.

Weird as it may sound, I REALLY like having a tilapia fillet quick gridle fried with jamaican jerk seasoning (a dab of coconut oil to grease the griddle), quinoa cooked with goya sazon, and 2 eggs over easy for breakfast. I'd rather have that than most anything else. I make banana pecan pancakes now for my whole family using 1/3 quinoa flour, 1/3 soy and 1/3 whole wheat, coconut oil in place of corn oil, and stevia or any of the non sugar sweeteners. They like it, and I don't feel bad having 1 or 2 along with a 3 egg white omlet with fat free cheddar cheese :)
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Easy. GREAT ADVICE man. This is exactly how I started out "dieting". Making gradual changes that turned into habit. It made the transition soo much easier.

The Talapia recipie sounds good with the exception of the Talapia ( I am not a big seafood fan :)). I might try it and substitute a big ole chicken breast.
 
I mostly like it with fish since it seems so light that way. plus I buy the fish prepacked in frozen 4oz pieces, so its easy to thaw 1 at a time for myself to eat. since they are flash frozen in vacuum wrap, I can throw one in a sink with warm water for 10 minutes while I get the other stuff going and by then its thawed :)

The chicken breast I think would be better with a cajun spice :)
 
both are fattier than chicken breasts, that's what gives the flavor. beef is great on a bulk but stick with lean cuts such as sirloin, not the ribeye.
 
rcarracedo said:
What is wrong with red meat and dark meat chicken?
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I like me some red meat every now and then. Most cuts of beef steaks are very fatty (T-bone, Ribeys, you know the good ones). I love a big ole Top Sirloin steak tenderized and marinated overnight in some Andrea's Steak Sause(local steak house here in STL). F'n great very lean. I really don't like dark chicken meat (ie. drumstick/thighs). Too much fat for me.
 
EasyEJL said:
i buy lean pot roasts and make em in a pressure cooker which works like steaming them
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Easy. You need to make a cookbook. :food: You could sell it here on AM. Ill be the first one to buy it. This thread is making me hungry.
 
Word. Although I like the round steaks because they're not as expensive as other cuts but good god they're good if they're broiled just right. This thread is making me dread my current cut even more. only 3 more weeks babay!!!
 
you can take your GNC prodcuts back. Tell them the items you bought gave you GI problems and you felt very ill while taking them, due to their policy they have to take them back. Insider info ftw:thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
OK I think everyone is missing a point here too. If you want to get stronger when lifting you need some of the Fats and cholestorol in food. Namely in Red meat. And of course in moderation as well but if you are trying to bulk and get stronger that is what is gonna do it. You need the mix of fats,protein,and carbs. Besides that I agree wholeheartedly with what everyone else was saying.
 
I agree with mostly what every1 is saying in here. When starting out w/ getting really serious about my nutrition and training i started by gradually adding in healthy foods in place of not so great choices. That way i didn't burn out and hate eating healthy right away. I feel balance is a key and that you should make sure you get healthy carbs, protein, and healthy fat with out neglecting any macro nutrient. With diet in place i feel one should start w/ basic supplementation if they feel they are ready like fish oil, poseidon, and creatine. Then move on to other things as i feel it is all a process of learning, adapting, and applying new knowledge with your new goals and needs.
 
bolt10 said:
I agree with mostly what every1 is saying in here. When starting out w/ getting really serious about my nutrition and training i started by gradually adding in healthy foods in place of not so great choices. That way i didn't burn out and hate eating healthy right away. I feel balance is a key and that you should make sure you get healthy carbs, protein, and healthy fat with out neglecting any macro nutrient. With diet in place i feel one should start w/ basic supplementation if they feel they are ready like fish oil, poseidon, and creatine. Then move on to other things as i feel it is all a process of learning, adapting, and applying new knowledge with your new goals and needs.
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Yea i'm adding Poseidon too my supplements. Just waiting for it to get here. Should be Friday or Monday. Can't wait to try it. Besides that I take Fish oil, whey isolate 2-3 times a day, multi, and Vitamin C on top of that. Eat as much as I can 5-7 times a day, I don't always eat the best things but more often than not I do eat something healthy. Which is fine I don't beat myself up about it. I'm trying to bulk anyway so I'd rather eat something that is "unhealthy" than eat nothing at all.
 
kbtoy31 said:
Yea i'm adding Poseidon too my supplements. Just waiting for it to get here. Should be Friday or Monday. Can't wait to try it. Besides that I take Fish oil, whey isolate 2-3 times a day, multi, and Vitamin C on top of that. Eat as much as I can 5-7 times a day, I don't always eat the best things but more often than not I do eat something healthy. Which is fine I don't beat myself up about it. I'm trying to bulk anyway so I'd rather eat something that is "unhealthy" than eat nothing at all.
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Good luck with the poseidon if you have any ?'s feel free to ask me and let me know how you like it.
 
I agree add in

Multi Vit Good insurance
Poseidon a really GREAT product for me every day
Protein shake Especially if you are not getting enough protein in your diet.


CROWLER
 
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