Thread: Never used Creatine or Protein Supplements

What's your current height, weight, and body fat percentage?

You can get excellent 'results' with proper diet and training. If you are not making improvements now, you will not make improvements with any supplements.

Either way, a standard multivitamin, creatine monohydrate (I use Optimum Nutrition's), and basically any protein powder. I prefer the whey isolates -- I prefer to get my fat and carbs from solid food sources.

Currently I am 5'11'' and weight 170 lbs. I'm in training for lacrosse. I have hit a bit of a plateau even after mixing up the training.

if you are using progressively higher loads each week and have sufficient compound exercises in you routine then your diet is the problem. resistance training only provides the necessary stimulus for growth and the diet provides the body with the energy and nutrients to increase muscle mass and intramuscular hydration levels. if you are not gaining weight then you need to increase your cals by 500 each week until weight gain occurs.

I'm pretty sure my diet isn't a problem, but I am willing to give anything a shot. I take in around 3000 calories a day. No junk foods. I've been doing my lacrosse workouts for about 12 weeks now. There were improvements during the first 6 or 7 weeks, but after that I seemed to have hit a plateau. That's when I started to change up the workout, but have not seen any improvements since the 6 or 7 week mark.

Originally Posted by m11

what's your current height, weight, and body fat percentage?

You can get excellent 'results' with proper diet and training. If you are not making improvements now, you will not make improvements with any supplements.

Either way, a standard multivitamin, creatine monohydrate (i use optimum nutrition's), and basically any protein powder. I prefer the whey isolates -- i prefer to get my fat and carbs from solid food sources.

x2^

Originally Posted by LAM

if you are using progressively higher loads each week and have sufficient compound exercises in you routine then your diet is the problem. resistance training only provides the necessary stimulus for growth and the diet provides the body with the energy and nutrients to increase muscle mass and intramuscular hydration levels. if you are not gaining weight then you need to increase your cals by 500 each week until weight gain occurs.

I agree with this post, it's gotta be your diet. You just need to up your calories. I would still add a multivitamin, fish oil, creatine, and some protein powder in addition to the extra calories.

Originally Posted by PushAndPull

I agree with this post, it's gotta be your diet. You just need to up your calories. I would still add a multivitamin, fish oil, creatine, and some protein powder in addition to the extra calories.

So should I take in 3500-4000 calories per day or would I need more? Also what does fish oil do exactly? I've never heard of anyone using it. Please excuse my lack of knowledge towards all of this.

Originally Posted by bkmac12

So should I take in 3500-4000 calories per day or would I need more? Also what does fish oil do exactly? I've never heard of anyone using it. Please excuse my lack of knowledge towards all of this.

fish oil has a host of health benefits, it is a great choice for a life support supplement. with respect to the plateau, that is a sign the your body has adapted, which is what your body's goal is (if doesn't want to grow or shrink, it wants to maintain). if you changed your training, then diet is the next thing to try. for 170, 3,000 is around maintenance, if you bump it by 500, you should see some kind of effect. the combination of the two should work, but if not, nutrient timing and partitioning would be the next thing to examine (ie what your cals come from).

Thanks for the help. So right around 3500 calories a day, fish oil, protein powder, creatine, and a multivitamin? All that should help me see some results?

Originally Posted by bkmac12

Thanks for the help. So right around 3500 calories a day, fish oil, protein powder, creatine, and a multivitamin? All that should help me see some results?

All you can do is hope it works. If you're still not gaining any weight at 3500 then bump it up again. Also you might want to try what nii said about changing up your routine in addition to the rest of the stuff.

I appreciate the input. I will give it a shot.

What results are you after - is it just that your weight has stalled? If you're not gaining weight, whatever you're eating is your maintenance. To gain, you must eat more. To lose, you must eat less. That really is all there is to it.

Creatine and protein powder are both natural BTW. You already consume both in your diet. Protein powder is just a convenient source of extra protein, and creatine monohydrate powder gives a little more oomph to your CP-ATP cycling (it'll help you get out a few more reps). It also enhances glucose uptake. Good stuff. I take a teaspoon daily.

My weight has steadily increased over the 12 weeks or so. I've only gained about 3 or 4 lbs, but it's an improvement.

I know that protein and creatine are both natural. I just didn't know if taking a supplement would help to increase mass.

At what rate would you like to gain?

(Anything will calories will serve to increase mass)

I talked to a friend of mine who does the powerlifting, and is currently playing football for UVA, and he said that for a pre-workout I should use Jack3d and creatine, and immediately following my workout drink gold standard whey protein. Is this a good way of increasing size?

Originally Posted by bkmac12

I've never used creatine or Protein Supplements before. I've always gone the all-natural route, but am not getting the results I am looking for. I was hoping to get some insight on what I should use to get the best results.

using creatine and protien powder is still natty man.

creatines in meat right ? you eat meat? there you just had protein and cratine.
I dotn eat meat myself but i do take the 2 things you posted.

anyway whats your goals?

Originally Posted by bkmac12

Currently I am 5'11'' and weight 170 lbs. I'm in training for lacrosse. I have hit a bit of a plateau even after mixing up the training.

so to bulk up? ok
do somthign like DC trainning (google dc trainning)
i do somthing close to it but go a bit more reps .
take in 200g frome protein powder and then atleat another 80-100g from diet.
eat every 2-3 hrs.

dont workout every day . I go EOD and only work that same part 5-7 days later (about once a week per body part)
BTW thses 2 are pritty good and i use:
http://www.needtobuildmuscle.com/sto...uscle-p30.html
http://www.needtobuildmuscle.com/sto...ength-p61.html

Good luck

I do eat meat, but should I take them to give myself that extra boost?

As for my goals, I'm trying to get my weight around 185-190 before the beginning of lacrosse season, which starts at the end of January beginning of February. I would like to increase my max on deadlift, bench, incline bench, military press, squats, and cleans by, hopefully, 20%. Is that an obtainable goal within that time frame?

Originally Posted by blergs.

so to bulk up? ok
do somthign like DC trainning (google dc trainning)
i do somthing close to it but go a bit more reps .
take in 200g frome protein powder and then atleat another 80-100g from diet.
eat every 2-3 hrs.

dont workout every day . I go EOD and only work that same part 5-7 days later (about once a week per body part)


Good luck

I workout 3 days a week, but will probably go to 4, and on the off days I run.

Originally Posted by bkmac12

I workout 3 days a week, but will probably go to 4, and on the off days I run.

on off days you shoudl rest and eat.
you dont grow in the gym you gow at home after the gym.
Id rather see you run on workout days and get it over with if you really need to and make a reast day a REST day.

somtimes i want to workout 4 days in a row but i force myself not to go more then one and rarely 2 in a row.
just my op thow man but id try that out.
also tery to aim for 3000 cal ATLEAST ( i go for 3500-3800 normally)
protein at 250-300g ed and take in lots of "good" fats like olive oil, flax oil, nuts, fishoil ect.

I don't work out 4 days in a row. I'll go one day then rest, etc. I used to run on off days, but ended up not having energy the next day. I don't do it anymore. Sorry for the confusion.

Originally Posted by bkmac12

I don't work out 4 days in a row. I'll go one day then rest, etc. I used to run on off days, but ended up not having energy the next day. I don't do it anymore. Sorry for the confusion.

no no no lol i mean somtime sim pumps and feel liek I WANT to workout 4 days in a row.
but yah if you run/cardio i would do in on workotu days after lifting.
I mean ill walk for hrs on off days but i walk,light cardio is no biggie.
im genrally lazy thow so most time si enjoy the rest days.

Originally Posted by bkmac12

I talked to a friend of mine who does the powerlifting, and is currently playing football for UVA, and he said that for a pre-workout I should use Jack3d and creatine, and immediately following my workout drink gold standard whey protein. Is this a good way of increasing size?

Anything will calories will serve to increase mass.

Didn't I just say that?

bkmac, gaining mass isn't about which supplement you take, and when. Gaining mass is about consistently eating more calories than you require. From anything.

Creatine is good stuff. Toss it into your pre or post workout shake, take some carbs before and after you lift, eat plenty of calories, meat, eggs, healthy fat and make sure you consistently eat more calories than you require. You'll grow.

Originally Posted by bkmac12

Currently I am 5'11'' and weight 170 lbs. I'm in training for lacrosse. I have hit a bit of a plateau even after mixing up the training.

Originally Posted by bkmac12

I'm pretty sure my diet isn't a problem, but I am willing to give anything a shot. I take in around 3000 calories a day. No junk foods. I've been doing my lacrosse workouts for about 12 weeks now. There were improvements during the first 6 or 7 weeks, but after that I seemed to have hit a plateau. That's when I started to change up the workout, but have not seen any improvements since the 6 or 7 week mark.

The answer is VERY simple. If you want to get bigger and put on weight, you need to consume more calories. With the extensive cardio involved with lacrosse I would safely say you need at least 4,000 per day. I try to spread my meals out to at least 6-7 per day. About 3 hours a part. Some meals involve something as simple as a protein shake. But you just have to do whatever it takes in your daily routine to get the calories. If you can only do 3 or 4 meals a day then make them count. No matter what, you simply need more calories than 3,000 per day. If you increase from 3,000 calories to 4,000 calories per day you will gain weight. Its that simple.