Thread: change in workout, now unsure about supplement timing

help? starting this schedule tonight.
do i take creatine or glutamine or protein shake in between the weights and cardio or just wait and take them all after i'm done with both?

if i wait it would be 30-40 minutes after finishing with weights

I think you'd be ok waiting till after the cardio. It still puts you inside the window.

thanks. just trying to get it all right. appreciate your help!

To answer your question completely we would need to know your overall goal. Are you trying to build muscle or are you trying to lose fat. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it's POSSIBLE to do both at the same time but you'll see better results if you seperate them. The reason this is so important is that it seems like you're pulling yourself in two different directions at one time. Weights+Portein shake=increase in muscle mass. Cardio+EMPTY stomach=fat loss. So, without knowing your overall goal we can't completely answer your question. Now, if you truely HAVE to try to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time I would recommend splitting your workout. Do your cardio first thing in the morning BEFORE putting anything in your stomach. Later in the day,after getting some food in your stomach and fully recovering from your cardio session, hit the weights. It's a compromise but you should see results.

hmm.... here's the deal. (i'm looking for your opinion)
my day starts at 5:30 and i'm out the door by 6:10. i have a really long commute. i get all my food ready for the day the night before. i am so NOT a morning person. getting up at that time seems like a crime against nature to me and it's a real struggle. i envy people who do it without trouble. i really don't think i could do cardio at 5:00. and even if i did it probably wouldn't be good since you need rest to recover. (as it is i'm only getting about 6 1/2 hours sleep)

so - i get home around 7 and go to the gym by 7:30. i was planning to do cardio after that.

i'd like to add some size and get leaner. i'm at 18% now (woman) and would like to be at around 12-14% and stay there. i also would like to add some muscle.

i think my eating is in order (taking in roughly 50% protein, 30 carb and 20% fat. sometimes carbs a bit lower and protein a bit higher)

i haven't been doing cardio so i was hoping that might help me get leaner too. (just started it)

what do you think?

I think your on track........If you feel that you've got your diet down, I would not worry too much about the when's and where's on the supplements........Just adding the cardio is going to make a diff. Try it for a couple of weeks and see how your body reacts. And if needed change it.

Originally posted by IPMC
I think your on track........If you feel that you've got your diet down, I would not worry too much about the when's and where's on the supplements........Just adding the cardio is going to make a diff. Try it for a couple of weeks and see how your body reacts. And if needed change it.

I'll add a huge DITTO here. Also, just by adding muscle you're going to get leaner. It's a percentage game. Let's say you're carrying a grand total of 15 lbs of fat on your body right now with a total body weight of 150 lbs. (Completely ficticious numbers here.) That would put you at 10% Body Fat (BF). Now let's say you keep your total fat at 15 lbs but add enough lean muscle to bring your body weight up to 160 lbs. Your BF is now down to .9%. Your weight went up but your BF% went down. And you look MAHHHHHVELOUS!!!

Originally posted by ALBOB
I'll add a huge DITTO here. !

I better write this on the calendar........ALBOB agreed with me.

Oh CRAP!!! Agreeing with IPMC and calling Kuso a ganius all in the span of about 30 minutes. What a freakin' day I'm having.

thanks for the encouragement. i'm going to push my luck here and ask you to check out my diet.

by the way - glutamine tastes a bit nasty! lol. i have ast and took a dose before the gym in water. bleeek gag. ohwell. i thought about putting it into my protein shake after but figure most of it could end up stuck to the bottom of the blender.

here's yesterday's eating:

meal 1
1/2 cup oatmeal
4 egg whites hardboiled 2 egg yolks
1 Tbs natural peanut butter

meal 2
Labrada Low Carb Lean Body MRP

meal 3
5 oz chicken breast (grilled)
1/2 a medium yam

meal 4
can water packed tuna
mixed salad greens/veggies
balsalmic vinegar

gym

meal 5 (right after gym)
whey protein shake
w/banana

then right before bed some nonfat cottage cheese for slower release protein

looking ok?

took glutamine before and after gym
multi vitamin in the morning with meal 1

i won't tell kuso if that brings you some (small?) comfort

Looks alot like my diet except I don't see the three dozen Krispy Kremes. Seriously, I'm the WRONG person to ask diet questions but I can comment on the Glutamine. I've mixed it with my post work-out protein shake ever since I started using it and it's been great. You're right in that it won't disolve but that's just a matter of keeping it mixed as your drinking it. Blend........take a gulp or three.........blend............take a gulp or four.............blend............you're not done yet?

Originally posted by nikegurl
i won't tell kuso if that brings you some (small?) comfort

You're so nice and I'm such and idiot. I called him a genius to his face. The damage has already been done.

Your diet looks good for a female.........Would be lite for a male.

you guys are awesome. thanks! good to know i can do the stir in thing for the glutamine.

bet the creatine will taste nasty too....that should be here next week.

hating the cardio so much. if i keep the diet super clean can i get away with doing 20 minutes 4 times a week?

The Creatine is going to be exactly like the Glutamine, tasteless but still nasty. Kind of like drinking a nice big glass of sandy water. Yummm

As for diet and cardio. If you keep your diet clean enough you can "get away" with ZERO cardio. Cardio just helps minimize the effects of the little cheats we all know and love in our diets. Cardio also speeds up the process of shedding fat. If you're serious about not being TOO concerned about fat loss and want to concentrate on building muscle you can drop a bunch of cardio. Remember though, that's all you'll be dropping. You'll have to keep your diet SUPER clean or you're going to see it around your waist and hips and thighs and...................

i better do it. not much time before bathing suits and i am a HARSH critic! (lol - only about myself)

if i've been doing none what would be the amount that would be beneficial without getting crazy? would 20 minutes to start be ok? i'd like to not ever have to go longer than 30 minutes.

4 times a week? 6? i better stop hating it since i know i have to do it to see the progress i want to see.

note to self: work on being more patient!

A 20 minute session is the minimum. After 20 minutes is when you start getting into the real fat burning zone. 30 minutes is better. If you're diet is as clean as you say you may........MAY.....be able to get away with 2 times per week. 3 would be safer. Since bikini season will soon be upon us you should probably play it safe and go with the 3 times per week for now. By the way, not to beat a dead horse here BUT, you really should have an impartial critic take a look at the bikini to give you an expert point of view. (It would be a big help if you were IN the bikini at the time.) Just something to think about.

wish i had digital camera or scanner. i'd post but i'm technologically deprived (not depraved)

here's the deal. my upper body is good. shoulders arms and chest showing nice definition. i'm very lucky in that i don't carry weight in my stomach. no six pack yet but it's nice and flat.

i'm tall so that helps my legs look good but that's still the problem.....little dents on the back of my thighs below my butt. not many but they are there and they DISGUST me.

so - i want a six pack and i want the dents on my legs gone. now would be good but i guess i have to just put my time in and wait. (or wear shorts over the bathing suit like a chicken sheeit)

The cardio should help with your legs and your diet is going to be the main thing for your abs....still work them 1 to 2 times per week! You really should get a camera though!!!!!!!! Or better yet borrow one!

if i can't borrow a digital - how else can you post pictures?

i know - i'm stuck in 1990.

Originally posted by nikegurl
wish i had digital camera or scanner. i'd post but i'm technologically deprived (not depraved)

Now, now..........Don't be so hard on yourself. You're 95% depraved in our eyes. You just need a little extra help with that last 5%. Now the first thing you have to do is go get that damn camera. Then....................well anyway, get the camera and we'll talk.

Hell, if your willing, I'll send ya mine!!

can you rent these damn things? it's so unlike me to be willing to post pictures but for some reason - i want to! (maybe b/c i can't?)

no seriously - would really like to get a critique.

Well, we are the men to do it! We will figure out a way!!

if you get regular pictures taken (on a junky camera), get your prints and then send them to someone who can scan them will that work or would the end result be really really bad?

really need to get a digital? i bet you maybe can rent them. i'm going to check it out.

You could send them to someone who could scan them...that would work!

What am I thinking.....you can have pics put on disks now! And you could load that from your computer to here!