Protein shakes, how much and how often?

C14N

I've started going to the gym again recently and I've been at it for about 2 weeks. I was looking to build some muscle (I'm sure that's been said enough times by newbs around here :rolleyes:) and the trainer at the gym got me started with a mostly-machine weights routine. She also advised me to get some protein supplements which I did. There's a local shop for that stuff near me so I went in and the guy there told me what I wanted was a mass gainer. I bought a sack of the stuff and I've been taking it since.

Now here's the thing: he told me to make 2 shakes a day, one in the morning and one later on. The bag advised making a shake with three scoops but he told me two would be enough for me, presumably because I'm fairly small (about 5'6" and 60kg). My routine right now has me going to the gym three days a week and nothing at the weekends. He told me I would need to take this on my "off" days too.

What I'm wondering is, should I take as much on the "off" days as I do on the workout days? And if I take two days off in a row (i.e. at the weekend), should I still be drinking it at all? I only ask because this stuff isn't exactly easy to get through and I feel very full for a short while after having one. I was hoping someone might be able to give me some advice.

WeeBushy

Protein supplements are just that, supplements. If you are getting enough from your diet then you don't need them. Look at your diet first before taking protein shakes imo. Although protein shakes are an easy, cheap source so they're very handy to have around, even if your diet is covering your protein needs, for those times you can't get a proper meal in or whatever.

Read the stickies to learn more.

Burkatron

WeeBushy wrote: »

Protein supplements are just that, supplements. If you are getting enough from your diet then you don't need them. Look at your diet first before taking protein shakes imo. Although protein shakes are an easy, cheap source so they're very handy to have around, even if your diet is covering your protein needs, for those times you can't get a proper meal in or whatever.

Read the stickies to learn more.

+1 on all of this!

What you've put down grinds my gears so much, you've been going to the gym 2 weeks & your "trainer" has put you on mass gainer (nevermind the machine weights only routine), have they given you any other dietary recommendations apart from mass gainer?

You're 5'6 & 10 stone, thats not THAT small at your height, I'd know as I'm the same height as you! What brand mass gainer did you get? You're probably overshooting your calorie intake, this will put size on you but majority of it wont be muscle...

You need to sit down read the stickies & re-evaluate your diet!

C14N

WeeBushy wrote: »

Protein supplements are just that, supplements. If you are getting enough from your diet then you don't need them. Look at your diet first before taking protein shakes imo. Although protein shakes are an easy, cheap source so they're very handy to have around, even if your diet is covering your protein needs, for those times you can't get a proper meal in or whatever.

Read the stickies to learn more.

I took a look at the stickies and went through some of the posts but it was a little daunting given how much stuff was on there. I'll try and read it all but it'll take me a while.

My diet is fairly good, but not fantastic. I always get in some protein at lunch (usually some kind of sandwich) and at dinner (a chicken breast or equivalent). The problem with trying to get it all from food is that I don't have a huge appetite, I'm simply not capable of eating as much as other guys my age (this becomes very clear when I go to a restaurant with my friends). The sticky also advises eating every 2-3 hours, which I can't do either. I have a job for summer from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and I get one break for lunch at around 12-1 and I'm not allowed to eat at my desk.

I want to use supplements as supplements, I never take them in place of a proper meal.

Burkatron wrote: »

+1 on all of this!

What you've put down grinds my gears so much, you've been going to the gym 2 weeks & your "trainer" has put you on mass gainer (nevermind the machine weights only routine), have they given you any other dietary recommendations apart from mass gainer?

You're 5'6 & 10 stone, thats not THAT small at your height, I'd know as I'm the same height as you! What brand mass gainer did you get? You're probably overshooting your calorie intake, this will put size on you but majority of it wont be muscle...

You need to sit down read the stickies & re-evaluate your diet!

It wasn't actually the trainer who put me on mass gainer, it was the guy in the shop. I don't know why you put "trainer" in inverted commas. She's just a fitness instructor, every gym has a few right? She spent an hour or so going through a routine with me and said to stick with it for about 12 training sessions (so far I've done around six).

Anyway I was given dietary recommendations besides whey protein. It's just that it was all fairly typical stuff that I do anyway. No processed foods, lots of white meat and only lean red meat, brown instead of white carbs etc.

It's also not machine weights only. There are about ten to twelve exercises in total including two dumb bell exercises, ten minutes on a bike and twelve minutes rowing.

Based on personal experience, my height and weight are very small, and if you look at me, you can see I'm a very small guy. I would easily be in the bottom 10% in terms of physical size in my course in college (not that there's anything wrong with that, I come from a fairly small family), and last time I checked my BMI, I was bordering on "underweight".

I'll check the brand of mass gainer but I can tell you it gives roughly 600 calories per shake. I raised the concerns about it just making me fat when I was in the shop but I was told that as long as I do the workouts, I'm not going to get a belly; although a few months back I was eating a much crappier diet and doing less exercise and still failed to put any fat.

Gummy Panda

C14N wrote: »

It wasn't actually the trainer who put me on mass gainer, it was the guy in the shop. I don't know why you put "trainer" in inverted commas.

Its generally never good to take dietary advice from a guy who wants to sell you supplements

C14N

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Its generally never good to take dietary advice from a guy who wants to sell you supplements

I was wary of the same thing He did seem very genuine though and went through what each type of supplement was for. The instructor just told me to get some protein shakes but she said the guys in the shop would know the most about it so I listened to him.

AMT

As much as you can get down your throat... every 2 hours.

If you're going to do it hit it lift hard and heavy, get plenty of sleep, and eat like a motherf****er

deadlybuzzman

AMT wrote: »

As much as you can get down your throat... every 2 hours.

If you're going to do it hit it lift hard and heavy, get plenty of sleep, and eat like a motherf****er

this and unless there was some medical reason that she put you on a machine based routine Id say scrap it and do Starting Strength

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/The_Starting_Strength_Novice/Beginner_Programs
its simple, straightforward gives you a great idea of what really matters

C14N

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

this and unless there was some medical reason that she put you on a machine based routine Id say scrap it and do Starting Strength

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/The_Starting_Strength_Novice/Beginner_Programs
its simple, straightforward gives you a great idea of what really matters

Not a medical reason, she said it was because I was starting out, it would change in a few weeks. Honestly the free weights area isn't huge and it's usually crowded, I wouldn't have gotten a work out in today at all if I stuck with them. What's so bad about machine weights anyway?

I don't think the routine I'm on is really that bad, it's getting easier already and I only have a few more workouts before it changes. I really just want to know how often most people who take their supplements do so.

The brand is Nutrabolics, the protein content is 47g per serving (although that would be three scoops instead of two).

arse..biscuits

C14N wrote: »

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

this and unless there was some medical reason that she put you on a machine based routine Id say scrap it and do Starting Strength

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/The_Starting_Strength_Novice/Beginner_Programs
its simple, straightforward gives you a great idea of what really matters

Not a medical reason, she said it was because I was starting out, it would change in a few weeks. Honestly the free weights area isn't huge and it's usually crowded, I wouldn't have gotten a work out in today at all if I stuck with them. What's so bad about machine weights anyway?

I don't think the routine I'm on is really that bad, it's getting easier already and I only have a few more workouts before it changes. I really just want to know how often most people who take their supplements do so.

The brand is Nutrabolics, the protein content is 47g per serving (although that would be three scoops instead of two).

I take 2 scoops twice daily, workout days or not.

C14N

arse..biscuits wrote: »

I take 2 scoops twice daily, workout days or not.

Is it the same stuff?

AMT

C14N wrote: »

Not a medical reason, SHE....

I think we have identified zee problem :rolleyes:

But to answer your question...

1 Scoop whey in the morning
1 Scoop mixed blend 30 mins before working out
The same again right after working out as soon as the aminos/glutamine/creatine have settled with skim milk if I'm trying to bulk up
1 Scoop casein before bed

All with water

deadlybuzzman

C14N wrote: »

Not a medical reason, she said it was because I was starting out, it would change in a few weeks. Honestly the free weights area isn't huge and it's usually crowded, I wouldn't have gotten a work out in today at all if I stuck with them. What's so bad about machine weights anyway?

I don't think the routine I'm on is really that bad, it's getting easier already and I only have a few more workouts before it changes. I really just want to know how often most people who take their supplements do so.

The brand is Nutrabolics, the protein content is 47g per serving (although that would be three scoops instead of two).

Id not be a fan of machines when starting out as when youre using free weights not only are you making the muscle stronger but also your ligaments, tendons and also the smaller stabiliser muscles that help keep things, well, stable.
If only using machines, you get stronger in those exact movements the machine lets you do but outside of that you wont be and could be prone to injury. If its only temporary then fair enough.
The gains you can potentially make in the begining are the biggest you will ever make as your body adjusts to the demands but only if diet, lifts and amount of rest is right.
Use the protein to help get up to your required amount per day which is aprox 1.5g per lb bodyweight, your call on how you want to do it. You will also need to bump up overall calories by about 500 per day, when your weight increase levels off increase again and so on.
Dont worry about a little fat around the stomach, much easier to burn it off with the muscle you will have gained rather than trying to get bigger while keeping a two pack, many many people have wasted alot of effort and time trying to do that(including me! :rolleyes: )

C14N

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

Use the protein to help get up to your required amount per day which is aprox 1.5g per lb bodyweight, your call on how you want to do it.

Is there any easy way to find out the protein content of meat that I eat? Just so I can make sure I'm getting the right amount. I only get about 60g from the shakes (and that's if I can manage to finish two full ones) and I need about 200g overall based on that ratio.

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

You will also need to bump up overall calories by about 500 per day, when your weight increase levels off increase again and so on.

Weight increase hasn't been massive yet. I've only put on about 2 pounds in 2 weeks, hopefully it will rise a little further. The shakes should help with the calories though, each one has around 600 for me.

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

Dont worry about a little fat around the stomach, much easier to burn it off with the muscle you will have gained rather than trying to get bigger while keeping a two pack, many many people have wasted alot of effort and time trying to do that(including me! :rolleyes: )

How did you know I was fostering a two-pack? I did notice a little more belly fat lately (mainly at the sides rather than the front) but it's nice to know it will burn off easily.

1 Scoop whey in the morning
1 Scoop mixed blend 30 mins before working out
The same again right after working out as soon as the aminos/glutamine/creatine have settled with skim milk if I'm trying to bulk up
1 Scoop casein before bed

What is mixed blend? I'll try doing this though when I finish off the mass gainer I have now.

deadlybuzzman

C14N wrote: »

Is there any easy way to find out the protein content of meat that I eat? Just so I can make sure I'm getting the right amount. I only get about 60g from the shakes (and that's if I can manage to finish two full ones) and I need about 200g overall based on that ratio.



Weight increase hasn't been massive yet. I've only put on about 2 pounds in 2 weeks, hopefully it will rise a little further. The shakes should help with the calories though, each one has around 600 for me.



How did you know I was fostering a two-pack? I did notice a little more belly fat lately (mainly at the sides rather than the front) but it's nice to know it will burn off easily.

A pound a week is fine, not that it will happen but imagine if that happened every week for a year!

I wont kid you and say it will ever be easy as such to burn off fat but its definitely easier when youre carrying extra muscle!

arse..biscuits

C14N wrote: »

arse..biscuits wrote: »

I take 2 scoops twice daily, workout days or not.

Is it the same stuff?

No. I take whey protein from myprotein.

deadlybuzzman

arse..biscuits wrote: »

No. I take whey protein from myprotein.

myprotein or bulkpowders.co.uk are the way to go. no point spending extra on fancy packaging with pictures of baby oiled abs.
Its the same few companies that make all the whey anyway so ignore all the hype marketing and lies