Info needed - Body Building

I only want responses from people that actually know what they are talking about

What are your thoughts on creatine and also if you have used it Hydroxycut?

Look here www.muscletech.com

I saw a very similar post about this asking in The Pub section of the OCAU forums, although I'm sorry can't help much else on the topic.

the what what, and the what what now :?

http://www.absolute-creatine.com/ - Info site, not advert site.

Quote:
FTO
Member

Registered: Jan 2002
Location: Glen Waverley, Melbourne, VIC
Posts: 119
Re: Creatine: any drawbacks?

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by jediguy
What I want to know is: are there any side-effects to using this? Are the results as good as they claim? And if I stop using creatine, will I shrink back to the nothingness from whence I came?

Any help will be appreciated.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Creatine mainly does two things it does help your muscles retain water, giving them a more "bulky" look. However it also helps in ATP breakdown and promotes using fat as an energy source, so you will also find you have more "strength" than when you are off creatine. It takes about 3 months for the creatine you ingest to be removed from your system (it varies but I found 3 months was enough for me), so you do lose some mass if your not taking it but only after time. It definitely helps you train (hey 9/10 pro-athletes cant be wrong huh?) and will mean you can train longer and harder.

As for side effects? well you have to remember that for "quick" results you are taking many times the physiological level of creatine in your body so it MAY affect you in the long run and I have seen some reports that if you take too much it may lead to liver/kidney damage but thats after very prolonged use.

I recommend you stagger your intake i.e. 3 months on 1 month off as I found if you constantly take it the effect is not as good as when you take a break. This is all from my own personal training experience, so things might be different for you but this has worked for me in the past. Also you may find that after you sweat you may excrete some and it dries on your skin (personally it hasn't happened to me but a couple of guys I train with have it) and may have a funny smell, but thats about all.

P.S you won't put on any muscle mass if you dont have any protein in your diet so try to up protein intake and if you still need more help try a colostrum/protein mix.

FTO

I just pulled that from the OCAU forums, 1st reply post to the same question.

i personally go for a raw egg drink after a workout.. but i stay away from any of those quick fix methods such as the drug in question ( think its a drug ) correct me if i am wrong..

If you go natural you will retain muscle structure longer and also there are no side effects.. But as for the raw eggs its a protein hit and right after the work out when your muscles are lose it works the best..

Well there's my thoughts..

Btw i am also bulking up so yeah just thought i woudl add that in just to let you know :D

[Image: http://www.kwrecords.com.au/chuck.gif]

Okay that picture's starting to scare me now.

:shock:

Reaper, creatin is good and works well if you work out alot, i took a 3 kg tub about 3 months ago, adult dose a day after working out. As someone's quote said, it puts water/liquid into your arms and lets you build muscle, the only problem with creatin is that you have to take it successively, ie everyday, there's no point using it for a week then giving up because once you use iy, your body relies on it for when your working out. If your after good results use it, but it can be quite expensive. also, don't use creatine with juice, ie mix it with apple/orange or whatever juice, it kills your kidney (this is true), mix it with water, get the flavoured ones (berry is best). creatine is usually taken alot in the first two weeks (loading), then u reduce back as u go on. also if you do buy it, read the ingredients, buy ones without sugar, as the ones with sugar usually take up to 5-7% of the tub, so your basically paying for extra sugar.

what im using at the moment is protein powder, for muscle mass gain, its full of energy (kilojoules and calories) but has no fat in it at all. this stuff you mix with anythinig (milk, water, juice) and drink straight. the one im using is redback complete protein (contains protein, amino acids), there's also a whey one, but the complete protein is better. this stuff works really well, and you can see results in 3-4 weeks. i got it from a place called planetmax, search google for planetmax+tuggeranong and itll come up (tuggeranong is the shopping mall its at). this stuff (the redback brand) can be used as a meal supplement, thats what i did, 30-40gram portions, 3 times a day, u get plenty of energy from it, so you dont need to eat, its fat free.

basically, if your looking for good quick results and can afford to take creatine, use it over protein, it works faster, but is much more expensive, and long term use can screw you up (liver failure, penis shrinkage, and no im not kidding)

if you're willing to wait a bit longer, take the protein, its cheaper and does just as good, ive used both, and would reccomend the protein, look for the redback stuff. hope this helps.

oh and stay away from musashi, its complete shit.

http://www.planetmax.com.au/redbackcomplete.htm

thats the stuff i take, i can swear to you that it works, if you use it in a proper cardio fitness program. biceps, triceps, pecs, neck/shoulder. if you want, i can possibly send you a copy of a pilates program i use, but i dont have a scanner, so it makes it a bit hard.

oh even more, eat atleast 5 times a day, fruit and muesli bars, canned salmon is good, or even tuna, a 100gram can yields about 25 grams of protein, red meat is where its all at, spinach is high in protein too.

anga: creatine/protein isn't a drug, so don't worry about that

Creatine is a natural substance, it is in food that you eat during the day hence why your muscles retain water at all. PURE creatine should be mixed on a 1:1 ratio with pure glucose powder as it needs sugar to travel around the body to the muscles to actually help.

It is also recommended not to take creatine AFTER caffeine (stimulant) so you must be careful because lots of fat burning supplements contain caffeine so it's best to take them a few hours apart, creatine should be taken approximately 1 hour before a workout for best results.

I work out once/twice a day for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour

I currently do not take ANY supplements except for lots of water and only small amounts of carbohydrates after 12pm because if you do intake carbohydrates while you sleep your body tries to convert it to fat whereas if you only have a small amount in your body, you actually turn it into the energy needed to sleep then start eating into the fat so you actually burn fat while your sleeping, cool huh?

When working out for best results you should fatigue the muscles your working on. IE 1 set of bench press followed by 1 set of incline press.

Thanks for the info fellas, any more is appreciated

If anyone in darwin is interested in a work out program I have a quite good one that will show results for anyone any age and it's free. Best thing to do is to just go to a military base, get a temp (i think it's 6 hours) pass to get onto base and go to the gym there, good equipment and it's free.

If your after any info feel free to ask!

No one got anything on hydroxycut???

Good place for all these supplements www.healthfoods.com.au and I have a distributer in darwin for this, freight is approx $8

to use the gym at the base do i just go up to the front gate and ask to use the gym

[quote] I work out once/twice a day for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour [/quote]

I hope ur using different mussle groups otherwise such weight training ends up as aerobics. :) Best results are 4 to 5 times a week with 1 day working on upperbody the next day on lower body and a days rest. U should have trouble lifting a glass of water shortly after an upperbody session.

The answer to the question is yes cratine and protine work really well but only with a proper weights program.
Creatine most notablyas it takes heavier weights and longer workouts to get mussle failure so u build up faster. Also creatine takes a while to build up in the body ~2 weeks it also takes this long to leave but it stays in the body for a long time. It shouldnt matter when u take it (the 1 hr after workout is probably to ensure u only use it if ur working out)
Protine makes sure ur body is saturated with protine and building musscels have heaps at their disposal.

As for my credentials; ive been working out for 8 months and have put on 22kg in that time so i now weigh 100kg :). uh, benchpressing - started at the bar :) now at 91kg, oh thats 3 sets of 8

[quote] don't use creatine with juice, ie mix it with apple/orange or whatever juice, it kills your kidney (this is true), [/quote]
u got me a bit worried, iv noticed that it dosnt disolve so no reaction takes place + i googled it and i did find some of the above info but also contradictions with other (and what i belived to be more genuin) websites and directions on the label actualy suggest juice. (i think its the flavoered stuff that cant be added cause i assume that bits disolve for the flavor ?otherwise please send me more info)

As far a hydroxycut, ive got napes. It sounds like a marketing name instead of a scientific name like criotine and protine so id be vry warey of it.[/quote]

Yes matt I do work our different muscle groups, I have the knowledge of every PTI on base at my disposal and considering they ensure the fitness of the australian defence force (and these guys are HUGE) they know what their on about but I still like to hear other peoples thoughts.

Yes Hydroxycut sounds like a gimmick name but it's from a reputable company in america and was recommended by a mate who used it and lost 10kg in 2 weeks - bit of over kill. It only helps cut down fat NOT muscle so it is good and contains all natural products

91kg on a bar is pretty good but I dont understand how you got 1kg increments on it, no gym I've been to goes up like that, only like 1.25kg minimum weights

1 question matt, why do you do 3 sets of 8 reps??? Dont you think thats a little too easy? Not poking fun I was just told that to start off weight training to do 3 sets of 12 reps and then when your body is used to recovering (no longer taknig 3 days to heal) then do 4 sets of 12 reps

I do my weights so that I can only just push out the twelth rep of the first set then should be very difficult for last three sets and best to do it with a spotter. I have 30 seconds rest between sets and 2 minutes rest between exercises.

Balthasar, you can just go up to the gate and sign on, just say your visiting your mate or something but they dont ask for reasons as they dont need one.

Quote from ZeReaper:

91kg on a bar is pretty good but I dont understand how you got 1kg increments on it, no gym I've been to goes up like that, only like 1.25kg minimum weights

1 question matt, why do you do 3 sets of 8 reps??? Dont you think thats a little too easy? Not poking fun I was just told that to start off weight training to do 3 sets of 12 reps and then when your body is used to recovering (no longer taknig 3 days to heal) then do 4 sets of 12 reps

Its 200 pounds = 91kg :)
The more reps u do the more it become like exercise and less it becomes body building.

Yes thats true but too little reps does not do enough. You know when it becomes aerobic because your heart rate increases to approximately 140+ beats per minute

I am not a PT but I think your repetitions are too low but if it works for you then go for it :)

I do the same as Matt, 3 sets, 8 reps each, i do moderately high weights, about 80% of my max. Like Matt said, the more reps you do, it sort of starts pushing it towards exericise as opposed to body building.

But people are different, and do whatever way suits you best, there's no way wrong, unless your only doing one muscle group, no stretching etc.

DRINK LOT's of milk ,
I try to beef up
but is does not work
I am 6 foot 2
and 60 kilos
wich terribly underwait for my height i think.
my nickname when i was in high school was *STICK*
i have puny mucles .
but i dont think the bigger the size the more the strengh
it all comes from within.
riding bikes up mountains defently helps your breathing . back mucles , stamina.
[Image: http://www.kwrecords.com.au/chuck.gif]

finally. confirmation i am _not_ the skinniest person here.

Ok, heres my story
for about 3 years i swam 9-11 times a week, played tennis 4 times a week, soccer twice and ice-skated once a week (sometimes 4 on hols).
now thats all ended, im not fat but im unfit :(
were should i start?

start playing sport again, easy ;).

psy, do aerobic stuff, ie running, jogging, bike riding.

hit sports, such as footy, soccer, cricket and the like.

psy_ave in a way paladin is right

Sport is a great way to start getting fit as it's enjoyable

The biggest mistake most people make when trying to get fit is to throw themselves into it. A person that starts off with 1 hour gym sessions compared to a guy that gradually introduces himself with like 20 minutes sessions the 1 hr dude will more then likely stop.

Human beings are creatures of habit so if you start off slowly you'll become more and more accustomed to working out. I have a cardio program handy that most people can do to start toning themselves if you like then you can decide if you want to put on more weight or not. This is not a FULL ON SERIOUS workout so only use this to start on.

Day 1 (Cardio)

Stationary Bike
20 minutes at moderate level as tolerated
Increase duration and level when you feel your ready

Swimming - 150m warm up
200m Freestyle kick (with a kickboard)
200m Backstroke (Holding kickboard to chest)
200m Freestyle (Arms only, bouy between legs)
100m Cool down

run/walk treadmill - 20 min alt speeds

row machine - 20 minutes as tolerated

Day 2 (Weights Training)

Bench Press - 15 reps - 3 set - 1 min rest
Push Ups - maximum
Shoulder press - 15 reps - 3 sets
Leg Curl - 15 reps - 3 sets
Leg Press - 15 reps - 3 sets
Calf Raises - 15 reps - 3 sets
Lat pulldown - 15 reps - 3 sets
Seated Row - 15 reps - 3 sets
Bicep Curl - 15 reps - 3 sets
Tricep Pushdown - 15 reps - 3 sets
Static Ab Hold - 1 minutes 30 seconds

Make sure all exercises are conducted slowly and controlled no jerking of the body or you are doing it too heavy

Have approximately 1 minutes rest between sets and 2 minutes between exercises, drink plenty of fluid.

Day 3 (Rest day)

Rest day

Good day to play a sport for fun ie. squash, tennis, football etc. etc.

Approximately 30 minutes after a workout is the HIGHEST intake of protein that your body will provide so it's a good idea to eat something high in protein (Feelgood milk or a tin of salmon I recommend).

This is the program used by the military to get soldiers to a standard level of fitness, if you are after something more serious simply ask.

If you have any injuries make sure you do not aggravate them and if you feel any pain during the exercises it's a good idea to ask a doctor or fitness instructer.

Start off slowly, introduce yourself to say 20-30 minute workouts then increase that as you feel comfortable, dont really keep an eye on the time except for rest periods just do the exercises as best as you can and controlled for maximum results.

wow we almost got a TV show going here
[Image: http://www.kwrecords.com.au/chuck.gif]

yeh, i can still do 27 seconds for a freestyle 50m, but im fucked by the end
i do tennis about 5 times a week thats all :P
maybe ill start jogging again! :)

psy_ave

It does not matter how much of the swim/run/exercise is completed, as long as you attempt each one. I have a problem with my hip and cannot work it at all, BUT, I still work my upper body. I get much more of a workout if I do 12 bar curls even if I dont go all the way up then I do if I did 6 full then stopped, it's all about working your body for longer/harder basically if it's easy, make it harder, if it's too hard keep trying or if needed drop the weight. As long as you attempted all swimming exercises you set yourself you will gradually improve upon those until they become easy and you should start making it harder, trying is the most important part.

yeh, once i get year 11 and 12 off my back ill start full time again :P
mmm 3k swimming in morn, and then 3k at night < friday
saturday 3k morning for swimming followed by 5 sets of tennis
/me am fux0red

yeah psy_ave when i used to train up at 5am swim as many laps till 7am school then back at 6pm till 8pm i was fuxxored after that

yeh, after 3 years i really couldnt be farked :P

I will tell u the secret of creatine.

Obvioulsy u drink it and it absorbs to help u train.

Here is my tip.

TAKE IT WITH GRAPE JUICE.

Trust me. Watch and see.