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After a workout you should be consuming a whey+maltodextrin shake: your muscles need carbs in their repair.
Casein protein is a fantastic supplement to have a bedtime snack. You can get it from cottage cheest, or if you are not a fan of cc, Nitrean from At Large Nutrition is a great source of casein protein (to be taken with milk at bedtime to nourish your body during sleep).
I'm not a weight lifter but I do take an amino acid supplement to help maintain muscle mass. I understand some weightlifters use it, though. The brand I have is BCCA and the amino acid complex are leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
To keep injuries and minor tears to a minimum in the first place, I'd suggest a thorough warm up followed by stretches (passive, not dynamic). And, if I were just starting with a program of weight lifting, I'd start lower and gradually work my way up.
When I was younger and dumber I couldn't wait to reach my goal and over-trained. I was doing curls with my left arm and I heard a "pop" and I could no longer hold on to the weight. Needless to say, I was out for awhile, at least with that arm. A guy needs to know when to quit for the day...
Personally, I don't take any of this crap. I've been lifting for about 10 years and did take Creatine and whey protein along with Amino acids for about 6 months about 7 years ago and did not like the way it made me feel. It was too hard to lead a normal life worrying about when to take all this stuff and eating a normal meal not to mention it was pretty expensive. I now drink plenty of water, stretch before and after workouts and try to maintain a very healthy diet and that's about it, I don't take anything at all. I occasionally go a little crazy over eggs and grilled chicken breasts but that's about it. I tell you it works, and it feels very natural without interfering with my normal routine.
Personally, I don't take any of this crap. I've been lifting for about 10 years and did take Creatine and whey protein along with Amino acids for about 6 months about 7 years ago and did not like the way it made me feel. It was too hard to lead a normal life worrying about when to take all this stuff and eating a normal meal not to mention it was pretty expensive. I now drink plenty of water, stretch before and after workouts and try to maintain a very healthy diet and that's about it, I don't take anything at all. I occasionally go a little crazy over eggs and grilled chicken breasts but that's about it. I tell you it works, and it feels very natural without interfering with my normal routine.
I like the way you do business.
lol....seriously though, yes, this is my thinking as well....my brother is on that creatine crap too and he's seeing side effects...hate to say I told him so but....
look, you can consume everything you need by eating healthy.....maaayyybe if you have a very fast metabolism or are deficient to a point where you need a supplement.....whey is a great resource. But for most people, whole foods will do it .
Creatine has no side effects whatsoever for most people. In extremely rare cases, someone can get digestion problems and other abdominal issues supposedly, but I've never experienced that myself. And to the other poster -- creatine is cheap now days. The pills can be expensive as heck (like $1.50 per day for dosages), but powder is basically free it's so cheap -- I picked up a 2,000 gram container for $38 plus shipping online, so like $45 total and you use 5 grams per day, so that's a 400 day supply! I also have a 1,000 gram container at home (so when I visit my dad I have it) that I got at GNC for $30, so still not too bad, 200 days supply for $30 is so cheap.
Creatine is the only supplement (besides protein which is really not a supplement so much as it's part of your diet) that is actually proven to have benefits for athletes in general, mainly in sports with repetitive motions (something like Tae-Kwon-Do for instance, baseball perhaps, swimming, etc.). Used properly, creatine is really a nice boost to one's workout routine and for a limited amount of money. I don't see how taking creatine one time per day is really much of a burden, either. I mean, yes, it takes a lot of effort to maintain your best shape. Heck when I was first starting to build, my life pretty much revolved around working out, until it all came more naturally to me after a month or two (it was summer and I was in college). Even then I'd focus a lot on what I ate each day, making sure I got enough protein and calories. It's not THAT big of an inconvenience to be conscious of what you're putting in yourself.
Creatine is honestly a wonder supplement, unless your body already produces enough creatine (which happens in rare cases), not only for its benefits with bulking up but its athletic advantages and research suggesting it can help prevent certain neuro-muscular diseases like Parkinson's, for instance.
The only "side effects" that I get from creatine is having to go to the bathroom so often because you REALLY need to drink lots and lots of water with it and I get really moody when I cant have my grande mocha from Starbucks since caffeene greatly hinders the effects of creatine (during loading phase only) as I love my Starbucks. Long term use can cause kidney damage which is why you take creatine in cycles. I only take it when Im bulking and never more than twice per year. Creatine causes some water retentiion but us guys dont worry about that as that is a female worry.
The only thing I take is a Protein drink, such as Met-rx 50 Protein or Lean Body, ABB protein shakes. I drink one following every workout. These products may not be what other people want though, since they are not high in carbs and for me low in sugar. Im a diabetic so my needs are different than many other people that can handle high carb and or sugar supplements. I drink the protein drink to help ward off low blood sugar after exercising and help with muscle recovery. I eat alot of chicken and turkey, vegetables and some fish in my diet, alot of low fat low sugar food sources. I have a very good diet usually anyway. I think if it were not for the protection of a quick meal source after working out that I would not even bother with the Protein shake. I think there are some good supplements out there, but I think many could get by just fine without spending all their money on all these supplements.
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Just add whey [with all the amino's] ,like you said !
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