[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by drive_angry

Can anyone suggest me a good arm band? I usually carry a phone and mp3 player (Sony) during my daily exercises.

I have used a generic arm band bought from Decathlon and always found the wires fouled with weights/bars. My advise would be to lose the mp3 player and get a Bluetooth headset. Keep the phone in some corner and enjoy your workout.

[bluevolt]

It's been around 5-6 months since I am going to gym. As compared to my first 2-3 months experience in the gym, I am lifting much heavier and in correct posture at this point of time.

Though my overall weight lifting capacity has gone a notch up, I was contemplating if to go the Supplement way and speed up a bit of body building process.

I am a vegeterian, though I started having eggs in summers for 2-3 months, I couldn't find much difference despite consuming in good quantity every week.

Just a casual browsing about supplements landed me to this product on flipkart

https://www.flipkart.com/optimum-nut...GSAU6YHCJBN88A

There are so many types of proteins like whey, soy, advanced whey but I am not sure which one to go for if I finally decide on it.

Please suggest, shall I go the supplement way?

PS - I am 5"11 and weigh around 81.7 kgs.

[Superleggera]

I have been going to gym for over two years and everything was fine until I got hit by this horrible lower back pain. No pain during the day time or when I am active, but its unbearable in the mornings while trying to get up from the bed. Once I get up and become active, it goes away in 15 mins.
After lot of research, observations and trial and error I kind of zeroed out that my back pain is related to me doing bench-press. If I don’t do bench press, there is no back pain. Would like to know if anyone has experienced this before…

[akhil994]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

It's been around 5-6 months since I am going to gym. As compared to my first 2-3 months experience in the gym, I am lifting much heavier and in correct posture at this point of time.



Though my overall weight lifting capacity has gone a notch up, I was contemplating if to go the Supplement way and speed up a bit of body building process.



I am a vegeterian, though I started having eggs in summers for 2-3 months, I couldn't find much difference despite consuming in good quantity every week.



Just a casual browsing about supplements landed me to this product on flipkart



https://www.flipkart.com/optimum-nut...GSAU6YHCJBN88A



There are so many types of proteins like whey, soy, advanced whey but I am not sure which one to go for if I finally decide on it.



Please suggest, shall I go the supplement way?



PS - I am 5"11 and weigh around 81.7 kgs.

Since you are a vegetarian, I'm sure that you are not able to fulfil your daily protein requirements with regards to muscle growth.

Typically you should consume at least 1-1.5 times protein of your body weight. Your daily protein requirement is around 123 g.

An egg white, has only 3 g of protein. So if you think that you have reached a plateau in terms of your exercise, do go for a supplement.

You should start with a basic whey protein for now, and also try to incorporate more protein in your diet.

Optimum Nutrition is a good whey protein, but has a lot of fake products around. So if you get one, make sure the importer is Bright Commodities and it has their hologram. Also you should check the serial number of the box to ensure its a genuine piece.

Since you are thinking of just starting off with supplements, A better option that I would suggest is that you go for Ultimate Nutrition Pro Star. It has more servings and more protein per serving too.

Also if you can get a good BCAA powder for drinking during your workout. So I would say get Ultimate nutrition pro star and with the dough you save , get BCAA as well.

Cheers and all the best.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by Superleggera

If I don’t do bench press, there is no back pain. Would like to know if anyone has experienced this before…

I've experienced back pain doing everything else but a bench press
Do you arch your lower back when doing a bench press? Do you tighten your core?
Also, since your back ache is primarily in the morning when you wake up, could it be that the time has come to change your mattress?

[mandheers]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

It's been around 5-6 months since I am going to gym. As compared to my first 2-3 months experience in the gym, I am lifting much heavier and in correct posture at this point of time.

Though my overall weight lifting capacity has gone a notch up, I was contemplating if to go the Supplement way and speed up a bit of body building process.

I am a vegeterian, though I started having eggs in summers for 2-3 months, I couldn't find much difference despite consuming in good quantity every week....

There are so many types of proteins like whey, soy, advanced whey but I am not sure which one to go for if I finally decide on it.

Please suggest, shall I go the supplement way?

PS - I am 5"11 and weigh around 81.7 kgs.

Supplements are justified, but first diet should be healthy and progressively matured as you start lifting more and more often.
Eggs are very good, whole Eggs are even better. You can gradually increase the number of Eggs you eat per day, they are the best source of Protein.

If you have to blow big money on protein shakes, then ideally opt for a Protein Blend - it is slow release and has maximal absorption, you can take a scoop any time of day or night. Most blends like Syntha6, Myofusion, Combat, Lean Pro8 have a blend of Whey Isolate, Whey Concentrate, Egg Albumin, Casein and Milk protein.

If you find them expensive then just stick to regular Whey, any Whey. I prefer the ON 100% because I get it from the Neulife distributor here in Mumbai and it is more genuine that the other crap selling off shelves.

Unless you try using Creatine there won't be any speeding up of body building process, it takes time. How many Eggs did you work up to?

Originally Posted by Superleggera

I have been going to gym for over two years and everything was fine until I got hit by this horrible lower back pain. No pain during the day time or when I am active, but its unbearable in the mornings while trying to get up from the bed. Once I get up and become active, it goes away in 15 mins.
After lot of research, observations and trial and error I kind of zeroed out that my back pain is related to me doing bench-press. If I don’t do bench press, there is no back pain. Would like to know if anyone has experienced this before…

Try if Barbell Bench vs Dumbbell Bench Press is any better, if you are 100% sure it is the Bench Press. Assuming you are referring to conventional Barbell Bench Press here. Also do you keep feet on the ground or on bench? If on ground are they far ahead of bench or tucked under you alongside the bench?

I agree with Amitoj, Back pain from Bench Press is uncommon, unless you have any other postural or muscular weaknesses, or just a weak Back compared to Chest. Yes, mattress is also to blame, something excessively hard or soft will not allow spine to maintain normal curvature overnight and you will wake up tight. The tightness will be relieved by walking around.

I will suggest you make sure to work on Hip, Hip flexors, Hamstring, Quads and Calves stretches. Also, if your Chest is tight after workout it tends to pull the shoulders and upper back forward, which is also aggravated if we use our mobile phones too much. Typical Mobile usage involves Forward neck, Arms just about hugging us, hunched forward and specially after Chest day will only make those pecs bunch up further and you will have some muscle group compensating for it, that's your posterior shoulder and back.

Try the 'Doorway Stretch' for Chest and see the difference after your Bench Press. Take care of such lower back issues, the body is a crazy machine and soon those tight muscles will be pulling at your discs and the discs will irritate your nerves.

[scorpian]

Guys what is your opinion on unflavoured protein like davisco/bulk origins etc?

I have used them and had no discomfort of any kind whatsoever, the reason i prefer them is due to cost effectiveness over other brands which almost cost double or triple.

However i hear many people tell me that they have very less positive effects over branded products, but i guess the raw material is the same right?

For the same value i could buy like a lot more protein over other branded stuff.

Any inputs guys!

[Samurai]

Although they hide the exact method of transformation, it is nevertheless amazing what a 50+ guy could go from one extreme to another.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aVw1gZ9Ncg

[pramodkumar]

Originally Posted by mandheers

Eggs are very good, whole Eggs are even better. You can gradually increase the number of Eggs you eat per day, they are the best source of Protein.

Eggs like any other natural food has a lot of macros along with proteins, having a lot of them should not be the only source of protein. It will lead to other issues, better way is to supplement these deficiencies.

Since Bluevolt is a vegetarian, there are not much options in food other than regular soya chunks and broccoli, again they also don't provide adequate amount of protein if you are not consuming atleast 300-400 gms daily. Best option is to take a good whey protein immediately after workout and have a banana/apple along with the whey shake. This will help the muscle building process, If I was you, I would have started taking 5 gms of glutamine during workout, to help rebuild damaged muscle fibers. I am recommending Glutamine mainly because you are a vegetarian and the main source of glutamine is red meat.

Pramod

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

I am recommending Glutamine mainly because you are a vegetarian and the main source of glutamine is red meat.

You are recommending red meat based supplement to him because he is a vegetarian?

[pramodkumar]

Originally Posted by Samurai

You are recommending red meat based supplement to him because he is a vegetarian?

, its a naturally available non essential amino acid, but the largest source is red meat. Its also available (but in relatively low amount) in cabbage, legumes and some nuts. The body needs 5 Gms and that is not readily available if you are a vegetarian.

Glutamine is necessary to assist muscle damage repair, its safe in 5-10gms per day. Most whey proteins have BCAA and creatine which are also necessary for muscle repair and enhancing endurance respectively.

Pramod

[mandheers]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

Eggs like any other natural food has a lot of macros along with proteins, having a lot of them should not be the only source of protein. It will lead to other issues, better way is to supplement these deficiencies.

Since Bluevolt is a vegetarian, there are not much options in food other than regular soya chunks and broccoli, again they also don't provide adequate amount of protein if you are not consuming atleast 300-400 gms daily. Best option is to take a good whey protein immediately after workout and have a banana/apple along with the whey shake. This will help the muscle building process, If I was you, I would have started taking 5 gms of glutamine during workout, to help rebuild damaged muscle fibers. I am recommending Glutamine mainly because you are a vegetarian and the main source of glutamine is red meat.

Pramod

Eggs are quite alright I feel. If the caloric intake is an issue and some find it heavy consuming Yellow/Yolk, then half the Yolk can be skipped. From all my experience I find Eggs most cost effective, versatile to cook, easily available and they rank fairly higher in Protein digestibility index. There are many brands which have Egg / Egg White Protein. They are not as commercially promoted as maybe Whey but over the years I have started preferring whole foods over Whey and Eggs work for me.

There used to be a Dara Singh's TV commercial for Eggs, and the tagline was:- Sunday ho ya Monday, roz khao Andey!!

Many of my Vegetarian friends and myself included rely on Casein too, apart from Whey alone. Vegetarian choices could go from Paneer to Legumes, Beans and Soy, there's enough out there away from meat.

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

, its a naturally available non essential amino acid, but the largest source is red meat. Its also available (but in relatively low amount) in cabbage, legumes and some nuts. The body needs 5 Gms and that is not readily available if you are a vegetarian.

Glutamine is necessary to assist muscle damage repair, its safe in 5-10gms per day. Most whey proteins have BCAA and creatine which are also necessary for muscle repair and enhancing endurance respectively.

Pramod

Glutamine is overrated I feel, maybe because I cannot 'feel' it working, and most importantly almost all Whey products today come fortified with 2-5gms of Glutamine per serving. So I would not be comfortable spending money after specific Glutamine products, when I'm already getting enough.

[pramodkumar]

Originally Posted by mandheers

There used to be a Dara Singh's TV commercial for Eggs, and the tagline was:- Sunday ho ya Monday, roz khao Andey!!

For a person to get his daily dietary protein from egg alone it would atleast take 25-30 eggs, which is not at all safe due to other macros present in the egg. Egg whites are safer but still anything above 10 eggs a day is an overkill

Originally Posted by mandheers

Many of my Vegetarian friends and myself included rely on Casein too, apart from Whey alone. Vegetarian choices could go from Paneer to Legumes, Beans and Soy, there's enough out there away from meat..

Casein is a slow releasing protein, this is to be best had before going to bed, this helps only during advanced stages to body building when a person hits a block with normal whey.

Originally Posted by mandheers

Glutamine is overrated I feel, maybe because I cannot 'feel' it working, and most importantly almost all Whey products today come fortified with 2-5gms of Glutamine per serving. So I would not be comfortable spending money after specific Glutamine products, when I'm already getting enough.

I will talk about myself, cant comment on what can work on others. I feel soreness reduce during glutamine intake. Plus the same part can we worked upon more frequently when on glutamine supplementation.

One example is, I started working out after a break of 1.5 months, the soreness of my muscles is gone on the 3rd day, this usually used to last 1 week before I used glutamine and regular workout soreness used to last 2-3 days, after glutamine supplementation things have improved and now soreness lasts less than a few hours.

pramod

[mandheers]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

For a person to get his daily dietary protein from egg alone it would atleast take 25-30 eggs, which is not at all safe due to other macros present in the egg. Egg whites are safer but still anything above 10 eggs a day is an overkill

Agree partially, and yes I won't suggest Eggs as the sole source of Protein. Dairy is a good option, amongst other protein-rich Vegetarian foods.

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

Casein is a slow releasing protein, this is to be best had before going to bed, this helps only during advanced stages to body building when a person hits a block with normal whey.

That's what it is marketed as; a bedtime protein. But in my understanding it is a Milk Protein, why can't it be taken through the day? I take it Post Workout with Whey, and pretty much through the day too at times. Keeps me full longer and I feel stronger on Casein than Whey alone.

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

I will talk about myself, cant comment on what can work on others. I feel soreness reduce during glutamine intake. Plus the same part can we worked upon more frequently when on glutamine supplementation.

One example is, I started working out after a break of 1.5 months, the soreness of my muscles is gone on the 3rd day, this usually used to last 1 week before I used glutamine and regular workout soreness used to last 2-3 days, after glutamine supplementation things have improved and now soreness lasts less than a few hours.

pramod

That's great if you can 'feel' it, it's worth the money. But my point is you are already getting the required amount of Glutamine in Whey products too, per scoop, if you are supplementing with any Whey protein. For supplementation I found Magnesium and good old Turmeric most effective for soreness and better recovery. That apart my remedy for soreness is more sleep.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

I was contemplating if to go the Supplement way and speed up a bit of body building process.

Unless you are ready to do a cycle avoid wasting your money on whey and its likes.

Originally Posted by Superleggera

After lot of research, observations and trial and error I kind of zeroed out that my back pain is related to me doing bench-press. If I don’t do bench press, there is no back pain. Would like to know if anyone has experienced this before…

You are most definitely over-arching. Some folks think they have a natural arch but they actually overarch.

Best way out, forget that you need to arch. Hold the barbell in the start position, push your chest towards the ceiling, sink in your shoulders, tight upper back and that's about it. Some guys arch like crazy, don't mimic them!

Originally Posted by akhil994

A better option that I would suggest is that you go for Ultimate Nutrition Pro Star. It has more servings and more protein per serving too.

Because the label says so? Please get it checked from your nearest lab and you'd be surprised with the result.

Originally Posted by Samurai

Although they hide the exact method of transformation, it is nevertheless amazing what a 50+ guy could go from one extreme to another.

A much better example. And what is there to hide, most of these old actors are on hormone therapy anyways, there's no other way to retain obscene amounts of muscle mass.