Does this actually work? Good for gaining weight and muscle mass? If so, how should i take it and when?
I took BSN Cell Mass a few years ago. Went to the gym about 4x a week. Tripled in muscle size..Everyone thought I was on steroids. Then I went to college, partied hard, and quit working out. It all turned into fat..Probably at least 70 pounds overweight now
Yes, it works. Dont believe people who say it's just water retention... But, I wouldn't take it. I have before, but I try to stay away from everything except natural protein. Unless you're working on becoming a professional athlete or a body builder, try and keep as much crap out of your body. Just my opinion. Eat healthy, eat plenty (if trying to bulk up).
This ^, don't listen to anyone else....Once you stop taking that stuff you deflate......its crap. Take some Casein before bed, and make sure you don't go to bed on an empty stomach. I know a lot of people say your not supposed to eat 3 hours before bed or whatever, but thats when your body is feeding your muscles so your not having any food for 8 hours...so it doesn't make sense to me.The casein helps with that in that it is absorbed slowly over a span of 8 hours....
Eating food and drinking Casein protein shakes before bed after two different things. Casein works best at night because it's clean, slow digesting protein opposed to having your body digest a full meal full of protein, different types of carbs, and fats while you're sleeping. Even though I'm not a complete believer in "not eating meals after a certain hour", I understand the theory.
Citing AskMen and their contributing authors on this is sorta silly. Going 8 hours without eating is no big deal. However, if you're trying to put on muscle I would advise against it. You actually burn more calories sleeping than you do sitting on your couch watching TV. Eight hours (or 11 if you abide by the 3 hours before bed rule) without food will leave your body depleted of glucose. Without glucose (or glycogen which breaks down to glucose) your body has to catabolize protein (from muscle) to produce glucose. You might say your body will turn to fat for its energy needs and this is true to a degree. The problem is your body cannot convert fatty acids or any of its ketone body products to glucose (to any significant degree, anyway), which needs to be constantly maintained. Something like a banana, oatmeal, and milk will not keep you up. In fact, serotonin levels should be boosted by that type of meal allowing you to sleep easier.
Creatine monohydrate has been the only workout supplement that has worked for me and I'm the ultimate definition of a hard-gainer. I've tried the mass gainers along with regular whey isolates combined with large meals, yet I've never been able to really put on muscle mass until I started taking creatine supplemented by regular whey protein. I shot up 150 lbs to 165 lbs in about 7 months when taking creatine and lifting 4-5 times a week. Creatine definitely works, but always remember to drink plenty of water as it is hard on your kidneys. Also, stick to the powder form. Don't take pills.
Take creatine for a month and go off of it completely. You'll lose a lot of your gains within the first two weeks. If you do take it, I'd suggest you cycle it. So if you plateau, I'd go on it for a short period of time to get over that hump. Don't listen to these skinny scrubs. You'll see gains for sure, but it's better to just eat healthy and make progress that way. If you take creatine, definitely drink a ton of water.
When lifting really heavy, say 70-80% of your max, it helps you push out another 2-3 reps. This can make a significant difference in muscle size if you stick to it over 3-6 months, aside from the water retention. But unless you are a pro, you wont be able to keep up this regimen and will eventually lose the gains and become a supplement junkie trying to keep that size. Go hard with good form(double/triple sets if you have to), eat well with god protein regimen and sleep well. Father time takes care of the rest.
