What brands do you use?

[Knuckles Member Find all posts View Profile Close Knuckles]

What brands do you use for different supps? What brand of protein powder do you use, why? What brands do you think suck? Overpriced? Worth the price?

I am mostly asking because I am looking for a new protein powder right now. I was using SEI or something (blue tubs). But they recently stopped their whey protein powders and went to soy protein that not come in big white tubs. I heard about the cross over from a GNC employee. I really used to get it cause it worked good for me, liked how it mixed, was easy on the stomach even if drinking a lot after a workout and really because they always had REALLY sweet deals at my GNC. So after that because of my money situation I started using Body Fortress cause it was so cheap. I didn't really like it. So now I am looking for a new goto powder. I went to GNC and just bought a Muscle-Tech powder, Nitro-Tech Hardcore. It had everyything in the ingredients that sounded good. Well the GNC guys tried pushing their brand on me. Saying some speal of MuscleTech spends more money on advertisement so they don't spend it on quality protein and GNC brand is better and cheaper. Yea, when you did out the price per amount of protein per scoop it was in the same ball park price wise. Just how hard he was pushing the GNC made me stick with the MuscleTech. I have heard it is over priced, but I awlays figure you get what you pay for. There is a reason they can charge that much right? Lol. IDK let me get some input on other supps brands as well fellas!

[xamo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close xamo]

Muscle Pharm, Optimum Nutrition & Universal Nutrition... cause they taste good and I ve had the best results from those

[spark1597 Member Find all posts View Profile Close spark1597]

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Mocha Cappacino. Other supps vary. I like CTD Labs for N.O.,Kre-Alkyline, Multi-Elite vitamin and BCAA caps. The Optimum Nutrition protein powder because it tastes good and ranked the best reviews. CTD Labs because I think they make a quality product.

[Knuckles Member Find all posts View Profile Close Knuckles]

See I haven't even seen those brands. I only goto GNC though also, and haven't noticed them there at least. You guys order on line? I haven't really shopped around too much.

[xamo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close xamo]

Optimum Nutrition is probably the number one in supplementation, weird you haven't seen their products. personally I order on bodybuilding.com, nice discounts

[cmode44 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cmode44]

I actually manage a supplement store in Iowa. Our chain is decent size, and are predominantly on the West Coast.

That being said, I'm not going to try and promote my company (because we do produce our own in house stuff which I prefer over other third party), and tell you what I like that is available from bodybuilding.com.

For pre-workouts I like Cellucor C4 Extreme because it has nitrate added to the creatine, so you get a really good fast acting vaso pump out of. I also like to throw in a scoop of Craze by Driven Sports. Craze has hardly any stimulant, and has terrible pump, but has what I swear is an amphetamine like focus blend (in fact California is trying to sue over it). So the Craze gives you an awesome tunnel vision and your workout is over before you know it.

I really like Xtend by Scivation as an pre/intra/post workout drink. It has 7 grams of BCAA's and 2.5 grams of Glutamine. The orange, grape, and lemon lime taste amazing! No chemical like aftertaste in my opinion.

For protein I think Optimum Nutrition is the best bet. Pro Complex for post workout; all isolate and tons of bcaa's and glutamine. 100% Whey for snacks (the protein concentrate makes me feel full). And 100% Caesin before bed. My only qualm with these proteins, and almost every other is that they do have soy filler / binding agents, and Optimum also puts wheat/gluten additives too; all of which are cheap fillers to lower cost. My house protein is amazing in the sense it is a blended with isolate as it's primary ingredient, 34 grams of protein per serving, no gluten, no soy, and sugar free.

[xamo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close xamo]

I actually manage a supplement store in Iowa. Our chain is decent size, and are predominantly on the West Coast.

That being said, I'm not going to try and promote my company (because we do produce our own in house stuff which I prefer over other third party), and tell you what I like that is available from bodybuilding.com.

For pre-workouts I like Cellucor C4 Extreme because it has nitrate added to the creatine, so you get a really good fast acting vaso pump out of. I also like to throw in a scoop of Craze by Driven Sports. Craze has hardly any stimulant, and has terrible pump, but has what I swear is an amphetamine like focus blend (in fact California is trying to sue over it). So the Craze gives you an awesome tunnel vision and your workout is over before you know it.

I really like Xtend by Scivation as an pre/intra/post workout drink. It has 7 grams of BCAA's and 2.5 grams of Glutamine. The orange, grape, and lemon lime taste amazing! No chemical like aftertaste in my opinion.

For protein I think Optimum Nutrition is the best bet. Pro Complex for post workout; all isolate and tons of bcaa's and glutamine. 100% Whey for snacks (the protein concentrate makes me feel full). And 100% Caesin before bed. My only qualm with these proteins, and almost every other is that they do have soy filler / binding agents, and Optimum also puts wheat/gluten additives too; all of which are cheap fillers to lower cost. My house protein is amazing in the sense it is a blended with isolate as it's primary ingredient, 34 grams of protein per serving, no gluten, no soy, and sugar free.

Scivation is the shit. I love that product. Best intra work out out there

[Knuckles Member Find all posts View Profile Close Knuckles]

Optimum Nutrition is probably the number one in supplementation, weird you haven't seen their products. personally I order on bodybuilding.com, nice discounts

I just looked 'em up to see what they looked like, and I have seen them at the GNC here. They have such a clean/plain product scheme that I didn't notice them out of all they had. I will def check it out after I am done with this Nitro-Tech.

What are exactly BCAAs? I keep seeing they are important, but I don't know what it is...

[spark1597 Member Find all posts View Profile Close spark1597]

Branched Chain Amino Acids

[cmode44 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cmode44]

I just looked 'em up to see what they looked like, and I have seen them at the GNC here. They have such a clean/plain product scheme that I didn't notice them out of all they had. I will def check it out after I am done with this Nitro-Tech.

What are exactly BCAAs? I keep seeing they are important, but I don't know what it is...

Like Spark said, branch chain amino acids. They are the three primary aminos that make up over 30% of your muscle tissue. By supplementing either before / during / after a workout it will prevent unnecessary tissue catabolism / breakdown, which makes recovery and rebuilding faster and more efficient.

I like to think of protein as the one that builds, and BCAA's as the ones that prevent uneccesary breakdown.

[Knuckles Member Find all posts View Profile Close Knuckles]

Thanks fellas.

Looking at my powder ingredients, it doesn't say how much I am getting. It says it is in there but not how much. Like I said I got Nitro Tech for the first time. Do other brands say how much you are getting? How can I make sure I am getting enough? Would I be better off buying it in seperate supp? I can't really afford what isn't esssential....

[xamo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close xamo]

The quality of the powder is what you want to look into first

[Big L Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Big L]

Optimum nutrition gold standard whey. And when im trying to bulk i add UpYourMass i believe by mhp mixes easy and can just mix with water taste great

[Wjone Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wjone]

I am taking Military Grade Nutritionals. Impressive results! Everytime I use it, I get an intense boost of energy from my workouts. What's also great about these supps, they don't just bring you up and then down again, they enhance your energy and endurance when you need it most.

[bigpa Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bigpa]

optimum nutrition is the best. however i also have some Myo Fusion now and it is pretty good. But everyone listen.... i bought some Carnivor made my Muscle Meds and it is by far the nastiest tasting stuff i have ever tasted. Got 5lbs cheap but have to gag it down.