Arkk's Weight Lifting / Fitness Thread

I also have an 8 year old jar of Noexplode. Kinda got these black spots in it in random places. Totally safe and effective still I'm sure. ;p /trash

BCAA's are a waste of money.

If you really want to supplement, about the only things that actually work are creatine, caffeine, beta alanine, and l-arginine. And of those 4, the only ones worth actually taking are creatine and caffeine.

I don't consider whey a supplement, because it's really food. I'd consider whey worthwhile though if you're having trouble getting enough protein otherwise.

Caffeine are you talking massive caffeine pre workouts or..... ?
Id quit e drinks and was cutting back on coffee from advice I received when I was stressing getting my heart rate down for current jobs incline treadmill test where I was getting over 140 heart rate in a few mins. 50/50 test anxiety and being in poor shape. Still funny bombing that but passing police 1.5 mile run with over a minute to spare.

Have you been working out and eating well and are starting to plateau or otherwise struggling through your workouts even after rest days? Supplements might help.

Are you starting a routine for the first time or after extended time off and haven't been eating well? Just find a good routine and start eating right.

Sludig said:

Caffeine are you talking massive caffeine pre workouts or..... ?
Id quit e drinks and was cutting back on coffee from advice I received when I was stressing getting my heart rate down for current jobs incline treadmill test where I was getting over 140 heart rate in a few mins. 50/50 test anxiety and being in poor shape. Still funny bombing that but passing police 1.5 mile run with over a minute to spare.

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I'm just talking about what works. If you have heart rate issues, maybe caffeine isn't a good idea right now. If you don't have a compelling reason to use any supplements, don't.

That said, generally 200mg is a decent amount to take pre-workout. Actual packaged preworkouts generally contain between 200-300mg of caffeine (with some in the 400mg range).

Also, regarding beta alanine, if your workouts are shorter than an hour and/or consist of high effort lifts (as opposed to high rep bodybuilding type), it's also probably not worthwhile. It really only does anything for performance when you need high endurance.

Which means for most weight lifters, you're talking about creatine, caffeine, and l-arginine. Everything else is just pissing money away, literally.

Khane said:

Have you been working out and eating well and are starting to plateau or otherwise struggling through your workouts even after rest days? Supplements might help.

Are you starting a routine for the first time or after extended time off and haven't been eating well? Just find a good routine and start eating right.

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Covered in a few prior posts. Diets been pretty good with a few garbage days, been dropping weight for a while though. Good at dropping weight then dlowly regaining. Its being started with serious fitness and sustained thats always been an obstacle.
I have a couple months of an hour treadmill fast walking 8% incline mixed with some 15minute 1.5 mile runs. I just transitioned to a track instead of treadmill which is harder for sure. (being able to watch a show on phone seems to help ignore pains of running) A paltry amount of situp and pushup in there. Like 15pu 25su current max.
With the academy thing ive been mixing in 15lb weights doing stuff I don't remember name of to assist with upper body for pullups that wifes trainer showed me. I need to see if nearby parks have a pull up bar and can order a weight assist band. Doing leg lifts and all the stuff in pre academy guide.

I knew most supplements bullshit or for serious experienced folks. Just wasnt sure about what might be of good beginner benefit if anything.

Ive got some 100% whey from costco im using to try and ensure Im hitting 150g protein at least. (190lbs)

Any suggestions on a creatine. Dizzying options and types.

Nope, just find the cheapest micronized creatine monohydrate you can.

Gravel said:

Nope, just find the cheapest micronized creatine monohydrate you can.

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And thats by itself or with some whey during/after workout, or i thought i saw somewhere should be combined with carbs?

I don't think it matters, although I haven't done creatine reading in a long time. Just make sure you drink extra water to compensate since it helps retain water.

Gravel said:

I and l-arginine. Everything else is just pissing money away, literally.

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What do you think the benefits of arginine are?

Ossoi said:

What do you think the benefits of arginine are?

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Blood flow.

Although, the fact that you pointed it out made me question myself. It may be that I was thinking l-citrulline.

After taking commercial pre-workouts for a while, I started making my own pre-workouts, which essentially was just creatine and beta alanine with flavoring and a caffeine pill. After a while I decided that the beta alanine wasn't really worthwhile, and that l-arginine (possibly citrulline) would've been a better option.

I eventually started even cutting that down to just a caffeine pill, but I noticed without creatine I had a noticable decline in endurance.

Cheapest creatine powder you can find. Ignore the marketing hype, it's all the same shit.

Gravel said:

Blood flow.

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Unreliable effects and certainly not worth recommending to a newbie

ZyyzYzzy said:

Just finished my first deadlift day of my third cycle of 531. Used chalk and a belt for the first time in a while. Got 335 for 10 for my 5+ set. My 5x10 of 235 were absolutely brutal after that.

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Precisely why you do dead/squat and squat/dead lol.

Also, creatine is worth the money for pretty much anyone, whey is worth it as long as you're not allergic/have digestive issues/short on protein intake, BCAAs should only be used when training fasted or if you're a competitive powerlifter/oly lifter and you're in the gym for 1.5+ hours.

Squated, benched, and deadlifted today. Think I prefer this.