Q & A with Bodybuilding Golf Pro Michael Manavian

[Manavs]

This is cool, thanks a bunch. That magazine had all kinds of cool stuff. Accidentally went to page 41 first and read that high intensity cardio goes after muscle not fat after the carbs are gone. Not very intuitive.

I feel like I am about kindergarten with this stuff, but it is fascinating. The tie in with human genome project and gene expression just makes it better for me. If I understand the chemistry, I am more likely to believe in it and do it.

 

I see what you mean about protein from food not having enough BCAA's to reach the required level. The post below mine (maybe above this one) mentioned specific powders and supplements. At 220 and 21% body fat, how much am I looking at needing and does the supplement vary on gym days vs. non gym days?

 

My pleasure sactown -

 

Little tid bits like the cardio are very cool. But always think of the body in terms of a matrix and not linear. For example, if your doing a ketogenic diet where your eating moderate fats and low carbs, your body will convert only what it needs into glucose and no more. for that type of diet you need a low intensity. but if your eating moderate carbs as your fuel source and low fats then you will benefit from high intensity cardio to burn off any excess carbs so they dont store fat.

 

its a big mathematical equation where all the variables are somehow tied into eachother. think xmas lights, one goes out they all get affected.

 

i'd put you still at the 3scoop (21g) mark per. its only going to make you leaner and keep you more anabolic(growing). keep it the same on gym days and non - as your body mass is still the same on both days. you are feeding the lean mass, not the energy output levels.(thats dietary carbs and/or fat)

[GolfSpy Dave]

I have one other sort of body/fitness question to bounce off you...

For about two weeks now, I have stopped drinking coffee during the day and substituted bottled water.

I still drink 2 cups in the morning, but the two that I typically drank during the day are gone.

 

What is weird is that my energy is much better and more level. Fewer lows, as a bar, typically Atkins type of Cliff's Builder bar will take care of the low.

Can I attribute this all to better hydration by removing the diuretic in caffeine and boosting water intake, or is there another body system involved?

[Manavs]

I have one other sort of body/fitness question to bounce off you...

For about two weeks now, I have stopped drinking coffee during the day and substituted bottled water.

I still drink 2 cups in the morning, but the two that I typically drank during the day are gone.

 

What is weird is that my energy is much better and more level. Fewer lows, as a bar, typically Atkins type of Cliff's Builder bar will take care of the low.

Can I attribute this all to better hydration by removing the diuretic in caffeine and boosting water intake, or is there another body system involved?

 

im a big fan of caffeine used properly. there is a caffeine crash that some experience. sounds like by removing the afternoon coffee's plus water increase has obviously worked for you. i'm not a doctor and nor do i play one on tv - so your second part of that question may have an adrenal response -

 

I found some interesting half life things on wikipedia that help you find your why - if its in your system for 5 hours, then the additional cups later in the day could be keeping you awake or at least not sleeping as well, therefore, your not as refreshed and struggling the next day with energy and repeating the same cycle. again just a thought -

 

Metabolism and half-life

 

Caffeine is metabolized in the liver into three primary metabolites: paraxanthine (84%), theobromine (12%), and theophylline (4%)

Caffeine from coffee or other beverages is absorbed by the stomach and small intestine within 45 minutes of ingestion and then distributed throughout all tissues of the body.[45] It is eliminated by first-order kinetics.[46] Caffeine can also be ingested rectally, evidenced by the formulation of suppositories of ergotamine tartrate and caffeine (for the relief of migraine)[47] and chlorobutanol and caffeine (for the treatment of hyperemesis).[48]

The half-life of caffeine —the time required for the body to eliminate one-half of the total amount of caffeine — varies widely among individuals according to such factors as age, liver function, pregnancy, some concurrent medications, and the level of enzymes in the liver needed for caffeine metabolism. In healthy adults, caffeine's half-life is approximately 4.9 hours. In women taking oral contraceptives, this is increased to 5–10 hours,[49] and in pregnant women the half-life is roughly 9–11 hours.[50] Caffeine can accumulate in individuals with severe liver disease, increasing its half-life up to 96 hours.[51] In infants and young children, the half-life may be longer than in adults; half-life in a newborn baby may be as long as 30 hours. Other factors such as smoking can shorten caffeine's half-life.[52] Fluvoxamine reduced the clearance of caffeine by 91.3%, and prolonged its elimination half-life by 11.4-fold (from 4.9 hours to 56 hours).[53]

Caffeine is metabolized in the liver by the cytochrome P450 oxidase enzyme system (to be specific, the 1A2 isozyme) into three metabolic dimethylxanthines,[54] each of which having its own effects on the body:

Paraxanthine (84%): Has the effect of increasing lipolysis, leading to elevated glycerol and free fatty acid levels in the blood plasma.

Theobromine (12%): Dilates blood vessels and increases urine volume. Theobromine is also the principal alkaloid in the cocoa bean, and therefore chocolate.

Theophylline (4%): Relaxes smooth muscles of the bronchi, and is used to treat asthma. The therapeutic dose of theophylline, however, is many times greater than the levels attained from caffeine metabolism.

Each of these metabolites is further metabolized and then excreted in the urine.

[GolfSpy Dave]

Yet again good info

No idea about caffeine half life. Never thought of it that way. First ingestion at 6am and then second at 930 puts me within the first decay. Another cup at 230 is still close to the second one. No problem sleeping, but was prone to the cat nap. No quick nap since dropping supplemental coffee.

 

Didn't really need to know that I can get caffeine in rectal delivery form though...

[caddyjoe77]

 

dammit thats above my paygrade. but lemme do some math -

 

insert another math warning here

 

lets put it this way - the common suggestion is to put 6-8 scoops of BCAA's in a gallon and drink it throughout the day. 10 for a really huge guy, and 6 for a my female competitors. if you dont want to carry a gallon jug, i say at least drink a serving during training and in the middle of the night to prevent catabolism, additionally have one in between meals.

 

each scoop has 7 grams of a 2:1:1 mix of BCAA's - so if my math is correct thats -

 

3,500mg of Leucine

1,750mg of Isoleucine

and 1,750mg of Valine

per scoop

 

your second question yes - the serving recommendation is by bodyweight as the more lean muscle you have the greater the demand for BCAA's

 

1 scoop

2 scoops 150-200lbs

3 scoops >200lbs

 

so your numbers would be more along

10,500mg of Leucine

5,250mg of Isoleucine

and 5,250mg of Valine

per dose

 

thats some pretty serious muscle building aminos as long as your using forms of aminos that are bioavailable (that should keep you from asking math questions j/k LOL)

 

I was checking out the chained BCAA stack...looks really impressive and i am going to get some. Ok, so im wondering that once i reach my goal which is 205....i was there once and looked great.....so thats my goal and if i get below that i will be happy. So...even when i drop the weight...read fat deposits lol....continue with the 3 scoops. The way i figure it, and i could be wrong, but the lighter one gets, then i would need to continue intaking that much as to not get catabolic and turn it to fat correct? Something along those lines?

 

Math?? I love math!!....im getting my minor in it lol. So you mean arganine? as in: "L-Arginine L-Malate is a excellent form of arginine which designed to pump blood to your muscles,improve nutrient delivery to muscle cells,and create & sustain"pumps""....from http://www.honestjoy...20DL-Malate.htm

 

BTW, i have implemented your recommendations with the egg whites and the protein in the afternoon. I dont feel as worn out at the end of a work out now....you know the burned out dead muscle feeling...but its a good feeling.

 

So here is my analytical minded nerd thought: Most folks say your body cannot absorb more than 20 ish grams of protein in one serving....so thereby taking BCAA's are you actually tricking your body into being able to absorb more protein? Which makes more muscle mass and burns more fatty deposits as long as you stay anabolic and not catabolic?

 

thanks again for your help

 

Joe

[Manavs]

I was checking out the chained BCAA stack...looks really impressive and i am going to get some. Ok, so im wondering that once i reach my goal which is 205....i was there once and looked great.....so thats my goal and if i get below that i will be happy. So...even when i drop the weight...read fat deposits lol....continue with the 3 scoops. The way i figure it, and i could be wrong, but the lighter one gets, then i would need to continue intaking that much as to not get catabolic and turn it to fat correct? Something along those lines?

 

Math?? I love math!!....im getting my minor in it lol. So you mean arganine? as in: "L-Arginine L-Malate is a excellent form of arginine which designed to pump blood to your muscles,improve nutrient delivery to muscle cells,and create & sustain"pumps""....from http://www.honestjoy.cn/Product/L-Arginine%20DL-Malate.htm

 

BTW, i have implemented your recommendations with the egg whites and the protein in the afternoon. I dont feel as worn out at the end of a work out now....you know the burned out dead muscle feeling...but its a good feeling.

 

So here is my analytical minded nerd thought: Most folks say your body cannot absorb more than 20 ish grams of protein in one serving....so thereby taking BCAA's are you actually tricking your body into being able to absorb more protein? Which makes more muscle mass and burns more fatty deposits as long as you stay anabolic and not catabolic?

 

thanks again for your help

 

Joe

 

No worries Joe, anything i can do for this forum -

 

Here's the thing, the idea is to maintain or increase lean mass and lose body fat. Your goal of 205 is a little misleading because it is the total of both lean mass and fat (plus bones). So depending how fat you actually are now - you did say 21% at 220 - so roughly 48.4 lbs of fat putting you at 171.6 lbs of lean mass - give or take - call it 5lbs.

 

I'm willing to say that a better goal would be to increase your lean muscle mass to 180lbs lowering your BF to 25lbs and putting you at the magical 205#. that would have your BF at ~13.8%.

 

I neglected to do this math at the onset of the prior post and apologize. but as they say in the NFL - upon further review, 2 scoops for your lean mass would be a more appropriate dose - then again bodybuilders tend to overdo things and use big overflowing scoops. in this case would not hurt and def help.

 

Good to hear on the egg whites and protein - well done!

 

re: protein intake - they are right and they are also wrong. the studies don't take into consideration the actual lean mass which is what in the end creates the demand - lets use yourself, 220# 21%bf the RDA protein intake for you is the same for a 220lbs bodybuilder with 2%bf? cmon it doesnt make sense. the empirical data behind the supplementation of 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight for normal humans - 1.5g for athletes and 2.0g for BB's works! the problem is in the actual food, to build muscle you need copious amounts of food because of all the waste (reads catabolic) materials found in the food. If you were to design a perfect protein for humans - you would get zero waste and literally your excrement would not stink. (we happen to be in the process of making this product for the past 10 years)

 

but if you were to turn on the anabolic signal via the branch chains - YES that would get the process going and making your body more ready to accept the food. Thats why i take a serving of BCAA's 15 mins before i eat. Anabolism builds and catabolism destroys. BCAA's are anabolic, and anti-catabolic by nature.

 

MM

[caddyjoe77]

HI Michael

 

actually it was 239..so probably more like somewhere around 28 percent. I dont have calipers to give an accurate test, but i can tell you that if i measure with a sewing tape around my bellybutton its 39.5 and my neck is 16.5....I know that is not the best way to measure but that should be a rough idea. Yes, i got really fat over the last 6 months when i wasnt allowed to do anything but eat and drink...which included beers...far too many. Regardless i am making the change necessary.

 

thats the reason that i figured my goal should be at around 200. I will google later to see what formula you are actually using to figure out the bone structure and fat vs muscle. right now i have to get to work....

[Manavs]

HI Michael

 

actually it was 239..so probably more like somewhere around 28 percent. I dont have calipers to give an accurate test, but i can tell you that if i measure with a sewing tape around my bellybutton its 39.5 and my neck is 16.5....I know that is not the best way to measure but that should be a rough idea. Yes, i got really fat over the last 6 months when i wasnt allowed to do anything but eat and drink...which included beers...far too many. Regardless i am making the change necessary.

 

thats the reason that i figured my goal should be at around 200. I will google later to see what formula you are actually using to figure out the bone structure and fat vs muscle. right now i have to get to work....

 

Personally, I wouldnt worry about bodyfat calipers, tape measures or even the scale for that matter. i use them all as tools but really its the mirror that will tell you everything you need to know - are you where you want to be - if not make the necessary adjustments to one of the variables. (btw the DEXA is the only true accurate way to measure BF).

 

Best

Michael

[NGage]

Ok....my brain hurts from reading all that.

 

 

How about a simple and quick recommendation for pre and post workout shakes?

[Manavs]

Ok....my brain hurts from reading all that.

 

 

How about a simple and quick recommendation for pre and post workout shakes?

 

My most humblest of apologize NGage.

 

 

Quick answer - Pre- An whey protein isolate shake with waxy maize starch and a tablespoon of peanut butter.

 

Post - same minus the peanut butter

 

Long winded answer -

 

I'd rather eat a light protein like egg whites with oatmeal 90mins before working out, then have a pre workout NO drink . Drink my BCAA's during the workout. Followed by another serving of BCAA's post with waxy maize starch immediately post. 20mins later have chicken and rice.

 

I have found alot of research in the last few months taking me away from shakes and using more amino acids and real foods.

[Matt Saternus]

My most humblest of apologize NGage.

 

 

Quick answer - Pre- An whey protein isolate shake with waxy maize starch and a tablespoon of peanut butter.

 

Post - same minus the peanut butter

 

Long winded answer -

 

I'd rather eat a light protein like egg whites with oatmeal 90mins before working out, then have a pre workout NO drink. Drink my BCAA's during the workout. Followed by another serving of BCAA's post with waxy maize starch immediately post. 20mins later have chicken and rice.

 

I have found alot of research in the last few months taking me away from shakes and using more amino acids and real foods.

 

Stupid question alert: How do you get amino acids other than shakes and food?

[caddyjoe77]

i would have to guess through a supplement. I am ordering some "chained" If you go to bodybuilding.com etc...you can get a lot of choices from just typing in BCAA's into the search.

 

hope that helps

[NGage]

My most humblest of apologize NGage.

 

 

Quick answer - Pre- An whey protein isolate shake with waxy maize starch and a tablespoon of peanut butter.

 

Post - same minus the peanut butter

 

Long winded answer -

 

I'd rather eat a light protein like egg whites with oatmeal 90mins before working out, then have a pre workout NO drink like WTF. Drink my BCAA's during the workout. Followed by another serving of BCAA's post with waxy maize starch immediately post. 20mins later have chicken and rice.

 

I have found alot of research in the last few months taking me away from shakes and using more amino acids and real foods.

 

 

I got the friendly apology...then it went to "blah, blah, blah and a tablespoon of peanut butter.....post - same minus the peanut butter". Then...something about egg whites and oatmeal with more science-y recipe stuff.

 

How about a direct link to some pics of product?

(but you can skip pics of egg whites and oatmeal )

[Manavs]

Stupid question alert: How do you get amino acids other than shakes and food?

 

Shakes, Food, Intravenously, or supplementation. But be warned amino acids by themselves taste horrible!!!! Thats why most products have sugar in them to mask it.

 

i would have to guess through a supplement. I am ordering some "chained" If you go to bodybuilding.com etc...you can get a lot of choices from just typing in BCAA's into the search.

 

hope that helps

 

a1supplements.com is where i order stuff online, or you can shoot me a pm.

 

I got the friendly apology...then it went to "blah, blah, blah and a tablespoon of peanut butter.....post - same minus the peanut butter". Then...something about egg whites and oatmeal with more science-y recipe stuff.

 

How about a direct link to some pics of product?

(but you can skip pics of egg whites and oatmeal )

 

 

Waxy Maize Starch - fast carb pre and/or post

 

Whey Protein Isolate - Pre and/or Post

 

 

All natural no sodium peanut butter - NO SKIPPY!

[NGage]

Thanks....like an idiot, I'll take those pics to the store and look for those in person.

[Matt Saternus]

Thanks, I'll look for those the next time I need more powder.

 

What are your opinions on EAS and Muscle Milk? It seems like I'm seeing those companies really pushing into mainstream advertising. Are those good products with solid marketing or are they selling marketing instead of a premium product?

[Manavs]

Thanks....like an idiot, I'll take those pics to the store and look for those in person.

 

Take the whole right up with them. Some may not have the brand name ie - CARB SLAM but just have waxy maize starch instead. lemme know what you find.

 

Thanks, I'll look for those the next time I need more powder.

 

What are your opinions on EAS and Muscle Milk? It seems like I'm seeing those companies really pushing into mainstream advertising. Are those good products with solid marketing or are they selling marketing instead of a premium product?

 

EAS - was good back in the day, got sold, now is pretty awful stuff. i can't tell you how many people i know who bought the dog bags full at costco and found themselves sitting on the toilet in 5 mins. the lactose fillers they use will bloat the hell out of you. stay far away and run from them.

 

Muscle Milk - made by cytosport, they make some good products, muscle milk also tends to bloat - not as bad as eas. prob the best tasting protein powders on the market. they're root beer float, peanut butter, and chocolote mint are to die for, but they also have a bit more sugar to make that taste soooo good.

 

i stay away from both, but have the muscle milk as a treat not a dietary staple.

 

Those two companies have done alot for the industry getting people in the mainstream interested. unfortunately as you suspected, they are low to bad quality products, with great marketing companies. i've seen and heard people go toe to toe with chemists, formularies, and ceo's of major companies and see if they know anything, and unfortunately they dont.

 

it takes a lot to put a supplement together. but some companies seem like they bought some cheap raws, did a pub med search on a validating study (or worse a white paper), capped them up, slapped a label on the bottle and marketed the hell out of it to create an item. and then there are the others that stole another companies genuine research ideas and basterdized their product into a bad copy.

 

golf industry is not that dissimilar - the return time on investment working or not is just quicker. you know now your $500 driver sucked vs waiting 30 days to finish the bottle of product.

 

i like you im sure like dealing with products that deliver the goods NOW.

[Matt Saternus]

As usual, thanks for the quick and thorough response. I'll definitely be sure to avoid those in the future and try out the products that you recommended.

[caddyjoe77]

Hey Michael

 

I have a question about the WTF. Now, i know you are not a doctor, but the WTF says "Up-regulated and sustains blood flow - widens the diameter of blood vessels and increases blood flow to skeletal muscles thus increasing nutrient up-take (such as creatine, amino acids, glucose, O2...food) into muscle". This sounds great, but as you may remember I had a blood clot in my leg in July which is the reason i turned into a lard ass to begin with so I am wondering if this will effect me in a negative way. I am on a blood thinner called coumadin, basically for life. I guess one of the main concerns is does it do this to ones arteries as well?

 

thanks for any help you can provide.

[Manavs]

Hey Michael

 

I have a question about the WTF. Now, i know you are not a doctor, but the WTF says "Up-regulated and sustains blood flow - widens the diameter of blood vessels and increases blood flow to skeletal muscles thus increasing nutrient up-take (such as creatine, amino acids, glucose, O2...food) into muscle". This sounds great, but as you may remember I had a blood clot in my leg in July which is the reason i turned into a lard ass to begin with so I am wondering if this will effect me in a negative way. I am on a blood thinner called coumadin, basically for life. I guess one of the main concerns is does it do this to ones arteries as well?

 

thanks for any help you can provide.

 

 

Joe - I did check with our MD on this one and though it shouldnt be a problem, on behalf of the company the official answer for that question is "please consult with your physician before taking any supplements" on this one.

[NGage]

a1supplements.com is where i order stuff online, or you can shoot me a pm.

 

Waxy Maize Starch - fast carb pre and/or post

 

Whey Protein Isolate - Pre and/or Post

 

 

All natural no sodium peanut butter - NO SKIPPY!

 

 

Again....thanks a bunch for the info, I'm working on getting it all together. One other question: with all the pre- and post- workout stuff -- do you take them all separately or do you mix all the pre- stuff together in something and drink all at once, and mix all the post- stuff together and drink it all together? If you are mixing them....do you mix them in water, milk, or something else?

[Manavs]

Again....thanks a bunch for the info, I'm working on getting it all together. One other question: with all the pre- and post- workout stuff -- do you take them all separately or do you mix all the pre- stuff together in something and drink all at once, and mix all the post- stuff together and drink it all together? If you are mixing them....do you mix them in water, milk, or something else?

 

Great question -

 

get yourself 2 shaker cups and keep them separate. I mix everything with water. If i needed added carbs or fats, i prefer adding my own (waxy maize or PB)to the mix vs using juice or milk respectively.

[NGage]

Great question -

 

get yourself 2 shaker cups and keep them separate. I mix everything with water. If i needed added carbs or fats, i prefer adding my own (waxy maize or PB)to the mix vs using juice or milk respectively.

 

So you mix it all with water, all in one big drink? Or, you mix it all with water individually?

 

 

I would think you could get some funny tastes -- you know, mixing the various flavors. But on the other hand, that'd be a lot of water to drink if you mix them each individually.

 

So which is it?

Lots of smaller individual mixes? Or, one big mish-mash? And why two separate shaker cups?

[Manavs]

My most humblest of apologize NGage.

 

 

Quick answer - Pre- An whey protein isolate shake with waxy maize starch and a tablespoon of peanut butter.

 

Post - same minus the peanut butter

 

Long winded answer -

 

I'd rather eat a light protein like egg whites with oatmeal 90mins before working out, then have a pre workout NO drink. Drink my BCAA's during the workout. Followed by another serving of BCAA's post with waxy maize starch immediately post. 20mins later have chicken and rice.

 

I have found alot of research in the last few months taking me away from shakes and using more amino acids and real foods.

 

So you mix it all with water, all in one big drink? Or, you mix it all with water individually?

 

 

I would think you could get some funny tastes -- you know, mixing the various flavors. But on the other hand, that'd be a lot of water to drink if you mix them each individually.

 

So which is it?

Lots of smaller individual mixes? Or, one big mish-mash? And why two separate shaker cups?

 

its either two or three separate shaker cups are so you dont have one big mish mash.

 

going back to the original post above

 

 

-Whey Protein with Waxy Maize and PB pre workout

-Whey Protein with Waxy Maize post workout

 

or alternatively

-egg whites with oatmeal 90mins before working out

-NO drink for pre workout just by itself with water about 30-45 mins before you train

-BCAA's during your workout by itself with water

-BCAA's with Waxy Maize post training

 

 

in either case follow with a good meal of protein and carbs in about 20-25mins

 

dont use any liquid other than water

and each drink mixes in its own container.

 

make sense?

[NGage]

Yeah.....thanks for all the info -- good stuff.

 

I'm gonna order some of the stuff you listed from a1supplements, but in the meantime I've picked up some of this:

 

For now -- for breakfast -- I'm mixing it with some Carnation Instant Breakfast (vanilla flavor) and skim milk. I have 8oz of milk with it, and something like a bunch of blackberries. They say it's good for wake up time, and immediately after work out....so I figured I'd do that till I got the stuff you recommended.

http://www.drugstore.com/qxp55622_333181_sespider_1_1/nestle_carnation/instant_breakfast_essentials_powder_classic_french_vanilla_classic_french_vanilla.htm

 

I also bought some of this in the meantime,

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=S2-1003

but I'm gonna take it back tomorrow and exchange it for some Amino Vital Pro (grape flavored). The AV tastes better than the Xtend.

[NGage]

Manavs,

On the Chain'd Out.....you linked the apple flavor and I saw they also had the berry/banana. Are they both good tasting? I think I'd normally lean more toward the berry/banana flavor over the apple if it's good.

 

What's your opinion on the stuff I've gotten so far?

[Manavs]

Manavs,

On the Chain'd Out.....you linked the apple flavor and I saw they also had the berry/banana. Are they both good tasting? I think I'd normally lean more toward the berry/banana flavor over the apple if it's good.

 

What's your opinion on the stuff I've gotten so far?

 

 

I can't believe im commenting on carnation instant breakfast as it relates to health - nevertheless -

per the packaging its 130 calories and

 

Total Carbohydrate 27 g

Dietary fiber 0 g

Sugars 18 g

Protein 5 g

1st 3 ingredients - Nonfat Milk, Maltodextrin, Sugar,

 

I dunno who "they" are but why the hell would YOU consume that? might as well have a snickers bar!

 

Re - The BCAA's, I alternate flavors each month. i cant personally do 2 flavors back to back. i

 

the nectar is a decent protein shake at a good value - usually.

 

the xtend to me tastes terrible, and its not as bioavailable and cost effective serving per serving as most BCAA's. Reason being the amino acid glutamine competes for the same receptor site as do the BCAA's. So once glutamine gets to the receptor the leucine/isoleucine/valine aminos dont get in and you've wasted it.

[NGage]

Manavs, that was a little mis-communication about the Carnation Inst Breakfast. I wasn't clear. When I said "they said it was good at wake-up and after workout" I was referring to the Nectar Whey Protein Isolate -- not the Inst Breakfast.

 

No one suggested the Inst Breakfast mix....that's just something I already had, and I added the vanilla flavored Nectar to it (since the Inst Brkfst was also vanilla flavored). I'm not a big breakfast eater, and the Inst Brkfst is just something I can easily drink in the morning when I get up. I'm just using up what's already here.

 

As for Vitamin Shoppe, that's where I got the stuff I got (they're the ones that talked me out of the Amino Vital Pro grape and into the Xtend.....and yes, it does taste terrible. I'm taking it back tomorrow and getting the Amino Vital. I was there Fri night, and the guy said they didn't carry the Chain'd Out but that he'd heard of it.

[Manavs]

Manavs, that was a little mis-communication about the Carnation Inst Breakfast. I wasn't clear. When I said "they said it was good at wake-up and after workout" I was referring to the Nectar Whey Protein Isolate -- not the Inst Breakfast.

 

No one suggested the Inst Breakfast mix....that's just something I already had, and I added the vanilla flavored Nectar to it (since the Inst Brkfst was also vanilla flavored). I'm not a big breakfast eater, and the Inst Brkfst is just something I can easily drink in the morning when I get up. I'm just using up what's already here.

 

As for Vitamin Shoppe, that's where I got the stuff I got (they're the ones that talked me out of the Amino Vital Pro grape and into the Xtend.....and yes, it does taste terrible. I'm taking it back tomorrow and getting the Amino Vital. I was there Fri night, and the guy said they didn't carry the Chain'd Out but that he'd heard of it.

 

LOL - I gotcha now.

 

Vitamin Shoppe does carry a variety of good BCAA's. They may be out of stock but should be able to order for you. Check your pm's

 

Michael

[gatorheels]

Hello Michael-

 

I've got a bunch of questions haha.

 

Let me start by telling you a little about myself. I'm 6'0" 145 pounds. Yes, I know that is tall & skinny. However, I am very strong & pretty muscular. The problem is I can't gain weight. I'm intrigued about what adding 20-30 pounds of muscle could do for my golf game.

 

On a normal day I eat a lot of snacks: Lance peanut butter crackers, beef jerkey, the ocassional candy bar. I work in a golf shop. I usually eat one big meal per day at night. The rest of the time it is just small snacks & supplements.

 

The supplements I take: One protein shake a day on average ON 100% Whey. About 5gs Creatine Monohydrate. Multivitamin. Fish Oil & Flax Oil. Antioxidants.

 

I just started taking some BCAA's the last couple days after reading through this forum ha.

 

I eat & lift weights & get plenty of sleep but never gain a pound. ????

 

I lift weights about 2 days a week. Usually I do heavy weight & low reps & few sets. Even though I think I am in pretty good shape I tend to tire out quickly. My muscles are literally dying after a couple sets. My energy levels stay very low most of the time. ???

 

So I'm looking to gain weight (muscle) & up my energy level.

 

Help me out.

 

Thanks