Bobybuilding.com

I buy a lot of supplements, especially whey protein and it's not cheap. Well, it can be cheap but you get what you pay for! If it's super cheap, cheaper than the rest there is probably a pretty good reason for that.


Recently I decided to try another brand, I am always searching for that rich, creamy, chocolaty goodness. I drink the stuff twice a day after all! 


I found one with a very well known name and it happened to be quite a bit less expensive than the one I was buying. They both had similar ingredients, so I decided to try it. I bought a big tub since I go through so much and it's cheaper that way right?


I ordered it through Bodybuilding.com, where I order the majority of my supplements.


The whey was so sweet I couldn't stomach it. I tried it time and time again, I tried it everyday for two weeks. I just couldn't do it any longer, it was ruining my day. My protein drink is actually one of the highlights of my day, I love it, this was changing that for me.


I emailed Bodybuilding.com and explained my predicament. There was nothing wrong with the product, it was me, I just don't like things that sweet.  Would they refund my money?

Yes indeed!

They said to ship it back and they would credit my account for 100% of the purchase price! Wow, and I had used it for two weeks (once a day, the other time I use a meal replacement protein).

It cost me just over $11.00 to send it back, I certainly used more than $11.00 worth.

I am a happy camper, I think that's great that they stand behind their products like that! Not only do their prices compare with other companies, but the customer service is out of this world!

Bodybuilding.com has a customer for life!

Back in the saddle

I got home from Mexico Thursday night, the limo dropped us at about 11:00 p.m. it was oh so cold and wet, what a change. David stayed up and started laundry, Cooper took a very long, hot shower then switched on the TV he hadn't seen in days. I crawled into bed as soon as I could, I was exhausted.

I woke early, it was 5:30 and I couldn't sleep any longer, I crept quietly out of bed and started back into my routine. First, continue laundry. We would be leaving in a couple hours to go see Pop, so there was lots to do. After laundry I would need to pack some clothes for a cold, Central Valley climate!

I bundle up in a coat and go out into the garage to set up my weeks worth of protein drinks for pre-workout (first meal); amino acids for post training; and my branched chain amino acids for fluid during training.

I keep it all on my dryer in the garage, and since I am such an organized creature of habit, and always really tight on time, I find that getting everything ready for a week works well and I have what I need at all times. I can then just grab what I need and go.

I was actually craving a chocolate Lean 1 drink, and was happy to start my day with one.

I drink a Lean 1 combined with other supplements every morning. I also take L-Leucine, caffeine, Beta-Alanine and L-Glutamine.


For my drink while training I have X-Tend branched chain amino acids, and then afterward I take Gold Medal Aminos from Fitness Nutrition, a company started by Dara Torres (Olympic Swimmer).

Here you can see the concoctions all measured out and ready to go. The purple tops are the pre-training protein meal (and the other supplements added), it's like my own Ready-To- Drink, just add the mixture to water in a shaker cup!

The smaller containers in front center are the measured X-Tend (orange) and the medium sized ones on the right are the Gold Medal Aminos.

Every night I take one of each from the basket in the garage, put them on the kitchen counter and when I hop out of bed at 4:00 a.m. I have what I need. I mix my protein concoction with water in a shaker cup and take my supplements with it while I read the sports page, I then mix the X-Tend in my water bottle and take the Gold Medal Aminos in my gym bag to take immediately post training.

Supplements are also in daily pill reminder cases, I have four of them, morning, lunch, evening and bedtime. Again, all filled up on the weekend and the lunch times are carried in my purse, so I always have them.

Anal? A bit, but it helps me to be successful.

Sometimes when the sports page is boring I read my horoscope. I know they are silly and not true, nor can they be tailored for each individual, but sometimes it makes me feel really, really good. Today was one of those days and I know it was written just for me.

It said this:

You'll soon be involved in a project to restore, refurbish, or revive. What you wind up with will be an improvement on what came before.

Interpret it the way you will, I know what spoke to me, and it was immediate. Baby steps, giant leaps, zigs and zags, but all leading me in the right direction.

Milk the best recovery drink

Those ads you see where they say "Milk, it does a body good" are right. It is one of the best drinks for athletes available.

Milk is inexpensive compared to any sports drink or meal replacement and in fact, out performs them all around. 

This is my son, Cooper. He likes chocolate milk. He is 16 and plays lacrosse, running around all the time, so this is the perfect snack for him. Even though the chocolate milk tastes exactly the same when it comes in the large 1/2 gallon container, for some reason he likes these little ones, and that's OK because he drinks them and that is all I care about.

I read an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, on September 8 titled "Milk might top sports drinks for athletes' muscle recovery" and it supports everything I have been telling him, and others about the benefits of milk.

According to  researchers, there is scientific support regarding the benefits of milk for athletes. It has carbohydrates, electrolytes, calcium and vitamin D. It also contains the two best proteins for rebuilding muscles: casein and whey. 

People pay big money for powdered casein and whey. 

Milk provides the building blocks for what you need to build new muscles. Sports drinks mainly replace lost carbohydrates and electrolytes, and don't usually have the necessary nutrients for muscles to regenerate themselves.

There really is no need to spend the big bucks on fancy protein meal replacement drinks for pre and post training, go for a 16 ounce glass of milk.

I would recommend low fat or non fat for most people, but for those trying to add mass, or active teenagers, you can feel confident they can use the added fats and calories from whole milk.

Protein Powder

There is a great deal of talk about protein, and if you walk into a supplement store, you may see three walls full of big tubs of the stuff, which one do you choose?!

The VERY first step is to decide if you are looking for a meal replacement powder (MRP) which will be both protein and carbohydrates, or strictly a protein powder which may have zero carbs, or very little (say 3 grams per serving).

How do you decide this? Well, what will you be using it for? I have both here, and they are used for different purposes.

I use a MRP prior to training, and then depending on where I am in my training cycle, the one I use will vary.  When I am leaning out I use my "Lean One", it has 18 grams carbs and 20 grams protein,  and the taste of the chocolate is phenomenal.  This is a product from Bill Romanowski's company Nutrition 53.

When I am adding  muscle and deliberately trying to get bigger, I use the Isopure . It has more calories, 25 grams carbs and 50 grams protein. In fact, the tub even has a statement on it "Not to be used as a weight loss product". Someone looking to bulk up would do well by incorporating a couple of these into their diet between meals.

The zero carb Isopure is rarely used. It would only be used if I was eating something that totally lacked protein, or I needed some more in my diet and just cannot possibly eat another thing. I have had that one tub for ages.
 

Micro filtered whey protein is the highest quality, it means the way it was produced was  in such a manner  that it has the most protein that the body can actually utilize, so these tend to be more expensive. I would be very leery of purchasing cheap, unknown brands, they may have purchased their whey in bulk form China, where food production is not regulated, and lead is known to be in many products.

In all cases, it is better to eat whole food if you are able, but for those who train as soon as they wake, eating isn''t always an option (like for me), or some people cannot eat immediately post training so this is a very good option. I prefer to get home and get some carbs and protein into my body immediately, say within 15 minutes but if I know that is not possible, then I have a shake.

A little know fact is that plain old 2% milk is just about as good as these expensive supplements! 8 ounces of 2% has 130 calories, 13 grams carbohydrates and 10 grams protein, so two glasses will give you the same macro nutrients as one of the protein powders above and is far less expensive, and buy the organic brand and be assured there are no banned substances, lead or other unwanted ingredients. So if you are on a budget, in a pinch or looking for healthy alternatives, here you go!