New to T-Nation and Supplementation

Hello everyone. I hope this finds you in good spirits today. I am posting this thread for some information. I am a novice/newbie to this whole fitness and supplementation thing.

I have tried HOT-ROX (on and off) and I liked the results. My question is: For someone who is new to this “fitness lifestyle” what T-Nation supplements would you recommend? Can they be taken together?

I am 5feet 6inches (51/2). I am currently 145lbs. I really want a cut slim muscular body with a healthy body fat percentage. The thing is that I haven’t the slightest ideal about supplementation and their safety.

So, these are just a few of the many many questions I have at the moment. I look forward to my new brothers here at T-Nation to lead me in the safe and correct direction. I will thank you all in advance for you help. Thanks a whole lot.

First of all, welcome to The Nation!

Biotest is the producer of all of the supplements sold in the store, and is also the maker of HOT-ROX. Most on the site will agree and testify that the supplements Biotest makes are top notch and do what they say they do. You are likely to receive help with your goals with any supplement.

Having said that, what are your goals? Most of the people on THIS web site are interested in gaining muscle mass. Most of us want to look good nekkid, so a minimal amount of fat is also key. However, at 145 pounds you will be hearing many “Eat and Lift!” type responses. Be prepared!

The search function up top is an AWESOME tool, just type in whatever you’re looking for. Also look on the Beginners seciton and you will find the “Newbie” thread with a bunch of good links. Welcome aboard!

Welcome,have a tough skin and take critism good,we mean well here.Need more info,but you’ll get good results following a clean diet and with the staples here like Metabolic Drive and Surge.The others would depend on your goals.Find a good work-out on the search engine here depending on your goals.

At 145lbs I wuldn’t mention the word ‘cut’ anywhere in your posts or else you’re in for a beating :slight_smile:

That said, I think supplements are not the way to go. As mentioned above, eat big, lift heavy, and rest. Especially being new to this you may have some wnderful newbie gains. Perhaps the only thing I would consider is a good multivitamin, perhaps a protein supplement to help get enough in. Maybe consider a staple supplement like creatine and/or glutamine after a couple of months.

Eat a lot, lift heavy, get enought rest, and stick with a protein powder, multivitamin and maybe creatine if you can afford it.

Welcome, youre lucky youve found this site ! I went for about 6 months with crappy results before I found T-Nation!!

I recommend Chad Waterburys programs like Big Boy Basics and Anti Body Building Hypertrophy and also read everything by Dr Berardi. Theres also a good article called Power Foods for general healty eating.

As for supplements dont waste your money for a few months yet as you’ll get good results without them as a beginner. Get a good protein or protein/carb drink though, I consider them as food and not as supplements!!

You’ll probably want a big chest and shoulders but you need a balanced body so work your back as well with plenty of rows and pull-ups. Do squats and deadlifts too for your legs.

When it comes to supplements consider creatine, glutamine and ZMA.

And as everyone else says… Eat, Lift, Rest and Grow!!!

Best of luck, and keep this thread going with your progress if you want.

[quote]Fahd wrote:
Eat a lot, lift heavy, get enought rest, and stick with a protein powder, multivitamin and maybe creatine if you can afford it.[/quote]

There ya go, all the advise you’ll need right there.

If I could make any recommendations, it would be to use ZMA, and use Grow! for your protein powder.

If your serious about it, its more of a lifestyle change than anything(eating right, sleeping right, training right, keeping the drink/smoke to a minimum)

[quote]singram wrote:
you’ll get good results following a clean diet and with the staples here like Metabolic Drive and Surge.[/quote]

I agree with this statement. That is if I had to recommend supps to you. This will probably be the biggest help to you:

http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=640350

It’s a link to vrooms’ ‘Are You A Beginner II’ thread. Start reading here. No supp will be able to match the progress you will make be reading this.

Welcome.

[quote]Z2nd_Comng wrote:
singram wrote:
you’ll get good results following a clean diet and with the staples here like Metabolic Drive and Surge.

I agree with this statement. That is if I had to recommend supps to you. This will probably be the biggest help to you:

http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=640350

It’s a link to vrooms’ ‘Are You A Beginner II’ thread. Start reading here. No supp will be able to match the progress you will make be reading this.

Welcome.[/quote]

Cool!!!
Thanks for all the advice and words of wisdom. And I promise not to use the word “cut” if I am 145lbs and 5ft 6in. You all have been great. Thanks again.

Just for funs sake, do you have a physique picture?

[quote]Lonnie123 wrote:
Just for funs sake, do you have a physique picture? [/quote]

I don’t have a physique picture. Should I have one? I am a bit out of shape, 145lbs is the most I have ever been. 135lbs was cool to me. If I could just add some muscles and take a few inches off of my waist, that’ll be fine.

[quote]BlackThaddeus wrote:
Lonnie123 wrote:
Just for funs sake, do you have a physique picture?

I don’t have a physique picture. Should I have one? I am a bit out of shape, 145lbs is the most I have ever been. 135lbs was cool to me. If I could just add some muscles and take a few inches off of my waist, that’ll be fine.

[/quote]

Im hardly an advocate of the massive size type physique, I believe that function and overall athleticism over weightlifting strength, but 135 at 5’6 is microscopic! Even 145 is small. Im 5’7 and about 163 right now, up from 135, and I have only gotten faster/stronger.

You should shoot for at least 160 and go from there and figure out what if u wanna get bigger or stay.

[quote]Velvet Revolver wrote:
BlackThaddeus wrote:
Lonnie123 wrote:
Just for funs sake, do you have a physique picture?

I don’t have a physique picture. Should I have one? I am a bit out of shape, 145lbs is the most I have ever been. 135lbs was cool to me. If I could just add some muscles and take a few inches off of my waist, that’ll be fine.

Im hardly an advocate of the massive size type physique, I believe that function and overall athleticism over weightlifting strength, but 135 at 5’6 is microscopic! Even 145 is small. Im 5’7 and about 163 right now, up from 135, and I have only gotten faster/stronger.

You should shoot for at least 160 and go from there and figure out what if u wanna get bigger or stay.
[/quote]

You would not believe how many people tell me that. If I could get 160lbs of muscle that would be great, but I don’t want to look like the Hulk. I really like the lean muscular build.

It seems that we are, somewhat, similar in height. I would be very greatful if you could give some advice and pearls of wisdom on how you got to be where you are now.

Thanks.

[quote]BlackThaddeus wrote:

I am 5feet 6inches (51/2). I am currently 145lbs. I really want a cut slim muscular body with a healthy body fat percentage. The thing is that I haven’t the slightest ideal about supplementation and their safety.
[/quote]

Welcome aboard. I’d say at your weight right now, you are at a low body fat %. To keep that slim build, browse through the myriad of programs here and choose one to your liking and stay consistant with it. If it’s supplements you want, Metabolic Drive is an awesome protein supp as well as Surge for post workout.

I would consider those as staples. Other staples are ZMA and fish/flax oils caps. I didn’t catch your age, but I’m assuming you’re a young man, so the test boosters may not be a focal point.

So to echo the other posters: Eat clean, lift hard, and rest adequately. And use this site to further your knowledge. The contributors here know their shit. Listen to them. Hope you become addicted to T-Nation like so many of us are.

[quote]BlackThaddeus wrote:
Velvet Revolver wrote:
BlackThaddeus wrote:
Lonnie123 wrote:
Just for funs sake, do you have a physique picture?

I don’t have a physique picture. Should I have one? I am a bit out of shape, 145lbs is the most I have ever been. 135lbs was cool to me. If I could just add some muscles and take a few inches off of my waist, that’ll be fine.

Im hardly an advocate of the massive size type physique, I believe that function and overall athleticism over weightlifting strength, but 135 at 5’6 is microscopic! Even 145 is small. Im 5’7 and about 163 right now, up from 135, and I have only gotten faster/stronger.

You should shoot for at least 160 and go from there and figure out what if u wanna get bigger or stay.

You would not believe how many people tell me that. If I could get 160lbs of muscle that would be great, but I don’t want to look like the Hulk. I really like the lean muscular build.

It seems that we are, somewhat, similar in height. I would be very greatful if you could give some advice and pearls of wisdom on how you got to be where you are now.

Thanks.
[/quote]

My advise for you would be to soak up everything you can from this site, and pay attention to overall althleticism as much if not more than strength. You should be spending twice as much time playing basketball/football/baseball/doing sprintwork/jumprope/sprints/hockey/martial arts/rock climbing/boxing/etc. as you spend in the gym lifting weights. Thats prolly the only unique advise I could give you that you won’t find here.

I will take all of your advice and study the topics on this site. This is the only site that actually makes sense out of nutrition, supplementation, and working out. You guys deserve an award.

For the record I am 26 years old. I am a grad student.

I have a few more questions if you all don’t mind. What should I look for in a Gym? What should I look for in a trainer? Am I too young for Alpha Male and/or RED KAT?

Thanks

I a gym look for good free-weight selection. This inclueds:

  1. 1 or multiple squat racks
  2. 1 or multiple power cages
  3. 1 or multiple benches
  4. an incline/decline bench or one that can be adjust to one
  5. an area to do deadlifts(platform or open area)
  6. large selection of DB, preferrably over 100’s
  7. somewhere that lets you use chalk
  8. like minded people

If you apply what you learn from this website then you shouldn’t need a trainer.

I don’t have experience with Alpha Male or RED KAT so someone else will have to chime in on that one.

160 pounds would probably be a good weight, and once you hit it (lean) you would want more, truest us. I will pay your college expenses myself if you ever “Look like the hulk”. Most of us on the site want to be pretty big and it just is not that easy.

Good nutrition and exercise is where its at. If you want to gain some quality mass, eat more than you currently do in quality foods (cheat foods are okay) and just keep up the activities and weight training.

[quote]BlackThaddeus wrote:

I have a few more questions if you all don’t mind. What should I look for in a Gym? What should I look for in a trainer? Am I too young for Alpha Male and/or RED KAT?

Thanks[/quote]

You dont need a trainer - This site is all you need to get all the info you want.

A Gym? Preferably a dirty one with lots of free weights and few machines. If you could get access to a highschool/College weight room that would be PERFECT

I wouldn’t go with any supps right now except Metabolic Drive and ZMA