T Nation

Supplement Timing?

Bodybuilding
#1

I don’t know if this is the right place for this, this is my first post, but here it goes:

I am fairly new to wanting to get in shape and working out. I really only started in January with just messin around before that. But I think I’m ready to get serious. I’m 5 foot 7 at 155 pounds, but I’m not really skinny (bit of upper body flab). I don’t weight a lot though, so I purchased some weightgain powder. It has 50g of protien and around 900 cals. I also use a whey protein isolate and I just purchased a tub of L-Glutamine. I also tried creatine in the past but had some negative saide effects (constipation, bloating and stomach problems, but I was drinking enought water) Should I try to cycle on that again?

My question is: When should I be using all this? I take the weight gain in the morning as soon as I get up, along with breakfast. I take a whey protein isolate shake after my workout and also 5mg of Glutamine after my workout. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!

#2

Well, seeing as you’re this new into weight training… I would say deffinately don’t use creatine yet, even though it’s an amazing product. Make sure and concnetrate on form on all of your reps and make sure you have a great program that works for you before you do that. I’d wait about a year if I were you. At breakfast, take the weigh isolate instead of the weight gain. After your training sessin/workout, take the weight gain then. Then about an hour to forty five minutes before bed, take another small dose of weigh isolate, as long as it doesnt keep you awake. ( they have night time formulas which would work as well.) I’m not sure when you should take the glutamine, I take my l-glutamine as well as my other full-spectrum amino acids three times daily, though they’re in pill form.

Best of luck,
-CJ

#3

Personally, if you want to gain weight. You would take the weight gainer when you wake up, and before you goto sleep. The Whey comes after a workout, and so should the creatine. I’m not sure about when to take the glutamine though. That’s about all I can tell you. Maybe hunt down a few articles about supplementing.

#4

OK, don’t listen to GriffinC and take the weight gainer before bed. You want to gain muscle, not fat and even 1/2serving will give you 450 calories, mostly coming from maltodextrin. Take 1 serving of weight gainer and drink it before/during/right after your workout. The weight gainer serves as a great drink for around workout times when your body handles “faster-acting” carbohydrates well.Then eat a huge meal filled with protein&carbs. You can take the whey isolate after you workout as well, and its fine to take during other times of the day. I recommend in the future buying a blend of proteins. This is more versatile than a straight whey protein. I recommend something primarily made of milk protein/calcium caseinate, and whey protein. Search the internet or buy GROW!, which is excellent. Make sure to eat before bed(cottage cheese is a great choice, you can make puddings mixing in protein powder and cottage cheese. If you don’t like cottage cheese, this is where a good protein blend comes in. You can also have beef, an omelette, whatever just make sure to get a nice dose of protein before bed, although cottage cheese or a protein blend w/ casein is ideal due to its slow release for your night time fast).