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Methods for gaining muscle and losing fat
- Thread starter Baron
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Jorge Cruise's original book "8 Minutes in the Morning" for every one of your inquiries. I've been using it for over 10 years, with great results.Quote from Baron:
So is anybody else trying to get in shape? If so, what sort of diet, supplementation, and exercise program are you following?
"The Hacker's Diet - How to lose weight and hair through stress and poor nutrition" by John Walker, is great too.
Quote from Brass:
Nah, I'm not a fan. I had tried it a number of years ago for a few months. I recall gaining some weight, and I thought I was on to something. If I understand correctly, the muscles retain more water, so it's not like regular water retention, and this is supposed to help make you a bit stronger. Being a bit stronger, you're supposed to be able to train harder, which should translate to incremental muscle growth. (Correct me if I'm wrong here, I don't pretend to know much of the science behind these things.)
Aside from gaining some weight, I don't recall any significant strength gains. Perhaps there were some, but since it was a number of years ago, I don't recall it very well, so I surmise it wasn't all that significant. (Otherwise it would have been memorable, eh?) When I decided to stop taking it, I eventually lost all the additional weight I initially gained from it. So I was essentially where I started before I began supplementing with it. Pfft.
Here's my concern. People who are already on fairly high protein diets are stressing their kidneys (and liver) more so than those who consume a more moderate amount of protein. The creatine dosages are something like almost 100 times the normal levels you would otherwise have in your body, adding that much more stress to the kidneys. And some of you guys take all kinds of other supplements as well, as identified in this thread, adding to the cumulative strain on the body. I suppose a healthy body can take it, but that's not where I want to go. I'm doing this for health and longevity and have no interest in playing chicken with my innards. In an environment of uncertainty, I prefer to leave a large margin for error. Evidently, some of you guys are much more familiar with, and knowledgeable about, all this stuff, so you can play it closer to the line. Again, that's not why I'm here.
It's a complex issue. Anyway, there are literally dozens of abstracts on pubmed: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18188581?dopt=Abstract
I know, and I read the highlights of a few of them. And, in isolation, I imagine that there is no harm. But, again, I refer to the cumulative effect of a number of different kinds of supplements, each of which may have a marginally taxing effect on the kidneys and such. In my case, it would only be a somewhat higher level of protein intake than the mainstream recommendation, so I suspect there would not be any real harm in my taking creatine. But what about the guys who take a number of different things, each of which has a marginally taxing effect?Quote from atticus:
It's a complex issue. Anyway, there are literally dozens of abstracts on pubmed: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18188581?dopt=Abstract
The other thing, as I mentioned, is that soon after I stopped taking it, the incremental effects went away. So I would have to keep taking creatine indefinitely to maintain the effect. To what end? If I were engaged in a competitive activity for my livelihood and I felt creatine gave me a bit of a boost, then it would make sense for me to take the stuff while I relied on that activity. But I'm just a weekend warrior looking to remain very fit and healthy, so would creatine really add to that equation?
Are you taking creatine?
Quote from Brass:
I know, and I read the highlights of a few of them. And, in isolation, I imagine that there is no harm. But, again, I refer to the cumulative effect of a number of different kinds of supplements, each of which may have a marginally taxing effect on the kidneys and such. In my case, it would only be a somewhat higher level of protein intake than the mainstream recommendation, so I suspect there would not be any real harm in my taking creatine. But what about the guys who take a number of different things, each of which has a marginally taxing effect?
The other thing, as I mentioned, is that soon after I stopped taking it, the incremental effects went away. So I would have to keep taking creatine indefinitely to maintain the effect. To what end? If I were engaged in a competitive activity for my livelihood and I felt creatine gave me a bit of a boost, then it would make sense for me to take the stuff while I relied on that activity. But I'm just a weekend warrior looking to remain very fit and healthy, so would creatine really add to that equation?
Are you taking creatine?
Brass,
do some due diligence on Tongkat ali and Mucuna pruriens.
Tongkat hits the leydig cells and Mucuna adrenals.
I defer to those with greater knowledge.
I live in Australia and customs is red hot so looking for advice to increase test?
I did not respond to your post right away because it intrigued me, and so I did a bit of reading. I found some sites that mention studies reporting additional health benefits of creatine supplementation, which include improved brain performance, energy levels and memory, as well as anxiety reduction. And so, I e-mailed a local well-known scientist and university professor to ask for his opinion on these additional benefits. I just received his e-mail response, which essentially says that he has not seen any compelling evidence in the peer-reviewed literature that would support this view. And so, while that does not suggest such benefits don't exist, I think I'll adopt a wait-and-see approach until the research is more compelling.Quote from bigarrow:
From the studies I've read this isn't true for most people. Creatine has hundreds of studies and evidence that it has several benefits for muscle, heart and mind with very few negative side effects. IMO behind whey the top fitness supplement.
Quote from Brass:
Are you taking creatine?
Not currently.
It increases RAP and the increase in flow elevates certain markers of function. I have a friend who had kids late and has a son with Down's. His hypotonia is treated with creatine. Prior to the creatine the child has progressive scoliosis with a 27-degree left-thoracic deviation. After 6 months on the creatine the child has a 6-degree deviation which is well within 1sigma of the general population. No other treatment was taken. It should not have corrected and it's somewhat anecdotal but seems to be a result of the aggressive creatine supplementation.
The only other time I've seen an adolescent progressive scoliosis resolve was under an aggressive oxandrolone treatment.
Thanks, TRS, both sound interesting. But I'm not looking to play too much with my body chemistry. I, too, will defer to those with greater knowledge.Quote from TRS:
Brass,
do some due diligence on Tongkat ali and Mucuna pruriens.
Tongkat hits the leydig cells and Mucuna adrenals.
I defer to those with greater knowledge.
I live in Australia and customs is red hot so looking for advice to increase test?
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