super newb NEEDS HELP.... PLEASE!!!

[boostjunkiedsm]

ok i'm going to apologize for being a complete newb to all of this and i've tried searching/reading but i feel as if most of this stuff is written in greek abbreviations. i'm going to outline my workout program and dietary/supplement intake with hopes that someone knowledgeable can find shortcommings or give suggestions. anyone who reads all this and can reply with good information will be GREATLY appreciated. i just started working out about 6 months ago and my goals are 1. lose fat 2. build muscle 3. just generally be more healthy. btw i'm a 25yo male 5'11" ~175lbs. here's what i do:

workout: bowflex xtreme 2- 6 on 1 off.... (best case scenario.... but at least 4 days/week)
day 1 and 5- chest and shoulders
day 2 and 6- arms and back
day 3 and 7- legs and core

diet and supplements: (i work 3rd shift so my schedule is kinda backwards)
-wake up ~ 10 pm- 1 gnc mega men multivitamin, 1 gnc thermo power rush and 1 serving of syntrax nectar whey protein (23g)

-eat ~ 2am- healthy choice meal (usually between 210 and 350 cal, 15-25g protein and 3-10g fat)

-eat ~ 8am- 2 bowls of cereal (~300cal, 6g fat and 10g protein) 1 vitamin, 2 thermo power rush and 1 serving of syntrax nectar

-work out ~ 9am workouts usually last about an hour and on the days i don't work legs i try to do cardio (cheap dp stairstepping thing) for 5 min pre and 5 min post. 1 serving of syntrax nectar after working out.

- eat ~ 1 pm healthy choice

-sleep ~ 3pm with a serving of cytosport muscle milk (350cal, 18g fat and 32g protein) about 30min before i lay down

-i try to drink as much water as i can throughout the day with a goal of at least 1 gal/day and sometimes i throw in the accasional snack between meals but i try to keep them around 100cal.

so that's what i'm doing.... and it seems to be working ok. however i have no idea if it's working as fast as it should or if there is anything i can do to speed the process. basically i want to create optimum growth conditions for my muscles so that i'm not wasting the effort(and money) that i'm putting into this. i've been looking into creatine and glutamine but have no good info to base a purchase on. btw i'm in no way interested in steroids or hormones.... i'm trying to do this naturally and build a routine that i can stick with. thank you in advance for any well informed suggestions and recommendations and please try not to flame me too much. and if you need any advice on making your car go faster i'd be more than willing to return the favor!!!!

 

[MikeMartial]

basically i want to create optimum growth conditions for my muscles so that i'm not wasting the effort(and money) that i'm putting into this. i've been looking into creatine and glutamine but have no good info to base a purchase on.

There should be a ton of info on creatine here, and all over the internet. A well researched and studied supplement. Read this guide by KIAN to learn about creatine.

Glutamine, on the other hand, is a total waste of money, despite what supplement companies and uninformed people will tell you. L-glutamine cannot be absorbed through the GI tract to the bloodstream in a sufficient amount to do what it's claimed to do. Intravenous doses, maybe, but not oral. Peptides are another story, and may hold promise once a few independant studies are done.

In the meantime, make sure you are:

Training hard with compound lifts
Covering all your bases with diet, and taking in enough calories
Getting plenty of rest, and making sure not to overtrain
Sticking with a multi-vitamin, whey protien and creatine

 

[Cynical Simian]

There should be a ton of info on creatine here, and all over the internet. A well researched and studied supplement. Read this guide by KIAN to learn about creatine.

Glutamine, on the other hand, is a total waste of money, despite what supplement companies and uninformed people will tell you. L-glutamine cannot be absorbed through the GI tract to the bloodstream in a sufficient amount to do what it's claimed to do. Intravenous doses, maybe, but not oral. Peptides are another story, and may hold promise once a few independant studies are done.

In the meantime, make sure you are:

Training hard with compound lifts
Covering all your bases with diet, and taking in enough calories
Getting plenty of rest, and making sure not to overtrain
Sticking with a multi-vitamin, whey protien and creatine

This pretty much covers it. The one thing I'd add to the basic supplements is fish oil; as with a multi-vitamin, it won't have a direct/profound impact on your gains, but its general health benefits are immense and well worth the price.

 

[boostjunkiedsm]

awesome.... thanks for the info! any suggestions on a good creatine and fish oil brand? .....and what is a compound lift? i told you i was a super newb...... lol.

 

[MikeMartial]

With creatine, stick with plain 'ol monohydrate, in any good name brand. I use Champion Nutrtion, but any reputable company will do. When it comes to creatine, just follow Kian's guide to a tee.

Fish oil: Just make sure it's "wild" fish oil. Doesn't have to be salmon; what I'm currently using is wild sardine and anchiove. Shorty lifespan, therefore in theory the least amount of heavy metals.

Compound lifts: Lifts that are multi-jointed; they use multiple muscle groups. Think squats, deadlifts, bench press, military press.

And whatever you do for god's sake don't do tricep kickback. Leave those for the soccer moms.

 

[Cynical Simian]

Regarding impurities/metals in fish oil, just make sure that whatever you get is molecularly distilled. As far as brands, pretty much any is fine. NOW Foods would be a good brand if you're ordering online. If you have a Sam's Club/CostCo membership, their fish oil is probably the least expensive option, although some of the products you can find have slightly higher omega-3 concentrations.

 

[tab1]

Stick with the Syntrax and Muscle Milk. Dump GNC products. Instead go for Animal Pak multi vitamins. Creatine mono and yes Glutamine. Keep eating clean and stay focused. I maxed out at 215 lbs at 5'4" , everybody was asking what I was on, do I play football,am I a bodybuilder, etc etc. Hard work bro, no short cuts or you'll be disapointed. Chick breast, brown rice, egg whites, broccoli, steak, eat clean!