Hi All,

I would be grateful for some advice.

I am on the quest to "bulk up" - I am 6`1" and 11stone - not too good!!!
Can someone recommend the best supplement(s) for me to be adding to my diet?

Can anyone suggest realistic goals for me (I know its all about effort/training/diet etc...)

What could I achieve between now and end of July?

I would particularly like to hear from anyone that is say 6 months to a year ahead of me, that was in my shoes at the start!

Cheers.

On terms of what you could achieve, well that's all up to you!

For supplements, I would recomend protien shakes and creatine, they are two really good ones.

Realistic goals for yourself could be as follows: Establishing a routine you like, getting 5-6 meals a day of proper nutritional value and gradually increase your lifting weight.

You won't see any physical difference in size too fast... Don't let that hinder you because the change begins inside! If you want to see definition, as a motivation have a diet to shred up. The lower your body percentage, the more muscuar tone you'll see. GOOD LUCK! and welcome to DB.Com

Well, I'm six months ahead of you, but I'm not in your shoes, as my first (and still current) goal was cutting off a truckload of fat. Still, the supplements I'd recommend are protein (Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey is pretty good, and at a good price. You might also want to pick up some cassein for night time shakes.), creatine (I use V-12, you might do just fine with plain old creatine monohydrate), fish oil, and a multi-vitamin. I also take glucosamine as a preventative measure for my joints and alpha lipolic acid.

BTW: Supps 101 has a great price on ON's 100% Whey right now

Supplements are a great thing to compliment a good diet.

If you are interested at looking through a wide range of supplements check out: Supplements 101

Good stuff there, check out the "close out" section to for insane deals.

Are there big quality differences between Whey protein products? Initially I used a MET-RX whey protein - 2lbs @ $17. Then I moved to GNC's Mega Whey - 5lbs @ $31 (w/20% discount). The Mega Whey seems like a good purchase but I don't know how to judge the quality. Also Mega whey contains adds (BCAA & Glutamine). I already use whey protein . . . now I'm interested in looking at quality and effectiveness. Comments?

My workout partner was buying some protein powder online yesterday, I'll have to ask him what site he used, but the one he showed me showed price, % of calories from protein, number of grams of protein per serving, ingredients, etc. He's very "Consumer Reports" about buying things, and picked one based on all the side-by-side numbers.

My personal favorite is IsoPure, but it's expensive. He was particularly interested in avoiding artifical sweeteners, which are REALLY common. We both agree that the stuff we got from Costco last time was really good.

I'd appreciate any quality information I can get on supplements. What was the brand name you purchased at Costco? I have a SAM's account so I'd like to compare "apples to apples." Also, how could you tell the product purchased at Costco was "good?" The Mega Whey I purchased is good but they added Sucralose to the mix . Question, questions, questions!

Supplementwatch.com

For $25.00 a year they will do research on various items. I had them do their tests on a product. I felt their answer was acceptable.

They also have a few recommendations when it comes to proteins. To give a real life example of this site, I saw that Supplements101 had various weight gainers and meal replacements. I was not sure which one to get. I looked and sure enough they had a list of meal replacements with a nice write-up. Supplements101 carried the one they recommended. It was an awesome choice. Tasted great, and mixed well. Their research showed the protein was of high quality.

If you want opinions there are plenty here.

If you want facts, you'll have to find a site like Supplementwatch.com that says they do independent research for their members.

I found the $25.00 a year well spent. I know which meal replacement I'll buy again.

Protein powder link

dude the only supplement you should buy is protein. i think creatine is crap because it loads your muscles full of water, and once you stop taking it say goodbye to the size. most of your money should be spent towards food.

i think creatine is crap

I disagree. Creatine has tons of benefits for those who respond to it. One such would be strength allowing you to push more weight. Overload builds muscles. If you do not respond to creatine, 30% don't.. then sure.

loads your muscles full of water, and once you stop taking it say goodbye to the size

True.. you will lose the water weight. Some strength as well I've noticed. But any actual muscle built doesn't go away when you quit creatine.

If I gained 10 lbs while on creatine. And now I quit.. I might lose 5 lbs of water weight and feel weaker but that 5 lbs of muscle that I worked for isn't going anywhere. And I am assuming that I took creatine, felt stronger and pushed myself harder.

most of your money should be spent towards food

Agreed.

I just bought two protein products and plan to order from Supplements 101 when I'm ready to stock again. The first product I purchased and love Optimum's Vanilla Ice Cream flavor 100% Whey. Taste's great, it readily dissolves in water or skim milk and is very affordable per gram of protein (23g /serving). The second I am testing now is EAS' chocolate flavor Precision Protein. The taste is great, so far doesn't dissolve as easily and the cost is higher per gram of protein (20g / serving). I compared the ingredients for both products and I believe I'm comparing "Apples to Apple."

I'm 3 years ahead of you, and i'll say that everyone here is correct. Diet is the foundation to great success. The only supplements I would buy are whey protein, creatine, and glutamine. that is it. I personally don't think its a good idea to try anything more than that, atleast until you have reached the limits with those products.

I don't know what your goals are, please post them, along with your diet (if you already have one) if not, then we can try to come up with a rough outline for you to use.