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creatine... good?
whammoed:
Its also pretty insoluble in water so a lot of people don't even absorb much when they take it. Mixing it in warm liquid will do the trick but boy can it give you bad gas, so be warned. I say, like most people who have tried it, don't waste your time with it. I don't know anyone who found it worthwhile enough to keep taking it.
ChadTower:
Excellent flexibility can be achieved with large muscle mass. Most people just don't bother. Look at any gymnast for examples.
Bodybuilders are a bad example of everything. They are not fit by any means, just muscular. A bodybuilder in competition form can barely walk stairs and has bodyfat at nearly fatal levels. There is nothing healthy about competitive bodybuilding.
This is very simple. Lift 3x week with a balanced routine. He's a beginner so he's going to see fairly quick gains if he works hard. That will then plateau after about 6 weeks to a more realistic pace. Eat natural, whole foods (not processed food, not supplements). Take a good multivitamin and drink a lot of water. Make sure you stretch properly 3x/week as well to maintain and improve flexibility.
stevejt:
The problem with most suppliments not working, is not always the supplement. Creatine is stored in the muscle WITH water. So it "swells" your muscle tissue. Some people see this as silly to put water in your muscles. Your body uses water as you used your muscles and burn stored carbs. So the extra water in your muscles can give a person greater strength, and/or endurance. The effects will be different for everyone. The main thing with EVERY supplement is consistancy. That means consistancy with the supplement, and consistancy with working out. There is nothing that you can take that will make you gain just muscle without working out. I have used creating many times over the years. But ONLY ONE time did I take it AND work out consistantly. There was a noticeable difference. I could see it in muscle gain and strength. But the significant gain is only in the begining. Once your muscles have the extra stored water, they do NOT keep adding additional water. They will only replenish to the maximum level they achieved with the creatine. I hav been working out on and off all my life. What I noticed to be the most important for building muscle is to eat enough protein. You can work out forever, but your body MUST have the protein necessary to increase your muscles. I know alot of people here think they know alot on the subject, including myself. And we don't all agree all the time. But I am talking with 20 years of experience working out, taking supplements, and reading weightlifting and fitness magazines. Not bragging, but to show that I do have some actual knowledge, my incline press workout weight goes up to 225lbs on some of my sets. I would guess my flat bench max is between 250 and 300. What makes me proud of that, is that by looking at me you could never tell. People also guess I weigh about 180, and I am actually 210. I also thought I was a "hard gainer", until I gained some experience in working out. Now I realized I am not a hard gainer, I am just lazy...
Steve
ChadTower:
Not only are creatine gains only in the beginning, but the week you stop taking creatine all that extra stored fluid goes away. It's not useful unless you want to take it forever and there are no long term studies on the effects of creatine supplementation.
stevejt:
Their theory with creatine, is while you have the extra "energy" from the creatine, you can use it to workout harder, therefore using it to make an increase in actual muscle "tissue". Which is different from muscle "mass". I bet only Chad knew that. You seem to know your stuff. It's good to hear from people that have some knowledge on the subject. I laugh sometimes when I hear people say, "I tried it one time, and nothing happened". Or they quote something from an article. BTW hows that new years resolution going? Think it was "back to 250"?
Steve