need help with my supplement/diet routine

[wacboyjulian]

hey guys,

im new to this forum and wanted to say hi and tell my information and ask questions. thanks for taking the time to read this.

I am 19, sophmore in college, 180, 5'9, and male. I got through a nasty breakup and when i was suffering, picked up a weight and starting lifting it (kinda retarted for me to start kinda late cause i actually work at the rec but anyways...)

I read a few magazines and websites and got a lot of great info about supplements, lifting, diets, training, etc, and ordered some stuff online.
When i finally got everything i had this: Lipo-6, Creatine monohydrate, animal pak, ON whey protein, and calcium pills.

I had been working about for a couple weeks daily by now. I believe my goal is to lose the fat i have and gain muscle obviously but my roommate thinks im overdoing it with the combination and thinks im being excessive with the stuff i have. He believed that i should of gone for at least 6 months before really using anything but a multivitamin. Im not sure if hes right or not and i would like to ask some questions and get some answers. But before i do that i also should state my eating and workout routine.

I usually get up around 10 am or so and run to class and i try to make myself a protein shake that consists of 2 scoops of ON whey protein dbl choc, half a scoop of creatine, a banana, spoonful of peanut butter, and big glass of skim milk which i blend for about 30 seconds. and then i go to class while drinking that. o and i take my lipo-6 pill before per instructions. (i just started it today actually)

I come back around 1 and make myself another shake and sometimes fix myself a meal which has lately been grilled chicken and salad w/ no dressing.

i try to drink apple juice and creatine mixed together and then run to another class while sporting another protein shake to drink in class and taking my animal stak multivitamin.

then i get back, make myself another shake or make a meal w/ apple juice and creatine and then lounge around for a couple hours sick of school. (taking my lipo-6 pill.

around 8 or 9 i hit the rec center and run a mile, workout for about 1 1/2 or 2 hours and then finish with abs, then elliptical or stairmaster.

i usually have picked myself up a sub sandwhich which i eat about 15 minutes after the workout with apple juice and creatine. i then go home and lounge around and maybe finish my night with another shake and uually hit the sheets at 2 or 3 am depending on my procrastination/homework.

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please note that this is a perfect day for me and i usually have 4 shakes a day and a few creatine/apple juice mixes as well. I also try and toss oranges and some other fruits in as well making it about 2 or 3 servings of fruit a day if possible.

My questions:
1) Am i jumping on the supplements too soon or too much?

2) I know im not getting any fiber and i plan on picking up a box of fiber cereal tonight and was wondeirng if should add more fiber and if so, how or what kind of specific stuff do you have in mind?

3) Am i having the protein shakes too much or are they more of weight gainers or are they ok? Should i consider my shakes a "meal replacement" and not have any food with them? my roommate says they are too much but im sorta following the plan in M & F mag (feb issue i believe) and it doesn't include creatine but does include whey protein.

4) is there any problems or notes of interest i should know with my lipo-6 or is it seem ok?

5) does anyone see any conflictions with my diet or routine? e.g., creatine and trying to be more cut? protein shakes and lipo-6? anything? please state it

6) any problems you see in general or suggestions you have? ANYTHING like other food, other supplements, stop taking them, stop taking this, stop doing that, start doing this, yada yada

7) i realized i haven't been taking in enough water at all and my kidneys are sooner or later gonna pay for it but can i account for all the skim milk i've been downing as a water source?

8) the instructions for creatine say that you MUST take it within the 10 minutes of mixing it in there. is taht true? the window frame is taht small and if you don't take it within that amount of time, it becomes ineffective?

9) should i lift in the morning too? i am considering it

10) i was taking sleeping pills the past few days, should i worry about anything?

11) i get about anywhere from 5-10 hours of sleep. usaully around 6. your input on it?
12) anything else you can see? anything?

overall i like what im seeing and doing and am happy with it so far but my roommate just has been buggin me about it and i would just like all of your guys input. Thanks a lot!

~julian

[TheCellucor DR.]

If you are looking to change your body you should do it in cycles. A lot of people try to build and cut at the same time and their body gets confused because of the diet and training. Here's the simplified version:

Cuts-
Carbs and cardio in the morning
eat 3x a day and consume 2 protein shakes a day(one right before bed)
low carb low calorie diet.
Lot of chicken and cottage cheese
Higher reps and lower weight
Thermogenics
Thyoretics
Diuretics
Essential Fatty Acids

Mass
Carbs and calories all day long (buffets are the best)
Eat a ton!
Weight gainers and hi carb protein shakes through out the day.
low reps in the gym with high weights
Hit one body part a day hard and get out. Shouldn't be in Gym longer than 1 hr.
Test boosters
cell hydrators
glutamine
BCAA's

Diet is 80% Routine is 15% supplements 5%, and a better body: priceless

[wacboyjulian]

wow thats some awesome advice thanks man

so maybe i should focus on one or the other?

[THESHAWNRAYWAY]

I probably cant answer all of your questions but ill try to hit a few. Regarding when to start taking supplements (i.e creatine), personally (just my opinion) I think that someone should be doing some intense exercise for at least 2 or 3 months. You'll probably want your body to adjust to training first before your through a bunch of pills and powders at it. In question 7 you said that you were not taking in much water, this is definetly not good considering the cardio you are doing, not to mention the benefits your upplements will gain from keep hydrated. So no skim milk doesnt count as a water source, but seriously it is important, so maybe start off small by having a few glasses or so a day. Ill usually drink 1.5L just during my workout, not counting the rest of the day.
In regards to sleep your probably getting enough, I prefer 7-8 hours, but id tried to get off the pills, just in case you start to become dependant on them. If you find that your having trouble sleeping it might be because your doing your workout just before you hit the sack. This can be problematic because it could take up to a couple of hours for your body to wind down. I find morning workouts to be th emost beneficial, but of course you have to go with whatever fits your schedule. But if you can lift before class, definetly do it. Lastly regarding Creatine, first id probably just mix it with water, this way you get the couple extra glasses of water while cutting down on the sugary apple juice. I also believe that creatine is good in a liquid for a few hours before it loses its effectiveness. Anyways good luck

[cockySWOLE]

Unless used for glycogen depletion while cutting on a low carb diet, high reps and lighter weights are useless. When you are cutting every effort must be made to maintain strength and stimulate the maximum number of muscle fibers through heavy training using the same rep schemes you would use for hypertrophy.

Ohh, when will this bodybuilding myth die?