GNC produts/the confusion

Being new to bodybuilding and lifting weights, I went to the nearest GNC store to buy supplements. After talking to the guy there for about 30 minutes, I started using their pro performance Creatine Monohydrate and 100% Whey protien. Other than a muti vitamin, these are the only supplements I take. Now, I've been working out religiously for 2 1/2 months and have made some impressive gains, better than I expected. My question is, how do their products rate compared to a lot of the others mentioned here? I have researched the topic quite a bit, but end up more confused.

Gnc doesn't have that great of a reputation. I'd say their products themselves are fine, but severely overpriced.

That's kinda what I was thinking, but they're convenient for me. As far as price goes, I've been paying $32 for 6lbs of 100% whey protein, and it tastes real good. I paid about $10 for 250g of creatine monohydrate. I know that I can get 1000g for $20 here...is it just as good? better? I appreciate the help...

the prolab creatine is probably a tad bit better... As for the protein... Optimum nutrition has one of the cheapest prices around with a phenomenal reputation. you can get 10lbs for 45bucks. or 5lbs for 22bucks. up to you

Unless you find someone that is really trustworthy at GNC, I would not reccommend shopping there for supp. info. GNC employees work off of commission. Big surprise they sold you their stuff! Most people hired at GNC don't know much about supps anyways. Its just another random retail/mall job! Trust me, I iunfortunately worked there for 3.5 years. You can go just about anywhere and get a better deal. For best results, consult boards and people you can trust for supp info and recommendations. GNC employees (8 out of 10 times) will just sell you **** that has commission on it at that time!

Repenting for my sins, now working at Powersource Nutrition,
Ryan

I have been using CNG 100% Whey Protein for about a year or longer now and like it a lot. It taste better than any other protein that I have used. They have a lot of new protein products such as pm protein and stuff like that now too. I did try their creatine once and after I had it for about 3 weeks, it started to get a strong smell to it(creatine should never smell at all). But I took it back and exchanged it for another brand.

GNC has a lot of good deals too. I got two boxes of Designer Protein bars and after the gold card discount they came to $26(about 1.10 each).

The only thing I buy from GNC is expired stuff, usually protein bars.

Whenever I'm at the mall I usually pick up some of the designer whey bars for under a buck each, they actually taste pretty good.

Unfortunately, a lot of people have been f*cked over by the corporate GNC employees. They do work off of commission and half of those employees don't know what they're talking about. HOWEVER, the quality of GNC's products in my opinion is very high. You've gotta consider that they are putting their own reputation and credibility on the line with their line of products. If they put out a bucket of $hit, they will loose their credibility as a company. But it seems that it has been the other way around, in that their corporate employees have destroyed their credibility. GNC products are not bad, it is their corporate employees who are, and that's very unfortunate. Also, the GNC stuff is pretty reasonably priced. It's hard to beat 6lbs of 100% Whey for $32. It tastes good and doesn't mix up like concrete.

i would definitely go with the prolab creatine

Agreed...Prolab uses Creapure creatine. Creapure and Ultrapure creatines are the ones to go with! I wouldn't mess around with any other non-German, non-tested creatine!

Ryan

I typed this in a previous thread re: the same topic and didn't feel like retyping...

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I used to work at a GNC. Personally, I see some of their products as the generic aspirin from the drugstore vs. Tylenol. There's nothing wrong with them, just some people have built up a stigma about the store, which can and usually is run very poorly.

The ingredients are the same, as far as the label is concerned. If they are lying on the label and are cutting costs by getting cheaper ingredients, I don't know. But on base products like protein, weight gainers, vitamins, etc. I'd be willing to bet they work just as well as the name-brand stuff.

I've used their whey protien and weight gainers before and liked them both.

I'll now ready myself for the onslaught of flames from the GNC-haters.... :D
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sleepy

The biggest problem that people have with GNC is that the corporate employees work off of commission, and will therefore lie their asses of to sell you a product just to get a .50 or $2 PM. Also, most, but not all, GNC employees are not knowledgeable about the bodybuilding products. That anger then transfers over to the store as a whole. What everybody needs to keep in mind is that GNC is putting their name, credibility, and reputation on the line when they come out with a product line. They're not going to put out a bucket of cat $hit and try to sell it as a weight gainer. Their products are very good and very high quality. If they weren't they wouldn't be in business and wouldn't be so wide spread. What is wrong with GNC is the corporate employees, not their product line.

My favorite line by a GNC salesman trying to sell me the GNC brand was "Well I figure protein is protein..."

I can understand that salesman though. Think about it. Do you ever gain 5lbs of solid muscle mass from your 5lb tub of protein??? I mean, I'm sure you can use a 5lb tub of 100% Whey protein and then a 5lb tub of Isolate Whey protein and probably get the same f*cking results!!! How many lbs of protein do you go through in 6 months? A year? Have you put on that much weight?? NO!! So, in a sense I can understand when he/she says that protein is protein. There may really not be any signifigant difference between the different forms of whey or whatever in terms of the results you receive.

Which brings me to my next point. How many of you guys really believe that you must take in 1 to 1.5 grams of protein for every pound of body weight in order to gain mass and strength?? I know that this is dogma in our world of bodybuilding, but just think about it. When I look back on how f*cking hard I work out for an hour, 3 times a week, and then look at the quantity of protein that I take in each day, the math just doesn't seem to add up. I usually go through 5lbs of 100% whey in 3 weeks. So that's what...80lbs of protein a year. I don't gain 80lbs of muscle each year. I'm sure that most of you are like me too, but maybe you don't consume as much. How much of that protein are you and I pissing down the toilet??

I'm not saying that this rule is wrong, but I'm wondering if anybody has any insight into this matter.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by kirksdad [/i]
[B]Being new to bodybuilding and lifting weights, I went to the nearest GNC store to buy supplements. After talking to the guy there for about 30 minutes, I started using their pro performance Creatine Monohydrate and 100% Whey protien. Other than a muti vitamin, these are the only supplements I take. Now, I've been working out religiously for 2 1/2 months and have made some impressive gains, better than I expected. My question is, how do their products rate compared to a lot of the others mentioned here? I have researched the topic quite a bit, but end up more confused. [/B][/QUOTE]

I am on the same stuff along with occational Soy Protien 95, it really helps.

As I'd get it GNC is to nutrition as Regis is to hairdressing, like Jiffy Lube is to car maintainence, and Blockbuster is to video rentals. It's mass market for the uninitiated, it's quick and easy gratification. As a result, in the main marketplace if you asked any Joe Blow on the street where you would go for nutritional supplements, the words 'GNC' would appear somewhere in the answers.

Like kirksdad, I too went to GNC 'to have a look around'. Wish I came here first and had a *real* good look around. But hey when you've decided you want to hit the gym for the first time and you got that buzz of enthusiasm sometimes your greed/'instant gratification gene' kicks in and hey, GNC are just down the road... and you know nowt else about anything or anyone else.... so guess who gets the ker-ching... GNC.

Now this dogma about 1 gram of protein for every lb of bodyweight? I believe it for one simple reason: I don't know exactly how much protein my body needs. I also believe that my body doesn't store protein as easily as it does excess carbs. So I'd rather let my body feast in a land of plenty if it can than let it starve in a desert. I know it's much more complex than that but that's the simplest I can figure it and I don't want to write an essay on my 'guesses' being uneducated on the subject.

I'll raise my questions about the soy 95 and other stuff on other threads.

Thanks,

Mark Wooldridge