Read this creatine cycling schedule ( 5 weeks on creatine, 3 weeks off creatine) !!

Creatine cycling schedule

( 5 weeks on creatine, 3 weeks off creatine)

muscle surf

Many people find that after a few weeks, the gains they make on creatine monohydrate begin to taper off or even disappear altogether. There's an increasing belief among hardcore trainers that cycling creatine intake may help one experience continued progress with this proven supplement.

Here's a typical creatine cycle you might try adding to your supplement program:

week 1: load (20 g / day)
week 2-4 : maintenance (10 g / day)
week 5: load (20 g / day)
week 6-8: OFF
Repeat Cycle.

You're basically "on" for 5 weeks (higher than average doses), then "off" completely for 3 weeks. This seems to work well and can help give you continual progress with creatine supplementation. Of course, another important factor is what type of creatine you're using. I never made great gains with creatine until I switched to a creatine formula as opposed to just mixing the powder up myself. In particular, Muscletech Cell-Tech has really worked well for me. Other people see good results with IST Pure Creatine. And at 5 grams of creatine per teaspoon, Prolab Creatine Monohydrate is very popular.

With creatine it's best to avoid generic powders (the cheap stuff), as its purity is often in question and it doesn't seem to work nearly as well as the quality formulas on the market.

For more information on creatine products please visit muscle surf dot com


Do you have a question? Please e-mail me. I want to hear from you.

Article Author: Bob Myhal

I'm justs going to maintain ...forevar! ^_^

The only reasons why companies come up with eccentric creatine cycles like that is to fool the consumer into concentrating on the hair brained routines rather than produce effectiveness. Creatine is creatine. Take 2-3g post workout and a couple grams in the morning on your off days. Don't bother cycling. Case closed.

Creatine Loading and Creatine Cycling: Are They Necessary?
By Travis Van Slooten, Founder & Editor Men's Total Fitness

[url]http://www.mens-total-fitness.com/creatine-loading.html[/url]

Creatine cycling involves a creatine loading phase, a maintenance phase and a "no creatine" phase. The theory behind creatine cycling is that you prevent your body from getting use to it. The idea is that over time, your body may not respond to creatine, thereby making creatine supplementation useless.

There does seem to be some evidence to support this theory as weight gains from creatine supplementation seem to taper off for most people after a few weeks of taking creatine. Even if this theory is false, creatine cycling still seems like a good idea since the effects of long-term use of creatine supplementation have yet to be determined.

In my opinion, creatine cycling seems to be a good way to keep creatine supplementation at a minimum while still experiencing all the creatine benefits.

Here are the typical phases and dosages during cycling:

Phase 1: Creatine Loading
You ?load? your muscles with creatine
Typical loading phase is 20g/day for five days (5 grams of creatine, four times per day); or .3 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for five days

Phase 2: Maintenance
Typically 2-5g/day for three weeks; or .03 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for three weeks

Phase 3: No Creatine
No creatine supplementation for 3 weeks

To calculate body weight in kilograms, divide your body weight by 2.2

There are many variations of creatine cycling. One creatine cycle may work better for you than another. There are several different creatine cycles that bodybuilders follow - all very different from one another. There are some that don't support creatine cycling at all. They feel that creatine is completely harmless and can be taken all the time. However, most athletes do cycle. You need to make the decision yourself and do what you think is best. Moderation is the key with any supplements.

The idea behind creatine loading is that since the body already contains approximately 120 grams of creatine, to increase total creatine stores, you have to load for several days in order to increase those stores above those levels. Many people do notice increases in strength and weight during the creatine loading phase but there are some drawbacks. They include upset stomach, diarrhea and other side effects. Creatine loading is also inconvenient and can be expensive because of the amount you have to take during the first week.

So is creatine loading necessary? Will Brink talks about the creatine loading phase in the FREE Creatine Report (see bottom of page) and concludes that it's probably not necessary. In the report he also recommends how much creatine you should take in place of a creatine loading phase.

Whether you decide to do a creatine loading phase or not, you should definitely consider creatine cycling . Since studies show that the benefits of creatine supplementation taper off after prolonged use, it makes sense to stop taking it after a while.





[QUOTE=browndustin;171824061]The only reasons why companies come up with eccentric creatine cycles like that is to fool the consumer into concentrating on the hair brained routines rather than produce effectiveness. Creatine is creatine. Take 2-3g post workout and a couple grams in the morning on your off days. Don't bother cycling. Case closed.[/QUOTE]

*sigh*

Why the fukc do I even try?

Do your crazy little creatine cycle if you think that it's going to work. It's not a steroid or anything. Do you actually know what creatine is? If you did, you'd realize that your bogus cycle is just a waste of time. You may as well wait until the planets are in alignment and sacrifice a virgin before your next workout so you can be sure that you get the most from it too.

I've been taking MuscleTech CellTech for a few weeks now at a consistent rate of 40grams a day. The scoop it comes with is 48g, but I split mine up between training sessions. As a Type 1 Diabetic, I've noticed my immune system start to suffer. Anybody notice this as they remain inn creatine?

[QUOTE=cls2736;1486811541]I've been taking MuscleTech CellTech for a few weeks now at a consistent rate of 40grams a day. The scoop it comes with is 48g, but I split mine up between training sessions. As a Type 1 Diabetic, I've noticed my immune system start to suffer. Anybody notice this as they remain inn creatine?[/QUOTE]

I'm new to forums in general & i hope I'm doing this right. But I'd be very careful of dropping 40 grams of creatine per day - thats tough on your kidneys and you can run into blood problems. I have Hashimotos disease (auto-immune system disorder) and I need to be mindful of what im ingesting suppliment-wise as well, due to adverse reactions that can occur because of my thyroid issue. I'm assuming the fact that you're diabetic isn't helping either. I would highly recommend chatting with your doc first! Best of luck!