Gaspari/Controled labs/BSN what is the best?

[will2gain]

I have been lifting since I was 11 (just getting form down from 11-12.5 and was coached by a former power lifter)
I know I am not as experienced as most of you but I have the form down and a good diet.
Now I have been getting pissed lately since I can not hit 135 for bench...
I train hard and eat well but I just can not get 135x1 (I have done it all increased calories... took a week off... changed volume and intensity.. Used Dumbbells... done incline and decline) All my other lifts are going up and my weight is.. just not my bench... (it has been same weight and reps for 1 year 'took 3 month break though')
All my other friends hit 135 and once there it skyrocketed ><
So I am coming up on my 15th birthday and my parents were asking me what I would like and have decided to ask for a good creatine and NO stack. I have taken mono before but it did absolutely nothing (I loaded then took it for 2 months 5g a day post workout.. did not see increase in either endurance or size)
I just would like to know which is the best? I have looked at tons of threads and logs and they all seem equal.
White flood/green magnitude><Superpump250/Sizeon><NOshotgun/Cellmass (I will not take Cell tech or any other Muscle tech product)

Since money is not the issue which one should I ask for? (I don't care about flavor just results)

Current supplements:

Good diet and sleep (I am gaining weight)
On whey, multi, and fish oil

Please help me out

(please don't tell me I need to eat... i am gaining weight all lifts are going up just not bench and i think a 1 year plateau is enough to try a supplement just to break through this plateau)

[ATownDRock]

you've reached your genetic limit






but srsly If you are eating well like you said and gaining weight, then the strength will come. Maybe your muscles aren't getting enough rest/ not recovering enough. What do you eat immediately after your workout to refuel your body?

[will2gain]

scoop of on whey immediatly after workout followed by steak/chicken/fish dinner with a can of green beans 1 hour later (if hungry cottage cheese or glass of milk right before bed)

[ATownDRock]

I'd say the best thing for you at your age would probably be to add more carbs to your postworkout meal and maybe some BCAA or EAA.

If you're looking to go for preworkout stuff and your parents are alright with buying you supplements, then CL White Flood/Green Mag/Purple Wraath or Superpump250/Size on or something along those lines like you said.

I have taken green mag, superpump and PW with good results.

[will2gain]

You know which one to go with though..? or are they equal? (and yes my parents are fine with it since lifting weights is what I do after school rather than being a retard who does drugs)

[morgansd12]

I think that BSN was just found to not have any active ingredients in most of their products.

Most supplements are just hype and wont do anything for you that $30 of steak or protein powder wont.

[morgansd12]

I have been lifting since I was 11 (just getting form down from 11-12.5 and was coached by a former power lifter)
I know I am not as experienced as most of you but I have the form down and a good diet.
Now I have been getting pissed lately since I can not hit 135 for bench...
I train hard and eat well but I just can not get 135x1 (I have done it all increased calories... took a week off... changed volume and intensity.. Used Dumbbells... done incline and decline) All my other lifts are going up and my weight is.. just not my bench... (it has been same weight and reps for 1 year 'took 3 month break though')
All my other friends hit 135 and once there it skyrocketed ><
So I am coming up on my 15th birthday and my parents were asking me what I would like and have decided to ask for a good creatine and NO stack. I have taken mono before but it did absolutely nothing (I loaded then took it for 2 months 5g a day post workout.. did not see increase in either endurance or size)
I just would like to know which is the best? I have looked at tons of threads and logs and they all seem equal.
White flood/green magnitude><Superpump250/Sizeon><NOshotgun/Cellmass (I will not take Cell tech or any other Muscle tech product)

Since money is not the issue which one should I ask for? (I don't care about flavor just results)

Current supplements:

Good diet and sleep (I am gaining weight)
On whey, multi, and fish oil

Please help me out

(please don't tell me I need to eat... i am gaining weight all lifts are going up just not bench and i think a 1 year plateau is enough to try a supplement just to break through this plateau)

Just get some bulk CEE. One of the few that will help you out.

[will2gain]

Just get some bulk CEE. One of the few that will help you out.

Since it is gift I would kind of like to try either size on, or green mag and a NO product just not sure which one will break the plateau (only will use to get to 135 then stop/finish containors) (once i pass the 135 i'll take your advice and get bulk CEE with my own money since i don't respond to mono)
I really want to see if a sup will break the plateau since i have been at 120X1-130X1 for a year (5 little pounds is all I want AYE!!)
(I guess BSN is out of the picture)

[newsledder]

I would recomend gaspari line up. Use super pump and size on. I would say use plasmajet instead of super pump but I think you are to young for that stuff. I know bsn is junk products and I have never used cl stuff and I recomend gaspari to anyone who asks just from results I have gotten from them. Good luck.

[Uz]

I say save your money for your age, and keep eating big and lifting big. You'll grow, and set new PRs. Maybe it's your workout routine that needs to be changed.

[will2gain]

Why do you think I am to young for plasma jet? (if it is becuase of caffene I don't really get a kick from it takes at least 3 cups of coffee=300mg to wake me up)
Thanks for advice i have been looking at the sites CL and GN.
I think GN is looking better becuase they don't bs saying you WILL GAIN 100lbs pure muscle like some other sites but then again CL doesn't really say that either..

UZ-I have been chaning my routine but i still can't make it go up depressing (only with bench is there a stall + parent's gift )

[Dracoy]

Why do you think I am to young for plasma jet? (if it is becuase of caffene I don't really get a kick from it takes at least 3 cups of coffee=300mg to wake me up)
Thanks for advice i have been looking at the sites CL and GN.
I think GN is looking better becuase they don't bs saying you WILL GAIN 100lbs pure muscle like some other sites but then again CL doesn't really say that either..

UZ-I have been chaning my routine but i still can't make it go up depressing (only with bench is there a stall + parent's gift )

Damn you are drinking coffee at 14? I'm 19 and I've never had a cup haha!

[will2gain]

Damn you are drinking coffee at 14? I'm 19 and I've never had a cup haha!

I drink coffee for taste not for energy :-)
I am thinking i am going to go with superpump/sizeon... but should i do plasmajet/sizeon

[rightneardabeach]

I don't know if it's come to anyone else's realization but you ARE ONLY 15. You have both natural growth that is definitely not finished and an already border-line stimulant addiction/tolerance (don't we all ). Additionally on the "myth" side of things, creatine products for the most part advise a 18+ age use, and I'm sure we've all heard the fables of intense power lifting and working out at a young age (under 16) stunts growth. I don't know the medical journals' actual results but it could be true... Bottom line = the above guys "should" be right by saying a solid diet with whey and multis should be your answer.

[J Freiberg]

Event though you are a little young, I'd get animal pump from Universal. The ingredients aren't too strong to cause any harm later down the road and its a good intro product to feel out what works well for you. Just so you know the high school bench press contests are retarded so if thats what this is all really about your looking in the wrong place for help.

[will2gain]

I don't have coffee everyday and if i don't have it for a while I don't get headaches or any other signs that i am addicted. Also the stunt growth thing is BS.. I am very careful when I lift and don't just load on weights to look strong and coaches are always present to spot
It isn't about about a High school bench contest. It is that i have been stalled at this number for 1 year (120-130 in 1 year and been at 130 for 3 months :/ )

Also I don't plan on using any of what I may get once i hit the 135 mark... mainly becuase of cost

[pu12en12g]

Now I have been getting pissed lately since I can not hit 135 for bench...... i am gaining weight all lifts are going up just not bench and i think a 1 year plateau is enough to try a supplement just to break through this plateau)

I was looking for some tips on getting beyond a plateau in my bench press a while back, and instead of doing the same old suggestions "switch to DB press for a while then back to BB, etc..." I decided to do some searching and see if it was something more; specifically technique (since you'll never see two people bench the same way in the gym) ... I came across this article by Dave Tate and have put some of his suggestions to use ...

Bench Press 600 Pounds
A 12 Step Program
by Dave Tate

Obviously, not everyone has the genetic raw material to bench press 600 pounds. However, if anyone can teach you to increase your bench, it's Dave Tate. Dave's been assisting and training under Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell fame for over 10 years. He's also the co-owner of Elite Fitness Systems and has consulted thousands of athletes throughout the world. When an athlete wants to get stronger and gain an edge in the world of elite, world class competition, the name Dave Tate is often on the short list of strength coaches who can get the job done. As you'll see, Dave "walks the walk" as well as "talks the talk" when it comes to getting bigger and stronger. We're proud to welcome him as a Testosterone contributor.

I spend most of my weekends in transit these days. In fact, I'm writing this article on a plane headed to yet another seminar I'm conducting. This travel time gives me the chance to think, relax, and reflect on many issues dealing with training and life. I also use the time to prepare for my upcoming seminar or consulting session. I normally sit here going over what topics I'll be presenting and how I can better relate them to my audience. But today there's a problem. No there's not a creature on the wing throwing monkey wrenches into the plane's engines, but it's almost that bad. The problem is all I can think about is my bench press!
You see, I train at Westside Barbell, which is renowned for producing world-caliber strength athletes. I've been a part of this group since 1990. Before that, I had spent five years stuck at a 1955 pound total in powerlifting. Then I tore my right pectoralis major tendon while trying to bench 500 at a bench press competition. I figured that was the end of competition days and thought about retiring from the sport. Then I thought to myself, retire from what? I haven't done anything yet!
I knew I had two options: I could keep training the way I always had and totally fall apart, or I could move to Columbus to train under the watchful eye of Louie Simmons. It wasn't that difficult of a decision. After the surgery I packed the car and moved to Columbus. That was over 10 years ago. Since then, my lifts have increased to a 935-pound squat, 585-pound bench and a 740-pound deadlift. This was after my surgeon told me I'd never bench over 400 again!
Although my bench press has increased 85 pounds, it's still a far cry from where it should be. At Westside we have 34 guys benching over 500 pounds and eight benching over 600. (In fact, six of those eight guys press over 650!) My bench pretty much sucks when compared to the others in the gym. When people ask me for bench advice, I cringe because I'm still chasing 600. I've missed that mark five times in competition at the time of this writing.
I kept telling myself that once I push up 600 pounds I'd write a definitive article on benching. Well, I haven't hit that mark yet, but I do have the biggest bench out of everyone on my flight, so I'm feeling like an authority on benching at the moment. Who knows, maybe writing this article I'll teach myself something, or remember something I've forgotten? I also feel the need to write this because of the vast amount of misinformation out there on this subject. I feel there're 12 components to a great bench press. If we apply these 12 steps, then perhaps you and I both will reach our bench press goals.

12 Steps to a Bigger Bench

1 ? Train the Triceps

Years ago, if you had asked Larry Pacifico how to get a big bench, he'd have told you to train the triceps. This same advice applies today. This doesn't mean doing set after set of pushdowns, kickbacks, and other so-called "shaping" exercises. Training your triceps for a big bench has to involve heavy extensions and close-grip pressing movements such as close-grip flat and incline bench presses, close-grip board presses, and JM presses.
Various barbell and dumbbell extensions should also be staples of your training program. Don't let anyone try to tell you the bench press is about pec strength. These people don't know the correct way to bench and are setting you up for a short pressing career with sub-par weights. I just read an article in one of the major muscle magazines by one of these authors on how to increase your bench press. The advice given was to train your pecs with crossovers and flies and your bench will go up! This, along with many other points, made me wonder how this article ever got published or better yet, how much the author himself could bench.
I believe articles should go under a peer review board before they get printed. I'd like many of my peers to review these authors in the gym or better yet on the bench to see how much they really know. Bottom line: Train the triceps!

2 ? Keep your shoulder blades pulled together and tight.

This is a very important and often overlooked aspect of great bench pressing. While pressing you have to create the most stable environment possible. This can't be done if most of your shoulder blades are off the bench. The bench is only so wide and we can't change this, but we can change how we position ourselves on the bench.
When you pull your shoulder blades together you're creating a tighter, more stable surface from which to press. This is because more of your body is in contact with the bench. The tightness of your upper back also contributes. These techniques also change the distance the bar will have to travel. The key to pressing big weight is to press the shortest distance possible.

3 ? Keep the pressure on your upper back and traps.

This is another misunderstood aspect of pressing. You want the pressure around the supporting muscles. This is accomplished by driving your feet into the floor, thereby driving your body into the bench. Try this: Lie on the bench and line up so your eyes are four inches in front of the bar (toward your feet). Now using your legs, drive yourself into the bench to put pressure on the upper back and traps. Your eyes should now be even with the bar. This is the same pressure that needs to be applied while pushing the barbell.

4 ? Push the bar in a straight line.

Try to push the bar toward your feet. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, right? Then why in the world would some coaches advocate pressing in a "J" line toward the rack? If I were to bench the way most trainers are advocating (with my elbows out, bringing the bar down to the chest and pressing toward the rack) my barbell travel distance would be 16 inches. Now, if I pull my shoulder blades together, tuck my chin and elbows, and bring the bar to my upper abdominals or lower chest, then my pressing distance is only 6.5 inches. Now which would you prefer? If you want to push up a bar-bending load of plates, you'd choose the shorter distance.
Here's another important aspect of pressing in this style. By keeping your shoulder blades together and your chin and elbows tucked, you'll have less shoulder rotation when compared to the J-line method of pressing. This is easy to see by watching how low the elbows drop in the bottom part of the press when the barbell is on the chest. With the elbows out, most everyone's elbows are far lower than the bench. This creates a tremendous amount of shoulder rotation and strain.
Now try the same thing with the elbows tucked and shoulder blades together while bringing the barbell to your upper abdominals. For most people, the elbows are usually no lower than the bench. Less shoulder rotation equals less strain on the shoulder joint. This means pressing bigger weights for many more years. I've always been amazed at trainers that suggest only doing the top half of the bench press, i.e. stopping when the upper arms are parallel to the floor. This is done to avoid the excess shoulder rotation. All they have to do is teach their clients the proper way to bench in the first place!

5 ? Keep the elbows tucked and the bar directly over the wrists and elbows.

This is probably the most important aspect of great pressing technique. The elbows must remain tucked to keep the bar in a straight line as explained above. Keeping the elbows tucked will also allow lifters to use their lats to drive the bar off the chest. Football players are taught to drive their opponents with their elbows tucked, then explode through. This is the same for bench pressing. Bench pressing is all about generating force. You can generate far more force with your elbows in a tucked position compared to an "elbows out" position.
The most important aspect of this is to keep the barbell in a direct line with the elbow. If the barbell is behind the elbow toward the head, then the arm position becomes similar to an extension, not a press.

6 ? Bring the bar low on your chest or upper abdominals.

This is the only way you can maintain the "barbell to elbow" position as described above. You may have heard the advice, "Bring it low" at almost every powerlifting competition. This is the reason why. Once again, the barbell must travel in a straight line.

.....

[pu12en12g]

7 ? Fill your belly with air and hold it.

For maximum attempts and sets under three reps, you must try to hold your air. Everyone must learn to breathe from their bellies and not their chests. If you stand in front of the mirror and take a deep breath, your shoulders shouldn't rise. If they do you're breathing the air into your chest, not your belly. Greater stability can be achieved in all the lifts when you learn how to pull air into the belly. Try to expand and fill the belly with as much air as possible and hold it. If you breathe out during a maximum attempt, the body structure will change slightly, thus changing the groove in which the barbell is traveling.

8 ? Train with compensatory acceleration.

Push the bar with maximal force. Whatever weight you're trying to push, be it 40% or 100% of your max, you must learn to apply 100% of the force to the barbell. If you can bench 500 pounds and are training with 300 pounds, you must then apply 500 pounds of force to the 300-pound barbell. This is known as compensatory acceleration and it can help you break through sticking points.
These sticking points are known as your "mini maxes," or the points at which you miss the lift or the barbell begins to slip out of the groove. Many times I'm asked what to do if the barbell gets stuck four to five inches off the chest. Everybody wants to know what exercise will help them strengthen this area or what body part is holding them back. Many times it isn't what you do to strengthen the area where it sticks, but what you can do to build more acceleration in the area before the mini max. If you can get the bar moving with more force then there won't be a sticking point. Instead, you'll blast right through it. Compensatory acceleration will help you do this.

9 ? Squeeze the barbell and try to pull the bar apart!

Regardless of the lift, you have to keep your body as tight as Monica Brant's behind. You'll never lift big weights if you're in a relaxed physical state while under the barbell. The best way to get the body tight is by squeezing the bar. We've also found that if you try to pull the bar apart or "break the bar," the triceps seem to become more activated.

10 ? Devote one day per week to dynamic-effort training.

According to Vladimir Zatsiorsinsky in his text Science and Practice of Strength Training, there are three ways to increase muscle tension. These three methods include the dynamic-effort method, the maximal-effort method, and the repetition method. Most training programs being practiced in the US today only utilize one or two of these methods. It's important, however, to use all three.
The bench press should be trained using the dynamic-effort method. This method is best defined as training with sub-maximal weights (45 to 60%) at maximal velocities. The key to this method is bar speed. Percentage training can be very deceiving. The reason for this is because lifters at higher levels have better motor control and recruit more muscle than a less experienced lifter.
For example, the maximal amount of muscle you could possibility recruit is 100%. Now, the advanced lifter ? after years of teaching his nervous system to be efficient ? may be able to recruit 70 to 80% of muscle fibers, while the intermediate might be able to recruit only 50%. Thus, the advanced lifter would need less percent weight than the intermediate. This is one of the reasons why an advanced lifter squatting 80% of his max for 10 reps would kill himself while a beginner could do it all day long.
If you base the training on bar speed, then the percentages are no longer an issue, only a guideline. So how do you know where to start? If you're an intermediate lifter, I suggest you start at 50% of maximal and see how fast you can make it move for three reps. If you can move 20 more pounds with the same speed then use the heavier weight.
Based on years of experience and Primlin's charts for optimal percent training, we've found the best range to be eight sets of three reps. Based on Primlin's research, the optimal range for 70% and less is 12 to 24 repetitions.
We've also found it very beneficial to train the bench using three different grips, all of which are performed within the rings. This may break down into two sets with the pinky fingers on the rings, three sets with three fingers from the smooth area of the bar and three sets with one finger from the smooth area.

11 ? Devote one day per week to maximal-effort training.

For the second bench day of the week (72 hours after the dynamic day) you should concentrate on the maximal-effort method. This is best defined as lifting maximal weights (90% to 100%) for one to three reps. This is one of the best methods to develop maximal strength. The key here is to strain. The downfall is you can't train above 90% for longer than three weeks without having adverse effects.
Try performing a max bench press every week for four or five weeks. You'll see you may progress for the first two, maybe three weeks, then your progress will halt and begin to work its way backward. We've combated this by switching up the maximal-effort exercises. We rotate maximal-effort movements such as the close-grip incline press, board press, floor press, and close-grip flat press. These exercises are all specific to bench pressing and all have a very high carryover value.

12 ? Train the lats on the same plane as the bench.

I'm talking about the horizontal plane here. In other words, you must perform rows, rows, and more rows. "If you want to bench big then you need to train the lats." I've heard both George Hilbert and Kenny Patterson say this for years when asked about increasing the bench press. When you bench you're on a horizontal plane. So would it make sense from a balance perspective to train the lats with pulldowns, which are on a vertical plane? Nope. Stick to the barbell row if you want a big bench.

Now that my trip is over and I'm back in Columbus, I no longer feel like an authority on bench pressing. My 585 pound bench press is considered sort of "puny" by Westside standards, after all. By writing this article, however, I've realized a few things I need to change about my bench pressing. I bet you have too. Hopefully, I've helped you correct a few problems that might've been keeping you from breaking your own personal record. Remember, the smallest things often bring the biggest results.

......

J.M. Blakley?s Top Tips For The Bench Press

What?s the fastest way to a big bench? I get asked that all the time. ?What?s your rush?? I respond. Building a big bench (or any substantial amount of strength in any lift) requires time. But nobody wants to hear that and nobody wants to wait.

So, for the impetuous among us here are my top tips to the big iron! These serve as a primer only and are only superficially explained. However, they should all stand up to the gauntlet of common sense and I?m sure that at least a few will be of use to you. Read on and ?load the bar!?

1. Strengthen your triceps. Many lifters do very well or better in the bench press after pec tears that go un-repaired. Think about it!

2. Don?t do endless ?other? pressing movements. It is way too easy to over train the chest and shoulders. Limit your workout to 2 exercises per body part. Remember: more is not better, only better is better!

3. Keep your elbows at no greater than 45 degrees away from the sides of your body when pressing. Nothing puts more stress on the anterior joint capsule and related structures than benching with your elbows straight out. Well maybe not nothing, but it?s got to be close to one of the worst habits you can get into.

4. Do some kind of rotator cuff work. A more stable shoulder joint always pay off in probable protection from injury and by limiting the loss of power transfer from the chest to the arms. Tight is right!

5. Simplify your program. I don?t know you. I don?t know what you do. But I?ll bet your program is too complicated. Do less?better. Put all your energy into totally mastering a few things rather than making almost un-noticeable headway in many things. Keep it simple and show real, tangible progress in only one thing. This allows you to put all your energy in a concentrated area. Once you?ve seen substantial gains, move the focus to another aspect. One thing at a time you see growth. After a while you will have it covered! I know this sounds like the whole ?it takes time thing? again but really, like a great wine or a fine cigar, some things will not be rushed!

[will2gain]

Thanks .../thread

[email_mikel]

I have been lifting since I was 11 (just getting form down from 11-12.5 and was coached by a former power lifter)
I know I am not as experienced as most of you but I have the form down and a good diet.
Now I have been getting pissed lately since I can not hit 135 for bench...
I train hard and eat well but I just can not get 135x1 (I have done it all increased calories... took a week off... changed volume and intensity.. Used Dumbbells... done incline and decline) All my other lifts are going up and my weight is.. just not my bench... (it has been same weight and reps for 1 year 'took 3 month break though')
All my other friends hit 135 and once there it skyrocketed ><
So I am coming up on my 15th birthday and my parents were asking me what I would like and have decided to ask for a good creatine and NO stack. I have taken mono before but it did absolutely nothing (I loaded then took it for 2 months 5g a day post workout.. did not see increase in either endurance or size)
I just would like to know which is the best? I have looked at tons of threads and logs and they all seem equal.
White flood/green magnitude><Superpump250/Sizeon><NOshotgun/Cellmass (I will not take Cell tech or any other Muscle tech product)

Since money is not the issue which one should I ask for? (I don't care about flavor just results)

Current supplements:

Good diet and sleep (I am gaining weight)
On whey, multi, and fish oil

Please help me out

(please don't tell me I need to eat... i am gaining weight all lifts are going up just not bench and i think a 1 year plateau is enough to try a supplement just to break through this plateau)

I saw good results(Size and Strength) using a combo of Gaspari/Controlled Labs

My Current Stack:

Optimum Opti-Men
Optimum Fish Oil
Optimum 100% Whey
Optimum 100% Casein
Gaspari SuperPump250 (used BSN NoXplode,found SP250 more effective)
Controlled Labs Green MAGnitude
Controlled Labs GlycerGrow
ABB CreaForce
Dymatize SuperAmino 4800
100mg TwinLabs DMAE
1000mg Tribulus
1250mcg B12 dots


My bottle of Tribulus is done soon, Im thinking of switching to Activate XT, Novodex XT or T- Bomb. If any has any used any of these with success let me know your thoughts.

[TheRdLessTravld]

You have so much more natural growth ahead of you that taking anything could mess you up for the future. Like others have said you need to increase your carbohydrate and especially fats. If you are trying to gain weight and strength you do not need to have such a lean diet. Most of your calories are coming from protein and while that is good in a cutting phase it is very sub-optimal for the results you wish to achieve.

Without knowing anything about your current excercise program I would say that at your age you keep it simple and do moderate weight compound movements and give yourself plenty of rest.