The Workout Thread

[Henrik Kesler]

Creatine increases ATP levels in your muscle cells, giving each muscle cell more energy.  I've tried Creatine once, and yes it does work.  You can lift heavier and for more reps.  You also retain more water, so you look bigger.  The problem is that you can only use it for relatively short cylces (or your body simply adapts).  Once you come off it, you lose a lot of the gains you made before.  It can also be damaging to your kidneys/liver if over used.

Creatine cycling as you described is foolish IMO. You'd be better of taking 5g a day 365 days a year.

[taxi]

Creatine cycling as you described is foolish IMO. You'd be better of taking 5g a day 365 days a year.

Everyone is different. However, an initial "loading period" should be done regardless of how you use it.

Edit: Also Creatine is one of the few supplements scientifically proven to work.

Edited July 26, 2013 by taxi

[Henrik Kesler]

Everyone is different.  However, an initial "loading period" should be done regardless of how you use it.

Edit: Also Creatine is one of the few supplements scientifically proven to work.

I know creatine is proven to work and I think you're better of using a consistent dosage instead of using it in cycles...it isn't an AAS supplement where there are harmful negative side effects if you don't come off of it.

[Baercheese]

your body makes creatine itself albeit a small amount

I have no idea how to keep the water weight though. I have heard two weeks on one week off. Suggestions?

[Henrik Kesler]

your body makes creatine itself albeit a small amount

I have no idea how to keep the water weight though. I have heard two weeks on one week off. Suggestions?

There is NO need to cycle off creatine. You can do an initial loading of 20g for 2 days then just take 5g/day after that, or you could just do 5g/day because the increased muscle saturation from a loading phase is marginal and makes no difference if you take creatine for more than 2 weeks at a time (which you should be doing, if you are going to bother with taking it in the first place).

[Kent.S]

I'm so sore, just had to do an A-Z workout....

That was incredibly hard.

[taxi]

your body makes creatine itself albeit a small amount

I have no idea how to keep the water weight though. I have heard two weeks on one week off. Suggestions?

Why do you want to keep water weight?

You want to keep strength and muscle gains. If anything, the water weight is a negative side effect. It will make you look less shreded and more bloated.

[The Arrogant Worms]

Here is what Layne Norton says about creatine.......

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/king-creatine-your-expert-guide.html

How Much, Man?

There are two traditional ways of taking creatine monohydrate. You can take 3-5g per day (depending upon muscle mass), which will saturate your intramuscular creatine stores in a few weeks. Or, you can load creatine at 15-25g for the first 4-5 days, which will saturate the muscle cells more rapidly.

While loading saturates the muscle cells faster, the downside is that you do not assimilate the majority of that creatine, so those on a budget may consider it wasteful.

Timing Is …

Many people consume creatine post-workout since it's been speculated that taking creatine after training will lead to better uptake of creatine into the muscle.

In all likelihood, however, this is splitting hairs. Consistent supplementation of creatine at 3-5g per day has been shown to saturate muscle cells, mostly regardless of time consumed. Therefore, I suggest consuming your creatine whenever it's most convenient.

Pack Your Stack

Creatine has been shown to work synergistically with both beta-alanine and HMB, so users who want to maximize creatine's benefits should consider supplementing with those products, as well.

Of course, your usual supplement foundation of a multivitamin and protein - whey and/or casein - still applies.

What To Choose

As a rule, I recommend purchasing supplements whose maker can provide lab analysis of their products. This ensures that what's on the label is actually in the bottle.

Based on current research, it appears that creatine monohydrate is the most effective creatine product available on the market today. If you are going to spring a few extra dollars for anything, then go for a micronized form of creatine monohydrate to improve mix-ability.

[Tortorella's Rant]

Creatine cycling as you described is foolish IMO. You'd be better of taking 5g a day 365 days a year.

It seems we agree on many things

I don't get why it's foolish but I take the 5g once a day.

[SeanAvery16]

I just mix the creatine with my pre workout or in my fruit/veg loaded smoothie in the morning.

I have noticed more water retention than I'd like. I'll probably up my cardio to counter it

[canucks#01fan]

I just take 5G of creatine everyday without any cycling.

I believe the loading thing is just a marketing scheme designed to make you use up your creatine faster.

20g a day for 5days is 100g which lasts me over 20 days. Doing this after every 4 weeks cycle and it adds up.

I know a lot of gyms that cycle and they dont have any better results than i do.

[LeanBeef]

I just take 5G of creatine everyday without any cycling.

I believe the loading thing is just a marketing scheme designed to make you use up your creatine faster.

20g a day for 5days is 100g which lasts me over 20 days. Doing this after every 4 weeks cycle and it adds up.

I know a lot of gyms that cycle and they dont have any better results than i do.

Ditto

I've tried to follow the loading phase and it wasn't very different from the regular 5g a day. But then again there is some creatine in my preworkout so I guess im taking more on working days.

[canucks#01fan]

Ditto

I've tried to follow the loading phase and it wasn't very different from the regular 5g a day. But then again there is some creatine in my preworkout so I guess im taking more on working days.

ya my preworkout has 2g in it already so i take 3-4g creatine mono on those days but an extra gram or two wont harm you i guess

[LeanBeef]

ya my preworkout has 2g in it already so i take 3-4g creatine mono on those days but an extra gram or two wont harm you i guess

It wont. It just converts into creatinine

[Henrik Kesler]

It seems we agree on many things

I don't get why it's foolish but I take the 5g once a day.

The loading phase is foolish because it's mostly a waste of your supplements. Loading 20g/day leads to a barely a 3% better saturation over taking 5g/day.

I haven't taken creatine in a bit because I thought I was a non-responder. I'm going to start taking it again because there are other benefits to be had from it even if one is a non-responder.

[*VaNcOuVeRCaNuCkS*]

Anyone here taking the Creatine 2XC from Nutrabolics

I have been using this for about 10 weeks now (4 times a week) and I have noticed huge gains in strength although I don't know how much gain I would have made if I haven't been taking it

There has also been some great gains in physical appearance

Edited July 27, 2013 by *VaNcOuVeRCaNuCkS*

[Bruce Boudreau]

Creatine is not taken for the same reason you take Whey Protein.

Whey Protein is meant to be used as the building blocks of muscle. So basically repair, recovery, and maintenance.

Creatine increases ATP levels in your muscle cells, giving each muscle cell more energy. I've tried Creatine once, and yes it does work. You can lift heavier and for more reps. You also retain more water, so you look bigger. The problem is that you can only use it for relatively short cylces (or your body simply adapts). Once you come off it, you lose a lot of the gains you made before. It can also be damaging to your kidneys/liver if over used.

Alright. Makes sense.

[canucks#01fan]

Rest day tomorrow

[canucks#01fan]

Howbdo you guys only have 3 or four glasses of milk a day? I have 5 minimum but most of the time 6-7

[rampage]

OK this has been bugging me for a long time. My left shoulder seems really tight when I work out. It sucks because I'm trying reach 8-10 reps but it stops me short of that. Has anyone else had this problem?