This post was written by Cuan (You should can follow him —> @Q121_za) and is mostly for my male readers, see you can enjoy whether your a Justine or a Justin

Many people starting out in the exercise world, looking to find their once sporty bodies of their early twenties, or just deciding to get fit for the first time, are faced with many questions and very few straight answers. We are bombarded with so many miracle pills and new age work outs daily, where does one even begin?

Before I even start, what people need to understand is, there is no magic pill, there is no quick easy way to get the body you dream of! If you want it, you need to work for it, and supplements combined with working out, being active and eating healthy will help you see results

This is also just a basic over view… If you need more info, never be afraid to research or ask

“What is a Protein shake?”

There are many types of protein shakes on the market, take a walk down your average pharmacy supplement aisle, and you will be bombarded by 100′s of brands, names and formulas that will mean very little to the man on the street. What does it all mean? What do I need? What is a protein shake?

*pulls hair out*

In theory your body needs protein for your muscles to grow and recover, this can all be done naturally, because protein can be found in every day foods (chicken, steaks, eggs etc) however if you cannot stomach eating 6 eggs at one sitting, but are still looking to increase your muscle gains and reduce your recovery times, the protein shake is a an effective and easier way to do this and increase your daily dose of protein.

Protein shakes are sold mostly in powder format, and can be mixed into water, milk or fruit smoothie (See, much better than eating 6 egg whites for breakfast)

Before people shout and scream that they don’t want to be super buff and muscular here is a little explanation: When your body sleeps or is in a docile recovery mode after “Klapping gym boet” it will attack and burn your muscle before your fat, if you do not have enough protein in your diet or are running on an empty tank you are going to lose muscle

In the end, you want to lose the fat and keep the muscle. Muscle also burns fat quicker, so having some muscle will help get rid of those love handles quicker.

“Which Protein shake is for me?”

There are many different types of protein shake types on the market, lets look at the different types and when we should, and shouldn’t use them.

Whey Protein: This is the most commonly used protein, mainly used by athletes and gym bunnies post-training to help with recovery and muscle growth.  Whey protein contains high levels of essential amino acids and branched-chained amino acids and is a fast release protein source.  Whey is recommended as a post work out supplement and is best taken straight after a workout for the best results

Casien Protein: This is becoming a more commonly known and used protein supplement, especially for people not looking for massive muscle gains.  It is a much slower release protein and therefor doesn’t get into the system as quickly as Whey and therefore not nearly as effective as a post work out shake. But it stays in the system much longer, and therefore works really well as a between meal protein snack, or before bed.  When the body goes to sleep, its in a fasting mode, during this time, if you have an empty stomach, your body immediately goes after your muscles to fuel itself through the night, by taking Casien before bed, your muscles will be left alone.

Muscle Meal replacements: Not really a protein shake, but many of these meal replacements contain protein, and are often confused for protein shakes. I am personally am very anti meal replacements, because if a meal could be replaced (not supplemented) by a powder or pill, then the worlds hunger problems would be a thing of the past, and we would all live off powders and pills. These shakes may work initially, but when stopped and you go back to the regular diet, the fat will find you and then locate itself right back on your derriere  Rather eat to be healthier, and use a Casien protein shake between meals to help suppress hunger but don’t skip meals, especially if you training hard, your body needs the fuel and it needs it from GOOD HEALTHY FOOD!

Bulking Supplements and Muscle Meals: Now these are a very tricky supplement to work with, as if used correctly can do amazing things, but odds are you will become a fat blob. Bulking supplements are made up of whey and other proteins, and the biggest problem with them is the number calories that are loaded into these shakes. For guys trying to get ‘Massive’, you’ll put on muscle mass, but if your diet and cardio are not correctly watched, you will put on plenty of fat too.  Using bulking supplements requires a lot of experience and knowing what you are doing, (or haveing the metabolism of a 13-year-old boy), I personally would avoid using bulking shakes.

“So what do I buy?”

So now we know a few of the different types of proteins shakes on the market, but which one do I buy? Prices can range from R300,00 all the way to R1000,00 or more. One needs to ask themselves, are the cheap ones all that bad, and are the expensive ones all that good?

The main difference between the cheap and expensive proteins is the content, with cheaper products loading more hollow calories and other ‘stuff’ per serving, where as the more expensive brands are giving you more protein, BCAA and fewer calories and other funny things per
serving.

My advice is start mid range, rather use something that fits into your budget, and spend the extra money on concentrating on healthy eating, unless you are a pro athlete or a fitness freak, you will not see the difference between a R500,00 and a R800,00 Protein shakes.

To all on their journey to the best body they can have, good luck, put the hard hours in and you will see results… For those on the edge looking in, hoping and wondering if they can do it too, take a leap of faith, try something new.

Stay Healthy, Stay happy and Justin Joy