A few months ago I was running low on whey protein (actually I still have 3 tubs of that yucky MuscleTech Phase8) so I decided to get some bulk protein.
I picked up a 25 lb box of vanilla flavored whey protein concentrate from CanadaProtein.com.
Previously I purchased a 25 lb box of vanilla flavored whey protein isolate + concentrate mix from them last year, but decided to go with the WPC mainly because it was cheaper, and in the long run, in my opinion, there’s probably not going to be much difference between ingesting WPC vs a WPC + WPI mix (or whey protein isolate, whey protein hydrolysate or any other variation or combination) except on my wallet.
I posted this status on Facebook shortly after purchasing (on June 13, 2013):
My PR’s at the time for the 3 lifts are:
So, according to my “math” and Facebook status, I should be at these numbers by the time I’m done ingesting all this powder:
- Squat: 530 lb
- Bench Press: 395 lb
- Deadlift: 572.2 lb
As of September 26, 2013 (which is over a month ago prior to today's post), my PRs are:
I still have about 5 lb of the whey protein concentrate remaining, and I have already added 32 lb to my squat, 15 lb to my bench press, and 7.8 lb to my deadlift.
Overall, I have added 54.8 lb to my big 3 lifts using less than 25 lb of vanilla flavored whey protein concentrate.
Therefore...
Whey protein concentrate works!
For every pound of vanilla flavored whey protein concentrate ingested, 2-2.5 pounds will be added to your total. Not a bad deal if you ask me, especially for this cheaper form of whey protein.
So, if you want to add > 50 lb to your overall total in the squat, bench press and deadlift, pick up some whey protein concentrate and experience the gains like I did:
JUST KIDDING.
Seriously though, the gains cannot be solely attributed to only WPC.
To be honest, I'm not much of a supplements guy. I tend to think most of the supplements on the market today are not as effective as they claim to be, if they are effective at all, and in general are fueled by marketing dollars in an attempt to take money out of the pockets of those looking for a quick way to get strong/jacked/slim/toned/cut/fit/healthy/etc.
I also think that those who spend a lot of time and money on supplements don't really track their own results to determine if whatever they're taking really produces any measurable results and rely on marketing hype and/or the reasoning of:
"These studies and/or before-and-after pictures indicate it should work, therefore, it's working for me!"
Aside from whey protein (which has a double function for me, not only as a source of protein but as a coffee creamer), a cheap multivitamin, fish oil, caffeine and ephedrine, I don't really take anything else. I'm currently testing out adding coconut oil to my coffee. It makes my lips oily and makes my coffee tastes a bit better, but I don't think I would notice any changes if I suddenly stopped ingesting it.
I used to take creatine, one of the most effective supplements supported by many studies, but since I ran out and stopped taking it, I haven't noticed any negative changes. I was expecting to get weaker and/or not have the stamina to complete my workout, but this wasn't the case.
Much of my progress (and I would bet, most of everyone else's progress) comes from solid consistent training, eating good enough, eating enough, sleeping enough, hard/smart work, persistence, and all those things that marketed as some sort of magic bullet to instant gains.
If I alter any of these things, I'm pretty damn sure they would have a big impact on my progress.
In the end, I'll probably pick up some creatine down the road once there's a sale, just to try it out again. Also, I'll likely continue taking some form of whey protein (likely WPC, because it's cheap) because it's an easy way to ingest and store protein, and it makes instant coffee tastes a million times better.
But, the road to a 600 lb squat, 405+ lb bench press and 600 lb deadlift for me is going to be fueled by consistent hard work, a lot of food, a lot of sleep, and...you know, all that non-sexy stuff that can't be sold in a bottle.
