I've been looking at this vitamin and mineral pack that a fair few bodybuilders and strength trainers alike are supposed to be using to help with their nutritional needs. Was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this product?

http://www.animalpak.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=48

I'm now positive that my one a day sanatogen gold supplement isn't cutting it with my lifestyle so need something that offers a little more.

My diet is good and i eat plenty of fresh fruit, veg, complex carbs etc etc so this is only a supplement, not expecting a miracle product! Also, the fact is that a lot of fruit and veg these days doesn;t have as much nutrients in them as they should due to poor soil and farming methods, yet i can't afford to shop organic all the time.

Anybody got any other reccommendations for a good multivit?

I've used this product before with the Animal Stak product combo... I didn't see that big of a difference so I just get the Animal Pak multivitamins... It seems to be a good deal so I've been sticking with it.

Animal Pak is really just multi-vitamins with a few BCAA's, which means your not going to notice any noticable results. For the most part, the ingredients in animal pak are very similar to most common multi-vitamins. I suggest you keep taking your current multi-vitamin and start supplementing your workouts with extra protein shakes that includes BCAA's.

I've been looking at this vitamin and mineral pack that a fair few bodybuilders and strength trainers alike are supposed to be using to help with their nutritional needs. Was just wondering if anyone has any experience with this product?

http://www.animalpak.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=48

I'm now positive that my one a day sanatogen gold supplement isn't cutting it with my lifestyle so need something that offers a little more.

My diet is good and i eat plenty of fresh fruit, veg, complex carbs etc etc so this is only a supplement, not expecting a miracle product! Also, the fact is that a lot of fruit and veg these days doesn;t have as much nutrients in them as they should due to poor soil and farming methods, yet i can't afford to shop organic all the time.

Anybody got any other reccommendations for a good multivit?Dude, a couple of questions.

1. What does it mean that your diet is good?
2. What does it mean by having plenty of fruit, vegs and complex carbs?
3. I see references to fresh fruit, vegs and carbs, but what about protein (hopefully animal protein, or at least hippie tofu)????
4. What exactly are your goals?

You have to notice a couple of things. A good multivitamin is only good when it goes on top of a diet appropriate to the physical training in question.

If you are not eating enough protein, fat, carbs, fruit and vegs for your goals (.ie. retain/gain/lose weight) and that satisfy your minimum nutritional requirements (a function of your bodyweight, height, physical activities and perhaps age), multi vitamins will only be a waste of money (in particular something like Animal Pak.

I used to use it a while back. It beats buying four, five, or more vitamins seperatly. Each pack has it's share of horse pills though, of course. And it makes your piss look like neon yellow highlighter ink.

Dude, a couple of questions.

1. What does it mean that your diet is good?
2. What does it mean by having plenty of fruit, vegs and complex carbs?
3. I see references to fresh fruit, vegs and carbs, but what about protein (hopefully animal protein, or at least hippie tofu)????
4. What exactly are your goals?

You have to notice a couple of things. A good multivitamin is only good when it goes on top of a diet appropriate to the physical training in question.

If you are not eating enough protein, fat, carbs, fruit and vegs for your goals (.ie. retain/gain/lose weight) and that satisfy your minimum nutritional requirements (a function of your bodyweight, height, physical activities and perhaps age), multi vitamins will only be a waste of money (in particular something like Animal Pak.

OK i'll take today as an example of my diet, although i don't have exact weights etc.

Breakfast 7am

80g 100% porridge oats with 30g protein powder mixed in
1 banana
1 multivitamin tab and 1 extra strength cod liver oil tablet with omega oils

Mid morning 10 am

2 slices of wholemeal bread
1 slice grilled bacon
2 poached eggs
1 banana

Lunch 12:30 pm

Pack of sandwiches on wholemeal bread, 1 x chicken salad, 1 x prawn mayo, 1 x BLT
Banana smoothie
Natural yogurt with fresh apple, kiwi and strawberry slices

2pm

1 pear, 1 banana and 1 satsuma

5pm

Chicken breast with around 80 grams of brown basmati rice plus tomatoes and cucumber
Natural yogurt with honey and pecan nuts

7pm

1 banana beofre training

10pm 1 protein shake (30ish grams of protein)

2 litres of water per day minimum

I could probably do with more post workout but i'm unsure of what to have that wont sit on my stomach before i go to sleep. Any other suggestions would be much appreciated too.

I eat pretty much the same as this every day but i mix it up with pork, white basmati, potatoes, wholemeal pasta, quinoa etc Just trying to keep costs down at the same time as i will be unemployed for 12 weeks when i go on a training course.

I'm 21, my goals are really to gain strength, stamina, endurance and recovery for mixed martial arts competition. Not interested in gaining too much size but a little would be nice.

I'm currently weighing around 155lb/70 kg and will be fighting at this weight but would like to put on a bit more bulk, ie 5-10lb and then cut down to 155 when competing.

Body type, can't remember what it's called but i can eat as much as i like and put on very little weight, very low body fat etc.

I've just gone and ordered the following multivit for now as i've heard good reports about it and it was only £12 for 45 days supply.

http://www.nowfoods.com/?action=itemdetail&item_id=13564

Any help appreciated.

You seem to be doing fine with your diet, and the vitamins you bought should from Now Foods should suffice. If you can afford it, get some glutamine (and BCAAs if you can). That's all you should really need (unless you decide in the future to lift to gain some serious mass.)

OK i'll take today as an example of my diet, although i don't have exact weights etc.

Breakfast 7am

80g 100% porridge oats with 30g protein powder mixed in
1 banana
1 multivitamin tab and 1 extra strength cod liver oil tablet with omega oils

Mid morning 10 am

2 slices of wholemeal bread
1 slice grilled bacon
2 poached eggs
1 banana

Lunch 12:30 pm

Pack of sandwiches on wholemeal bread, 1 x chicken salad, 1 x prawn mayo, 1 x BLT
Banana smoothie
Natural yogurt with fresh apple, kiwi and strawberry slices

2pm

1 pear, 1 banana and 1 satsuma

5pm

Chicken breast with around 80 grams of brown basmati rice plus tomatoes and cucumber
Natural yogurt with honey and pecan nuts

7pm

1 banana beofre training

10pm 1 protein shake (30ish grams of protein)

2 litres of water per day minimum

I could probably do with more post workout but i'm unsure of what to have that wont sit on my stomach before i go to sleep. Any other suggestions would be much appreciated too.

I eat pretty much the same as this every day but i mix it up with pork, white basmati, potatoes, wholemeal pasta, quinoa etc Just trying to keep costs down at the same time as i will be unemployed for 12 weeks when i go on a training course.

I'm 21, my goals are really to gain strength, stamina, endurance and recovery for mixed martial arts competition. Not interested in gaining too much size but a little would be nice.

I'm currently weighing around 155lb/70 kg and will be fighting at this weight but would like to put on a bit more bulk, ie 5-10lb and then cut down to 155 when competing.

Body type, can't remember what it's called but i can eat as much as i like and put on very little weight, very low body fat etc.

I've just gone and ordered the following multivit for now as i've heard good reports about it and it was only £12 for 45 days supply.

http://www.nowfoods.com/?action=itemdetail&item_id=13564

Any help appreciated.

god i wish i can be as organized as you are

god i wish i can be as organized as you areC'mon kid, it's not that hard :cool:

Just write what you eat for a couple of days, and after a while, it becomes second nature.

Cheers i'll definitely look into the BCAAs and glutamine. The latter helps with recovery right?

I also forgot to add i take a Glucosamine and Chondroitin supplement which i've heard mixed reviews for, but sure it's not hurting me. Even if it's only mentally, my joints feel less weak in the 6 months or so that i've been taking them.

One thing i'm unsure of is the best time to take the multivit to get the most out of it whilst training? should i just take it in the morning or would it be more beneficial with the evening meal? The Adam's are a 2-a-day vit so i might just take one in the morning and one in the evening.

Cheers for the help.

Yep, the glutamine is for recovering. At least for me, that's the one supplement I do not miss.

I really don't give too much thought about when to take multis. What I do is that first thing in the morning I mix two scoops of Betancourt Glutamine High-C (http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/bcour/glut.html) in 8oz of water. That gives me 10g protein, 10g glutamine, 2,000mg vitamin C (>3,300+% DV). With that mix, I take two pills of Triple Boost (http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/in/triple.html) (I need that **** cuz I'm old.)

An hour later I take my breakfast and a Centrum. I no longer bother with things like Animal Pak or super-duper multi complex. Don't get me wrong, those vitamin combos are good, but I don't feel I need them - the time and effort I spend lifting is perhaps 1/3 of what I used to. Plus I'm making sure I eat well, a lot and often. So a Centrum suffices... I think.

From there I eat every 3 hours, and at least a protein shake with 50g of protein. In between meals I pop some HMB (http://www.vitaglo.com/mrx7933.html) and BCAAs (http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/pl/bcaaplus.html). I'm more diligent in taking the full dosage when I'm lifting more or when I'm training. And if/when I train, I certainly take an additional scoop of glutamine.

More or less that's what works for me, to recover mostly.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin are good for the joints. I was taking those, but apparently, we need to supplement with MSM. I recently ordered these combo (http://www.bulknutrition.com/?products_id=3293&osCsid=65207db0740ee63dc7bf9bca71f5740c) by Inwin Natural. I hope it works.

I take a Centrum a day right now. I chew it though as I heard it can go through you undigested. Either way chewing it makes more surface area so I assume better absorption.

Really??? Doesn't it taste like... sandy and yucky?

It doesn't really matter when you take the mult-vitamins...Just make sure you take them at the same time every day (one the morning and one in the evening if it requires you take two). Also, make sure you take them after meals.