I take amino tabs at noon with a PB&J, drink whey protein at noon-thirty and warm up till 1, do weights then more whey about 2. finish weights about 5. I added 3/4 inch on biceps in one month. I say it works but you have to develope your technique. otherwise its just more calories

Short answer : It IS just a waste of money.

You can get EVERYTHING your body needs through proper diet. It is very important to balance fruits and veggies, lean protein, and complex carbs.
Your plate should be half full with veggies, a quarter full with lean protein and the other quarter with complex carbs.
If you need any more information, don't hesistate to message me!

i know i dont eat enough protien and my eating habits are terrible- i am working on that- i started a protien drink before i work out and it feels like i have less of the shaky muscle feeling during and after workouts. until i get my diet stable, i am going to continue to take this before workouts.

I have to drink a shake each day to meet my daily requirement of prtein, but I had Gastric Bypas surgery. I do think it helps me keep lean muscle

I tend to agree with Blondeelicous. I have tried all the protien power shakes and have taken to much protien and I noticed that I was bulking up to much. Where I am sure many would use it, but I am seeing better results with out the protein powder. I eating more lean meat for my protein. I am amazed at some of the results I am seeing.

Xyience XM2 Extreme Muscle Mass has worked for me as a pre and post workout drink.

in general I agree with blondeelicious - but if you MUST use them (they are a convenience) bear the following in mind:

READ THE LABEL!!!

Many protein powders also include a whole bunch of things that maybe you DON'T want to put into your body, like artificial colorings and/or sweeteners. Carbohydrates are frequently included, sometimes in very high quantity (especially for products advertised as "weight gain." You'll gain weight all right - as long as you don't mind becoming a walrus!).

I've also noticed that when carbohydrate is added to protein powders (and I think this is true for those meal-replacement bars as well) that the carb is generally VERY LOW QUALITY. Usually some kind of sugar. They leave me feeling hungry, so it becomes way too easy to overeat my calories for the day when I'm using this type of protein source.

When I do use a protein drink, I only use it post-workout, choose only no- or low-carb products, and only when I know it's going to be more than an hour before I can get a real food meal.

Because I am using it post-workout I am also choosing a product that is fast-absorbing. Some powders will just sit there in your stomach, take forever to digest and make you feel like the concrete you just drank is now starting to set in your gut. Truly a delightful sensation (insert eyeroll here).

Best bet: pack any pre- or post-workout meals you need and bring them with you to the gym. You have much more control of the kind and quality of nutrition you are getting this way.

As I quoted in the steroids thread: "Food is your BEST supplement."