What is the best protein shake?

The best protein shake for building muscle is not going to be the same protein shake that the latest weight loss queen is promoting. These are for Building Muscle which is very different than trying to lose weight. Granted, you can lose a little fat while building muscle; It comes with the territory. Now, the protein shake recipes below may need to be changed slightly for various times of the day. A breakfast protein shake will not always be the same as a pre-workout shake, post-workout protein shake, or before bed shake. Let's blend!

Optimum Protein Shake for Max Muscle Gain

What is the best protein shake for putting on weight? That's a very good question, and it lets us know you're serious about putting on quality mass. Below are the basics of a good protein shake.

Protein Shake (Max Muscle Gain / Off-season Weight Gain)

• Most Calories possible
• Most Protein possible per shake (minimum 40g)
• Less than 30g calories from Fat
• Less than 2g saturated fat
• Less than 2g sugars
• Avg. Carbs 3-4g per shake (300g/day and up to 1000g carbs/day for super heavyweight bodybuilders)
• Least amount of cholesterol (under 300mg per day)
• Least amount of sodium (under 200mg per day)

Best Protein Shake for Lean Weight Gain

What is the best protein shake for putting on weight? That's a very good question, and it lets us know you're serious about putting on quality mass. Below are the basics of a good protein shake.

Protein Shake (Lean Weight Gain)

• 120-150 Calories (k cal)
• (30-50g) per shake
• Less than 1g Fat
• No Saturated fat
• 0g Sugars (NO SUGAR unless post workout – some say helps absorption. Remains to be proved.)
• Least amount of cholesterol (under 100mg)
• Least amount of sodium (under 100mg)

How To Make Your Protein Shake Taste Better

A basic protein shake typically tastes like crap unless it's loaded with sugar; even the flavored ones from the best protein shake brands. We're not saying the best protein shake brand isn't drinkable, but it's not quite tasty enough to wolf down 3 or 4 of those bad boys per day. So here's what we like to do.

How to improve the flavor

Easiest way to make a protein shake taste better:

• Add fruit (3-5 strawberries, or 1 banana makes for a better tasting shake and both are potent enough to overpower most protein powders. Also adds some good vitamins.
• Add 1 cup fruit juice (pineapple juice, apple juice, cranberry or grape juice all work great)

Ultimate Bodybuilding Protein Shake

We all have different needs, but the one thing that can't be escaped is the need for more protein. It's the proven essential building block for muscle growth. There are so many gimmicky shakes out there, that I went back to the basics by asking myself a few questions. What are my fitness & bodybuilding goals? What are my options to achieve them? What are the optimum solutions for building muscle? How can I avoid putting on fat? How can I eat healthier (protein shake wise). By answering these questions, I have come up with the perfect shake for me.

My goal is to achieve big gains without putting on fat, or the least amount of fat.

The Big Gains – Low Fat Protein Shake (morning)

• Two heaping 30g scoops Strawberry Whey Protein Powder
• 1 full raw egg (yolk + white)
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 heaping spoonful (4500-5000mg) L-Glutamine Powder
• 5g creatine monohydrate