Yo guys,
There are so many brands, so many choices, and so many ideas when it comes to picking protein powder. There are so many factors that can go into helping you decide on how to pick one and I don’t think there is a set process on deciding how to choose.
When I first started, I just searched and purchased the most popular one locally. Was this a smart decision? Up for debate. Did I eventually settle for a different brand? Absolutely. The process for me was a bit daunting
I want to take you through the process that I personally used to decide on the brand I settled for. This is not a set blueprint, but you can certainly use it as a guide to saving some time and spending it elsewhere. I know I’d much rather spend time in the gym than researching protein powder anyway. Let’s get into it bro. 
Defining Goals
We have to define what our goals and circumstances are before making any decisions. If we don’t make clear what exactly we are trying to achieve, we then run the risk of purchasing the wrong thing and wasting money.
We’ve got to define our goals then bro. If we’re bulking, then maybe you’d want a powder with higher calories. If we’re in a fat loss phase (cutting), then we might want a powder that is lower in calories. If we’re maintaining, then it a powder with moderate calories is probably good (although it does not matter that much honestly).
However goals and circumstances can be more than just “bulking”, “cutting” or maintaining. If you are lactose intolerant, then it is better for you to look towards a plant-based or an egg-based protein powder. If you are vegan, then a plant-based is probably best.
Always bare in mind your goals when searching for a protein powder and, if you do not know, then do some brainstorming on what you want to achieve from the protein powder. (You may even decide that you do not even need the powder!)
With my personal experience, I’ve found that even if I am bulking, maintaining or cutting, it does not matter what the calorie count is. This is because over time, you learn to manage your calories better and make better food choices.
However in the early stages of your journey, you may need to pick a protein powder that is lower in calories if cutting (such as an “isolate” for example) or one that is higher in calories if bulking.
Some of you reading may be aware of “mass gainers” and wondering why I haven’t yet suggested it for bulking. This is for a simple reason:
I have never used them before. I’m not experienced in using them so I don’t have much detailed knowledge and experience to spread to you. I’d much rather talk on things that I have at least some valuable knowledge on. In fact, please let me know on your experience with using them if you have.
Cost
Yep, cost. There’s no way around it. We can’t ignore it.
When I first searched protein powder a few years ago, I was quite upset at how expensive it was (this was based off my own financial situation) and didn’t know what to do. Honestly, you’ve got to consider how much you’re willing to invest in this supplement.
You may not need to invest anything at all, as you may find that you can satisfy your goals without protein powder, but if you feel like it is for the better to buy it, consider this.
A bit of math. I know it sounds a little strange, but hear me out. If you search protein powder, you can find 1kg to be $90, 5kg for $300, 2kg for $70 and more for example.
I know, the prices look so weird for all the different sizes. So consider this, if you want to buy a lot that will last you a few months, then buying 3 of the 1kg’s would cost you $270 (going off of our previous example), however, we can see that for 5kg, it will cost us $300.
This means that for the long run, buying the 5kg is cheaper than 1kg.
If you are dealing with different sizes, it may be best for you to divide the cost by how many kg’s it is. For example, $300 divided by 5, means that 1kg is $60. This can help you to determine what is financially better in the long run (and short run), than simply buying multiple smaller bags.
Another thing that I do, when taking into account cost, is sales. Many producers will have sales throughout particular times of the years and sometimes the discounts go up to 50% (sometimes even more).
So if you can’t be stuffed doing the maths, just wait for the sales to appear and take advantage of those.
Ingredients
This is an underrated factor I find. We need to know what we’re putting inside our body, as not all protein powders are the same, despite them having the same name.
When looking at the ingredients on the back page, I tend to avoid the powders that have numerous ingredients on the back, as it looks kind of weird and suspicious to me personally. (Whenever I see a lot of ingredients, I often think “what do they need all these ingredients for?”)
Moreover, the protein powder that I use has only three ingredients.
Therefore, if you want to follow the format that I use, I believe that it is good to associate fewer ingredients with a higher-quality protein powder.
Word of mouth
Last but defintely not least, is the recommendations that you receive from others. The powder that I use was actually reccomended by a friend, and I did a little bit of research and it satisfied my goals.
You may receive recommendations from friends, the big guy’s in the gym and youtube videos. Although with youtube videos, bare in mind that many of them may be sponsored, so it comes from a biased standpoint, so take them at your own discretion and do your own research.
Word of mouth can be a great way to start your search.
Conclusion
That brings this to an end. Remember to consider your goals, cost, ingredients and word of mouth when deciding on a protein powder. Hopefully, this helped you out, bro.
Deciding on protein powder does not have to be a scary process, and you may not need to take it all, which is fine. Take what you want from this article, and continue working hard to your goals. Good luck.
(I am not a dietition or professional, I am only giving information based off my experience and personal thoughts)
