Protein Shakes

[Saxondale]

What are the decent protein shake brands to go for and where would you find them?

I normally have PhD or Reflex, but i'm not going to bring any with me, since it'll eat into my luggage allowance.

Thanks

[grahamH]

With so much lovely meat to eat as well.

I don't have any specific recommendations, but if you're in China for a while you can get your favourite brand delivered. Or you can get recommendations at the gym. Unfortunately the gym rat in me isn't allowed on holiday, so it's not something I've explored.

[Brian US]

Pretty sure any gym will have a stock of protein shakes, but the brands are very limited. Larger cities will have better access to Western products, yet the price seems to be almost double. Be careful if you are spending 200-300 kuai as there is always a chance it is fake.

If you are concerned about luggage, then consider swapping out things that are cheaper in China like clothes. The amount you may save on bringing shakes you could get a few tailored made shirts.

[amandagmu]

The World Health Store is my recommendation (located in Beijing at Soho Shangdu). The staff are either Americans, Australians, and/or 100% fluent in English. They have a lot of products an I've visited them several times, and to put it simply, these are people who use the products being sold. I don't know if they'll have what you want, but they deliver pretty much anywhere and I know if you call them on the phone they'll happily tell you if they have it or not (or what options they do have).

EDIT: This is probably what you're looking for: http://www.worldhealthstore.com.cn/en/index.php/component/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,4/category_id,14/page,shop.browse/

[Saxondale]

thanks for the advice guys. once i get settled down in beijing (still have a while now), i'll have a look around and pay ridiculous prices for some whey

[amandagmu]

yeah, but it's still cheaper, more trustworthy, and less of a hassle than either shipping it from elsewhere or bringing it along in the luggage.

Everyone keeps asking me why Beijing costs so much money, and I keep telling them it's because there are some things I actually want (like a nice gym and air masks) for which a crappy substitute won't do. (Unfortunately, all this stuff is more expensive in Beijing than the U.S. or Germany...)

Oh, and if you're looking for protein or energy bars, they don't have a local version yet. WHS has those, but I made sure to buy a $15 box or two of Luna bars before I left because they're more portable.

[Saxondale]

amandagmu: can you recommend a decent gym? the only thing i care about are free weights, squat racks, plenty of benches etc. i'm hoping to study at BNU, so any recommendations near there would be great.

you mentioned air masks, is that for when you run or something?

thanks again

[amandagmu]

Oh, no the masks are for high pollution days, just walking around outside and such. I wouldn't dare run outside then! I watch the air quality index and only run outside on days when it falls below 80-90 or so. I started getting headaches and had a terrible sinus infection from the pollution for weeks in November/early December, but the masks helped me cope with it when I had to leave the apartment.

The gym I joined is to alleviate the above problem: it has a ton of cardio equipment, plus lots of spinning ETC classes on the schedule. I would go nuts without my fill of cardio. For weights... well, I'm not really sure. I'm more of the endurance/long-distance athlete (marathons, triathlons, back-to-back workouts yada yada) who likes circuit training and boot camp/cross fit stuff but not too keen on weightlifting alone. So, I joined Nirvana Fitness in Beijing - there are several branches. BNU probably has a significantly cheaper option for your needs... maybe someone else can chime in on that. If not, try thebeijinger.com forums.

[amandagmu]

Also, I forgot to mention it, but BrianUS brings up an interesting point. Well, I would be careful about switching out clothing (especially shoes!) depending on your size and what you like to wear. If you're an average height / weight for men in Northern China (who are fairly tall but often not that heavy) and you aren't concerned about your workout clothes or brands, then you might be fine. I don't care about brand names, but I care a boatload about the quality of my running clothing and shoes, and I'm a 5'8" woman with a W9.5/euro 41.5 shoe size and a 32.5" inseam. The only place I'd be able to buy what I want (that is, clothing that will wick away the sweat and last a long time, fit my leg length and shoe size, and shoes that do not kill my feet or knees) is by investing in stuff at the official Nike or Adidas store or ordering online (I wear New Balance; they don't have them at the NB store in China beyond size 41 for women). So, in the end, the prices are either the exact same or even higher than the equivalent store anywhere else in the world, and since I already own reliable clothing and shoes, I just brought them with me to Beijing.

In contrast, some things can and should be bought one you get to Beijing: towels, toiletries, all generic household items (kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, etc) and some basic clothing (gloves, sports socks, t-shirts, etc), supplies for school, etc. If you're unsure about something, like you were with the protein powder, ask on the forums and we shall respond....

[Brian US]

Make sure the gyms you are looking at have a good air filtration system. If they just keep recycling bad air, then it may actually be worse than running outside.

Some bike shops also have those nice air filter masks for 300-400 kuai. They have replaceable filters and create a seal around your mouth and nose. This is better than those clothe masks people get on the street, which works just as well if you are breathing through tissue paper.

[Saxondale]

How often do you guys where air filter masks?

[Brian US]

I only wear a face mask when I'm riding my scooter around, because I often get stuck behind a bus spewing exhaust in my face. I just got an app on my phone that reads the air quality from the US embassy station. If it's too high then I'll probably wear a face mask just walking around. I don't think it's a big deal on short trips, but I plan to be in Beijing for another four years.

[amandagmu]

I check the count on the US embassy twitter like Brian. Any day it's hovering at 200 and above I wear it even for walking around. If it's questionable (e.g. 150 range), then I wear the mask for extended walking (over 10-15 minutes) outside. If it's over 250-300 I wear it no matter what, whenever I go outside. I found when I don't I get headaches and sometimes I even have trouble breathing (I have an inhaler for that which I brought from the US).

[luozhen]

I saw whey protein in the monster containers at a health shop in the basement of the Xizhimen mall. The price was almost the same as in the U.S., IIRC 400-500 RMB or so. I used to buy it cheaper at Amazon, but as long as its not fake, it seems like a reasonable price.

[MrZ]

Sorry folks for posting here. am currently still in Amsterdam and later this month goin to Germany for another before moving to Beijing (3rd Ring Road) i probably will do a 1 year chinese course at BLCU or PKU. just wondering if you could recommend any gym around olympic area or so. looking for either old school(loving the good old heavy duty bits or trying to get into CrossFit) or descent indoor running if the air is really that crap.

Was also looking into some masks but since me german aint that great i was wondering if those are what u guys mean with air masks...

http://www.schutzbekleidung24.de/dach/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=2&cat=Atemschutzmaske&gclid=CJDwsZ6NlKgCFca-zAod_h2oCQ

thanks for any input.

F

[amandagmu]

Do you know where exactly you'll be or when you'll be arriving? I recently moved elsewhere in Beijing and am trying to get rid of my last 6 months at Nirvana Fitness - Anzhen branch. Unfortunately it's not convenient for me anymore in my new location. I have 6 months left on it (less by the time you arrive I suspect) I'm not using it at all right now, which is a bit of a shame since the equipment is nice... the treadmills all have TVs and some have DVD players. Anyways, when I saw your post I just thought I'd ask since Anzhen is exactly on the 3rd ring road and not far from the Olympic area (it's located inside the Global Trade Center).

If you're not interested, no worries, I'll go ahead and post it elsewhere.

[MrZ]

Hi, will b based in 100029 Beijing and decided to opt for Beshida- Anyway. i ll look into gyms when there as i ll there 2.6.

Any suggestions... let me know. was thinking of(secretly swapping me wifes baggage for like 20kg of whey... or just start eating halthy...

[amandagmu]

Ha ha! Eating healthy in Beijing........ so you'll be cooking at home then I suppose?

[damifan]

There are actually some really good "Chinese" gyms spread around Beijing, with really dirt cheap membership rates. I remember when I was still living there (in Shenzhen now) I was going to a gym that had everything you could want, was clean, and kept the equipment properly maintained. Best thing is it only cost me a few *hundred* RMB a month. It wasn't marketed towards foreigners and English was non-existant... but if you don't mind that then they can be a great deal.

If your interested, let me know and I can dig up the name of the place I went to.

[Brian US]

I found all the more reasonably priced gyms are cheaper because they take on many members. My 500 kuai gym was so busy after 3pm that I had to wait in line to use each machine. I suggest going at night to see how busy they can get before signing up.