Sorry, this thread slipped past me it seems. Glad we have such informed members to give some great info! Nice posts Forseti and Harry
The only thing I can really add is:
#1 Now you can see why I stress eating more often in smaller portions? So much is wasted and ends up getting stored if we only ate only 3 large meals a day. Eating 6 times a day making sure to get protein with each meal is ideal.
#2 Like Harry said, within 30 minutes. Make sure to eat carb with it as well. It aids in protein absorbtion.
#5 Although there is nothing wrong with using machines, you do not get nearly the same workout as you would using free weights. You use a lot of muscles when stabelizing free weights which is why it is tougher. Also, my gripe with machines is that it makes it easy to cheat (using one your stronger side to aid the weeker one) whereas freeweights will force you to use both sides equally. Most importantly freeweights allow for a greater ROM and like harry said, you can incorporate more of a variety using them.
Blah, I couldn't add much sorry. These guys took the words out of my mouth
