The Best Whey Protein Guide You’ll Ever Read (Updated 2024)

“What’s the best whey protein?” the gym-going newbie asks.

Well, as I’ve said before, whey protein is by far one of the best muscle building supplements on planet earth.

It’s perfect right after a workout, because it’s fast digesting—it gets your muscles the protein that they need in just 30 minutes (compared to a meal, which takes around 2 hours).

But it’s not that simple—not all whey protein is created equal. This is one of the first things that I learned from working at a supplement store in college.

There’s cold processed whey, grass-fed whey, casein blends, isolate matrixes, and protein concentrate…how in the hell do you know what to choose?

Well, I’ve tried over 100 different whey protein supplements and narrowed it down to a few of the best so that you don’t have to waste your time and money. Here’s the best whey protein supplements, in my opinion.

How to Avoid Whey Protein Scams

Most people start off by going to some generic bodybuilding website or fitness blog and get their supplement recommendations from there.

They read all about how Muscle Tech has the best pre workouts on the market! Buy their supplements now!

…and then, they go and buy their supplements. This is by far the worst thing that you could ever do, however. Why?

Again—one of the first things that I learned from working as a supplement salesman, going to different gyms, networking at shows, and talking to local bodybuilders, was that the fitness industry is incredibly political.

In other words, these websites recommend whichever product will pay them the most. I wrote about this in my SARMs for sale article, where I exposed three known scammers, promoting pure junk.

You could have an absolutely amazing, 100% pure, cold processed, nutrient-dense whey protein, but if some shitty company that’s loaded with filler pays bodybuilding.com $2,000,000 to recommend their product, then it’s going to recommend their product as the best whey protein in existence.

To be fair, I don’t blame them all that much, because that’s what companies do—they want the most profit. But, you need to realize that they are not always (read: they’re not ever) recommending things that are in your best interest.

Take for example, Mutant Mass. It’s one of the best mass building shakes of all time… but nobody recommends it. Why?

Because some other shitty whey protein brand is willing to pay more, and so everyone recommends that one instead. I hate to break it to you, but this is just how the supplement industry works.

Why Most Whey Protein Sucks

Because the supplement industry isn’t regulated, it’s extremely important to source your whey protein from a quality source. I would say that roughly 65% of whey protein has some sort of filler in it.

Then maybe another 25% is just plain garbage (denatured protein from heat processing, artificial crap, no digestive enzymes, etc.), and only the remaining 10% is what’s actually decent.

That being said, whey protein is one of the best muscle building supplements on planet earth, so you want to get your hands on a good one.

Just how do you know if a whey protein has junk and filler in it, though? It’s actually pretty simple: just check the price.

When it comes to whey protein, what you pay for is what you get. Pretty much any whey protein that’s under $25 is going to be low quality.

This isn’t the case with all supplements, though. Creatine, for example, is only about $35 per year, but with whey protein you want to buy quality.

You know that cheap ass whey you see at Walmart or Costco in the pharmacy section? The stuff that’s like $19.99 for a 3 month supply?

Yeah—that stuff. Don’t buy it. It’s absolute garbage and will probably give you diarrhea for the next 3 days (not even joking).

Bad whey protein will not only upset your digestive tract, though. It will also make you feel sluggish and lethargic for the next 3-4 hours as your body screams out to you: “Why in god’s name would you give us this junk?”

GNC: The Biggest Scam of All

Again, one of the biggest mistakes that newbies make is they go to GNC—and I can’t blame them, because I did this too.

GNC tends to have a good reputation amongst old people and people who know nothing about bodybuilding. “Oh, dude go to GNC! They have the best whey protein!” shouts the 80 year old man with flabby arms.

GNC whey protein is overpriced, overrated, and completely clueless when it comes to supplements. Do not buy from them.

I cannot tell you how many times I was recommended absolute bullshit by some Indian guy with a thick accent who didn’t even lift. I probably wasted close to $500 there when I first started lifting.

It’s not that their supplements don’t work at all, though. They work just enough to keep newbies (and old people) coming back, but there’s tons of other whey protein brands that are higher quality and that cost less.

You’d be much better off spending your money on a clean bulking diet, than spending it at GNC. Their supplements are overpriced and under dosed.

Beyond GNC, there’s a lot of “high end” supplement chains that grossly overcharge for their products. I won’t name any names, but you probably know what I’m talking about.

The only high end supplement chain that I ever actually liked was Max Muscle (where I worked in college). They have some very expensive, high quality supplements, but most people can’t afford them.

3 Best Whey Protein Brands For Men

Now that you know how to determine good whey protein vs. bad whey protein, let’s talk about the top three whey protein brands on the market.

The quality of a whey protein is determined by four main criteria

1. How pure is it? Are there any fillers?
2. Are there any toxins or artificial ingredients that will hinder my performance?
3. Is it cold processed or heat processed?

That’s basically it. The first one is obvious—are there any fillers? You don’t want to be drinking a whey protein that’s 80% corn starch.

The second is more insidious. As I’ve said before, bad whey protein is one of the WORST foods that kill testosterone. You want the good stuff.

Bad whey protein is filled with testosterone murdering ingredients, that will sap your testosterone levels, and harm your muscle building progress.

The third, and least understood aspect of whey protein, is whether it’s cold processed or heat processed. This is very important.

While heat processing is cost-efficient, it often times denatures the protein, which means it’s hard for your body to digest.

When it comes to whey protein, you want the stuff that’s cold processed. This will cost you more, but it ensures that the whey protein is more bio-available, which basically just means your body will absorb it better.

So, with all of these things in mind, here are the best whey proteins currently on the market right now.

Best Whey Protein for Beginners

I’ve recommended this whey protein before, several times on my blog, because it’s very high quality, very pure, and very cost effective.

It’s the best bang for your buck. It isn’t cheap, but it isn’t too expensive either; and it’s a quality whey protein. It’s pure, there’s no fillers or adulterants, and it’s also easily digested by your body.

It’s also a blend between concentrate and isolate, which is a good thing if you’re trying to bulk up.

Whey protein concentrate is higher in fat than isolate, and they both have their pros and cons. Isolate is easier to digest, but concentrate is better for post workout recovery.

ON Gold Standard mixes the two for, just that: optimum nutrition.

Best Whey Protein Isolate

Remember what I said about whey protein isolate vs. concentrate? Isopure is 100% whey protein isolate, which makes it ideal if you’re trying to slim down but still recover after the gym.

I talk about this more in Body of an Alpha, but the idea is that you want to minimize insulin production if you’re trying to lose weight (AKA have less carbs and more fats/protein).

Whey protein isolate less calories than whey protein concentrate, and it has a higher protein content—both of these are crucial for cutting down while still maintaining muscle mass.

And if you have issues with digestion, whey protein isolate is the best whey (haha, not funny) to go. Digestion issues with whey protein are caused by the fat that comes with it, and since there’s almost zero fat in whey protein isolate, it’s incredibly easy to digest.

In fact, as I’ve stated before, when I was on my dirty bulk, one of the meals I would eat was literally just whey protein and donuts… and while this isn’t pretty, it certainly gets the job done.

You can also buy individual bottles of isopure. There’s a few offers online, but it’s probably best to buy them from your local gym.

Keep in mind it’s not as good a deal as the powder, but it’s more convenient than having to store a giant tub of whey protein, put a scoop in your blender bottle, wash it afterwards, etc.

In my opinion the alpine punch is the best flavor, but they have a pretty wide variety. The blue raspberry and grape are also pretty good—be careful not to accidentally get the “isopure mass,” brand however, unless you’re trying to bulk up.

Cleanest Whey Protein

I’ve been a huge fan of bulk supplements for a while now, due to their low prices and high quality products. In my opinion, their whey protein is the best whey protein on the market. Why?

• It comes from grass fed cows. Studies have shown that whey protein from grass fed cows is higher in micro-nutrients, boosts your immune system, and has a higher omega-3 content.
• Grass fed whey is also way lower in toxins, antibiotics, and hormones.
• It has just one ingredient: 100% whey protein. No artificial sweeteners, toxins, fillers, or ANYTHING.
• The price is extremely competitive, to non-grass-fed whey proteins.

Personally, when I consume grass fed whey vs. “regular” whey, I feel the difference in my mental state and energy almost immediately.

When I switch back to regular whey protein I feel slightly sluggish, and foggy; none of that happens when I consume grass-fed whey protein.

It isn’t enough to make that big of a difference—maybe only 10%. But, when you’re functioning at an extremely high level, you need all of the edge you can get. That 10% might not seem significant, but due to the slight edge principle, it will create significant long-term differences.

The only problem is that it’s unflavored. If you’re willing to put in a little bit of extra work, you can get all of the benefits, and then some, though. Here’s the recipe that I use:

• 5 tbsp of Bulk Supplements Grass Fed Whey
• 2 tbsp of organic cacao powder
• 3 drops of liquid Stevia extract (a safe, natural alternative to sugar)

Blend it all together in a blender bottle, and enjoy. You can even mix it with milk (I recommend raw milk) for some extra calories if you’re trying to bulk up.

Summary: The Best Whey Protein

As I said before, whey protein is perhaps one of the most important supplements when it comes to building muscle. It will sky-rocket your performance and decrease your recovery time, because it gets your body the nutrients that it needs exactly when it needs them.

If you’re trying to get jacked, whey protein is a must—if you’re new to working out, don’t worry about all of the frills and fancy workout routines. Just buy some basic supplements and get started.

Then, as you progress and learn more about nutrition and your body, you can start to experiment with others. Remember, though—supplements are meant to supplement your diet, not replace it. They are not a replacement for real, healthy food.

If you guys have any questions, comments, concerns, or whey protein recommendations, let me know. And, as always, I’ll see you next time.