Due to my small build, the results were slow. My senior year, my max on bench press was 165lbs. That's one rep! I was small. I started using creatine that summer. I loaded up like it said and took it once a day after that. Before long, I gained about 45 to 50lbs (I was not fat). My bench press work out weight rose 20lbs every 2 weeks. Before long, the lean boy was lifting 225lbs, 4 sets of 10 reps. I usually threw in an extra when I could). My max was around 280lbs. I was lifting 6 days out of the week.

This all sounds great, which I thought it was, until I found it hard to stay hydrated and began to have mood swings. I consider myself a very mellow guy. I would lose my temper easily and have to get out of the situation quickly before I went too far. I experienced kidney pain and I started to have pains in the middle of my chest. When I started having the kidney pain, I decided to quit. All I needed was kidney failure! That's one organ you sort of NEED.

My suggestion to those considering taking creatine is to use it at your own risk. If you're small, it will give you muscle mass fast! But I've been off it for a year and a half and I'm lifting about 200lbs now. Without creatine it takes more work, but if you can get along without it, you're tougher than those that have to use creatine.