i know you've probably touched on this subject before Byrone but what is the best way in gaining upper body muscle building? in terms of bulking quicker rather than toning. Does those protein drinks work as i used to use them a year ago and gave me nothing but strawberry scented farts!!
Get a door pull up bar, it's a great, cheap investment.

Do eight reps each slowly of each exercise listed below & they'll target your upper back, arms & shoulders plus your core.
Pull ups
Chin ups
Knee up twists
Chin up straight leg lifts
Pole grip
One arm pull ups
Opposing grip pull ups
Straight leg raises & holds
Knee Lifts
They do work but it depends when you take them, by the sound of things you were drinking them like they were milkshakes.

I only use protein shakes when i can't make my own meal or if i'm pressed for time. But in order for you to build muscle you need a combination of carbs & fats as well, you should do cardio in the morning as that's the optimal time to burn fat. When you do weight training, make sure you do at least ten min of cardio afterwards.