The Question:

One of the best ways to get the full benefit of your supplements is by stacking them together.

What are the benefits to stacking supplements?

What is the best stack for gaining muscle mass?

What is the best stack for fat loss?

Bonus Question: What has been the most effective supplement stack you have used? How were the results?

Show off your knowledge to the world!

The Winners:

1. TUnit View Profile

2. jdiritto View Profile

3. mrkdrt View Profile

3. Opiewags99 View Profile

Prizes:

1st place - 75 in store credit. 2nd place - 50 in store credit. 3rd place - 25 in store credit.

1st Place - TUnit

View This Author's BodySpace Here.

One of the best ways to get the full benefit of your supplements is by stacking them together. Synergy is a key to getting the most out of your supplements.

This guide will help you to understand which supplements work best with each other and why. But first, did you know that it is not a good idea to take Beta-Alanine and Taurine at the same time? Zinc with Magnesium?

Those are just two examples of supplements you should not take at the same times because the body would struggle to absorb both at the same time. While synergy is important, it is equally important to know which supplements do not work well with each other.

Benefits

What Are The Benefits To Stacking Supplements?

Stacking supplements has many benefits. For one, there are many ways to gain muscle or lose fat, so by combining supplements that help you do either one through different pathways is very important.

First off, it is important to know what is meant by a staple supplement. A staple supplement is something that you take year round, regardless of a bulking or cutting cycle. I believe that the staple supplements are:

These supplements are very important to maintaining health and building muscle in the absence of other, more-specific goal-oriented supplements. These are the basics and will help you get good gains in the weight room. Creatine and Beta-Alanine have excellent synergy - Creatine helps anaerobic power while Beta-Alanine improves aerobic power for an excellent one-two punch.

Gaining Muscle Mass

What Is The Best Stack For Gaining Muscle Mass?

To gain muscle mass, one needs to have a caloric surplus in their diet, and training that is conducive to gaining muscle. Additional supplementation will help the athlete to gain even more muscle in a shorter period of time. Here are some muscle-building supplementation tips.

  • Weight Gainers will help you to get more calories in addition to your diet—the single most important part of gaining muscle. Without calories and extra protein, there will be no muscle growth.
  • Pre-workout stimulants containing Caffeine are very helpful in gaining muscle mass. The increased focus and energy allows you to lift longer and heavier. The thermogenic fat loss effect from such supplements is also welcome to minimize fat gain.
  • Testosterone is the primary male hormone responsible for many functions inside the body, including muscle gain and fat loss. Naturally promoting testosterone greatly improves the body's ability to put on a higher ratio of muscle to fat since this is what testosterone signals the body to do.
  • Gaining muscle requires that catabolism (muscle wasting) be at a minimum so taking BCAAs and Coleus Forskohlii is important. Take BCAAs between meals and during training for maximum effect.
  • Arachidonic Acid is excellent for gaining lean muscle mass and minimizing fat gain on a bulk. It works through pathways influencing prostaglandin synthesis and has received excellent reviews.

Basic Muscle-Building Stack (In Addition To Basic Stack):

  • Weight Gainer: (Suggested Supplement: ErgoPharm Mass Meal - 2-4 Scoops / day)
  • Pre-workout Booster: (Suggested Supplement: Genera Supplements Adrenaline - 2-3 Caps Pre-Workout)
  • Arachidonic Acid: (Suggested Supplement: Molecular Nutrition X-Factor - 4 Caps / day)

Checklist:

  • Genera Supplements Adrenaline
  • ErgoPharm Mass Meal
  • Molecular Nutrition X-Factor

This stack is more than enough for most athletes to gain muscle mass quickly and easily. It also takes into account teenagers who should not be using testosterone boosters at their age. Teens generally have great hormonal panels that are conducive to muscle building.

Extreme Muscle-Building Stack (In Addition to Basic Stack)

  • Testosterone Booster: (Suggested Supplement: Designer Supplements Activate Xtreme - 4 Caps / day)
  • Arachidonic Acid: (Suggested Supplement: Molecular Nutrition X-Factor - 4 Caps / day)
  • All-Around Hypertrophic/Aromatase Inhibitor (AI): (Suggested Supplement: Anabolic Xtreme Hyperdrol X-2 - 4 Caps / day)
  • Pre-Workout Booster: (Suggested Supplement: Genera Supplements Adrenaline - 2-3 Caps Pre-Workout)
  • Anti-Catabolic / BCAAs: (Suggested Supplement: SciVation Xtend - 4-6 Scoops / day)
  • Weight Gainer: (Suggested Supplement: ErgoPharm Mass Meal - 3-5 Scoops / day)
  • Creatine with Extra Ingredients: (Suggested Supplement: Gaspari SizeOn - 1 Scoop / day)

Checklist:

  • Genera Supplements Adrenaline
  • ErgoPharm Mass Meal
  • Molecular Nutrition X-Factor
  • SciVation Xtend
  • Anabolic Xtreme Hyperdrol X-2
  • Designer Supplement Activate Xtreme
  • Gaspari SizeOn

This stack will turn you into a muscle-building machine. Catabolism coupled with testosterone and calories make for a formidable combination. Incredible synergy can be seen, and the athlete will be able to build a lot of muscle in a short amount of time.

Fat Loss

What Is The Best Stack For Fat Loss?

A fat loss stack must be carefully planned so that it attacks fat loss at a variety of different angles and through various pathways in the body. Here is a list of important fat loss supplementation requirements:

  • Stimulants that increase thermogenesis, or simply body heat, such as Caffeine, PEA, Yohimbine, and Synephrine. Green Tea Extract is also considered to be a potent fat loss ally. Yohimbe Bark Extract works on the beta receptors in the body to get rid of fat in those tough places such as love handles and upper pecs. If used correctly, that is spaced evenly throughout the day; it is a potent fat loss aid with few, if any, side effects. [Writer's Note: Ephedrine will be excluded from this article as there are certain legality and availability issues throughout the US, so I feel that it is in everyone's best interest to leave it out of the discussion.]
  • Nutrient and glucose shuttling agents such as R-ALA (Alpha Lipoic Acid). Amino acids that enhance fatty acid oxidation such as Acetyl-L-Carnitine or Propionyl-L-Carnitine also help immensely with fat loss.
  • PPAR agonists, which free up fatty acids in the body to be metabolized. An example would be Tetradecylthioacetic Acid (TTA) which is found in some popular supplements.
  • Certain hormone modulators are key because they regulate the body's stress hormone production. These modulators are very catabolic hormones that are responsible for muscle loss and fat gain in the body.
  • Supplements that increase thyroid function are also very helpful as the thyroid is a major factor in fat loss. Such supplements include Guggulsterones and the amino acid L-Tyrosine.
  • A cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) regulator such as Coleus Forskohlii is an excellent addition to a complete fat loss stack.
  • A supplement for muscle-sparing while in a caloric deficit. Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) fit the bill perfectly, as they have been shown time and time again in various studies to help prevent muscle loss on a cut.
  • Arachidonic Acid, found in Molecular Nutrition's X-Factor, is probably one of the best supplements that can be used for fat loss. It is excellent for muscle sparing and maintaining strength while in a caloric deficit and works wonders when used in conjunction with the above supplements.

Beginner's Fat Loss Stack (In Addition To Basic Stack)

In conjunction with a considerable caloric deficit. Diet is the key to fat loss; supplements will only help you reach your goals. Training and cardio must be on point to see desired results.

Checklist:

This stack keeps things simple and cost-effective. With a properly planned diet high in protein and caloric deficit, losing fat should be a breeze.

All Out Fat Loss Stack (In Addition To Basic Stack)

  • Combination of Caffeine/Yohimbine (Suggested Supplement: ErgoPharm AMP2 - 3-4 Caps / day + Yohimbe Bark Extract: Caps - 10 mg / day evenly spaced out)
  • Branched Chain Amino Acids (Suggested Supplement: SciVation Xtend - 6-8 Scoops / day)
  • TTA / ALCAR or PLCAR (Suggested Supplement: RPN DCP - 6 Caps / day)
  • Green Tea / Coleus Forskohlii / 7-OH (Suggested Supplement: Designer Supplements Lean Xtreme - 3 Caps / day)
  • Arachidonic Acid (Suggested Supplement: Molecular Nutrition X-Factor - 4 Caps / day)
  • Bonus Supplement: Designer Supplements Activate Xtreme or Anabolic Xtreme Mass FX (4 Caps / day)

Checklist:

  • ErgoPharm AMP2
  • Yohimbe Bark Extract
  • SciVation Xtend
  • RPN DCP
  • Designer Supplements Lean Xtreme
  • Molecular Nutrition X-Factor
  • Designer Supplements Activate Xtreme / Anabolic Xtreme Mass FX

This stack attacks fat loss at every angle possible and the bonus supplement choice is for the athlete that wants to have an even larger caloric deficit that is made up for with a supplement that promotes the body's natural testosterone production.

Bonus Question

What Has Been The Most Effective Supplement Stack You Have Used? How Were The Results?

The most effective supplement stack I have used was when I was bulking about a year ago. I managed to put on almost 30 lbs in about 12 weeks time. I used:

  • Next Detour Oatmeal Protein Bars (4 / day)
  • SciVation Xtend (12 Scoops / day)
  • Prolab Creatine Monohydrate
  • Millennium Sports Carnage (Beta-Alanine)
  • ErgoPharm 6-OXO / SciVation Fenotest (4 weeks of each)
  • PrimaForce ALCAR (2 g / day)
  • Dymatize Energized Xpand (Pre-Workout)
  • Molecular Nutrition X-Factor (4 Caps / day for the first 50 Days)

It really worked well for my goals as it helped to limit fat loss from a 6000+ calorie diet. I gained about 30 lbs and a lot of it was lean muscle with some water and glycogen retention from the BCAAs and Creatine.

I must stress that the diet was the key to the gains and the supplements only helped me get the results I achieved. The protein bars accounted for 1800 extra calories a day so that was a huge help and large difference-maker. However, if I were to do it again, I would go with one of the stacks I outlined above as I have learned a lot more about supplement synergy since then.

2nd Place - jdiritto

View This Author's BodySpace Here.

Stacking supplements is a great way to get the most out of a product or certain ingredient. Certain ingredients when combined create a positive affect on the body (while others may cause negative effects).

It is up to the consumer to gain valuable knowledge as to every and all supplement products and ingredients included prior to using and/or stacking products.

Adding certain supplements along side one another may be the difference in someone getting great results and loving a product, or getting average results and just being satisfied with a product.

This is the reason main supplement companies provide their product with patented "complex" ingredient profiles; concealing their special formula (in a way) so that the consumer is forced into purchasing their product rather than combining bulk powders and creating their own version of that product.

Additionally, you may buy into the ads commonly shown in magazines (or other media) where an individual shows drastic alterations in appearance, whether it be muscle growth, fat loss, etc. and the ad claims with 60 days of use person X got these results. Surely, in most instances, the individual shown used a combination of products and supplements to achieve such results, yet they did in fact also use the shown product during that time (a way the popular media deceives!).

Before even getting into what is the best stack for adding muscle mass or fat loss, I feel there are certain supplements which should be covered initially, that should be an annual, day-in - day-out stack you always use when following a training regime.

1. A Multivitamin:

Promotes overall health and muscle growth/recovery (good buys: Animal Pak, Orange Triad, NOW Adam). Multivitamins are best utilized/absorbed when combined with whole food meals and plenty of water

2. Protein Powder(s):

A combination of whey and casein spread throughout the day (I suggest first thing upon rising, pre workout, post workout, and before bed - aim for 20-30g per shake depending on bodyweight) - there are tons of protein powders out there, the best is one you enjoy drinking.

Common brands are Optimum Nutrition, Muscle Milk, as well as those of us who enjoy purchasing less tasting (generally) but cheaper per serving bulk powders.

3. Creatine:

Any form will due - monohydrate is the most researched, others provide/claim better results, use what you find works best for you (good buys: Green Bulge, Size-On, or just large quantities of CEE powder) - I personally like to take creatine split between pre and post workouts, I find this most effective. As a rule of thumb, always begin by following the products labeled instructions.

4. Fish Oils And Other Fatty Acid Oils:

Fish oil contains the omega fatty acids, and other fatty acids (coconut oil, flaxseed, medium chain triglyceride oil [MCT oil], etc.) complement a healthy diet and promote proper nutrition. These products are best when consumed with meals, to promote their dietary effects.

5. Non-Supplements:

Intense training, 8 hours of sleep each night, and proper nutrition (including water intake)! This can not be stressed enough. Supplements are the icing on the cake, without proper diet, nutrition, and training regimes the supplements you use will not reach fully efficiency! Why waste your money (and time) for minimal results, when you can get the most out of it?!!

Realistically, every individual has a different set of genetics and thus will benefit differently from different supplements. What follows is a basic overview of what I generally feel are the best stacks for the described criteria.

Gaining Muscle

What Is The Best Stack For Gaining Muscle Mass?

The best stack for gaining muscle mass obviously includes those mentioned above. In terms of protein intake from shakes, something I have found to be great for adding lean body mass is to add ground up steel cut oats into protein shakes - a simple way to increase your caloric intake in a healthy manner (taste is a different story).

Another option is to purchase protein powders (weight gainers) specifically designed to add lean mass. Generally these powders are rather expensive, though they may taste better and be easier to make.

A great supplement stack I would recommend for adding lean mass is as follows:

Amino Acids - Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) & Essential Amino Acids (EAAs)

I like Purple Wraath by Controlled Labs for the EAAs and Xtend by SciVation for the BCAAs. I would generally take the EAA/Purple Wraath centered around the workout, while consuming BCAAs/Xtend all throughout the day.

ZMA + Controlled Labs White Blood Before Bed

ZMA is great pre-bed, and I've found White Blood used before bed to provide excellent gains in terms of growth and recovery - more so than when it is use pre workout.

Pre-Workout Energy

Can be something as simply as caffeine—will help increase the intensity of your training and the amount of weight lifted. Commonly companies market energy (caffeine ) with a nitric oxide system...

Nitric Oxide Enhancer

Increases blood flow, increases nutrient delivery to muscles, and pumps up the muscles worked—one thing to keep in mind is to make sure any nitric oxide product you use isn't containing caffeine, or if it is that you do not combine additional caffeine with it. Products like Controlled Labs White Flood, BSN NO-Xplode, SciVation Vasocharge work very well from my experience.

And finally...

Lots Of Whole Foods

One of the best way to add lean mass is to eat big. Obviously, you want to focus on certain things. You want to slowly, progressively increase your caloric intake to prevent bloating and/or body fat accumulation. Eating junk food and making unhealthy decision will add mass, though it will not be lean body mass.

I love the addition of steel cut oats to protein shakes as a simple means to add caloric density into the diet - Google Honeyville's steel cut oats - you can purchase a 50 lb bag of them.

And strength training - if you want to add mass, you obviously will be training differently than when you want to lean out. For me personally I find lowering the repetition range and increasing the resistance is a great start to increase hypertrophy and muscle mass.

When combining these supplements and other concepts, muscle growth is bound to occur.

Fat Loss

What Is The Best Stack For Fat Loss?

Again, the best stack for fat loss revolves around the basic supplement concepts listed at the beginning of this article.

The best stack (in my opinion and experience) for fat loss would be as follows:

One of the starting blocks of a fat loss stack is the fat burner. Fat burners I have found to be effective are as follows:

Nutrex Lipo 6

A great product, utilizes an interesting liquid capsule approach and effective combination of ingredients!

ErgoPharm (ErgoLean) AMP

This stuff started as an energy supplement, than they realized by using a different approach of consumption it has great effects as a thermogenic fat burner!

Again, there are tons of thermogenic fat burning supplements available. Who is to say what will work best for you? - the best route of option, do tons of research on what is available, make an informed educated purchase, and utilize that product to its best possibilities.

Other Products To Combine w/ The Fat Burner:

A fiber supplement: adding a fiber supplement to protein shakes or daily meals will increase your feeling of fullness, thus limiting your appetite and preventing overeating at meals! Additionally, fiber plays numerous practical health aspects as well (NOW Glucomannan is a great choice).

Protein powders with no carbs/low calories: some protein powders/shakes include hefty carbohydrates and calories, switching to a low carb/calorie product will facilitate fat loss.

Amino Acids: much like mentioned above, supplementing with amino acids will assist in muscle growth, repair, & recovery. A pound of muscle requires up to 3x as much energy as fat; more muscle = more energy (fat) burning.

And Finally...

DIET - everyone thinks there is a magic pill that will help them lose weight. It's not out there. There are those to assist (as mentioned above) but it boils down to your personal lifestyle. Eat healthy. Eat smart.

There is an overwhelming amount of information out their on diet and nutrition, read up. The obvious aspect of weight loss is this:

Calories Out > Calories In

You need to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight.

CARDIO, CARDIO, C-A-R-D-I-O. you can't lose fat without burning more calories than you consume. That's science. So, help your body out, and perform cardiovascular exercises in combination with weight training to boost your metabolism and burn off calories rapidly.

Pick a form you enjoy and can stick with, and do it, a lot. Aim to increase the intensity or duration each session. Running and swimming are the two best forms of this. During weight-training sessions, use high repetition amounts to increase the cardiovascular/endurance aspects of the exercise.

Personal Tips For Weight Loss:

Two handfuls of almonds + 15oz of water = a great curb to a small amount of hunger. When in doubt, drink water, even if you're not thirsty. No carbohydrates after 5pm.

Eat 5-7 small meals spread throughout the day, it keeps your metabolism going (large meals promotes energy (fat) storage). And finally, don't give up. It isn't easy, and with the overwhelming amount of images of fit bodies by the media, it can be hard for one to follow a fat loss plan. Stay focused on your goals, and reward yourself for progress you make!

Bonus Question

What Has Been The Most Effective Supplement Stack You Have Used? How Were The Results?

This is a stack I ran from an old log - was during a physique transformation contest. I was looking to add the most lean mass while cutting the most body fat. It was intense, very intense. I definitely had great progress while using this, was it cost efficient, not really. Would I suggest it? If you're looking for an intense period, and can finance it, why not? I experienced some sides in terms of gastro-discomfort. I feel a fiber supplement (such as glucomannin) would of fixed that.

I wish I could train and run logs like this more often, but being a full-time graduate student bottles my life up I can recall why the heavy reliance on Controlled Labs supplements. I know they are my favorite company and this was around the time I got heavily into them. But I guess there were some good sales on their line at the time, and I took advantage of them accordingly. I usually only buy supps that are on sale (unless I'm out of protein, multi, etc...) - here it is:

  • Controlled Labs Black Hole: 3 am, may vary depending on reactions

  • Controlled Labs White Blood: 3 before bed

  • Controlled Labs Blue Up Stim-Free - 2 before bed

  • Controlled Labs Green Bulge: 5 pre or post workout

  • Controlled Labs Green MAGnitude: 1 scoop pre or post workout (opposite of Green Bulge)

  • Controlled Labs Purple Wraath: 2 pre workout, 2 during workout

  • Controlled Labs GlycerGrow: 1 pre workout, 2 during workout, 1 post workout

  • SciVation Xtend: AM/during workout/PM

  • ALCAR (capped by self): 3 caps 2 x a day, 3 caps pre workout

  • HP R-ALA: 1 cap with ALCAR caps

  • Animal Pak: with AM meal

  • NOW Zinc & magnesium: pre-bed

  • USPLabs cAMPHIBOLIC: 3 pre bed, 2am

  • NOxidantL 1am, 1 post workout,1 before bed

  • NAC: 1 cap am/post/pm

  • Twinlab biotin: 1 post workout

  • HP Chrom Pico: 1 post workout

  • Waxy maize starch: 1 scoop post workout

  • PrimaForce CLA: 3x a day with meal

  • SciVation Sesamin: 3x a day with meals

  • Health from the Sea Pure Fish Oil: 2x a day with shot of OJ

  • Whey isolates: as shakes

  • Whey concentrate: in homemade bars [below]

  • Uni-Liver tabs: whenever, at minimum 2am, 2afternoon, 2pm

  • PrimaForce Glutaform: 10g am, 10g post workout, 10g pre-bed

  • PrimaForce lean green: 3-5 a day (depending on actual tea intake)

Brief Diet Overview (As This Is Important, Too!)

Daily consumption (kind of in daily schedule order)

  • Natural oat bread + sliced turkey

  • 4-5 whole eggs

  • 1-2 can tuna

  • 2 servings grilled chicken breast

  • 2-4 protein shakes (whey isolate & casein before bed)

  • Home-made protein bars

  • 2-3 servings natural peanut butter

  • handfuls of almonds or handfuls of mixed nuts (at work)

  • 1-2 gallon water

  • 1+ green tea cups (usually 1 home sun-brewed glass daily with lunch, and I drink the natural brew a lot at work)

  • 2 gourds of Yerbamate tea - 1 in the am, 1 before work

My Home-Made Protein Bar Recipe:

  • 4 scoops whey concentrate
  • 1 scoop casein
  • 2/3 packets carnation instant breakfast carb free
  • 4 scoops ground steel cut oats
  • 5 table spoons coconut oil
  • 5 table spoons ground flaxseed
  • 5 table spoons peanut butter
  • Milk/water, as needed

Most importantly --- INTENSE TRAINING!

3rd Place - mrkdrt

View This Author's BodySpace Here.

Sure you can use just one supplement, but are you getting the most out of it? Stacking can help drive the needed supplements straight to the muscle to speed growth and recovery. Taking branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) is great, but adding a nitric oxide (NO) supplement can really help rush those building blocks to the "construction site."

Stacking basically makes supplement use more efficient, pushing your body to its full potential. Combining various supplements can ensure you are utilizing all that each supplement has to offer, and can potentiate the effect of each.

Another important reason stacking is beneficial is that it can maintain a state of growth, or hypertrophy. There's more to gaining mass than downing a protein shake here, a high calorie shake there. To maximize the effects of anabolism, stacking can help protect your muscle from catabolism, or breakdown.

Muscle Mass

What Is The Best Stack For Gaining Muscle Mass?

To gain mass, protein is a carved-in-stone requirement. Whey proteins are great to ensure you are getting your 1g of protein per pound of body weight each day. I suggest Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey.

Casein is also must if your goal is mass gain. This source of protein will digest slower than whey, giving you the nutrients when you're not eating, maintaining protein synthesis and keeping your hard-earned muscles from breaking down. Optimum Nutrition's 100% Casein is a great casein product.

Another overlooked, but ultra-important supplement to have is a good multivitamin. Universal's Animal Pak offers the vitamin and minerals you needs to get the most out of your diet, and helps in replenishing what you lose in the gym.

Animal Pak also offers a small dosage of joint support. Working out works your joints and tendons, so supplementing with a good joint support product will promote better recovery and keep you in the gym working on your gains. You can also maintain the health of your body when buying an actual joint supplement, like Universal's Animal Flex.

Supplementing essential amino acids (EAAs) and BCAAs will give you the necessary building blocks for protein synthesis to build on and repair your muscles. A highly recommended product is Controlled Labs' Purple Wraath. This powder gives you not only EAAs and BCAAs but also a workout complex containing beta-alanine and citrulline malate.

Beta-alanine will reduce the breakdown of carnosine in your muscles, giving you energy in the gym to maximize your gains. Citrulline malate is a great supplement that also helps in the gym.

Citrulline malate helps reduce lactic acid buildup in your muscles, keeping you going like the Energizer bunny. Now, if you want even more energy, a creatine product is perfect for you. Tried and true, creatine monohydrate, such as Higher Power's Micronized Creatine, will keep you from running out of gas too early.

To really help drive those nutrients to the muscle cells and helping get a good "pump" in the gym, an arginine alpha-ketoglutarate (AAKG) or NO product works outstandingly. You can buy AAKG in a bulk powder (Supplements Direct), or get a NO product like Universal's Animal Stak.

There are also other products that may help you out, depending on your needs. ZMA, like Optimum Nutrition's ZMA, can help natural testosterone production. ZMA can also help you get the most out of your sleep, which is very important for muscle growth.

A good source of essential fats is Optimum Nutrition's Flax Seed Oil and Fish Oil. Fats are just as important as protein and carbohydrates, so these capsules can really help gain lean mass.

If under-eating is a problem you have, Controlled Lab's Black Hole will help you eat and eat and eat, filling up your body with much needed nutrients.

Another option, if you're not able to get all your calories from your diet is to pick up a gainer. These high calorie powders offer high protein content (mainly whey) and high carbohydrate content to maximize mass gain. A recommended gainer is CytoSport's Cyto Gainer.

So to list the best stack for mass gain:

Fat Loss

What Is The Best Stack For Fat Loss?

You want to lose fat, but not your precious muscle, so a protein source is still a must. If your diet is very restricted, which it should be, a whey isolate product is just what you need. Low in fats and carbohydrates, Nature's Best Zero Carb Isopure is a great choice.

Not to be forgotten, a multivitamin should also be used during fat loss. Universal's Animal Pak is just as useful for fat loss as for mass gain.

If intense cardio isn't getting you as shredded as you want, then a thermogenic fat burner may be a good investment. Universal's Animal Cuts is great product for losing stored fat and maximizing your thyroid function, increasing your metabolism.

Animal Cuts can also maintain healthy insulin levels and appetite suppression. Common supplements for fat loss include green tea extract, guggulsterones, lipoic acid and ginger root.

Animal Cuts contains all of these and more, so it is a great option to get all in one. Animal Cuts does contain stimulants, so if you are sensitive to stimulants, there are products for you. Universal's Super Cuts 3 works similar to Animal cuts by providing thermogenic fat loss and metabolism boosting.

So, you've been training and taking a thermogenic, but some areas of your body may be harder to lose fat than others. To really target resistant fatty areas of your body a topical product is a perfect option.

PrimaForce's Yohimbe Bark Extract is a pure source of this supplement that actually works. Keep in mind Yohimbine might not be the best option if you are very sensitive to stimulants.

So to list the best stack for fat loss:

Bonus Question

What Has Been The Most Effective Supplement Stack You Have Used? How Were The Results?

The effective stack I used, I unfortunately just finished. I was stacking Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey, 100% Casein, Flax Seed Oil, and Fish Oils. With that I was taking Universal Nutrition's Animal Pak, Controlled Labs Purple Wraath and Higher Power's Micronized Creatine.

Using this stack I gained nearly 8 pounds of lean muscle, maintaining a single-digit body fat percentage, in just over a month's usage. I've gained inches on my body and I've made gains in lifting weights also. Using this stack, I felt more energetic in the gym than usual, and I've never gained lean muscle mass at that rate before.

Cheers! mrkdrt

References:
  1. https://www.bodybuilding.com/store/index.html

3rd Place - Opiewags99

View This Author's BodySpace Here.

One of the best ways to get the full benefit of your supplements is by stacking them together.

Benefits

What Are The Benefits To Stacking Supplements?

Supplements are one of the key foundations of the bodybuilding lifestyle. Not to say they are as important than the essential components of proper diet and a complete exercise regimen, but they can certainly help a person looking to put on some muscle or lose some fat achieve that goal more efficiently.

Now, everyone knows that supplements are essential for the optimum growth of muscles, but there are specific times throughout the day that are especially important to take advantage of. For example, in the morning after you wake up, it is especially important to have some protein as quickly as possible in order to raise the nitrogen levels in the blood for the creation of new muscle.

Basically, there are a few supplements that are essential to any bodybuilder if he wants to build new muscle or preserve that hard earned muscle. These include a few things such as different types of protein, NO boosters, post-workout carbs, and a testosterone booster.

Starting with protein, there are a few types of protein that are really necessary.

First of them all is whey protein. This protein comes from milk and is a very quickly absorbing protein source, and thus is perfect for times that you need a really quick boost of protein, such as right after you wake up or right after a workout. This is one of the cleanest sources of calories, therefore it is perfect for the dieting individual, or for someone attempting to gain some muscle.

Another type of protein is casein, which is sometimes called micellar blends. Basically casein is another protein coming from milk, except that it has the ability to bind with water or milk, making any shake with casein in it much thicker.

Now this seems like a negative thing, but the idea behind this is that it will sit in your stomach longer since it's a semi-solid rather than a liquid, as liquids can pass through the digestive system amazingly fast. This allows the body to experience a very slow and sustained release of protein.

This is ideal to take right before bedtime for this reason. Normally the body goes into starvation mode while sleeping, which is a catabolic state, meaning that muscle will be broken down for energy. If you happened to have consumed casein before sleeping, the sustained release of protein into the bloodstream can help maintain a positive nitrogen balance, thus maintaining and building new muscle while you sleep.

There are a few other types of protein such as soy, and egg protein, which are also excellent if your stomach happens to not enjoy the presence of milk also.

An additional supplement that is important for proper muscle repair is simple carbohydrates such as waxy maize starch. The idea behind very simple carbohydrates is that after a workout, the muscles are craving nutrients and therefore a spike in insulin, which can be caused by these simple carbs.

The spike in insulin then forces sugars into the muscle cells which then cause the refueling and repairing process of the muscle to begin. The muscle cell then needs protein to begin the actual repairing of the muscle fiber actomyosin.

This is why most post-workout supplement shakes that are specifically designed to be consumed after working out contain a good amount of simple carbohydrates in addition to a nice amount of quickly absorbing protein.

Another supplement that is important for any athlete is a Nitric Oxide booster. Specifically, these supplements contain arginine, which is an amino acid that has been shown to have a stimulating effect on the body's ability to produce NO.

Nitric oxide plays a very important role in the body's ability to properly contract muscles. When taking a NO product, I feel incredible pumps after my warm-up set, and throughout the rest of the day.

The simple fact that I feel like my muscles are going to rip out through my skin push me to work harder with each set that I attempt. This is probably one of the most important supplements leading up to my constant motivation and success in building up my body. My favorite just so happens to be MRI's NO2 Black, give it a try, I promise you won't be disappointed.

The final supplement that I would suggest to anyone who wants to live a bodybuilding lifestyle is a testosterone booster. Basically, a supplement like this has the goal of simply by promoting healthy normal levels of testosterone that are naturally found in the blood. Although these products remain a controversial issue to some, they have remained on the market for years and years, meaning there has yet to be sufficient proof that they cause negative health effects, which is very good.

The great news is that these products work. I tried Universal Nutrition's Animal Testosterone booster and was amazed with the changes in strength that I experienced. Even for a smaller guy, benching 1.5 times your body weight is quite a feat to accomplish. I'd definitely recommend giving this product a try also.

Muscle Mass

What Is The Best Stack For Gaining Muscle Mass?

Basically, the essentials have been listed above, including:

But when putting on muscle mass, another supplement is very important. This supplement is very famous and of course is creatine. Creatine has become infamous in the recent media, and oddly accused by the media of being a steroid. This of course is untrue.

Creatine is naturally found in meat products and is essentially a substance that is a precursor to Adenosine Triphosphate, which is the energy molecule that the body uses to move muscles. Simply stated, creatine helps the muscles create energy, which unlike steroids which are artificial hormones. In addition to helping create ATP (the body's energy molecule) in the muscles, it also allows water to flood into the muscle for quicker muscle recovery.

Fat Loss

What Is The Best Stack For Fat Loss?

Of course the basics listed above will be included in a fat loss stack, but there is one other additional supplement that I would include.

Fat burners are one of the quickest ways to lower your body fat in addition to cardiovascular exercise. These supplements typically contain stimulating substances such as synephrine and caffeine which increase the efficiency of the body's metabolism.

This simply increases the amount of calories that the body can burn off per day, thus allowing the body to burn more calories than are consumed in the diet. This is basically the foundation of fat loss.

During my cutting phases, I typically use Lipo 6, but more recently tried out the newer Lipo 6X, which I found to be extremely effective. I now officially have passed the point of 6 pack and am on my way to the legendary 8 pack.

Bonus Question

What Has Been The Most Effective Supplement Stack You Have Used? How Were The Results?

As briefly stated above, my fat loss stack has been extremely effective in helping my abs to show through. I've gotten compliments at my local gym in the pool more than once, and the feeling that I get when someone notices the fruits of my labor. Trust me; there is no food that tastes as good as being thin and ripped feels.

Here's my stack:

I've had solid results with this stack, let me know how you do with it if you give it a try!

Thanks for reading!

-K (Opiewags99)

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