I need to start off by saying…
I AM NOT A DOCTOR, and the supplements recommendations that I’m going to make are based on the research and experiences from clients and myself so please use this information for education ONLY and NOT medical advice. Consult a doctor if you have questions about your health.
Ok so that was a bit of a buzz kill intro wasn’t it (sigh)…
What I’ve done below is list out the raw ingredients that you can pick up just about anywhere (I personally use Amazon) that I like to see in supplements from fat burners to muscle builders. The reason I like raw ingredients is this way you know exactly how much you are putting into your body and not relying on the proprietary blend that we talked about in the last blog
So what is listed below are the bulk of the ingredients that cause the majority of supplements to work without any of the filler. Your welcome.
Traditionally I don’t do too many blogs on supplements because I’ve seen some people quickly run to the store or online in hopes this is the magic pill and not understand that the eating is essentially what makes these supplements work.
At best supplement stacks will give you about a 5% edge
I’ve accepted you were simply going to get some recommendations from somewhere so at least this is better than getting it from the GNC guy that obviously doesn’t work out or the 18-year-old supplement guy working behind the counter.
I think that was my justification for writing this. Lame, right? LOL
Fat Loss Supplement Stack
Caffeine (100-400mg, preferably broken up into two doses) — It has a thermogenic effect (meaning it increases heat production) and with prolonged consumption causes triglycerides to release fatty acids which the body uses as fuel.
P-Synephrine (two doses of 10mg each) – This affects hormones in the body that help with fat burning and increase metabolic rate mildly. If you can’t find this you can use bitter orange instead.
White Willow Extract (two doses of 90mg each)- This is a source of salicin which is a cousin to aspirin (yes the popular drug) and has been shown to work well with caffeine by helping increase the effects of adrenaline
Muscle Building Stack
Creatine (5-10g) — This is a source of ATP (energy for your cells) and can improve the amount of work your muscles can do, which in turn can help you squeeze out a few extra reps
Nitrates (Include 500g leafy greens in a pre-workout meal 60-90min before exercise) – this turns into nitric oxide (NO) which improves blood flow during a workout (pump anyone), this helps transport waste from the muscles and nutrients faster. In cases where pre-workout meal just makes you nauseous, you can sub in 6g of L-Citrulline… not as good as the food but it will work.
Caffeine (400mg) – For muscle building purposes this increases adrenaline and in turn can help you generate more power and work out of the muscle
L-theanine (200-400mg) — this improves your attention span and focus for your workout while buffering the anxiety effects of caffeine
Carbs (50g)- Specifically high glycemic carbs, sugars, taken during the workout help spike insulin levels and give the body more energy to use (this is great especially for those people working out longer than an hour)
Some Hit or Misses
Something I have learned over the course of time using supplements is that there are some, that for any particular reason, just work well with your body. Below is a list of popular supplements that even though the studies don’t show these help with building muscle and burning fat some people just work very well with them.
BCAAs – I’m not saying BCAAs are bad, but I do feel they have been over the marketed and overly hyped for performance-enhancing. In fact, most studies show it has a very minimal effect; however, if you feel this does benefit you, take 10g before your workout.
Testosterone boosters – 99% of the ones on the supplement shelves are crap, you may feel good for a few days, but then you notice the effects quickly subside, some of the studies I’ve read that deal with some of the popular ingredients and testosterone boosters show that it mostly enhance his libido.
I’m trying… to refrain from libido gym jokes here but it’s just so so hard… (hehe, damn it)
Glutamine – Glutamine does work, but not for performance-enhancing. It’s used for gut and digestive health, but I can say from personal experience when your stomach is healthy, it makes absorbing nutrients a lot easier and in turn body-recomping easier.
Raspberry Ketones – We have to thank Dr. Oz for this one but the concentration of ketones needed to be taken to achieve any kind of fat loss result is too high for a pill.
Wrapping Up
The great thing about the stacks above is that you can tailor the dosages depending on how you feel and through experimenting find what gives you the results you’re looking for.
I’m not advocating going out and buying all of these. I still strongly recommend you get your diet in check before investing in any pills or powders. Coming from a self-proclaimed former supplement addict, I can’t tell you how much money I have wasted for not listening to that piece of advice.
If you have more questions about supplements, feel free to comment below, or I’d highly recommend going to this website and doing a little bit of reading. www.examine.com
In Health and Awesomeness,
Travis Merritt, BS, CPT, (and other letters behind the name) is the Owner of Rowlett Transformation Center in Rowlett, TX.
P.S. – If you enjoyed this post please share it with your friends using the social media buttons below.
P.P.S. – Please ask a question or share a comment with us in the Leave a Comment section at the very bottom of the page. We love your feedback and will use it to develop future content.
PLEASE CLICK THE “LIKE” BUTTON, POST A COMMENT AND SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS…
