Stacking these 3 supplements

[millia]

Hello all.. So after lifting for the last 3 months au naturale and not seeing the results I wanted, I went out to the store to get some supplements. So as of now what I am currently taking is:
Anavite (Gaspari Nutrition) which is a Multivitamin, 3 pills twice a day.
MaxCuts (Olympian Labs) which has 3g Arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate in it, as well as cinnamon, 5 pills, 3 in the morning, 2 at lunch time.
KreAlkalyn 1500 (Sci-Fit) which is a buffered creatine that requires no loading/cycling, ~4 pills a day, 2 in the morning, 2 before workout. On off days I just have 1 pill in the morning.

http://www.gasparinutrition.com/CatalogImages/18-11-SupplementFacts.jpg
(Anavite product label)

[FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif] Supplement Facts[/FONT]
[FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif] Servings Size: Five (5) Capsules
Servings Per Container: 30[/FONT] [FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif] Amount Per
Serving:[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif] %Daily Value*[/FONT]​

[FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif] L-Arginine a-Ketoglutarate (2:1)
Caffeine Anhydrous USP
[/FONT] [FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif] 3 g
125 mg
[/FONT] [FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif] †
†
[/FONT] [FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif] Thermogenic Blend
[/FONT] [FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif] 590 mg
[/FONT] [FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif] †[/FONT] [FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif] Kola Nut Extract (Cola acuminata) (35% Caffeine), Cinnulin PF® (bark) (Cinnamomum cassia), ForsLean®(Coleus forskohlii) (root) (standardized to 10% forskohlii), White Willow Bark Extract 10% (Salix alba), Green Tea Extract (Paullinia cupana) (22% Caffeine), Gotu Kola Extract (8:1) (herb) (Umbelliferae centella asiatica), Mustard Seed Powder (Sinapis alba), Astragalus Extract (root) (Astragalus membranaceus) (0.5% Astragalosides 10:1). [/FONT] [FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif] *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
†Daily Value not established.
[/FONT]

Supplement Facts:

Container Size: 240 Capsules
Serving Size: 2 Capsules
Servings Per Container: 120

Amount Per Serving:

Kre-Alkalyn 1.5 Grams
(buffered creatine US patent# 6,399,661)

Inactive Ingredients:
Maltodextrin, magnesium stearate.

Directions: Take 1 to 2 capsules once in the morning and once prior to exercise.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Hopefully this will help lead me to the body I'm trying to get

 

[CUSP82]

You know Millia, I've been lifting probably longer than you've been alive. I did it the old fashioned way. When I targeted a particular body part and after a few months did not see a gain I would switch the routine.Maybe I'd use more weight and a different motion, sometime less but more reps and the same or different motion, or sometimes I'd just give up on that body part altogether for a month and then get back to it.For me it was always some change in routine that made the difference.We really didn't have supplements back then, unless you'd consider Joe Weilder's bodybuilding powder a supplement. God I wouldn't even want to know what might of been in there.Supplements are always good and always help but unless you want to do some roids, in which case I might have your legs broken, try changing up your routine until you find the key.I hope it helps!

 

[RockstarParkingDude]

those are decent supplements, however they are only the beginning of a real supplement routine. you might also consider taking glutamine and whey protein if you aren't already.

glutamine and creatine will aid in water retention, giving size - also in explosive energy, giving strength. if you are looking to gain muscle, you might also consider testosterone booster. don't buy any expensive ones. the two you really want are ZMA and tribullus.

ZMA is really just a few minerals (zinc, magnesium.) deficiency in zinc or magnesium will hamper your natural testosterone production. by righting this deficiency, you can get your natural testosterone production closer to 100% instead of the maybe 60% you might get without these minerals.

tribulus terrestris (sp?) is a plant that has alkaloids that stimulate androgen receptors in the brain. there is little clinical proof that this plant has testosterone boosting effects, however there is much anecdotal evidence that it does have results.

also you might want to note that those "all in one" thermogenic proprietary blends should probably be avoided. try to find the ingredients that actually work and isolate them. you'll save money. also, that combo of active ingredients (with all the barks and seed extracts and stuff) will probably not make your belly feel so nice when you down 3 on an empty stomach in the morning. learned that the hard way. *bllllleeeehhhhhhh*

 

[millia]

You know Millia, I've been lifting probably longer than you've been alive. I did it the old fashioned way. When I targeted a particular body part and after a few months did not see a gain I would switch the routine.Maybe I'd use more weight and a different motion, sometime less but more reps and the same or different motion, or sometimes I'd just give up on that body part altogether for a month and then get back to it.For me it was always some change in routine that made the difference.We really didn't have supplements back then, unless you'd consider Joe Weilder's bodybuilding powder a supplement. God I wouldn't even want to know what might of been in there.Supplements are always good and always help but unless you want to do some roids, in which case I might have your legs broken, try changing up your routine until you find the key.I hope it helps!

No argument there! You really know how to make a feller feel young again!
But I've been doing it the old fashioned way for more or less a year (inconsistent) and haven't been seeing what I want. But there's been small gains, but recently (last 3 months) nothing has worked. And yes I do change what I do and target some parts of the body more than others and research and develop new routines, and alas it didn't work too well for me!
And roids are a big nono, I think my balls are small enough teh way they are, don't need them to get smaller and shut down hehe.

those are decent supplements, however they are only the beginning of a real supplement routine. you might also consider taking glutamine and whey protein if you aren't already.

glutamine and creatine will aid in water retention, giving size - also in explosive energy, giving strength. if you are looking to gain muscle, you might also consider testosterone booster. don't buy any expensive ones. the two you really want are ZMA and tribullus.

ZMA is really just a few minerals (zinc, magnesium.) deficiency in zinc or magnesium will hamper your natural testosterone production. by righting this deficiency, you can get your natural testosterone production closer to 100% instead of the maybe 60% you might get without these minerals.

tribulus terrestris (sp?) is a plant that has alkaloids that stimulate androgen receptors in the brain. there is little clinical proof that this plant has testosterone boosting effects, however there is much anecdotal evidence that it does have results.

also you might want to note that those "all in one" thermogenic proprietary blends should probably be avoided. try to find the ingredients that actually work and isolate them. you'll save money. also, that combo of active ingredients (with all the barks and seed extracts and stuff) will probably not make your belly feel so nice when you down 3 on an empty stomach in the morning. learned that the hard way. *bllllleeeehhhhhhh*

Nope, no glutamine here, and I won't be taking any whey protein for the month that I am on these supplements. Whey protein caused me to balloon up to a obese 240 lbs when I took it in high school, which was great when I played the offensive line, but now I have no need or want to be that big. I plan on getting all my protein from natural sources, and eating better then I was before. I don't want to gain muscle mass, I just want to take what's there already and give it more definition. I am not body building, or going for a 6 pack or anything, I just want my arms to have the definition I've always wanted, and to tone up the rest of my body once I achieve that.

I'm also not looking to start a real supplement routine, I'm just trying this stuff first to see if it works and then to go from there.. Depending on what happens, I'll probably just stop taking them all together because I am not a fan of taking pills for anything.

 

[millia]

Oh yea also, I take the 3 maxcuts pills on an empty stomach before a workout and after a workout (it is lunchtime then) and my stomach isn't upset at all.

My schedule is like this on lifting days:

Wake up at 7 AM
(Take pills)
Class at 8 AM
Gym at 9 AM
Class at 11:30 AM

And then I go to work.

 

[blink2000]

growth can really be slowed down if you

1-go to failure too often (in fact going to failure isn't necessary for growth in my experience). at least 80% or 90% intensity is important though--and about 5x reps seems ideal (although anywhere from 3x to 8x reps has produced good results for me in the past)

2-don't get enough protein / don't get enough calories

3-don't have a good routine. a good routine includes
press (overhead press)
benchpress
squat
deadlift
powercleans or standing rows
(on a few of these exercises there are substitutes, but for squat and deadlift, i think most substitutes are inferior.)
3x5, 5x5, westside, 5x3x1, madcow-- i'm not sure whether the exact routine matters as long as it's one of the these (or a similar routine)

4-if you don't get your EFAs (i think omega 3 makes a big difference). your body can't produce testosterone without the right fats

other supplements, multi-vitamins etc also help. but without protein and caloric surplus (along with a good routine) you might be spinning your wheels. you can definitely grow without deadlifts and squats, but including them produces much better results... (for both upper and lower body growth). i purposely didn't do squats for years to balance out my build (i wanted to be more symmetrical in terms of upper vs lower body, not just left vs right side). once my shoulder heals i plan to do the SL 5x5 routine (stronglifts.com), and once I plateau I plan to do madcow. after that i may try either smolov or 5x3x1.

i have found L-glutamine very effective for speeding up recovery (as well as creatine).

i'm sure the stack you're doing will help.

one cheap suggestion is to add vitamin D3. i think 4,000 to 5,000 IU per day is good (your body wont absorb it all, so this is why i think a dose this level is good).

if you take ZMA, do it late at night on an empty stomach. i am taking ZMA now and I believe it has boosted my testosterone. i believe vitamin D3 has boosted my testosterone as well.

 

[Closed039]

All I'd recommend is a pre-workout shake to get you fired up, whey protein for after the lift, and creatine (monohydrate is fine). I think you know how to lift so I won't lecture you here. But, as Blink suggested, 5 reps is not ideal for getting cut up, which I assume is your goal (given the Maxcuts product). I'd try to be in the range of 10-12 reps per set with minimal rest in between sets.

When I'm trying to add bulk and I'm going for like 3-5 reps, I will literally sit and take a minimum of 5 minutes between sets, and make sure my heart rate is back to normal before lifting again. This ensures that my muscles lift the heaviest weight possible and just get stronger. On the other hand, I might take only 30-60 seconds between sets of high rep weight when I'm looking to get all cut up, and I'm not too concerned at all about how much weight i'm lifting - I'm just trying to get that burn and break a sweat.

Best of luck to ya brother.

 

[Closed039]

You know Millia, I've been lifting probably longer than you've been alive. I did it the old fashioned way. When I targeted a particular body part and after a few months did not see a gain I would switch the routine.Maybe I'd use more weight and a different motion, sometime less but more reps and the same or different motion, or sometimes I'd just give up on that body part altogether for a month and then get back to it.For me it was always some change in routine that made the difference.We really didn't have supplements back then, unless you'd consider Joe Weilder's bodybuilding powder a supplement. God I wouldn't even want to know what might of been in there.Supplements are always good and always help but unless you want to do some roids, in which case I might have your legs broken, try changing up your routine until you find the key.I hope it helps!

Cusp - grrrrr. You sound like my parents. When I'd bring home supplements my dad would get on my case right away, saying how HE never used them and didn't he turn out alright? Well perhaps we shouldn't use planes to travel across the Atlantic, since boats have been gettin' it done for a while. Just ask Pirate.

But I do agree with you about shifting up the routine. That advice is priceless. Know how many times dumbell bench press saved my ass when i plateaued (sp?) on barbell?

 

[RockstarParkingDude]

you know, i never even thought to ask your stats or exact goals before i advised you. poor counseling on my part. i assumed you were another small guy looking to get big. getting cut is a different story altogether.

do more or less the exact opposite of what you've been advised if you are looking to lose weight and gain definition. focus on small muscle groups. work on isolating muscles (seated leg extensions, concentration curls, dumbell flies) rather than large groups at once (squat, bench, hang clean). consume fewer calories than you burn. work extra cardio in. go for 15 reps at 70 percent rather than 5 at 90 percent. spend fifteen minutes 3x a week working abs with weights on a decline bench. keep your diet high in seafood - tuna or salmon 4x a week.

my stance on supplements however does not change.

 

[Bjorn89]

Primal Blueprint + Rippetoe's Starting Strength.

Stop taking these supps, you want to lose weight, lose the carbs and go for a high fat moderate proteine diet@!@!#$@#!

Lift heavy, and do interval training/sprinting 1/2 a week.

I've currently lost 10 Kilo 98 --> 88 and i'm gaining muscle slowly agian now, and losing fat.

Mark's Daily Apple
Mark Rippetoe - Starting Strength Wiki

I can recommend Zinc, Omega-3, coconut oil, Whey. Other then that I just ate alot meat and other protein sources OH, don't forget the power of spices!

As a beginner and you want to GAIN go for the GOMAD programme(gallon of milk a day(preferably raw milk directly from the farm, but that's not an option try to look for milk that's been tempered with as less as possble! Make sure it's full fat milk).


p.s there are so much more authors but these have made a big impact on me, and I swear by them to any newbie(you are a newbie HECK even I am a newbie) I havent manage to squat my BW x 1.5 yet.

 

[Gravik]

If you aren't seeing size gains, then you aren't eating enough.

 

[millia]

All I'd recommend is a pre-workout shake to get you fired up, whey protein for after the lift, and creatine (monohydrate is fine). I think you know how to lift so I won't lecture you here. But, as Blink suggested, 5 reps is not ideal for getting cut up, which I assume is your goal (given the Maxcuts product). I'd try to be in the range of 10-12 reps per set with minimal rest in between sets.

When I'm trying to add bulk and I'm going for like 3-5 reps, I will literally sit and take a minimum of 5 minutes between sets, and make sure my heart rate is back to normal before lifting again. This ensures that my muscles lift the heaviest weight possible and just get stronger. On the other hand, I might take only 30-60 seconds between sets of high rep weight when I'm looking to get all cut up, and I'm not too concerned at all about how much weight i'm lifting - I'm just trying to get that burn and break a sweat.

Best of luck to ya brother.

I'm not down for the pre-workout, I actually have enough energy from my natural body in the mornings to do me justice. Also the maxcuts pills have caffeine in it which helps. Also, whey protein for me is a HUGE no-no. I took it in highschool and ballooned out to 240 lbs, which was great at the time because I was playing offensive line (and I was DAMN good at it). But I don't need that sh*t again. I actually just started (today) to supplement Builders Natural Protein Bar post workout.
I'm not sure where everyone has gotten the 5 rep thing from, but I am typically in a burning out type thing where I start 14x12x10x10x8 but am increasing the weight, and starting today I've done a 14x12x10 type deal and then I drop weight to a lower weight (about half of what I started out) and just go until I can't go anymore. Gonna see what this garners.

you know, i never even thought to ask your stats or exact goals before i advised you. poor counseling on my part. i assumed you were another small guy looking to get big. getting cut is a different story altogether.

do more or less the exact opposite of what you've been advised if you are looking to lose weight and gain definition. focus on small muscle groups. work on isolating muscles (seated leg extensions, concentration curls, dumbell flies) rather than large groups at once (squat, bench, hang clean). consume fewer calories than you burn. work extra cardio in. go for 15 reps at 70 percent rather than 5 at 90 percent. spend fifteen minutes 3x a week working abs with weights on a decline bench. keep your diet high in seafood - tuna or salmon 4x a week.

my stance on supplements however does not change.

Happens to the best of us brother. And no I don't have the small man syndrome, lol.

I tend to keep the core lifts that I've been doing since high school (upper body) and then drift off into a more focused and concentrated areas of muscle groups. I wish I could do extra cardio, but my schedule doesn't allow it. Full time student and full time employee leaves me time for not a damn thing. I've actually cut out almost all ab work so I can get extra cardio in, now that my endurance is at a moderately decent level again, I want to push my body to have high intensity in the cardio department. Still working on getting there, but like much it is a slow climb.

And I hate sea-food. Euuugh! I don't really have enough time in a day (especially when I gotta work/school) to plan a diet, I've been working at it recently, but there are times where I just have to accept eating the sandwich that they feed us at work (or salad if it's available).

Primal Blueprint + Rippetoe's Starting Strength.
Stop taking these supps, you want to lose weight, lose the carbs and go for a high fat moderate proteine diet@!@!#$@#!
Lift heavy, and do interval training/sprinting 1/2 a week.
I've currently lost 10 Kilo 98 --> 88 and i'm gaining muscle slowly agian now, and losing fat.
Mark's Daily Apple
Mark Rippetoe - Starting Strength Wiki
I can recommend Zinc, Omega-3, coconut oil, Whey. Other then that I just ate alot meat and other protein sources OH, don't forget the power of spices!
As a beginner and you want to GAIN go for the GOMAD programme(gallon of milk a day(preferably raw milk directly from the farm, but that's not an option try to look for milk that's been tempered with as less as possble! Make sure it's full fat milk).
p.s there are so much more authors but these have made a big impact on me, and I swear by them to any newbie(you are a newbie HECK even I am a newbie) I havent manage to squat my BW x 1.5 yet.

I don't have a need to lift heavy, and my diet won't allow my muscles to grow if I am lifting heavy. Congratulations on finding what works for you, but I don't need to be big anymore, and don't desire it anyways.
A gallon of milk a day? No thank you. I'll gladly drink my 1.5 gallons of water. And I wouldn't be able to drink a quarter gallon even if I wanted to. Lactose intolerant.

growth can really be slowed down if you
1-go to failure too often (in fact going to failure isn't necessary for growth in my experience). at least 80% or 90% intensity is important though--and about 5x reps seems ideal (although anywhere from 3x to 8x reps has produced good results for me in the past)
2-don't get enough protein / don't get enough calories
3-don't have a good routine. a good routine includes
press (overhead press)
benchpress
squat
deadlift
powercleans or standing rows
(on a few of these exercises there are substitutes, but for squat and deadlift, i think most substitutes are inferior.)
3x5, 5x5, westside, 5x3x1, madcow-- i'm not sure whether the exact routine matters as long as it's one of the these (or a similar routine)
4-if you don't get your EFAs (i think omega 3 makes a big difference). your body can't produce testosterone without the right fats
other supplements, multi-vitamins etc also help. but without protein and caloric surplus (along with a good routine) you might be spinning your wheels. you can definitely grow without deadlifts and squats, but including them produces much better results... (for both upper and lower body growth). i purposely didn't do squats for years to balance out my build (i wanted to be more symmetrical in terms of upper vs lower body, not just left vs right side). once my shoulder heals i plan to do the SL 5x5 routine (stronglifts.com), and once I plateau I plan to do madcow. after that i may try either smolov or 5x3x1.
i have found L-glutamine very effective for speeding up recovery (as well as creatine).
i'm sure the stack you're doing will help.
one cheap suggestion is to add vitamin D3. i think 4,000 to 5,000 IU per day is good (your body wont absorb it all, so this is why i think a dose this level is good).
if you take ZMA, do it late at night on an empty stomach. i am taking ZMA now and I believe it has boosted my testosterone. i believe vitamin D3 has boosted my testosterone as well.

The only time I go to failure is when I'm benching, and that is always unintentional.I can't do presses as this will irritate the sh*t outta my biceps tendinitis. But I do include bench presses, dead lifts, inclines, hang cleans & squats (when I lift at home).
And I get enough calories in a day, hehe I have an appetite for two of me. Reps-wise: see above.

If you aren't seeing size gains, then you aren't eating enough.

I actually probably eat a little more than I should.

 

[millia]

I'll post a basic outline of my routine in the morning... If I have the time.

 

[RockstarParkingDude]

you keep saying that whey protein made you blow up in weight. this was most likely not the case. whey protein generally only has about 150 calories or so per serving. it was more than likely the fact that you were playing sports and eating much bigger than you normally would that made you blow up. whey has low calories and high protein.

if you're looking to slim down and get defined, you still need protein. a good idea might be to make your diet look something like: (times added to show duration between meals - adjust as nessecary)

9am breakfast: 350 calories, a good bit of sugar and carbs. healthy sugars though. this will get your body burning fuel in the morning, and start your metabolism for the day. this is the most important meal for losing weight.
ex. bowl of oatmeal and a banana or half a bagel and a glass of milk or an apple and granola bar

noon lunch: 350 calories, at least 30g protein, a few greens or veggies would be good
ex. Ham sandwich with lettuce and tomato and a few carrot sticks- salad with chicken and croutons

3pm - protein shake 50g protein 275 calories- will give you energy till dinner and keep you from being hungry

6pm dinner: 500 calories - not too many carbs
ex. 8oz steak (a lean cut) with veggies and a bit of rice

10pm before bed, high protein no carbs- 4eggs, cheese if you like, a glass of milk. (i ususally make an omelette with a bit of american cheese) - this is the second most important meal. avoid carbs before bed. while you sleep, your body will have to burn its fat stores in order to digest the food you ate and maintain body functions. it will also have to do something with the protein you ate, so it will give it to your muscles - defining them, making them harder, not bigger.

 

[blink2000]

The 5 rep thing is really just for powerlifters, or people going for big strength gains (I think it may put more emphasis on hypertrophy). Since you're not worried about size, I suppose you can skip this. I think sets with 8x to 12x reps works better for Hyperplasia.

Anyway, since you're not trying to get bigger or stronger, I'm not sure it matters much what you do as long as you keep working out.