Sometimes you need that extra help reaching your fitness goals. When you’re stuck at a plateau and can’t make any more progress, supplements are great for bursting through a bad period.
By giving your body everything it needs to perform at an optimum levels, a good supplement stack can help your training in the following ways:
- Perform better – Give your body that extra edge
- Faster progress in the gym – Lose fat and gain lean muscle quicker
- Increased focus and motivation – Supply your body and brain with what it needs to run at 100%
- Improve overall health – Get optimum amounts of essential vitamins and minerals for a healthier lifestyle
What makes a good supplement stack?
A supplement stack is a combination of nutrients that help you to reach your fitness goals. Each product in a stack plays an individual role and provides different benefits to enhance your performance in the gym and get you results.
Here’s our top products to have in a supplement stack when aiming to lose fat and gain lean muscle:
- Fat Burner – accelerates fat loss and gives you a boost in energy.
- Testosterone Booster – enhances strength, libido (sex drive), mood, and promotes fat loss.
- Pre Workout – Boosts energy, focus, and muscle pumps during your workout.
- Multivitamin – promotes overall health and muscle recovery.
In this article, we explain what each of these supplements are, and how they benefit both your training, and your lifestyle. If you’re looking to up your game in the gym, this is the article you need to read:
What Should I Avoid in a Supplement Stack?
Now that you know the best supplements to stack together in order to accelerate your progress in the gym, you should know what to avoid during your search for the best quality products.
This will help you understand why we’ve recommended specific supplements – the products we’ve recommended provide all the benefits you need without risking side effects (we’ll expand on this in a later section).
Take a look at what you should stay away from:
Proprietary Blends
Proprietary blends are one of the biggest gimmicks in the supplement industry, but you might be thinking – what is a proprietary blend?
A proprietary blend is a mixture of numerous ingredients that are shown to the customer as one quantity, rather than in their individual doses. This means you won’t be able to know the exact amount of each individual ingredient in the supplement.
Here’s a classic example:
Look at the red boxes, every ingredient apart from the caffeine has their dosage hidden. So how do you know how effective it will be overall?
Answer: You can’t.
This is why you should avoid proprietary blends:
- You don’t know what you’re getting – it’s worrying when a supplements company hides their dosages – it shows a serious lack of confidence in their product.
- The best companies are completely transparent about their products – you know exactly what you’re getting, and how much. This shows not only how effective it is, but also how safe – which leads us to our next point:
- Increased risk of side effects – This is the biggest risk you’re taking when using a supplement containing proprietary blends. If you’re sensitive to a certain ingredient – you could be getting more than you were expecting. Which could lead to side effects.
- It’s not worth taking the risk, there are plenty of other options that are honest and open about what they use.
- You’re wasting hard-earned cash – In most cases, companies will use proprietary blends to make you believe that their products are better than they really are – giving blends names such as ‘Peak Performance Blend’ or ‘Focus Matrix’.
- This allows them to ramp up the price, while packing the product with cheaper, ineffective ingredients while under-dosing the expensive, more effective ones. Charging you more, for less.
Avoid Bad Manufacturers
The ingredients aren’t the only thing that matters when it comes to supplements – where they’re produced is an important factor too.
If the manufacturing facility is poor – you can bet the product is poor too. The quality of the ingredients will be lower, and the risk of side effects will be higher.
To avoid problems we only recommend choosing supplements from cGMP approved facilities (Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations) – this will usually be written right on the box or the bottle, and common with supplements made in the USA and UK.
It ensures that the supplements you buy were manufactured under strict regulations – and made to the highest quality, in safe and hygienic conditions.
Make sure the supplements you purchase are made in cGMP certified and FDA approved facilities, to ensure they are safe and effective.
Why are Fat Burners important?
When it comes to cutting, you can’t get better than a fat burner. Made up of all natural ingredients, these supplements are your ticket to:
- Getting those shredded abs – Carving out that striking six pack
- Increasing muscle definition – Get sculpted shoulders and a more defined physique
- Burning fat faster – See quicker progress from your hard work
- Eating cleaner – Curb hunger cravings and want less snacks
- Training harder for longer – more motivated to train in the gym without feeling sluggish
Simply put, these supplements are designed to burn more fat.
This is achieved via numerous processes that occur after you’ve consumed it. Often this is done through:
- Thermogenesis – Increasing body heat to burn more calories by initiating cooldown processes in the body.
- Stimulants – Nutrients like caffeine that improve energy, strength, and your overall metabolism.
- Appetite Suppression – Fibrous complexes like glucomannan that swell in the stomach and reduce hunger cravings.
However, that last one is the difference between an average and a quality fat burner. Only the more premium options reduce hunger cravings. They’re harder to come by, but for faster results, they make all of the difference.
The Best Fat Burner – Instant Knockout
Manufactured by Roar Ambition, this fat burner was originally created to help professional boxers and MMA fighters (such as UFC athlete, Diego Sanchez) cut weight before a fight.
Due to its success, Instant Knockout was released to the public, and has been a market leader ever since.
How Instant Knockout will help you:
- Get ripped faster – Effective thermogenics and metabolism boosters speed up fat loss process.
- Train for longer – Stimulants provide you with more energy for effective gym sessions.
- Snack less – Instant Knockout suppresses your appetite, meaning you’ll crave less junk food.
It has the best nutrient profile we’ve seen in a fat burner. Unlike most others, Instant Knockout has a mix of thermogenics, appetite suppressants and energy boosters – giving your body everything it needs to cut fat at a faster rate.
There’s also 4 servings spaced out throughout the day, ensuring you’re constantly topped up with the nutrients you need to keep burning fat.
Why it works:
- Burns more fat – Using a combination of nutrients that promote thermogenesis and metabolism, Instant Knockout increases overall fat loss without any extra effort.
- Good examples are the cayenne pepper and green tea in Instant Knockout. Cayenne pepper is a hot chili pepper that raises your body heat which initiates a cool down process which burns extra calories, while Green Tea promotes the fat burning hormone norepinephrine which burns stored fat cells.
- Suppresses Appetite – Instant Knockout contains the fibrous complex Glucomannan, the sugar made from the root of the konjac plant which expands in the stomach, making you feel full.
- This means that you’ll naturally consume less calories – due to the reduced hunger cravings, you won’t be snacking on unhealthy foods, staying focused on your fitness goals instead.
- Boosts Energy – The stimulants in Instant Knockout (Caffeine, Green Tea Extract, and Green Coffee Extract) ensure that you’re given an energy boost when you most need it – when you cut calories, it’s inevitable that you’ll feel sluggish at some point during the day.
- Instant Knockout combats this by giving you the increase in energy, and even allowing you to smash a workout when you’d otherwise be too tired (meaning more calories burned as well).
Does it have any proprietary blends?
Instant Knockout contains no proprietary blends, all dosages are clearly labelled with you knowing exactly how much you’re getting of each ingredient.
5 Things you need to know about Instant Knockout:
- Instant Knockout is an all natural product – You won’t fail any competition or drug tests using this supplement.
- It is only available on their website – this fat burner can only be bought from their website: https://www.instantknockout.com/
- Instant Knockout has 4 servings a day of 1 capsule, keeping your body burning fat throughout the day.
- There is 75mg of caffeine per capsule.
- You get a 90 day guarantee, free shipping, t shirt and 1 free box when ordering the 3 month package.
From personal experience, it’s the best fat burner we’ve used. It contains 100% natural ingredients (made in FDA and cGMP approved facilities) and really helps you when trying to cut body fat.
You can read our full results below:
–> Full Instant Knockout Review <–
Or visit their website: https://www.instantknockout.com/
Why are Testosterone Boosters important?
What you’ll experience from taking a good testosterone booster:
- Get bigger muscles faster – see yourself growing more muscular
- Recover quicker after a gym session – Be ready to smash your next workout faster
- Be stronger – lift heavier weights in the gym
- Have more confidence – feel good and look even better
Testosterone is the foundation for muscle growth and is vital on your journey to sculpt your dream physique. You’ll grow stronger and more muscular, as well as improving your general well-being.
By boosting your testosterone with a 100% natural product, you’re providing your body with the tools it needs to get:
- More free testosterone – Have more available circulating testosterone in your bloodstream
- Increased muscle mass – Encourages muscle protein synthesis (resulting in bigger muscle gains).
- Decreased body fat – Testosterone promotes fat loss.
- Strength boost – Testosterone increases both strength and energy in the gym.
- Increased libido – Higher T-levels are linked to a stronger sex drive.
We recommend looking for a testosterone booster with natural ingredients and no potential side effects. This way, you’ll experience the benefits of having increased testosterone while staying safe.
The Best Testosterone Booster – TestoFuel
Again, manufactured by Roar Ambition, TestoFuel is an all-natural testosterone booster that has received a lot of positive feedback online. It is currently being used by former Mr. Olympia Robby Robinson, and offers the following benefits:
How TestoFuel will help you:
- Become stronger – Lift more weight in the gym.
- Increase Muscle Size – Faster growth and recovery from intense training sessions.
- You’ll feel great – Improves your mood, motivation and well-being.
- Faster overall results – Heightened testosterone levels help to increase progress and gains.
One of the main reasons we’ve chosen TestoFuel is its ingredient profile. Containing key testosterone boosters like Vitamin D3, D-Aspartic Acid, and Oyster Powder – 100% natural ingredients proven to boost testosterone.
It also helps with free testosterone (the amount of testosterone available in your bloodstream), by reducing the amount of Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) in your system – a protein that binds to testosterone and strips it of its anabolic potency.
It has also has optimal amounts of each ingredient, and TestoFuel’s 4 servings spread out throughout day keeps your body fuelled with the most beneficial levels of nutrients to keep your testosterone levels constantly on the rise.
Why it works:
- Helps produce Testosterone – TestoFuel supplies your body with the best natural nutrients it needs to promote overall testosterone.
- Increases Free Testosterone – It helps to reduce the effect of Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG), which in turn increases your overall amount of available circulating testosterone.
- Enhances sex drive and libido – Nutrients like Fenugreek and Ginseng have been seen to promote sex drive and desire.
- Potent ingredients – With 5000 IUs of Vitamin D3, which is technically a hormone, TestoFuel gives your body a strong supply of the best natural options to enhance your body’s testosterone levels.
Does it have any proprietary blends?
TestoFuel, like Instant Knockout, has a completely transparent ingredient label. No dosages are hidden, you know exactly what you’re getting of each nutrient, and how much.
5 things you need to know about TestoFuel:
- Contains 100% natural ingredients.
- Created in cGMP certified and FDA approved facility.
- TestoFuel is only available on their website (https://www.testofuel.com/).
- 4 capsules spread throughout the day, keeping you topped up with the nutrients your body needs to increase its T-levels.
- Free worldwide shipping with a 90-day guarantee – also a free-t-shirt, box of Testofuel, nutrition & workout guide when ordering the Ultimate Muscle Gainer’s Package.
It’s definitely worth adding to your stack. We’ve tried TestoFuel ourselves and had some great results. You can see our full review of why it works, and what happened when we used it, below:
–> Full TestoFuel Review <–
Or visit their website: https://www.testofuel.com
Why are Pre Workouts important?
Pre workout supplements are perfect for when you’re tired to train hard. After taking one of these supplements, you’ll be:
- Motivated to smash your workout – Raised energy levels mean you’ll perform at peak levels.
- Focused on every rep and set – Form stronger mind-muscle-connection to make the most of your workout.
- Lifting bigger weights – Experience increased strength
- Experiencing inflated arms and legs – Look great with great muscle pumps, and train longer and harder.
Basically, the whole point of pre workout supplements is to improve your workout. How do they do this?
Well, pre workouts often deliver through:
- Promoting nitric oxide levels – Nitric Oxide is important to increasing your blood flow, and therefore muscle pumps.
- Providing you with a stimulant – Stimulants keep you awake and alert, eliminating tiredness.
- Cognitive boosting ingredients – These increase your focus, keeping your mind set on smashing your workout.
- Strength increases – You’ll feel ready to break your PB’s and make more progress on your goals.
But the problem is, many pre workouts can cause side effects. For this reason, we recommend checking the dosages of stimulants and ingredients – to make sure the product is effective and safe.
The Best Pre Workout – 4 Gauge
It’s no lie that we’re fans of Roar Ambitions supplements. They research well, and only include beneficial ingredients in their products – and this is exactly why 4 Gauge is our favorite pre workout.
How 4 Gauge will help you:
- Intense muscle pumps – Effective nitric oxide boosting ingredients will help pump up your arms & legs.
- Raised energy levels – Optimally dosed stimulants will increase your energy levels.
- Make the most of every rep – Concentrate on your goals and exercises better than before.
One of the main reasons we’ve chosen 4 Gauge is because it contains 100% natural ingredients, without any artificial flavors or sweeteners.
So what are its key ingredients? Well, our favorite pre workout ingredients in this product is the ‘Smart-Caffeine’ combo – L-Theanine and Caffine work in synergy, to enhance your focus and deliver great energy boosts, without you suffering from any energy crashes.
There are more great ingredients inside, so read our full 4 Gauge review for more info on this.
4 Gauge is free from side effects, and will provide your with numerous benefits – it’s a win-win situation.
Why it works:
- Helps promote nitric oxide levels – This allows you to experience skin-splitting muscle pumps in the gym.
- Enhances energy levels – Your energy will be through the roof, and you’ll perform at peak levels everytime.
- Improves strength – You’ll set more PB’s and lift bigger weights during your workouts.
- Increased focus – You’ll really concentrate on every rep, forming strong mind-muscle-connection and making better progress.
Does it have any proprietary blends?
4 Gauge doesn’t contain any proprietary blends. You’ll know exactly what you’re putting into your body after reading the ingredients label – staying safe and avoiding any unnecessary side effects.
Ultimately, this ensures that you receive the best value for money, and a pre workout that works.
5 things you need to know about 4 Gauge:
- No artificial ingredients, flavors, or sweeteners.
- Free from side effects – no energy crashes or jitters.
- ‘Smart-Caffeine’ combo (L-Theanine & Caffeine) enhances benefits such as focus, strength, and endurance.
- Only available through their website: www.4Gauge.com.
- Created in cGMP certified and FDA approved facilities.
Why are Multivitamins important?
Although not shown on many advertisements, multivitamins are one of the most beneficial supplements on the market. They ensure that you’re provided with vital nutrients, which keeps your body performing at optimum levels.
Don’t overlook the importance of multivitamins – they boost your immune system and general health, meaning you’ll be able to train more frequently in the gym by preventing illness.
The benefits of multivitamin supplementation include:
- Improved energy
- Improved mental function (memory and reaction time)
- Stronger Immune System (and also quicker recovery from illness)
The Best Multivitamin – Most OTC Options
We’ll leave the multivitamin up to you. They all function the same and there’s a reason why most companies don’t release their own expensive versions – everyone knows there’s already good, cheap products out there.
It’s not the the most important product in this stack, as it doesn’t massively promote muscle gains or fat loss like the other products. But it’s recommended that you reach your daily vitamin needs to perform at optimum levels of mental function and strengthen your immune system (less illness means more time training).
Warning about Multivitamins:
Some vitamins like Zinc have a safety limit (in Zinc’s case it’s 40mg per day). Instant Knockout and TestoFuel contains 20mg of Zinc combined, so make sure the multivitamin you choose doesn’t exceed 20mg.
This shouldn’t be a problem, as most multivitamins contain under 15mg, and you can even find multivitamins without Zinc inside. For example, MyProtein offers multivitamins without zinc, or with 5mg servings which would both suit this stack well.
Benefits of Multivitamin supplementation:
- Improved Energy – B-complex Vitamins (eg. Vitamins B6 & B12) and Vitamin C help improve your energy levels, as well as lower stress levels.
- Feel better, train better – Multivitamins generally improve your well-being and help you perform at optimum level throughout the day.
BONUS: The Best Nootropic – Mind Lab Pro
Mind Lab Pro is the most effective Nootropic we’ve seen in the market.
Key Benefits of Mind Lab Pro:
- Be sharper – Have faster reaction times and better focus.
- Think clearer – Mind Lab Pro helps you process information better and improve memory.
- Feel happier – Experience improved mood with less anxiety.
A Nootropic is a supplement that improves mental function (memory and reaction time) and Mind Lab Pro is the best we’ve tried. It helps to keep you concentrated during your workouts – and generally keeps you sharper throughout the day.
This isn’t vital to your supplement stack, so we’ve included it as a bonus feature – for those that want to perform better both in and out of the gym (i.e. in work, or studying).
It’s definitely one of the more interesting products we’ve used – and it’s definitely worth a try if you’re looking for that mental edge.
Why it works:
- Boosts cognitive function – Contains ingredients proven to enhance your cognition, such as Citicholine.
- No stimulants or additives – Refuses to rely on stimulants like caffeine for focus, avoiding energy crashes, fatigue and unwanted drops in focus.
- Promotes Alpha Brain Wave – L-Theanine has been seen to promote Alpha Brain waves in human studies which promotes wakeful relaxation and focus.
- Third Party Tested – Finished batches of Mind Lab Pro are independently tested for quality and purity before being released to the market.
Does it have any proprietary blends?
Mind Lab Pro is one of the few nootropics to have no proprietary blends – you know exactly how much you’re getting of each ingredient and how effective it will be overall.
5 thing you need to know about Mind Lab Pro:
- Free from soy, gluten, caffeine and completely vegan with no risk of side effects.
- Contains 100% natural ingredients proven to benefit you, such as Lion’s Mane Mushroom and Rhodiola Rosea.
- You can take up to 4 capsules per day (normal dose is 2 daily, one in the morning and one of the afternoon).
- Manufactured in a cGMP approved facility.
- Receive one free box when ordering the 3-month supply, along with free worldwide shipping.
We’ve used Mind Lap Pro ourselves and it definitely makes you sharper and keeps you from getting mentally sluggish later in the day. You can see more about how it effected us by reading the full review below:
–> Full Mind Lab Pro Review <–
Or visit their website: https://www.mindlabpro.com/