Help me with a summer stack

[RyanOFelt]

Hi all, Im looking to design a summer stack. I figured i should pick it out not in case i need to save up some money or something. Anyway, this summer will be my junior year in highschool (18 years old) and I want to put on as much size and strength as I can while staying pretty lean (im in cutting phase right now). There might be a few 7-10 day peroids this summer where I will not be able to do much formal weight training on account of being out of town. Can anyone suggest what they think might be a good stack? I was also wondering if there are any test booster type products that would be safe and practical for an 18 year old to use, of if I should wait a few years for that.
Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[AM07]

You don't need jack ****, just eat a ton and train hard, that's it.

 

[stxnas]

Research the bulking forums. You don't want to mess with ANYTHING hormonal right now, natural or synthetic.

I would start by setting up a FitDay account. From there research macro nutrients (aka macros...40/40/20 split is a good starting point), compound exercises, and figure out how many calories you need to maintain and then adjust them accordingly.

Some creatine and a solid multi vitamin won't hurt either. Protein shakes are alright, but should not be a huge source of your protein intake IMO. Whole foods are better when possible. If you're a hard gainer with a fast mestabolism invest in a $12 blender from Wal-Mart and a small cooler.

Take food with you if you know you will be out for extended periods and if you're not meeting your daily caloric intake try using the blender with foods like: skim milk, natty peanut butter, eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, milled flax seed, fruits, rolled oats/oat flour etc.

 

[RyanOFelt]

Just to let you know where im at, I researched this stuff and did a bulk this winter. I gained about 25lbs, a little extra fat and stuff but a lot of LBM. I started lifting about a year ago but didn't really get into correct diet and supplementation until the beginning of this school year. I used creatine, occassional NO product, Whey protein, vitamin, etc. I monitor my calorie intake and so on and am on some different supps for cutting right now.

 

[WeakPoint]

Don't buy into Weight Gainer products I think it's best to make it homemade
My Weight Gainer:
1 Scoop of protein
2 Raw eggs
1 Cup oats
1 Banana
.5 cup Berries
8oz. Skim Milk

I really want to try Waxy Maize Starch as well looks pretty good.
I've seen threads of people your age using X-factor and seeing some good gains.

 

[Hitstick]

Listen im not going to lecture you because you are old enough to make your own decisions. Since you are 18, you could go with Applied Nutriceuticals Drive (plenty of logs) or Molecular Nutrition X-factor(also plenty of logs just run a search). Both are good choices, just be smart because at your age gains are easy to come by without hyped supplements. Just be smart and dont get into any PHs, which could severly mess your hormones up for life.

 

[bolt10]

i second the recommendation above about the x-factor it should be helpful. if you eat alot of carbs you should also look into anabolic pump. im going to probably using something just like this over the summer bc it should help gain mass and maintain a good level of bf over summer

 

[RyanOFelt]

Yeah im defintely not looking to get into anything hormonal right now, the test booster thing was just of out curiosity. I am about to start some Xfactor with my cutting supps. in a few days, and Ive heard its great for cutting and bulking. I did a dirty bulk this winter, so Im hoping to lean out and then do a clean bulk this summer so I can maintain body fat but put on LBM. I was thinking something along the lines of X-factor and something else (mass fx perhaps?, I don't think thats a hormonal product). I also have heard good things about some NHA stack or something like that. And don't worry, ill do my research before I buy anything, i won't be the guy wasting his money on over hyper "Muscle Asylum" type supplements.

 

[stxnas]

Awesome, it sounds like you really have your head in the right place RyanO.

Good luck and bump for some ideas for this young man!

 

[RyanOFelt]

Thanks man, what about Beta Alaline (sp?) also? Ive heard thats a pretty good basic supplement, never used it.

 

[bolt10]

Thanks man, what about Beta Alaline (sp?) also? Ive heard thats a pretty good basic supplement, never used it.

beta alanine is a great cheap addition. it greatly helped my endurance and strength..i even have used it on a cut and slowly gained strength while i lost fat!!

 

[stxnas]

Yeah, it's pretty popular around here. I haven't tried it yet though. I'm sure I will as I am a fan of cheap bulk powders.

 

[Hitstick]

The first time you run x-factor you really dont need to stack it with another product, but the divanil products (activate extreme, Mass FX) do stack well with X-factor. I believe that 18 year olds can use those two products but check first.

 

[RyanOFelt]

Okay so how does Mass FX(the new one)/X-Factor/Neovar sound as well as a cheap beta alaline. Using probably animal pack for the vitamin with Gold standard or something similar for the protein.
I believe this should be a safe stack for an 18 year old, and i've read nothing but great reviews about all of them.

Im not sure the cost on all of these, but suppose its too high and I have to cut/replace one. Which one would you choose?

 

[WeakPoint]

Gonna definitely cost you an arm and a leg. Out of those 3 I'd go with MassFX/X-factor then possibly get some cheap bulk creatine from Nutraplanet. Beta-Alanine looks like a good addition, maybe even get some bulk AAKG with it and it looks like a mighty good stack

 

[SgtP]

I'm not a fan of the Animal Pak vitamins. They do more harm than good IMO. Get NOW Adam, Orange Triad or MVP/ZMK.

 

[RyanOFelt]

Okay ill look into those. Also, im starting to think I might want to mega dose BCAA's as well, ive never done that but I hear it makes for great strength gains.
So:
Mass FX
X Factor
Bulk Creatine Mono (already have it)
Cheap Lean Whey Protein
Possible bulk beta-alanine
Vitamin

That may be a little beyond my price range. If I had to choose one between Mass FX and X-factor (assuming that I will already have used X-Factor once), what would you pick? Or perhaps another product that has yet to be mentioned (i have heard alot about Powerfull, dunno if thats safe for an 18 year old).
Also, i feel downright stupid asking this but what is exactly is AAKG?

 

[WeakPoint]

Arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate
Good for pre-workout
For an 18 year old I'd go with the X-factor.

 

[RyanOFelt]

So im guessing bulk AAKG is similar to any fancy NO product, just cheaper and without a cool name?

 

[Soopaman]

So im guessing bulk AAKG is similar to any fancy NO product, just cheaper and without a cool name?

Yeah, arginine is one of the big main nitric oxide producing aminos. Arginine AKG is one of the most efficient to use of the different arginine forms. In addition to that, other pump inducing aminos in NO products are ornithine and norvaline. I love a good combo of AAKG and L-Norvaline

 

[cranghel099]

arginine blows, here's a cheap effective stack, for somebody your age, that won't mess with your hormones in any way, test boosters really arent necessary at your age, the only way i could see them being useful is if u naturally have low test levels, meaning u've been to the doctor gotten your levels check out, or you've been under a lot of HEAVY stress the past couple months that your hormones profile is all out whack, (low test levels, increase cortisol)

get some Bulk creatine monohydrate from nutraplanet
bulk BCAA's from nutraplanet (capped or powder your call)
FISH OIL, megadose this if u have the money, deff worth it!
beta alanine, works great when stacked with creatine
if your looking for PUMPS forget all those n.o. xplode products(arginine based), just get you some vegetable glycerine, cheap and extremely efffective