How to stack properly and safely?

[bschwa14]

I'm very new to using supplements to coincide with a workout program. I've taken some Creatine before but never really committed much to it. I mostly tend to be an "immediate results" kind of person to keep up the motivation level. However, I'm making a commitment to start a three month training program and I've been doing a bit of reading on various forums and it seems that everyone wants something a little different and each product works a bit differently, therefore the universal answer to what works is: It Depends.

With that said, I'm leaning towards a stack of Bioforge v3 + X-Factor Advanced but I'm not entirely sure if it's as simple as following the recommended doses on the label when stacking. Normally, i would assume, that if you are consuming one product you'd follow the directions. However, if you are taking two (three, four,etc) would you decrease/increase the dosage of one product over the next? What if I can only get into the gym to lift three days a week as opposed to 5+ that I read in a lot of people's logs, would my dosage be any different? Are their other supplements I should take along side these?

Overall, I take pretty good care of my buddy. I watch what I eat and I'm highly active, I'm just not physically big and strong. My game has always been built around speed and quickness but as I get older (31 yrs old) that speed and quickness starts to fade and I'm looking to work on a stronger physique.

Any feedback on how to stack properly is greatly appreciated. In fact, any feedback in general would be appreciated.

Some quick stats on me:
31 yrs old
5'9"
142lbs (I don't really gain much weight, been between 135-145 for about 15 yrs)
athletic build

 

[itzDodge]

Bio Forge v3: 3 Caps in the AM 30 minutes before your first meal
X-Factor: 4 Caps ~45 mins pre workout; none on off days

As a supplementary supp to the XF you can get some GMS to take with it(4-6g) and generally avoid NSAIDs/Omega 3's while using X-Factor as they tend to downgrade your results if used concurrently.

I know you say your diet is good but you should also aim to get in a lot more calories if you want to gain size, post up your average diet and maybe we can see if you should add a good bit more.

 

[bschwa14]

I know you say your diet is good but you should also aim to get in a lot more calories if you want to gain size, post up your average diet and maybe we can see if you should add a good bit more.

I wouldn't say I have a strict diet at all. There are items I avoid and others I eat more of. For instance I don't put any high fructose corn syrup into my body if I can help it so I don't drink soda or eat any sweats. I tend to eat a lot of chicken cooked in various forms with a side dish (maybe pasta, greens or grains). Probably eat red meat once every other week. Consume lots of fruits and veggies.

I guess a typical day would be:
Breakfast: One cup of dry cereal, banana, glass of OJ and a cup of coffee
Lunch: Leftovers from the night before
Dinner: Varies but always with veggies (mostly raw but sometimes cooked) - I try and cook dinner for myself during the work week but weekends are a bit more difficult.
Snacks: I like yogurt with diced apple, granola and dried cranberries or another fruit that's in season.

Like I said, it's not very strict at all. It's more of a conscience battle to avoid high fat/high calorie foods (dbl bacon chz burgers for instance), sweats and sodas.

 

[itzDodge]

You seem to not really have a full understanding of nutrition. Fats aren't bad for you at all, it's when you have to much it's a problem, without fat you're going to see a huge reduction in testosterone production. You should also understand HFCS aren't inherently bad for you, I drink soda eat cheese burgers and snack a lot but I still manage to get down to 10% for beach season.

Diet is really about tracking your macros and making sure you hit the right numbers. If you're not gaining you're eating to little, if you are gaining to fast cut back a bit. A good physique requires a strong knowledge of macros and training routine.

 

[bschwa14]

I don't base my food choices on my desire to gain weight. I've always had a very high metabolism even when I ate like **** in High School and college. Generally speaking, I don't have the type of frame that packs on pounds easily.

I choose to avoid high fat foods cause they are inherently bad for your health. Foods loaded with high saturated fat can lead to cardiovascular and heart issues. Plenty of people can get down to 10% and eat McDonald's but that doesn't mean other damage isn't being done to the rest of the body.

 

[lionology]

Bio Forge v3: 3 Caps in the AM 30 minutes before your first meal
X-Factor: 4 Caps ~45 mins pre workout; none on off days

As a supplementary supp to the XF you can get some GMS to take with it(4-6g) and generally avoid NSAIDs/Omega 3's while using X-Factor as they tend to downgrade your results if used concurrently.

I know you say your diet is good but you should also aim to get in a lot more calories if you want to gain size, post up your average diet and maybe we can see if you should add a good bit more.

This

 

[MM11]

Simply put you are not going to see any significant changes with out significantly changing the way you eat. X factor is one of my absolute
Favorite supplements but it's not a magic pill. Also you said you want to see immediate results were x factor takes a few weeks to "kick in"

You can say all you want it's not in your genetics to gain weigh. Your frame...ect. If you don't work on your diet then your correct in assuming you won't gain weight. Strength also comes from dieting it's how you fuel your body to grow and perform. Saying you "eat good" is not the same as forcing down 4000 - 5000 calories. Post a daily example and I would be more than happy to help get you started there.

 

[itzDodge]

Simply put you are not going to see any significant changes with out significantly changing the way you eat. X factor is one of my absolute
Favorite supplements but it's not a magic pill. Also you said you want to see immediate results were x factor takes a few weeks to "kick in"

You can say all you want it's not in your genetics to gain weigh. Your frame...ect. If you don't work on your diet then your correct in assuming you won't gain weight. Strength also comes from dieting it's how you fuel your body to grow and perform. Saying you "eat good" is not the same as forcing down 4000 - 5000 calories. Post a daily example and I would be more than happy to help get you started there.

This ^^^

OP I was trying to say proper diet isn't necessarily what you may have been led to believe it is. There are tons of body types but the ability to gain size/drop weight is much more largely based on your diet. Like I said fat isn't bad for you and you don't have to get burgers from McDonalds either. If you're looking to gain size make sure you're getting close to .4g fat/lb body weight is what I've found to be the consensus on an appreciable amount, but I'll let MM11 clarify.

One thing I've learned is to disregard pretty much everything you hear in the popular media about health/fitness as they tend to get it wrong, a lot.

 

[bschwa14]

Simply put you are not going to see any significant changes with out significantly changing the way you eat. X factor is one of my absolute Favorite supplements but it's not a magic pill. Also you said you want to see immediate results were x factor takes a few weeks to "kick in"

Yea, I think you guys are right. I'm gonna have to change up my diet in order to put some weight on but I should still be able to avoid foods high in saturated fat. After all, it is possible to put weight on without raising your cholesterol.

I'm definitely an immediate gratification person and a magic pill would be great but I'm also realistic about what I'm looking to accomplish and what it takes to accomplish it. I spent the entire summer committed to training to climb Mt. Adams in Washington (then summitting in August) so putting in the work doesn't bother me. I just feel better when I can start to see change sooner then later.

Here's an example of what I ate yesterday
Breakfast: One cup of honey nut cheerios, banana, glass of OJ and one cup of coffee
Lunch: Chipotle chicken bowl (white rice, black beans, green peppers and onions, chicken, pico de gallo, lettuce Tabasco sauce), water
Dinner: Half chicken oven roasted (marinated in homemade mustard vinaigrette), braised mustard greens and yellow chard, water
Desert: One peach

 

[MM11]

Simply yes you can gain weight with out raising cholesterol. Mono and poly unsaturated fats are very healthy and have the same
Calorie density saturated fats have. Think nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, ect

Your breakfast has no protein. I love eggs if your concerned about cholesterol use 2-3 whole eggs and 3-4 egg whites. If you have to add a shake WITH breakfast.

Chipolte is ok in my opinion. I get no rice extra of both beans and extra meat. But I do not suggest you eat it every day. Also have milk with your meals not water that will add a few hundred calories a day

Your dinner was all chicken? Add 2 cups brown rice and some veggies and again milk! If you are serious about gaining weight use whole milk.

I would add an extra meal in here or in the least a much bigger breakfast. When do you train in regards to your eating schedule?

 

[T50]

You seem to not really have a full understanding of nutrition. Fats aren't bad for you at all, it's when you have to much it's a problem, without fat you're going to see a huge reduction in testosterone production. You should also understand HFCS aren't inherently bad for you, I drink soda eat cheese burgers and snack a lot but I still manage to get down to 10% for beach season.

Diet is really about tracking your macros and making sure you hit the right numbers. If you're not gaining you're eating to little, if you are gaining to fast cut back a bit. A good physique requires a strong knowledge of macros and training routine.

Is the bolded part a joke? HFCS isn't bad for you...wow.

Anyway OP, seems like you are barely eating based on the last example meal you posted. Try to throw in some more protein and extra calories, doesn't look like you are eating much at all.

Simply yes you can gain weight with out raising cholesterol. Mono and poly unsaturated fats are very healthy and have the same
Calorie density saturated fats have. Think nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, ect


Your breakfast has no protein. I love eggs if your concerned about cholesterol use 2-3 whole eggs and 3-4 egg whites. If you have to add a shake WITH breakfast.


Chipolte is ok in my opinion. I get no rice extra of both beans and extra meat. But I do not suggest you eat it every day. Also have milk with your meals not water that will add a few hundred calories a day


Your dinner was all chicken? Add 2 cups brown rice and some veggies and again milk! If you are serious about gaining weight use whole milk.


I would add an extra meal in here or in the least a much bigger breakfast. When do you train in regards to your eating schedule?

Good post.

 

[Rodja]

I don't base my food choices on my desire to gain weight. I've always had a very high metabolism even when I ate like **** in High School and college. Generally speaking, I don't have the type of frame that packs on pounds easily.

I choose to avoid high fat foods cause they are inherently bad for your health. Foods loaded with high saturated fat can lead to cardiovascular and heart issues. Plenty of people can get down to 10% and eat McDonald's but that doesn't mean other damage isn't being done to the rest of the body.

This is so wrong and archaic. This belief is based off of bad research from the 50's. You're lumping all fats together and that is completely incorrect and even saturated fats have an important role in health and hormone levels.

Your mentality is all wrong and nothing will happen unless you fix your nutrition and calorie consumption.

 

[bschwa14]

No can do on the milk. I got a bit of an intolerance to dairy. Eggs are iffy as well. They don't always sit right with me and I don't have time to make breakfast in the morning. I keep the box of cereal at work and grab the coffee on the way out the door. I'll up the food intake throughout the day though and add in more calories. Maybe consider throwing in a protein shake. I can do that at work as well.

I workout after work, so it's few hours after lunch. When I was training for the climb, on the drive to the gym, I'd eat about a cup of almonds and maybe a cliff bar or the like. Then cook some dinner right after.

 

[T50]

At least add in two 50g protein shakes. 1 in the morning and then 1 before your workout, then eat dinner afterwards.

 

[itzDodge]

Is the bolded part a joke? HFCS isn't bad for you...wow.

'

super cerial brah, what makes you think they're bad for you? I'm not telling you to down them all day but you shouldn't be afraid of 1 can of soda. That was my point.

 

[T50]

'

super cerial brah, what makes you think they're bad for you? I'm not telling you to down them all day but you shouldn't be afraid of 1 can of soda. That was my point.

Processed by the body very differently than natural sugar. Basically the most empty calorie with negative effects. Read this. There's plenty more evidence if you want to delve deeper also.

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[itzDodge]

Processed by the body very differently than natural sugar. Basically the most empty calorie with negative effects. Read this. There's plenty more evidence if you want to delve deeper also.

You must be unaware amigo but that study has been beaten hard. The rats consumed close to 3000 calories a day, and theres plenty of people that would get fat eating 3000 calories a day regardless of source. High fructose corn syrup is only slightly more dense in fructose anyway, compared to sucrose, so to say it has a such statistical significant difference because it won't spike leptin/insulin as much as regular glucose compounds might, thats a bit of stretch.

Humans are not rats, especially when it comes to carbohydrate metabolism. The metabolic pathway where carbohydrate is converted to fat within the liver (called de novo lipogenesis, or DNL), is far more efficient in rats than in humans.

“Translating the study’s reported rat intakes to human proportions, the calories gained from high fructose corn syrup would be equivalent to about 3000 kcal/day all from that single source. In comparison, adult humans consume about 2,000 calories per day from all dietary sources.”

There was no sucrose-fed control group for part of the short-term experiments and no sucrose-fed control group for the entirety of the long-term experiments in male rats. Missing sucrose control groups in the long-term phases of the experiment make it impossible to conclude that HFCS is uniquely lipogenic compared to sucrose.

Inconsistencies in the results simply do not support the headline of the Princeton press release, nor the implications made by the researchers themselves. For example, in the only set of comparators that actually included a sucrose-fed group in the long-term phase of the study, no significant differences were seen in bodyweight or triglyceride levels.

Just a bit from AA, he's a clever guy and set off a lot of arguments in this industry. In no way am I saying to consume copious amounts of HFCS in your diet, but I am saying that you don't have to be afraid of foods that contain them. The main point here is to focus on hitting your macros which those rats weren't doing

Not trying to start an argument and feel free to maintain your stance, but from an educated perspective the princeton study was poorly done and the final answer still isn't known. In the mean time I'm going to enjoy a regular soda from time to time if I feel like it, just gotta stay on top of your total daily macros and you'll generally be just fine.