Let's talk supplements

kirstengeffen

So; here's the 411...

I'm currently 18.7% body fat... wanting to get down to 12 or so....
I work hard... eat the right food.. gym consistently and hard..

But I'm wondering about supplements???

At the moment I take a fat burner, CLA 1000 pills, BCAAs before I train and a whey protein in the morning with my oats.

Are there any other supplements out there worth looking at??

I'm wanting to build lean muscle and shred the fat....

any advice welcome as I must be honest I'm not too clued up on this. I'd like to learn more.

msf74

findingkirst wrote: »

wanting to get down to 12 or so....

Are you sure? That's reaching essential body fat limits for women so tread very carefully.

As for supplements - save your money. They have minimal to no effects (well apart from certain stacks which are now banned anyway.)

kirstengeffen

msf74 wrote: »

findingkirst wrote: »

wanting to get down to 12 or so....

Are you sure? That's reaching essential body fat limits for women so tread very carefully.

As for supplements - save your money. They have minimal to no effects (well apart from certain stacks which are now banned anyway.)

I know it sounds low.
If I Google pics of ladies at 12% I agree it's very low.

However.... at 18% I don't look anything near a bikini competitor and I've had my body fat measured by several different professionals, so I'm not sure how much more accurate or how else to approach the measurement. (Skinfolds 7 site formula) maybe I just have an odd build and store my fat in places that the 7 site formula doesn't account for.

So perhaps a better thing for me to have said was I want to drop 6%....

msf74

findingkirst wrote: »

msf74 wrote: »

findingkirst wrote: »

wanting to get down to 12 or so....

Are you sure? That's reaching essential body fat limits for women so tread very carefully.

As for supplements - save your money. They have minimal to no effects (well apart from certain stacks which are now banned anyway.)

I know it sounds low.
If I Google pics of ladies at 12% I agree it's very low.

However.... at 18% I don't look anything near a bikini competitor and I've had my body fat measured by several different professionals, so I'm not sure how much more accurate or how else to approach the measurement. (Skinfolds 7 site formula) maybe I just have an odd build and store my fat in places that the 7 site formula doesn't account for.

So perhaps a better thing for me to have said was I want to drop 6%....

This may sound weird but probably the best thing you can do is gain weight in the short term - or more accurately try and increase muscle mass while keeping fat gain to a minimum (so a bulk of some sort) - and then cut once more. Alternatively you can try a recomp but I think this usually takes a little longer.

There's not much point continuing to lose fat if there isn't enough muscle to be revealed...

Hard to know exactly what is going on without knowing your full training and dieting history, measurements and visuals etc however.

Unknown

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tillerstouch

I mean really no supplements are necessary, you just need a good lifting and diet regimen. I think fat burning pills are a load of bs. Otherwise everyone would take them and no one would be fat.

You could look into taking creatine. It's well studied and deemed safe. It causes your muscles to retain more water allowing for a few extra pumps and can make your muscles look "fuller." For me I didn't see much of a physical change but after a few weeks of taking it I did notice some improvement, although I couldn't tell you if it was actually the creatine or a placebo effect. If you take creatine no loading phase is necessary, 30% are non respondera, if you do respond you'll notice some weight gain from the water rention.

Again though, really wants most important is diet and a good lifting program.

MindPump1

tillerstouch wrote: »

I mean really no supplements are necessary, you just need a good lifting and diet regimen. I think fat burning pills are a load of bs. Otherwise everyone would take them and no one would be fat.

You could look into taking creatine. It's well studied and deemed safe. It causes your muscles to retain more water allowing for a few extra pumps and can make your muscles look "fuller." For me I didn't see much of a physical change but after a few weeks of taking it I did notice some improvement, although I couldn't tell you if it was actually the creatine or a placebo effect. If you take creatine no loading phase is necessary, 30% are non respondera, if you do respond you'll notice some weight gain from the water rention.

Again though, really wants most important is diet and a good lifting program.

Couldn't agree more. There isn't a magic pill. No supplement you take will help get you over that hurdle unfortunately, or at least get you the 6% decrease you're seeking. I've been fighting the weight loss batter for a long time, starting at 315 and dropping to 185, back to 220 and now to 200 and going down again. Its a tough battle. Over the course of the past 4 years, I have tried all sorts of supplements, and honestly, I think most are a waste of money. I never seen a significant decrease in fat % by taking a fat burner verse not taking one. I've never put on more muscle by consuming a large amount of protein with protein shakes and bars, and food. One thing that has helped me is changing up my diet, and going keto, and dropping carbs almost entirely out of my diet. I eat a high amount of fat, and a moderate amount of protein and the weight is slowly coming off. However, I always recommend doing research on this diet, because its not for everyone.

I also recommend if you're looking for a change, check out Mind Pump, they are a fitness podcast. I think they can help change up your views on fitness, your workout and your diet. I've been following them for a few months, and they have opened my eyes to the reality of the fitness industry, and I started working one of their programs, and I have never been happier in the gym. Best of luck!

Shawshankcan

findingkirst wrote: »

msf74 wrote: »

findingkirst wrote: »

wanting to get down to 12 or so....

Are you sure? That's reaching essential body fat limits for women so tread very carefully.

As for supplements - save your money. They have minimal to no effects (well apart from certain stacks which are now banned anyway.)

I know it sounds low.
If I Google pics of ladies at 12% I agree it's very low.

However.... at 18% I don't look anything near a bikini competitor and I've had my body fat measured by several different professionals, so I'm not sure how much more accurate or how else to approach the measurement. (Skinfolds 7 site formula) maybe I just have an odd build and store my fat in places that the 7 site formula doesn't account for.

So perhaps a better thing for me to have said was I want to drop 6%....

When you look at someone on stage there are a couple things you need to remember, they are extremely dehydrated, very much tanned to the point where they look like another race, and can only hold that look for a few hours.