weight gain supplement stack?

[tyson1]

This is my supplement "cycle" stack. I'm looking to gain weight. My daily calorie intake is anywhere from 3,500-4,200.

Supplements:
CellTech
Ribose (Jarrow)
Tribulus (625)
ZMA
100% Whey
glutamine
Men's multi vitamin
flax seed oil
N Large 2

Plan on doing this for 6 weeks, off 2 weeks, then on 6 weeks. Let me know if this looks good, or if there should be something else or something less.

[gymnast]

CellTech
see link (http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding_supplements/the_no2arginine_scam)

Ribose (Jarrow)
Not enough research so its marketing claims are questionable

The only research that supports a ribose supplement comes from research on patients with heart conditions who lack the ability to synthesis ribose in the first place.

Tribulus (625)
Supplementation with tribulus does not enhance body composition or exercise performance in resistance-trained males. (Antonio J, Uelmen J, Rodriguez R, Earnest C. Human Performance Laboratory, University of Nebraska, Kearney, NE 68849-3101, USA.)

no between-group differences were noted in the urinary T/E ratio. It was concluded that T. terrestris did not produce the large gains in strength or lean muscle mass that many manufacturers claim can be experienced within 5-28 days (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Chemin des Croisettes 22, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland.)

tribulus terrestris steroid saponins possess neither direct nor indirect androgen-increasing properties
(Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University, 2 Zdrave str., Sofia-1431, Bulgaria.)

ZMA
I haven't formed a conclusion on this supplement yet. I suspect that its benefits can be found in individuals with a zinc deficiency. In that case, zinc gluconate is a much cheaper alternative.

100% Whey
Protein blends, like At Large Nutrition's Nitrean, have proven itself to be far superior than whey-only supplements. Thats why other companies are starting to come out with new products to match something that people already knew here.

Glutamine
We conclude that glutamine supplementation during resistance training has no significant effect on muscle performance, body composition or muscle protein degradation in young healthy adults.(Candow DG, Chilibeck PD, Burke DG, Davison KS, Smith-Palmer T. College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.)

There were no differences in the average number of maximal repetitions performed in the leg press or bench press exercises among the 3 groups. These data indicate that the short-term ingestion of glutamine does not enhance weightlifting performance in resistance-trained men. (Antonio J, Sanders MS, Kalman D, Woodgate D, Street C. Sports Science Laboratory, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA.)

flax seed oil
Flax seed oil is inferior to fish oil for your omega 3 needs. Flax seed oil's ALA has to be converted to EPA and DHA, so yes, it can increase your EPA and DHA levels but why go through the extra step when fish oil already has the needed EPA and DHA.

N Large 2
The protein source found in this weight gainer is "whey protein concentrate". A very cheap protein. Again, whey-only supplements is inferior to protein blends. Try something like At Large Nutrition's Maximus.


Plan on doing this for 6 weeks, off 2 weeks, then on 6 weeks. Let me know if this looks good, or if there should be something else or something less.
Theres no need to cycle. We're not talking about gear here.

[gymnast]

oops. For some reason I confused celltech with another one of muscletech's products. You can save a lot of money by just buying regular creatine and using dextrose as a transporter. At Large Nutrition's Results is a good product.

Needless to say, if you're looking to gain weight, you should worry about your diet first before considering supplements. And when you consider supplements, don't fall for the marketing hype.

[Tom Mutaffis]

Similar to what Gymnast said, I would make some changes to your program.

Calorie intake sounds good - there is no reason to cycle supplements that do not have an impact on hormone levels or pose any kind of adverse health results.

Supplement Comments...
CellTech - Pick a better creatine product, Results from AtLarge or Creatine 500 are both good.
Ribose (Jarrow) - No need.
Tribulus (625) - Not sure what the 625 is, Tribex by Biotest is a good tribulus product but do not expect much in the way of muscle or strength gains - mostly just affects things in your pants.
ZMA - Not worth including unless you are looking for "extras"
100% Whey - Purchase a protein blend for daily supplmentation and a whey isolate shake for post-workout. Opticen is a powder that was created specifically for post-workout nutrition.
glutamine - Waste of money if you are drinking enough quality protein shakes. If you are using low quality protein then you may want to include glutamine or BCAA's.
Men's multi vitamin - Sounds good
flax seed oil - Sure. Fish oil might be more beneficial.
N Large 2 - I would either use whole foods and add things to shakes like peanut butter and milk, or purchase a quality gainer like Maximus.

Supplement plan for bulking:
Creatine - taken everyday, pre-workout on training days and in the morning on rest days.
General Protein Shakes - With meals, before bed.
"Mass" Shakes - Between meals or replacing meals.
PWO Shake - Post workout
Fish Oil & Multi - With Breakfast
Tribulus - Empty stomach before bed, some products suggest morning dose on empty stomach as well.


Some of the products that you listed do not provide a good benefit to cost ratio and it would make more sense to re-invest that money into higher quality supplements such as a good weight gain / meal replacement powder liek Maximus.