Supplementation advice needed - JP Fitness Forums

Nutty · 12-05-2007, 05:25 AM

I’ve been working out for about 2 months now. I previously went on the testosterone advantage plan with a great deal of success for more than a year before my child was born. Then i stopped with the workouts for about a year but now i’ve resumed them.
I’ve never been so strong, with so much muscle, and so lightweight. For as long i can remember i never measured more in the chest than i did in my waist and now i do!
Now, i’m facing a new (same old) problem: those damn abs!! I’m pretty lean but i can’t seem to be able to lose those few inches of fat stored in my belly. I’m not a strict follower of the TAP, but still, i was able to lose weight (around 6 Kg) and gain a decent amount of muscle. I'm now weighing 71 Kg for 178cm.
So my question is this, if i continue with my diet and my exercise plan, and if i add a few nutrition supplements, will i have a chance to see my own six-pack or that will never be a possibility if i continue this slack approach towards eating?
I was thinking maybe adding some fish oil and /or CLA, or some other helping fat burner. The only supplementation i’m on now is a protein shake post workout.
What is your insight on this? Is it worth the money given my eating/exercising habits? What would you recommend?
Thank you!

Ian Kay · 12-05-2007, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nutty

will i have a chance to see my own six-pack or that will never be a possibility if i continue this slack approach towards eating?

No, not with a slack approach. The classic 6-pack abs is nearly impossible for the average person without pretty strict eating. It is possible, but it will take a measured plan that you must stick to consistently. And you must have patience. It won't come in a matter of a 5-6 weeks.

As far as fish oil: you should be taking that anyway for health reasons. I don't think it'll be a strong factor in giving you the look you want though. It's going to be overall caloric intake that does that.

Protein powders, fish oils and CLA will all give some benefits (the CLA will provide the least), but I cannot recommend any "fatburner" pills. Personal experience and lack of reputable evidence has convinced me they are just not worth it for normal people. I've heard a bunch of people tell me that one or other of the pills worked for them, but none of these people were in good shape, or even that thin. They all seemed to be people who had gone from borderline obese to simply chunky. I strongly believe it is largely psychological, and also due to the appetite suppressing effect of large amounts of caffeine. But for someone who is already fairly lean, knows nutrition and exercise, I don't see much value.

Alan Aragon · 12-05-2007, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian Kay

No, not with a slack approach. The classic 6-pack abs is nearly impossible for the average person without pretty strict eating. It is possible, but it will take a measured plan that you must stick to consistently. And you must have patience. It won't come in a matter of a 5-6 weeks.

As far as fish oil: you should be taking that anyway for health reasons. I don't think it'll be a strong factor in giving you the look you want though. It's going to be overall caloric intake that does that.

Protein powders, fish oils and CLA will all give some benefits (the CLA will provide the least), but I cannot recommend any "fatburner" pills. Personal experience and lack of reputable evidence has convinced me they are just not worth it for normal people. I've heard a bunch of people tell me that one or other of the pills worked for them, but none of these people were in good shape, or even that thin. They all seemed to be people who had gone from borderline obese to simply chunky. I strongly believe it is largely psychological, and also due to the appetite suppressing effect of large amounts of caffeine. But for someone who is already fairly lean, knows nutrition and exercise, I don't see much value.

Good answer!

BjsAust · 12-05-2007, 03:28 PM

Sounds like you've made great progress so far!

At your height, I'd probably go the other route. It sounds like you started from a point of not much lean mass, but I'd look at trying to gain another 5kg or so of lean muscle (so probably about 7kg all up), and THEN try to bring the abs out.

Nutty · 12-07-2007, 05:26 AM

...But, if i am losing weight, doesn't this mean that i'm at a deficit? Ence, wouldn't this fit in the "overall caloric intake" that Ian was talking about? Then, why will i not see results in few months time, or for that matter, never see results at all?
Well, anyway, i thought this would be the perfect time to try and show those abs but i have to admit that firstly my intention was to go on hypertrophy again for a few months, thus agreeing with BjsAust. If this indeed is the way to go, and on what concerns supplementation, what MUST i be on? Not only for the hypertrophy phase but for general day to day use... I got the idea from multiple threads that fish oil is a must, but what else? Green tea? L-Carnitine? Fat acids? Amino acids? What? There are a lot of choices and i don't know where to turn. Again, advice needed.
One more thing, when i mentioned fat burners, i wasn't referring to fat burners themselves but to all substances that somehow "help" weight loss wether by burning fat or blocking nutrients (carbohydrates) absorption or any other way i don¡¦t even dream of

. Meaning, if you know anything i should be on, feel free to say what. Thanks once again.

ParanoidAndroid · 12-07-2007, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nutty

If this indeed is the way to go, and on what concerns supplementation, what MUST i be on? Not only for the hypertrophy phase but for general day to day use... I got the idea from multiple threads that fish oil is a must, but what else? Green tea? L-Carnitine? Fat acids? Amino acids? What? There are a lot of choices and i don't know where to turn. Again, advice needed.

Fish oils is good to take for health reasons, like Ian said.

Green tea is good for you, but by no means do you need to drink it. I don't. If you enjoy drinking it, go ahead. If not, don't worry about.

Multivitamins are a good idea for general health.

protein powder is by no means essential, but it is a quick and convienient source of protein. It's not going to make a differerence whether you eat 25 grams of protein from protein powder or 25 grams of protein from chicken breast.

Most other products are a racket--things like BCAA's(amino acids), and fat burners and what not.

Ian Kay · 12-07-2007, 12:50 PM

Nutty: I wasn't saying you can't get weight-loss results from eating the way you are. Rather, that to attain a "6-pack", you can't "continue this slack approach towards eating", as you said. Losing weight and getting a sixer are not the same thing. Getting really ripped requires more attentive eating habits than an admitted "slack approach." That's all.

BjsAust · 12-07-2007, 07:32 PM

Check out the example pics Leigh posted in this thread (towards the bottom):

Low calorie diets and vigorous lifting

Sometimes further dieting wont help that much to achieve the look you're after.

Generally people will need to be fairly spot on to lose those 'last few kgs' to bring out their 6-pack. Its a real achievement for people who have never done it before. A few supplements wont make enough difference, it would take a lot of attention to detail, and at the end of the day, while a 6-pack is made in the kitchen, there still needs to be some muscle there to show off

.