A: If the advice provided in question #1 is not followed, then no supplements that you take may help you in your quest for good abs. However, assuming that you are following all of the advice provided above, there are a few supplement stacks that may indeed improve your metabolism and help you in your quest for better abs:
Stack #1: Good For People Sensitive To Stimulants
- Metabolic Thyrolean from Prolab: When you go on a caloric restricted diet, your metabolism begins to slow down in an effort to maintain homeostasis (constant state) in the body. The body accomplishes this through a reduction in active thyroid (T3) production and through a reduction of certain neurotransmitters in the brain like epinephrine and norepinephrine which play a role in keeping our metabolic rate high.
- Hot Rox from Biotest: Hot Rox delivers six compounds that were stacked to increase thyroid levels naturally while maximizing fat mobilization, appetite suppression and mood enhancement; all things that contribute to the successful loss of body fat while keeping the energy levels optimal. This formula has 50 mg of caffeine per serving (2 capsules) so it is another good choice for those of you who do not like stimulants.
This formula from Prolab contains a clinically tested combination of ingredients that preserve or increase thyroid output and also provides the substrates needed for the production of neurotransmitters. It is stimulant free so it can be used year-round. I like to take 3 caps twice a day when I take my thermogenics of choice.
I've stacked it with the Metabolic Thyrolean with good results and since I like stimulants, I take a 200mg tablet of Prolab Caffeine along with it. Because the formula does not down regulate your beta adrenergic receptors (these are the receptors where stimulants like caffeine and ephedrine operate at) the formula can be used year round as well.
Stack #2: Good For People That Love Stimulants
- Lipo-6 from NUTREX: This formula is a combination of several stimulants, which work by increasing your metabolism by stimulating an increase in noradrenaline. An increase in noradrenaline is favorable as fat cells and muscles have an abundance of adrenoreceptors, which are the receptors to which noradrenaline binds to. Once noradrenaline binds to the adrenoreceptors in the fat cells, a chain of chemical reactions occur (I won't bore you with the details) that result in the liberation of fatty acids (fat loss).
- Thyrocuts II from S.A.N: This is an actual form of thyroid (T2), which when taken, has a less adverse effect on the body's own thyroid production (it does not shut it down as badly as prescription T3), and penetrates into the inner membrane of brown-fat tissue and uncouples it. Brown fat is the most stubborn fat in the body as the body likes to save it for cases of famine.
- Metabolic Thyrolean from Prolab: This product is also useful for this stack, and I particularly like to include it here to protect from any small thyroid shutdown that may occur from supplementing with T2.
In addition, this formula contains guggulsterones, which help support healthy thyroid metabolism and bioperine which aids in increasing the absorption of nutrients and thus enhancing the effectiveness of the formula.
I like this product the most because it utilizes the HCL forms of the ingredients (as opposed to herbal forms) and in addition, it comes in a liquid capsule that releases the ingredients faster into the bloodstream. This is a strong thermogenic!
NOTE: I do not use this stack for more than 6 weeks as the body begins to get used to the stimulant based thermogenics after this period and also to prevent the body from getting used to needing T2 supplementation. After 6 weeks of use, I go to Stack #1 and stay on that one for at least 8 weeks before using Stack #2 again. Also, if you have any sort of high blood pressure issues, heart condition or anxiety disorders, this stack is not recommended.
