Best Bodybuilding Supplement Stack for Mass
You train hard, lift heavy, and eat ‘mass’ amounts of protein, and now you wanna take your gains to the next level!
The other part of the muscle mass equation is supplements. And in this post, I’m going to show you the best bodybuilding supplement stack for mass.
I’ll also explain what each supplement does and how I take it. This way you can tell which supplements are right for you.
I’ll also tell you what supplements to stay away from so that you don’t waste your money. Are you ready for some serious mass gains?
Do Muscle Building Supplements Work?
Before we get into the specific supplements and brands for mass gains, it’s important to list what types of supplements you need. And you need to understand why you should (or shouldn’t) take certain supplements.
You see, not all supplements are equal. And you can quickly spend half of your paycheck on supplements that don’t work. I’m going to steer you clear of those and will guide you to the bodybuilding supplements that are proven to help you gain mass.
Here’s the types of supplements I recommend for your muscle-building stack if you’re serious about gaining mass…
- Amino acids
- Creatine (monohydrate)
- Potent multivitamins
- Protein powder
- Supplement for joint health
Why You Need Muscle Building Supplements
When you’re lifting heavy and putting your body through intense workouts, there are certain nutrients your body needs to recover. And that’s why some bodybuilding supplements for mass are needed – to help your muscles recover so they can grow bigger, and stronger.
Bodybuilding Supplements for Mass
Now let’s go through each supplement of my bodybuilding supplement stack for muscle gains. There’s a couple of things you should know about this mass stack…
- I’ve taken all of these supplements more than once
- You don’t have to take every single supplement below
I would never recommend anything that I haven’t tried. And I do not promote supplements that have not worked for me.
Secondly, I realize your budget may not allow for the entire mass building stack below. So I have listed these in the order of importance. The cool thing is the most important supplements for mass are actually the cheapest!
You DO NOT have to take ALL of the below supplements for results…just pick 3-4 of them below.
1) Optimum Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate
There’s no better muscle building supplement than the old school creatine monohydrate. It’s the most-researched bodybuilding supplement and is proven to help you pack on muscle mass.
I prefer Optimum Nutrition Creatine because they’re a reputable and trusted brand, and they’ve been around for a while.
2) Universal Nutrition Animal Pak
Animal Pak has been my top multivitamin for several years. I’ve tried different brands and vitamins, but I’ve always gone back to this one.
It’s loaded with all of your essential vitamins and minerals, but also contains digestive enzymes, amino acids, energy formula, and more.
Another thing I’ll note about Animal Pak is that it does help you maintain a strong immune system.
3) Dymatize Elite Whey Protein
When your goal is to gain muscle mass, you’re going to need extra protein because you’re simply not going to get it with food alone.
Dymatize Elite Whey Protein has been one of my top protein powders. It doesn’t upset my stomach and tastes pretty good too (I go with chocolate or vanilla).
You can make your post-workout shakes with Dymatize Elite whey as well by mixing it with almond milk and fruit (try the vanilla flavor with frozen blueberries and a banana!).
4) Scivation Xtend
Half the battle in gaining muscle mass is recovery. And this is where BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) come in.
Scivation Xtend has been my top BCAA supplement for 3 reasons:
- The BCAA profile is appropriately dosed, and they don’t skimp like many BCAA products
- It contains glutamine and citrulline malate; both crucial for recovery
- And it also has electrolytes making it perfect for your workout times
5) 4 Gauge Pre Workout
Pre-workout is down on the list because it’s not absolutely necessary. However, if you can fit it into your supplement budget, you may find it to be well worth it.
Taking a pre-workout supplement is going to help you have better workouts. Better workouts lead to more muscle mass gains. It’s that simple.
4 Gauge is my top choice for these 3 reasons:
- Gives you sustainable energy for your workouts
- Solid pumps and better overall workouts
- There’s no crash or jitters
6) Optimum Nutrition Fish Oil
Fish oil definitely isn’t an exciting supplement for mass. And it may not be necessary if you’re getting enough healthy fats in your diet, especially if you already eat a decent amount of fatty fish.
But if you’re lacking or just want to make sure you’re getting the benefits of fish oil, taking a supplement is the way to go. And it’s fairly inexpensive.
In short, the benefit of adding fish oil to your bodybuilding supplement stack for mass is to promote heart health, and it can also help protect your joints (essential for lifting heavy weights).
I like Optimum Nutrition’s Fish Oil. It’s just a solid, basic fish oil supplement.
7) Gaspari Nutrition GlycoFuse
There’s one extremely crucial time for carbohydrates. Immediate post-workout.
This will help you replenish glycogen levels and promote building muscle mass.
If your budget allows, I strongly recommend Gaspari Nutrition GlycoFuse. You only need to take it on your workout days, so that will stretch it out (this stuff isn’t exactly cheap).
**If you want to learn more about what you need to take post-workout, then read my post: My 3 Best Post Workout Supplements for Mass Gains
8) TestoFuel
This last supplement is completely optional. If you can stretch it, taking a testosterone booster can really help you get to that next level of mass gains.
TestoFuel is my recommended natural test booster because of its powerful and effective formula.
Here are the things that make TestoFuel better than other test boosters:
- A pure, effective label
- No fillers or proprietary blends
- Not over-hyped
- Simply gives you results
How to Take Your Supplements for Mass Gains
So you’ve got all of these supplements to take for mass gains, but how should you take them? It’s not rocket science but it is important to know when to take your supplements, and how much.
I’m going to give you both the timings and doses of each supplement in your mass stack below. Of course, I suggest that you follow the label on everything you take. This is just my personal supplement routine for mass…
| Supplement | Times | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Creatine | pre and post-workout | 5-7 grams (each time) |
| Multivitamins | with any meal | 1 serving/pack |
| Protein powder | post-workout, between meals | 1.5 – 2 scoops/servings |
| BCAAs | during and post-workout | 1 serving each time |
| Pre-workout | …I think this one is obvious! | 1 serving with 4 Gauge…2 servings with other products |
| Fish oil | with meals, 2x a day | 1 serving each time |
| Test booster | follow the label | follow the label |
Supplements that Don’t Work
I’m not going to throw any brands under the bus here. But there are a few supplements that I’ve tried that just did not do crap. Don’t waste your money on these…
- Any supplement with a long list of ingredients that you can’t pronounce – these are usually fillers and crap to make you think you’re taking something that works
- Most so-called natural testosterone boosters – most of them suck; there’s only a small handful I recommend – TestoFuel being one of them
- Underdosed supplements – sometimes a product will contain effective ingredients, but they’re not effectively dosed (MANY supplements are underdosed!!)
Guys (and girls), it’s crucial that you do your own research and read the labels carefully. Do this with all supplements, even the ones I recommend.
Tips and Resources for More Mass Gains
Here’s something I should’ve said at the beginning of this post. And I’m going to assume you already know this. But because it’s so crucial, it’s worth reiterating from time to time.
Supplements alone don’t build muscle mass. They don’t work unless you do. You have to train hard, lift heavy, and eat. If you don’t have that down then save your money. Don’t buy supplements.
I want to give you some simple, practical tips (and resources) that will make your bodybuilding supplement stack for mass work more effectively:
- Start your workouts with a compound exercise and go heavy. You can follow this bodybuilding program on my post: 8 Week Bodybuilding Program for Mass Gains
- After your heavy compound exercise, making sure you force your muscles to work on the remaining exercises. To help, follow the concepts I give you on this post: 3 Powerful Tips to Make Your Back Stand Out
- Train legs extra hard, and consider training them twice a week. I explain why and give you some additional leg workouts in this post: Training Legs Twice a Week: How to Build Bigger Legs
- Eat to grow! I give you a plan and foods you need for mass gains in this post: Eat Big to Gain Muscle: My Personal Story as a Hardgainer
I hope you enjoyed this post! Be sure to leave me a comment below with any questions, and feel free to post your own bodybuilding supplement stack for mass!
Train with Passion,
Jason
