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I'm a 26 year old male, 205 lbs, 6'3" with roughly 18% BF.

I'm still pretty weak so I work out primarily for gains but I'd also like to cut that 18% BF down to sub 10% (I may change my primary focus to cutting with gains and as a secondary if I can stay in any one place long enough to get on a regimented diet (ie. TSPA) in the near future)

I'm not on any extremely regimented diet as I travel a lot and it's hard to really maintain anything. That being said I've read a ton of material regarding nutrition (including almost everything on this website) and except the weekly drunken slip up I typically watch what I eat pretty well.

I currently take:

1. Optimum Multivitamin (2-6 a day depending on how often I remember after meals and sometimes after post workout shake)
2. Optimum Fish Oil (2-6 a day, same as above, often taken together)
3. Optimum Gold Standard 100% Whey (2 scoops post workout and often once more when I need protein and don't have time to get a real meal)
4. Now Green Tea Extract in pill form (1 a day with first meal)
5. Now Acai extract in pill form (1 a day with first meal)
6. Jack3d (1-2 scoops pre-workout)

I'm considering:

1. Creatine (load up for 5 days then pre and post workout)
2. L-Glutamine (post workout)
3. Supreme Protein Bars (I travel a lot and sometimes it's hard to get all my meals and enough protein in)

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So that's it. I'm looking for any comments or suggestions on any of the supplements I'm taking or should be taking. the timing, the frequency, and what I'm mixing it with.

Thanks!

Smuft wrote:I'm a 26 year old male, 205 lbs, 6'3" with roughly 18% BF.

I'm still pretty weak so I work out primarily for gains but I'd also like to cut that 18% BF down to sub 10% (I may change my primary focus to cutting with gains and as a secondary if I can stay in any one place long enough to get on a regimented diet (ie. TSPA) in the near future)

Yep. You should swap to TSPA. Which, by the way, will still give you the strength gains you seek.

Smuft wrote:I'm not on any extremely regimented diet as I travel a lot and it's hard to really maintain anything. That being said I've read a ton of material regarding nutrition (including almost everything on this website) and except the weekly drunken slip up I typically watch what I eat pretty well.

New guy pushes JoH's go-nuclear button in 3... 2... 1...

"I travel a lot" = EXCUSE! Do your freaking homework! There is no town anywhere in the United States of America - and I wager in not much of the western world - where you cannot find foods that are just perfectly fine under MANS, or TSPA, or GLAD. Go to Carl's Jr and order the low-carb six-dollar. Or stop at Circle K and grab a couple hot dogs and ditch the buns. Or go to Denny's where you can get breakfast (a.k.a. delicious yummy high protein high fat low carb foods) 24 hours a day. Flimsy excuse is flimsy, and if you really truly want to achieve your goals, you need to take away all your own excuses before you do anything else. Oh, and about that weekly drunken slip... when cutting, like honest-to-God cutting, you'll want to cut the alcohol out altogether. You can live without booze for 8-12 weeks to be lean and fit, not like you gotta give it up for life.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

Smuft wrote:I currently take:

1. Optimum Multivitamin (2-6 a day depending on how often I remember after meals and sometimes after post workout shake)

2-6? Optimum's multi's are very well balanced. I'd really recommend you take them as directed - since with your water-soluble vitamins, taking more is just creating really pricey pee.

Smuft wrote:2. Optimum Fish Oil (2-6 a day, same as above, often taken together)

I prefer an Omega 3-6-9 supplement to straight fish oil or Omega 3. Most studies you read will tell you Americans have too high levels of Omega 6, but you won't be eating like most Americans, either. I buy the Vitamin Shoppe brand Omega 3-6-9, works quite nicely for me.

Smuft wrote:3. Optimum Gold Standard 100% Whey (2 scoops post workout and often once more when I need protein and don't have time to get a real meal)

Good choice.

Smuft wrote:4. Now Green Tea Extract in pill form (1 a day with first meal)
5. Now Acai extract in pill form (1 a day with first meal)

These are pretty close to worthless, actually. I'd ditch them.

Smuft wrote:6. Jack3d (1-2 scoops pre-workout)

Schizandrol A and geranium stem are worthless ingredient, and the useful ingredients can be had for less than buying the USPLabs product. Just sayin'.

Smuft wrote:I'm considering:

1. Creatine (load up for 5 days then pre and post workout)

Creatine = fundamental suppplement. However, the load period is of no value to you, since you're already taking creatine. It's in Jack3d.

Smuft wrote:2. L-Glutamine (post workout)

Pre, post, at bed time... the science dictates either A) there's never a bad time to take this or B) it's always useless. I'm in camp A.

Smuft wrote:3. Supreme Protein Bars (I travel a lot and sometimes it's hard to get all my meals and enough protein in)

NO!!! NO NO NO NO!!!! 27g of freaking maltitol makes this thing a CANDY BAR. Seriously, you may as well have a Snickers. Quest bars are a way better choice - and the only bar on the market I'd really ever consider buying, let alone recommending.

Smuft wrote:So that's it. I'm looking for any comments or suggestions on any of the supplements I'm taking or should be taking. the timing, the frequency, and what I'm mixing it with.

Thanks!

I think I've commented thoroughly, so I shall now suggest.

For pre-workout goodies, I am gonna start off with 3 of the ingredients in your "lovely" Jack3d product - 5-7 g of creatine monohydrate, 2 of beta alanine, and 2 of AAKG 30-45 minutes before you start your workout. If you have the cash to spare, you can also do 7g of glutamine, 7g of arginine and 2g of HMB twice daily - once with breakfast, the other right along with your creatine 30-45 before you work out. GLU/ARG/HMG is proven over and over and over again to promote muscle growth in even the hardest cases - like patients with AIDS and cancer related wasting. SciFit's HMB 2500 is the best bang for your buck I can find.

Oh, and one other thing... I noticed all your products are name-brand, and top-shelf name-brands at that. Nothing wrong with that in and of itself, just be advised there are great cheap brands like NOW Foods and VS's BodyTech that are just as good and cost far less.