The 7 Best Supplement Stacks For Bodybuilders, Vegans, and More

These all-in-one supplement stacks can take the guesswork out of the equation.

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Dialing in your meal plans can make all the difference when it comes to fitness. This is where supplement “stacks” — several products purchased as a group, often with complementary properties or purposes — come in. For example, a basic stack may include a pre-workout, a protein powder, and a post-workout, while a more comprehensive stack may throw fish oil, vitamins, and fat burners into the mix, as well.

Stacks are valuable because, just as training properly is a multi-faceted ordeal, crossing every “T” and dotting every “I” when it comes to mastering nutrition takes more than any single product can provide. From stacks for building muscle to stacks for athletes on a vegan diet, we’ve broken down the market’s most popular offerings and what they can do for you — here are some of the best supplement stacks on the market.

Best Supplement Stacks

Best Supplement Stacks Video Review

While we think this article is full of information that is too important to pass up, we also think you should check out our video review as Nick English breaks down our favorite supplement stacks on the market in 2023. 

Best Supplement Stack for Fat Loss

While the basic principle behind losing weight is simple (consume fewer calories than you burn), nailing down every aspect of your nutrition while cutting weight can easily become complicated and confusing. A one-stop purchase that can help your goals run smoothly is especially convenient. 

Transparent Labs Fat Burning Essentials

What’s Included: Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate, LEAN Pre-Workout, Fat Burner, Creatine HMB.

If you really want a supplement stack that can help support your needs for weight loss, the Transparent Labs Fat Burning Essentials Stack is a complete stack that covers all your bases. It comes complete with a fat burner that helps provide clean energy with green tea extract and caffeine. It also has possible thermogenic effects from 50mg of cayenne pepper and may boost fat metabolism with 250mg of forskolin. 

The idea of thermogenic stimulants in fat burners is that they can help boost your metabolism. Studies on thermogenic fat burners suggest that green tea may aid in weight loss with an increase in fat metabolism. (1) LEAN is a hybrid fat burner and pre-workout with common pre- ingredients like, citrulline, beta-alanine, and betaine. It also has 2:1:1 BCAAs (2,500mg), which may aid in recovery and muscle building. (2)

Transparent Labs Fat Burning Essentials
Transparent Labs Fat Burning Essentials
Transparent Labs Fat Burning Essentials

This stack provides all the essentials you could want from a fat burner stack with a whey protein isolate, a fat burner pre-workout hybrid, a dedicated fat burner, and a creatine with HMB. Transparent Labs made this a one stop shop for all your fat burning essentials.

The 100-percent grass fed whey protein isolate provides a large dose of 28 grams of protein with no fat and only one gram of carbs for 120 calories per serving — an ideal balance for weight loss. When on a fat loss journey, you’ll want to do everything possible to hang on to hard-earned muscle, which is where the creatine HMB comes in.

 Each serving provides 5,000mg of creatine monohydrate, 1,500mg of HMB, and five milligrams of black pepper extract to potentially aid in absorption. The stack costs around $211 for a 30-day supply of all four items, which is fairly common for a supp haul like this.

Who Should Buy Transparent Labs Fat Burning Essentials

  • People who want a supplement stack directly focused on helping burn fat will like the amount of fat burning and thermogenic ingredients in this stack.
  • Lifters who want the benefits of BCAAs will appreciate the addition of them in this pre-workout formula.
  • If you want to keep your protein intake up you’ll like the large 28g serving of high-quality protein with each scoop of the powder provided.

Who Shouldn’t Buy Transparent Labs Fat Burning Essentials

  • Athletes who are looking for a supplement stack that includes a dedicated BCAA supplement may want to look elsewhere as this stack only has it in the pre-workout. 
  • Anyone who wants a supplement stack to do more of the nutritional legwork overall may want to choose a more diverse stack (like one that includes a multivitamin).
  • This stack comes in at around $211, and there may be better budget-friendly options on the market.

This stack approaches fat burning from all angles. If you’re in the market for an arsenal of supplements that could help you burn fat (on top of your healthy diet of whole foods and caloric deficit, of course), Transparent Labs Fat Burning Essentials Stack may be the catalyst to helping you reach your body composition goals. 

Best Supplement Stack for Bodybuilders

If you’re a dedicated bodybuilder — whether recreationally, or in pursuit of your first Pro Card or sponsorship — you may have different goals in mind than the average gym rat trying to add a few inches to their arms. It should follow that your nutritional needs are equally distinct.

Swolverine Build Stack

What’s Included: Beta-Alanine (CarnoSyn), Citrulline Malate, Creatine Monohydrate, L-Glutamine, and Whey Protein Isolate

A supplement stack for bodybuilders has to be intelligently designed, and include the necessary ingredients for both building muscle and keeping you lean, especially with a show around the corner. Any bodybuilder knows how meticulous your supplement stack needs to be. Luckily, Swolverine’s Build Stack is just that.

10% Off
Swolverine Build Stack
Swolverine Build Stack
Swolverine Build Stack

Complete with whey protein isolate powder and various supplements geared toward potentially enhancing your endurance in the gym, the Swolverine Build Stack is a great choice for both bodybuilders and beginners.

Starting with Beta-Alanine CarnoSyn: This product can help boost athletic performance, reduce muscle fatigue, and potentially increase strength due to a lag in muscle soreness. It includes a citrulline malate blend of l-citrulline and malic acid, which can help promote nitric oxide production in the body, as well as increase strength, muscle recovery, and endurance. Creatine monohydrate is another straight-shot supplement by Swolverine with only one ingredient included — 5,000mg of creatine. Creatine is an important supplement in your toolbox, and proper use of creatine may have a positive influence on your ability to pack mass muscle gains, especially at clinical doses like the one found in this product.

L-Glutamine is an amino acid, which can help rebuild or repair muscles after intense training sessions. It may also be beneficial post-workout to keep soreness to a minimum, and reduce muscle breakdown. For good measure, you’ll also get a whey protein isolate supp with this stack to make sure you’re hitting your dietary protein needs while you’re building. Whey protein isolate is one of the leanest protein options on the market, which is ideal for bodybuilders who have specific aesthetic goals.

Swolverine Build Stack
Swolverine Build Stack

Who Should Buy Swolverine Build Stack

  • Athletes working towards their first show or stage appearance who want to look their best on the day will appreciate the emphasis on improving performance in this stack.
  • If you’re looking for supps that can potentially help enhance your daily performance as well as recovery, you’ll appreciate that this stack has it all covered.
  • Anyone in the market for a stack that targets a lot of nutritional optimization at once will be happy that this stack also includes a protein powder.

Who Shouldn’t Buy Swolverine Build Stack

  • Athletes who are looking for supplements with extra ingredients/micronutrients may want a different brand — Swolverine is known to have minimal ingredients in each product.
  • Bodybuilders who are on a tight budget may find the around $260 price tag a bit high compared to other stacks on the market.
  • Folks who may want a specific pre-workout supp.

Swolverine Build Stack can help bodybuilders make sure they’re at the top of their competitive game. With supplements aimed towards potentially going harder in the gym, making the most of each session, and optimizing recovery, this is an ideal stack for first-time and advanced bodybuilders alike.

Read our full review of Swolverine Whey Protein Isolate

Best Supplement Stack for Building Muscle 

Since muscle is actually built outside of the gym, having a supplement stack that facilitates hypertrophy long after you finish your final set is crucial. Many popular stacks do the bare minimum by including a post-workout shake, but we’re interested in products that go the distance. 

Huge Supplements Shulk Stack

What’s Included: Huge Whey, Pump Serum, Wrecked Pre-Workout, Arachidone

This stack is based on fitness influencer and TikTok legend, Shulk’s favorite Huge Supplements products. It’s got everything you might want to help you build muscle by supporting you before, during, and after workouts. It has Pump Serum and Wrecked, which are two pre-workouts — one stim-heavy and one stim-free — that can help provide massive pumps, energy, and focus. When you want a dose of energy to push through your workout, Wrecked provides 350mg of caffeine along with a host of staple ingredients like 8,000mg of citrulline, 3,500mg of beta-alanine, and 3,000mg of betaine. 

Huge Supplements Shulk Stack
Huge Supplements Shulk Stack
Huge Supplements Shulk Stack

Based on the favorite Huge Supplements products of fitness icon and TikTok legend, Shulk, this stack has everything you need to support muscle gain. It’s designed to support you before workouts with a stimulant-forward pre-workout and a stim-free one. During the workout with Arachidone, and after your workouts with whey protein for recovery.

When you’re more interested in achieving a pump and improving blood flow, Pump Serum is a great stim-free option. Each scoop has 8,000mg of citrulline, 3,000mg of betaine, and 2,000mg of beetroot, along with other ingredients for potential pump and vasodilation — like 254mg of VasoDrive-AP™ and huperzine A. To potentially aid in recovery after tough workouts, the Shulk Stack also has Vanilla Milkshake flavored Huge Whey. 

Every scoop has 23 grams of high-quality whey concentrate. Huge Whey is also low in fat and carbs — two and 2.5, respectively — for a total calorie count of 120 per serving. Rounding out the stack is Arachidone, which packs in 1,500mg of arachidonic acid per three-capsule serving. This is an omega-6 fatty acid and is meant to be taken before working out — possibly improving muscle power, tissue repair, and even pumps. You can snag this entire stack for around $189.95 — slightly less than other similar stacks.

Who Should Buy Huge Supplements Shulk Stack 

  • Lifters in a “bulking” phase who want to make the most of their work in the gym will appreciate this stack’s focus on muscle growth.
  • If you’re a big fan of Shulk and want to implement a similar stack that they may follow.
  • People who work out at different times of the day will appreciate the inclusion of both the stim-free Pump Serum and caffeine-heavy Wrecked.

Who Shouldn’t Buy Huge Supplements Shulk Stack

  • Beginners who may not need a comprehensive supplement stack won’t necessarily want such a complex stack.
  • Anyone taking it easy in the gym or not training particularly intensely at the moment should probably wait until the next training cycle to take this stack on.
  • Those who don’t take a pre-workout often can find a stack that doesn’t focus so heavily on them.

If getting big was as easy as chugging a shake or swallowing a pill, you wouldn’t have to work so hard in the gym. But that doesn’t mean that the right hypertrophy stack can’t potentially speed up your journey a little. This one contains potent pre-workouts, a top-notch whey for potential recovery aid, and even arachidonic acid as an added bonus.

Best Supplement Stack for Vegans

Anyone who still believes that veganism is incompatible with getting big or strong is lying to themselves. You only need to look at some of the truly mind-bending feats of vegan athletes to realize that these stereotypes simply aren’t true. That said, any restrictive diet does require a little extra attention — this is where a vegan-friendly supplement stack can make a big play.

Swolverine Vegan Build Stack

What’s Included: Beta-Alanine (CarnoSyn), Citrulline Malate, Creatine Monohydrate, L-Glutamine, and Plant Protein

This is a stack made for vegans who are trying to get the most out of their workouts by marrying their training with a proper supplement regimen. This stack is the ideal mix of supplements to help you build muscle, repair muscles after tough training sessions, and replenish your energy throughout and after your workout.

Swolverine Vegan Build Stack
Swolverine Vegan Build Stack
Swolverine Vegan Build Stack

Vegan Build Stack includes Beta-Alanine (CarnoSyn), Citrulline Malate, Creatine Monohydrate, L-Glutamine, and Plant Protein. This stack is designed to help you pursue all your goals in the gym.

Beta-Alanine CarnoSyn is a pre-workout that may help counteract lactic acid buildup, and give you the ability to push through tough workouts and have a less painful recovery period. You can mix your citrulline malate in with your beta-alanine to give you the ultimate pre-workout pump. The 2:1 ratio of l-citrulline and malic acid makes this formula a vegan’s best friend to push workouts to the next level, potentially achieving a better pump due to the nitric oxide build-up from the pre-workout duo.

This creatine monohydrate supplement is pure creatine with nothing else. At 5,000mg per serving, you’ll get all the benefits of a creatine supplement without having to worry about additional fillers, additives, sugars, or dyes. This is an unflavored powder which makes it really easy to combine with any other supplements in this stack.

L-glutamine is an amino acid, which can help rebuild or repair muscles after intense training sessions. It may also be beneficial post-workout to keep soreness to a minimum and reduce muscle breakdown. This stack feels more complete with its delicious protein powder, and this Chocolate Cake flavored vegan protein provides 22g of protein per serving. One of the challenges of being a vegan athlete can be making sure that you consume enough protein daily to help you reach your goals — Swolverine has you covered here. 

Swolverine Vegan Build Stack
Swolverine Vegan Build Stack

Who Should Buy Swolverine Vegan Build Stack

  • Any vegan athlete who wants to ensure their protein intake and promote muscle growth will appreciate this balanced stack, which includes a vegan protein that may help optimize their training efforts.
  • If you’re looking for supplements that can potentially help enhance your daily performance as well as your recovery, you will appreciate that this stack has citrulline malate, beta-alanine, and l-glutamine, which may lead to easier recovery.
  • Anyone in the market for a stack that has pre, intra, and post-workout supplementation will appreciate the variety in this stack.

Who Shouldn’t Buy Swolverine Vegan Build Stack

  • Athletes who are looking for various options for their protein powder flavor. Swolverine only offers a Chocolate Cake flavor in their vegan lineup.
  • Vegans who are on a tight budget may find the near $260 price tag a bit high compared to other stacks on the market.
  • If you’re not tied to a vegan protein, you can opt for an isolate that may have more protein per serving. 

Swolverine Vegan Build Stack can aid vegan athletes in reaching a variety of fitness-related goals, such as building mass, improving performance, and boosting recovery. This is the perfect stack for anyone looking for supplements they can trust to potentially boost their performance within their dietary restrictions.

Best Supplement Stack for Beginners

One of the perks of being a neophyte to the iron game — alongside incredibly rapid gains in strength and size — is that, much like the training itself, nutrition and supplement needs are fairly basic. Many novices don’t need more than a good protein powder to progress in the gym. That being said, there’s no harm in going the extra mile with your supplementation.

Transparent Labs Muscle Building Essentials

What’s Included: Pre-Workout, Whey Protein Isolate, and Creatine HMB

Beginners may not immediately jump to investing in a supplement stack when they start out in the gym. That’s why Transparent Labs’ Muscle Building Essentials is more about making sure your body can adapt to increased pressure on your muscles rather than just pumping you up. And if you’re nervous about muscle soreness, this stack offers a pre-workout with citrulline malate that can help combat overwhelming muscle fatigue and stiffness.

Transparent Labs Muscle Building Essentials Stack
Transparent Labs Muscle Building Essentials Stack
Transparent Labs Muscle Building Essentials Stack

This stack contains Transparent Labs Preseries Bulk, Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate, Transparent Labs Strengthseries Creapure HMB, and Transparent Labs Coreseries Krill Oil.

Krill Oil is an excellent supplement for beginners in the gym because it has the potential to decrease inflammation in the body after a tough workout which can lead to a speedier recovery. As a bonus, it may help improve heart health, as well. BULK pre-workout contains amino acids, many of which are necessary to obtain through supplementation. It also contains citrulline malate, which can help take your pump to the next level due to its potential to promote nitric oxide production.

The Creatine HMB in this stack provides beginners with the creatine they’ve likely heard so much about, and the HMB that may be able to help even further with muscle growth. This stack also includes whey protein isolate powder. This is a lean protein option, and it contains a high 28-gram dose per scoop. This stack is not only designed to give you the best head start in your fitness journey, but it also comes with a multitude of flavor options to choose from for the pre-workout, protein, and creatine, making it customizable to your preferences. 

Transparent Labs Muscle Building Essentials Stack
Transparent Labs Muscle Building Essentials Stack

Who Should Buy Transparent Labs Muscle Building Essentials

  • New strength athletes who might be intimidated by what supplements they need to potentially boost their workouts will appreciate that Transparent Labs has done the work for you here. 
  • If you’re looking for a beginner supplement stack that allows you to choose the flavors best suited to your palette, this stack comes fully customizable with a ton of delicious flavor options.
  • Those who want to reduce inflammation that can follow a tough workout will appreciate the addition of krill oil here.

Who Shouldn’t Buy Transparent Labs Muscle Building Essentials

  • Newbies who just want to start with one or two supplements may not need to buy a whole stack. 
  • Athletes who are on a tighter budget might want to consider a cheaper stack since this one is priced near $180. 
  • Those who have vegan restrictions should check out our vegan stack option. 

The only thing a beginner really needs to take their first steps is some determination and initiative. But a starter supplement stack like this can still provide a solid boost to help you reach your fitness goals.

Read our full review of Transparent Labs BULK, Transparent Labs Whey Protein Isolate, and Transparent Labs Creatine HMB.

Best Supplement Stack for Digestion

Supplement stacks aren’t exclusively the province of those who train hard five or six days per week. For anyone who may not be out to win a powerlifting competition, but still wants to augment their standard diet and polish digestion processes, a wellness stack is a prime choice.

Swolverine Digestive Health

What’s Included: Turmeric, Probiotic, and L-Glutamine

The selections here won’t create skin-tearing pumps or help you set new PRs directly, but they can keep your engine running smoothly and your body in good overall condition. The Swolverine Digestive Health stack places an emphasis on keeping your gut regulated, which can help keep your gymgoing habits more sustainable and consistent.

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Swolverine Digestive Health
Swolverine Digestive Health
Swolverine Digestive Health

Aimed at supporting your overall wellness — particularly your gut health and digestive system — the Swolverine Digestive Health stack takes a comprehensive approach to fitness to keep your whole body healthy for more gym sessions.

The turmeric supplement included here contains 750mg of turmeric extract and 5mg of BioPerine, a black pepper extract. Research suggests that turmeric can help improve your recovery via its anti-inflammatory properties, while black pepper can increase the bioavailability of turmeric in your body. (15)(16)

The Probiotix included in this stack contains seven different probiotics, all of which are aimed at improving your gut health. Some of them work to combat “bad” bacteria, while others, like Lactobacillus Casei, work to reduce inflammation. (17) The L-glutamine supplement also aims to support your gut health, while assisting your immune system. (12)(11) The first two supplements in this stack contain 60 servings per container, while the L-glutamine supp container has 100 servings.

Swolverine Digestive Health Stack
Swolverine Digestive Health Stack

Who Should Buy Swolverine Digestive Health

  • Anyone in the market for supplements that help the body function well outside of a gym will like that this stack isn’t strictly about gym performance.
  • If you’re someone with stomach or digestive issues that make it difficult for you to train, this stack might be well-suited for supporting you.
  • Athletes who want to support their digestive health to match a new eating routine will like this stack’s emphasis on gut health.

Who Shouldn’t Buy Swolverine Digestive Health 

  • Anyone interested in a supplement stack tailored towards acute performance will want to look elsewhere.
  • If you’re looking for a supplement stack that includes pre-workout and protein supplements, you’ll want to check out other options.

It’s tough to have to worry about what you eat after you eat it — eating the right meals for muscle gains at the right times is hard enough on its own. A stack designed to optimize digestive processes can be great for alleviating concerns in this area.

Best Supplement Stack for Women 

People of all genders should have access to effective supplements that work for them. That being said, many companies market themselves toward men, promising bulging muscles and mountains of calories to pack on pounds. On the other side of things, there are specific stacks — like this pick — that may be more ideal for some women or people of any gender who aren’t looking to bulk up.

Ideal Fit Workout Bundle

What’s Included: Protein, BCAAs, and Pre-Workout 

Ideal Fit’s Workout Bundle is a convenient selection of products that can work for anybody but are exceptional for women and people of other genders who may not want to get bigger during their training. Everyone can use a good dose of protein and amino acids to recover from muscle damage accrued during exercise, but not all people want a whey powder that contains well over two hundred calories per serving. 

IdealFit Workout Bundle
IdealFit Workout Bundle
IdealFit Workout Bundle

IdealFit’s Workout Bundle's uncomplicated selection of products that are exceptional for women include IdealLean Protein, IdealLean BCAAs, and IdealLean pre-workout.

The Ideal Lean Protein packs in the macronutrients required to refuel without loading up on spare sugar. Each protein powder you can get with this stack contains 20 grams of whey protein isolate in a range of 90 to 100 calories per serving, with less than two grams of sugar. But if you’re still hungry for flavor, these come in a range from Fruity Cereal to White Chocolate. You can also get a vegan protein powder (which features 20 grams of pea, watermelon, and pumpkin seed protein) or an unflavored powder in this customizable stack.

With Ideal Lean BCCAs, you’ll get 5 grams of 2:1:1 leucine, isoleucine, and valine per serving, which is generally considered the ideal BCAA ratio to help prevent muscle breakdown. Their IdealLean pre-workout can also provide stable energy for getting a good sweat on in the gym. But with a relatively low caffeine content (150mg per serving), you’ll likely be able to skip the accompanying jitters or crashes commonly associated with more caffeine-intensive supplements. 

IdealFit Workout Bundle
IdealFit Workout Bundle

Who Should Buy Ideal Fit Workout Bundle

  • Athletes on a budget who want to get the nutrition they need without breaking the bank.
  • Anyone who wants a supplement stack that includes both a protein powder and a pre-workout will appreciate this stack, which contains both.
  • Some women and athletes of any gender who don’t want to consume a large amount of caffeine or calories in their stack will appreciate the relatively low levels found here (between 90 and 100 calories in a protein powder serving and 150mg of caffeine in a pre-workout serving).

Who Shouldn’t Buy Ideal Fit Workout Bundle

  • Anyone who wants a higher caffeine content in their pre-workout might want to look elsewhere.
  • Some women and athletes of any gender searching for supplements that satisfy higher caloric requirements may want to opt for a different supplement stack.
  • If you’re looking for a supplement stack that includes more than three products, you can find stacks that are more comprehensive.

A male-dominated supplement industry has a lot of room for (and need of) products designed specifically to target the needs of some women and athletes of any gender, making IdealFit’s stack a welcome addition to the mix.

Read our full review of Ideal Fit Lean Protein, Ideal Fit Lean BCAAs, and Ideal Fit Lean Pre-Workout.

Benefits of Supplement Stacks

A supplement stack is a convenient, cost-effective, and goal-oriented way to help achieve your gains in the gym. Whether you’re looking to gain muscle, promote healthy digestion, or lose body fat, there’s a stack out there for you.

Convenience

Stacks are largely more time-efficient and convenient than buying each supplement individually. You don’t have to go searching for which stacks you want and need — and you don’t have to do all the leg work of figuring out which brands or specific supps are safe to stack together. When all your supplements are coming together in the same pack, you can be more confident that you can run the same cycle with the supplements included. Plus, you won’t have to ship and organize all of your supps independently of each other — the company you’re buying from will do all that groundwork for you.

Confidence

Navigating the perils of the supplement industry on your own can be intimidating, especially if you’re looking to pick up multiple products at once. Supplement stacks are packaged specifically to quell uncertainty and allow you to get straight to what matters — maximizing your health and performance.

A person drinking a smoothie in the gym.
Credit: ME Image / Shutterstock

By compiling the right products for you, a well-made stack should provide some peace of mind and allow you to direct your energy toward working hard, eating well, and recovering intelligently.

Cost Effective

Buying one product at a time might be alright if you’re only using one or two supps overall. But once you start using three, four, or even more supplements during the same cycle, it can get very expensive very quickly. When you buy your supplements in bundles like stacks, you’ll be getting the same product for likely a lot less money. Not to mention, you’ll avoid multiple shipping costs, as everything will ship together since you’re buying one overall product.

Goal-Oriented

If you’re not quite sure which supplements are geared specifically toward your gym goals, supplement stacks can help. Since they’re generally marketed toward a specific goal — for example building muscle or losing body fat — you might find that buying your supps in stacks gives you a wider range of ideas for what your supplement routine might include. And once you have that idea in mind, you don’t have to do the extra work of seeking it out — you can just select the stack that provides the potential benefits you may want to take advantage of. 

How We Chose the Best Supplement Stacks

Assessing the merit of a supplement bundle is more difficult than just looking at a single nutrition label. Not only do these products have to deliver on their individual promises, but they also have to be vetted as a collective to ensure they aren’t redundant — or even harmful — when taken together.

Product Synergy

We’ve paid special attention to how the individual components of a stack work, not only on their own, but as part of a bigger nutritional picture — you could be leaving potential gains on the table if you aren’t diligent about every aspect of your diet. So if a company bundles five products together, promising that it is a complete package, but one or more items don’t align with the overall purpose, we won’t bother suggesting it. 

Research

While many companies advertise their products appropriately and back their claims up with data, there are also many who don’t. We want to ensure the products you are buying — including the supplement stacks on this list — are backed by science. While even science doesn’t guarantee that each product will work exactly the same for every individual, the data does show it has the potential to help with performance if taken properly and incorporated into an already healthy diet. Therefore, we have triple-checked that all the products and companies on this list provide the data to back up their claims and aren’t dishing out promises they can’t keep. 

Individual Needs

It can be a drag to purchase a single supplement, only to find out later that it doesn’t do what you wanted it to. That feeling magnifies if you end up purchasing a pricey bundle that falls flat. 

Scoops of protein powder sitting in front of a grey background
Image via NatalyaBond / Shutterstock

We want to absolutely ensure that the stacks recommended here are properly tailored to deliver on the promises they make. A stack targeting bodybuilders that doesn’t work overtime to stimulate muscle growth isn’t worth our time — or yours. 

The only thing for you to do is make sure our recommendations align with your needs before buying an expensive bundle of supplements. Remember that achieving your fitness goals requires action and dedication. A stack alone is not a magic pill, but a package of supplements aimed to help you hit your goals. 

How Much Do Supplement Stacks Cost?

As supplement stacks are several supplements in one package, they’ll be on the more expensive side — but truthfully, they cost a lot less when sold together rather than they would if you bought them as individual products. These stacks range in price from around $100 up to $265 in total, but the price will vary from company to company, and be dependent on how many and what type of supplements are included in the stack.

Best Supplement Stack for Fat Loss Transparent Labs Fat Burning Essentials $211.00
Best Supplement Stack for Bodybuilders Swolverine Build Stack $264.95
Best Supplement Stack for Building Muscle Huge Supplements Shulk Stack $189.95
Best Supplement Stack for Vegans Swolverine Vegan Build Stack $229.99
Best Supplement Stack for Beginners Transparent Labs Muscle Building Essentials  $217.96
Best Supplement Stack for Digestion Swolverine Digestive Health  $106.99
Best Supplement Stack for Women IdealFit Workout Bundle $134.96

On average, you can expect to pay $184.90 for a supplement stack, but keep in mind these prices will drastically vary depending on the number of supplements, type of supplements included — whey protein isolate may cost more than a creatine supplement or omega-3 — and the quality of each supplement. Depending on your needs, a stack may be an optimal choice for saving money and getting a solid supply of supplements in your arsenal to help you crush your goals.

What to Consider Before Buying Supplement Stacks

Supplement stacks are tailored to help you find all the right products you need for your fitness journey in one fell swoop. But before you swipe right on a stack, there are a few factors that deserve some consideration. 

Manage Your Expectations

When shopping for supplements of any kind, keep in mind that brands are making a targeted effort to pitch you their products first and foremost. For consumers, this can mean having to sift through dubious claims about efficacy or ingredients.

A person wears a sports bra and a ponytail coming through a grey camouflage cap faces away from the camera and poses with their biceps flexed and their back muscles showing.
Image via Igor Lateci / Shutterstock

While all the products on this list are scientifically backed, make sure to do your own research and read the ingredients list thoroughly before making a final decision or purchase. And know that not every claim a product makes is going to hold true for every individual — all of our bodies process supplements differently, which means our reactions to certain supplements may vary, regardless of data. The main way to achieve fitness goals is through consistent exercise and food habits.

Assess Your Actual Needs

A supplement stack is a fantastic idea if you’ve got several holes to plug in your nutrition. Rather than buying all five or six of the products in a stack separately, you can snag them all at once. But if you don’t actually need all the products in the group, don’t get suckered into buying a whole stack when you will only end up using one or two from the bundle. 

A supplement stack of four products isn’t necessarily four times more effective than a single item. In fact, the opposite can be true. If you’re hitting your macros from whole food sources on a regular basis, don’t feel beat up from your training, but wish you had more energy in the gym, you may just need a solid pre-workout rather than a whole new stack of products. The gist: Buy what you need. 

Final Word

While a supplement stack can be incredibly useful for shoring up multiple weaknesses in a diet, a single well-made product still retains its potency. Before you pull the trigger on a stack, be absolutely sure that you can get value out of every part of it.

That said, picking up a bundle of supplements that work well together can be one of the best ways to streamline and support your nutritional needs. There are supplement stacks catered for many different goals you might have in the gym — bulking up, slimming down, or promoting your digestive health to maintain overall wellness and consistency. You can also find supplements stacks meant to help you improve your overall performance in the gym through a range of energy-boosting supps. 

Whatever you’re looking for, a huge advantage of supplement stacks is that all of the products in each bundle are catered to what you’re looking for. You won’t have to bounce between brands and supplement types to find products that will boost each other’s effectiveness in a cycle rather than negatively interfere with each other. Since all of the products are from the same brand, this may also bring peace of mind about consistency and quality — there are no (objectively) bad apples in these bunches. 

FAQs

Do supplements ever cancel each other out?

Not really. It can seem odd at a glance that a stack includes a high-calorie protein powder and a fat burner, but these products target different aspects of function and performance without interfering with one another.

Do I need to take multiple different supplements at once?

If you’re completely certain that your dietary and health needs are laced up save for one area, no. That’s a tall order, though, and most of us could benefit from at least one well-crafted supplement.

Is it safe to consume multiple supplements per day?

Yes. As long as you aren’t chugging back three different pre-workouts at once, the various components of a supplement stack are intentionally chosen to be safely consumed together. In fact, many of them work even better when added to your diet at the same time.

How much do supplement stacks cost?

Supplement stacks may seem more expensive, but when you buy in a stack, you end up saving more money than you would if you bought each supplement individually. This list varies between stacks that cost closer to $100 to those that are closer to $300 in price. On average, you can expect to pay $184.90 for a supplement stack. If you’re just starting out, looking to cut or make gains, or just prefer a stack for convenience, this list most likely has a pick to meet your needs.

What is the best supplement stack?

If you’re looking for a supplement stack, but aren’t quite sure what the best of the best may be, we’ve got you covered. After researching a multitude of supplement stacks available across the market, we have landed on Transparent Labs Fat Burning Essentials as our favorite. It includes a whey protein isolate, creatine, a pre-workout, and a fat-burning supplement. If getting shredded isn’t your goal, there are plenty of other picks on our list geared towards strength gains, women, and beginners in the gym.

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