‘If only there was a magic pill or potion that will help me melt this fat away…’

How many of you have had that thought running through your head at least once during a fat loss diet?

We’ve all been there.

It’s human behaviour in this modern-day world to chase the ‘secret formula’ with a hit of instant gratification. But the harsh reality is that to carry a decent amount of muscle tissue at a low level of body fat is hard work with no shortcut, and no magic pill!

That being said, what we can do is control as many variables as possible that we have in our arsenal, and use this to create our own ‘secret formula’. What this really consists of is nailing your diet, going hard in your training, getting your cardio done, staying active with your steps, and taking your supplements. All of this combined done with ruthless consistency every day can produce outstanding results over time.

Now, if you’re doing all of this without fail, there are a few ‘1% solutions’ that we’re a fan of using. The first combination we’ll discuss – caffeine and yohimbine HCL – are almost staples for anyone looking to get really lean and help get rid of the last few pounds of stubborn body fat. The latter two are used less often, but worth mentioning.

Note: The advice in this article is for those of you with serious goals chasing aggressive fat loss, and wanting to take it to the next level. It’s for those looking to get very lean, and/or doing a photoshoot or a physique competition.

Caffeine And Yohimbine HCL – Why Do They Work?

1. Caffeine

We’ve all heard of caffeine. It’s a CNS (Central Nervous System) stimulant that’s responsible for the kick you get from your morning coffee. Although the research varies on the exact numbers, it may increase metabolism by 1-3%. Which certainly makes it worth trying.

It comes with a number of benefits, including:

• Allows you to work that extra bit harder than normal in your training and cardio sessions. This is especially true towards final stages of a dieting phase where energy levels are typically low and it can be tough to get your heart rate up during cardio.
•  Decreases pain perception. If you take it pre weight training, or HIIT, it may allow you to push a little further out of your comfort zone.
• Releases cortisol to help mobilise fatty acids to be used as fuel more efficiently.

The benefits of caffeine make it an easy addition to any fat loss supplement stack, and it’s why it’s the key ingredient in ‘fat burners’ you’ll often find in supplement stores.

2. Yohimbine HCL

Yohimbine HCL is a little less known, and it’s important when buying it that you don’t confuse it with Yohimbine Bark. 

Yohimbine HCL can be tough to dose correctly, and often causes sickness or nausea. It is also a stimulant, but where its value comes is its ability to ‘block’ alpha 2 receptors within fat cells.

Why is this important?

It appears that our ‘stubborn’ body fat areas are linked to sites rich in these alpha 2 receptors. If you look at the diagram below, you’ll see that these stubborn fat areas are typically in the lower back, lower pecs, abdomen, triceps, hips and thighs. You’ll also notice that the former three are typically more common for men, while the latter apply more to women (although not definitive).

These alpha 2 rich areas are known to have a poor blood supply, so even when we exercise, it’s hard to mobilise and ‘move’ these fatty acids. They also appear to ‘inhibit’ fat loss via signalling of HSL (Hormone Sensitive Lipase), which works as a key fat releasing enzyme in the body.

As an ‘alpha 2 adreno receptor antagonist’, Yohimbine HCL can work by helping ‘switch off’ these alpha 2 receptors. In turn, we may be able to increase blood flow and switch on lipolysis (fat burning) in stubborn areas.

Disclaimer:

The above is all a theoretical mechanism by how Yohimbine works but where the real magic lies with regard to fat loss would be the potential appetite suppressing effects, leading to better fat loss outcomes due to improved adherence. 

At the end of the day, once you get lean enough your body WILL start tapping into these more "stubborn" areas with or without yohimbine so please don't think it's going to make or break your results.

When you are pushing to get those last bits off though, the process does get a lot more challenging so anything we can add in to help keep us on track isn't going to hurt which is where Yohimbine can be a potent addition.

When Should You Take Your Caffeine & Yohimbine?

The best time to take this combination is in a fasted state before cardio. An ideal scenario would be to wake up, take your caffeine and yohimbine, wait 20 minutes for them to kick in, and then start your cardio.

When we wake up, cortisol (stress hormone) should be relatively high. So by taking caffeine, we’re able to amplify these effects to help mobilise more fatty acids to use as fuel. While cortisol has received a bad rap, if it’s high at certain times of the day, it can be very beneficial.

In regards to yohimbine, it’s best advised to be taken away from food, on an empty stomach which is why morning makes the most sense. 

How Much Should You Dose Your Caffeine And Yohimbine?

How you dose your caffeine to begin with will depend on your tolerance to stimulants. If you’re not used to taking any caffeine, you may want to start with a black coffee. Once accustomed to this (which contains approx. 50-100mg caffeine depending on strength), then we recommend buying some plain caffeine tablets (which usually start at 200mg). You can also monitor and adjust your dose much easier this way.

For women, we’d recommend starting with ½ a tablet and assessing your tolerance and side effects.

For men, we’d recommend starting at 1 tablet.

After starting with 100-200mg, you can ramp this up to 400-600mg over time depending on how your body reacts.

In Lyle McDonald’s excellent book, ‘Women and Fat Loss’, he noted that  taking 600mg caffeine per day can burn up to 100 calories a day extra. This isn’t a huge amount, but over time this can add up, and possible burn an extra pound of body fat in a month’s time. Of course, you shouldn’t suddenly start taking 600mg/day, and should certainly build up to such an amount over time.

For Yohimbine HCL, the most effective dose is 0.2mg/kg.

So if you weigh 70kg, you’d be looking at taking approximately 14mg. Each capsule is typically 2.5mg, so this would equate to 5-6 capsules per day.

It’s important here to start at 1-2 capsules for a couple of days to assess tolerance, and then titrate up accordingly.

In the depths of extreme fat loss diets where you’re really pushing things, we may also add a second dose in during the afternoon. But remember, insulin inhibits yohimbine’s effectiveness, so try keep this away from carbohydrate-based meals, and/or 2 hours after eating.

What Are The Potential Side Effects?

How you respond to a specific supplement will depend on you, but as with all stimulants, the most common potential side effect if you’re not used to them is feeling ‘jittery’.

Stimulants can also amplify feelings of anxiousness, so if you’ve got a history of depression, anxiety or panic attacks, do not take them.

Potential positive side effects can include decreased appetite (useful towards the end of a diet) and increased well-being / libido.

There is some controversy as to the legality of Yohimbine HCL in the UK. It is a controlled substance in that a license is needed to sell it (hence we typically have to order it from the US), but it’s totally legal to use and not a banned substance in the majority of sport federations. Despite this, you should always do your own research and check with your federation (in either physique or athletic endeavours) as rules and regulations are constantly changing.

Conclusion

It can become easy to think after reading an article like this that you’ve found the magic key to unlock your fat loss to the next level.

But remember, supplements are just that, supplements. It’s the extra 1% that could make a difference if all the basics are being nailed on a consistent basis. If not, you’ll end up spinning your wheels and wasting a lot of money!