Animal (Universal Nutrition) Canada Review (2026): Pak, Cuts, Stak and M-Stak Explained
By Bulldog Nutrition Editorial Team | Updated: October 2026
Quick Answer
Animal is the training brand of Universal Nutrition, a US company that has made its pill-pack supplements since 1983. Bulldog stocks four of them. Animal Pak is a high-potency multivitamin and training pack. Animal Cuts is a caffeinated cutting pack used in three-week cycles. Animal Stak and Animal M-Stak are 21-day packs for training blocks, and Animal labels M-Stak "non-hormonal." Each "pak" is a sealed strip of several pills that you take together with food and water. Bulldog Nutrition is an authorized Canadian and US retailer of Animal, with nationwide shipping.
The yellow-and-black Animal can is easy to recognize. What's inside it is harder to work out. Search "Animal Pak Canada" and you mostly get product pages and old forum threads. How many pills are in a pack? Which one contains caffeine? Can you take Cuts and Stak on the same day? There is no Canadian editorial page on the brand, so this review fills that gap.
Every label number below comes from the Supplement Facts panels on the Bulldog product pages and animalpak.com, plus Animal's own directions. Where Animal does not publish an amount, we say so.
Browse all fat burners and cutting supplements at Bulldog Nutrition →
Who Makes Animal Supplements?
Animal is made by Universal Nutrition, which is why many shoppers search for "Universal Animal." The brand says it has kept its promise "since 1983" and describes "over 40 years" of making supplements. It states that its products are made in the USA in a GMP-certified facility and backed by third-party lab testing. Those are the brand's statements, which we have not audited.
What Is a "Pak," and How Do You Take One?
A pak is one sealed packet of capsules and tablets, and the packet is the serving. Each pill holds a different ingredient "complex." In both Cuts and M-Stak, the stimulants sit in one red capsule. Animal says you can remove that capsule if you already use a pre-workout or train late, so you can drop one pill without skipping the whole serving.
- Take the whole pack as one serving with plenty of water. Animal says the pills are meant to be taken together.
- Take it with food. The Pak label says to take it with breakfast or another meal, and the Cuts label says to take each pack with a small meal.
- Follow the label's cycle. Cuts, Stak and M-Stak are each directed as three weeks on and one week off. Pak's label gives daily directions with no cycle.
- Check the pill count on your container. Animal's pill guides currently show eight capsules per pack for Cuts, Stak and M-Stak, but counts have changed with formula updates.
What Does Each Animal Product Do?
Animal Pak: the foundation multivitamin
Animal calls Pak "The Ultimate Training Pack" and "more than a multi." It is a multivitamin and mineral formula with extra complexes added. The panel on Bulldog's listing is based on a two-pack serving. It lists vitamin C at 1,000 mg, vitamin D at 100 mcg, vitamin B12 at 1,000 mcg, magnesium at 400 mg and zinc at 30 mg. It also includes amino acid, protein (whey concentrate plus a beef and liver blend), performance, antioxidant, digestive enzyme, and energy and focus complexes. The label declares milk and soy.
The label says to take one to two packs with a meal and plenty of water, and suggests two for people who compete or train at higher intensity. That means a 44-pack container lasts 44 days at one pack a day, or 22 days at two.
See Animal Pak at Bulldog Nutrition
Animal Cuts: the cutting pack
Cuts is Animal's fat-loss pack. It is built from eight complexes: stimulant, metabolic, thyroid, water shedding, nootropic, cortisol inhibiting, CCK boosting and bioavailability. The 750 mg stimulant complex lists caffeine anhydrous, kola nut, guarana and yerba mate. The 750 mg metabolic complex uses green, oolong, black and white tea extracts plus coffee bean extract. The water shedding complex includes dandelion root, uva ursi and juniper berry. Animal puts the stimulants in the red capsule and the water shedding complex in the blue ones.
The directions on Animal's current label are two packs a day for three straight weeks, one on waking and one four to six hours later, each with a small meal, then one week off. At that rate, a 42-pack container covers exactly one cycle. The label warns against combining it with other caffeinated products.
See Animal Cuts at Bulldog Nutrition
Animal Stak: the 21-day training-block pack
Stak comes as 21 packs, one cycle per container. Animal markets it as a natural anabolic pack for men who want to push past plateaus. The label groups ingredients under names such as "Pro Testosterone Complex" and "Growth Hormone Support." Those are the brand's names for its complexes, not a Bulldog claim. We describe the contents and leave the effects to the label.
Per the label, each pack has vitamin D (25 mcg), vitamin B6 (10.5 mg), magnesium (425 mg) and zinc (25 mg). It adds a 1,500 mg botanical complex of tribulus, eurycoma longifolia, fenugreek, stinging nettle and maca, and a 1,500 mg amino complex led by arginine, lysine and glutamine. Smaller complexes add DIM, resveratrol, ashwagandha and CoQ10. No caffeine or other stimulant is listed.
Animal's directions: one pack daily for 21 days, taken 30 to 45 minutes before lifting on training days and before bed on rest days, then one week off. After three full cycles, Animal suggests a month off.
See Animal Stak at Bulldog Nutrition
Animal M-Stak: the non-hormonal hardgainer pack
Animal labels M-Stak "non-hormonal" and designed it for "hardgainers," lifters who find it hard to add size. The panel on Bulldog's listing has a 750 mg complex of beta-ecdysterone, turkesterone and phytosterols. It adds a 3,000 mg amino complex of leucine, isoleucine, valine, taurine and acetyl-L-carnitine, and a 1,000 mg adaptogen complex led by ashwagandha. There is also a 500 mg complex of fenugreek, banaba leaf and cinnamon that Animal built around nutrient partitioning.
Shoppers often miss that M-Stak contains caffeine. Its 500 mg energy complex combines caffeine, kola nut and guarana in one red capsule, which Animal says you can remove. The label also declares milk and soy. Animal's US site now shows an updated M-Stak formula, so follow the panel on your container. Directions: one pack daily for 21 days, before lifting on training days and between meals on rest days, three weeks on and one week off.
See Animal M-Stak at Bulldog Nutrition
Animal Pak, Cuts, Stak and M-Stak at a Glance
| Product | What it's for | Packs per container | Serving (per label) | Key actives per label | Caffeine | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Pak | Daily multivitamin and training foundation | 44 | 1–2 packs with a meal (panel based on 2 packs) | Vitamins C, D, B12; magnesium; zinc; amino, protein, enzyme and antioxidant complexes | — | Anyone training hard who wants one daily base product |
| Animal Cuts | Cutting phase | 42 | 2 packs a day, 4–6 hours apart; 3 weeks on, 1 off | Stimulant, tea-extract metabolic, L-tyrosine thyroid, water shedding, nootropic and cortisol complexes | Caffeine anhydrous inside a 750 mg stimulant complex; amount not published, see label | A structured cut with diet and training already in place |
| Animal Stak | 21-day training block | 21 | 1 pack a day, before lifting or bed | Vitamin D, B6, magnesium, zinc; tribulus, eurycoma, fenugreek, maca; arginine, lysine, glutamine | — | Men running a strength block who want a stimulant-free pack |
| Animal M-Stak | 21-day block for hardgainers | 21 | 1 pack a day, before lifting or between meals | Ecdysterone, turkesterone, 3 g amino complex, ashwagandha, fenugreek, cinnamon | Contains caffeine in the energy complex; amount not published, see label | Lifters focused on size who prefer a non-hormonal label |
How Do Pak, Cuts, Stak and M-Stak Fit Together?
Animal's guidance treats Pak as the base and the other three as tools for specific phases:
- All year: Animal Pak, one or two packs with a meal.
- During a cut: add Cuts for a three-week cycle. Animal also publishes a schedule for running Cuts and Stak together (see the FAQ below).
- During a building block: run Stak or M-Stak for 21 days. Animal describes Stak as aimed at performance and strength and M-Stak as aimed at lean mass and size. It also suggests running them back to back.
Cuts and M-Stak both contain caffeine, so if you use them together or with a pre-workout, take out a red capsule. Animal also does not recommend pairing Cuts with a mass gainer, because a cut and a bulk need opposite calorie targets.
How Does Animal Cuts Compare With Other Fat Burners?
EHP Labs OxyShred, TC Nutrition HydraBurn and Believe Energy + Burner do a different job from Cuts. They are flavoured powders you drink once a day; Cuts is a twice-daily capsule system run in three-week cycles. Pick a powder if you like a flavoured drink and one serving a day. Pick Cuts if you want an all-in-one pack for a defined cutting window, with a stimulant capsule you can remove. Our best fat burners in Canada guide covers the powders in detail.
What Should You Know Before Buying Animal in Canada?
- Count your total caffeine. Health Canada advises healthy adults to stay at or under 400 mg a day from all sources. The Cuts and M-Stak panels do not print a separate caffeine figure, so the removable red capsule is your control. The ISSN's position stand notes that caffeine is most often taken about 60 minutes before exercise.
- Add up overlapping vitamins. Two packs of Pak supply 100 mcg (4,000 IU) of vitamin D, which matches Health Canada's adult upper limit. Stak adds 25 mcg more. If you take both, or a separate D3, adjust your total.
- Allergens differ by product. The Pak and M-Stak labels declare milk and soy, and every label notes a facility that also processes common allergens.
- Watch for ingredient overlap. Ashwagandha appears in Cuts, Stak and M-Stak. If you already take it on its own, our ashwagandha guide explains the forms.
Where Can You Buy Universal Nutrition Animal in Canada?
Animal is made in the USA. In Canada, buy from an authorized retailer for genuine, in-date stock. Bulldog Nutrition is an authorized Canadian and US retailer of Animal, stocking Pak, Cuts, Stak and M-Stak and shipping across Canada.
⚠️ Read each label in full before use; the packs contain multiple ingredients and allergen declarations differ by product. Animal Cuts and Animal M-Stak contain caffeine — do not combine either with other caffeine sources, and follow each label's cycling directions. Not for use by anyone under 18, or if pregnant or breastfeeding. Consult a health care practitioner before use if you have a medical condition or take medication. These statements have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the FDA for disease treatment or prevention.
FAQ
Is Animal Pak a multivitamin?
Yes, at its core. Animal Pak supplies a full range of vitamins and minerals, and Animal adds amino acid, protein, antioxidant, digestive enzyme and performance complexes, which is why the brand calls it "more than a multi." The label says to take one to two packs with a meal and plenty of water.
How much caffeine is in Animal Cuts?
The Animal Cuts label does not print a separate caffeine figure. Caffeine anhydrous is listed inside a 750 mg stimulant complex with kola nut, guarana and yerba mate, so see the label on your container. All of the stimulants are in the red capsule, which Animal says you can remove.
What is the difference between Animal Stak and M-Stak?
Animal describes Stak as aimed at performance and strength and M-Stak as aimed at lean mass and size, and it labels M-Stak "non-hormonal." Stak lists no stimulants, while M-Stak includes a caffeine capsule. Pick Stak if you want a stimulant-free pack for a strength block. Pick M-Stak if size is the goal and you prefer a non-hormonal label.
Can you take Animal Cuts and Animal Stak together?
Yes. Animal publishes a combined schedule: one Cuts pack on waking, then a second Cuts pack with one Stak pack about 30 minutes before training, four to six hours after the first. On rest days, take Stak before bed.
Do you have to cycle Animal supplements?
Cuts, Stak and M-Stak are each directed as three weeks on and one week off. For Stak, Animal suggests a month off after three full cycles. Pak's label gives daily directions with no cycle.
Is Universal Nutrition available in Canada?
Yes. Universal Nutrition's Animal line is sold in Canada through retailers. Bulldog Nutrition is an authorized Canadian and US retailer of Animal, stocking Pak, Cuts, Stak and M-Stak and shipping nationwide.
Final Thoughts
Animal has lasted more than 40 years on one idea: complete daily packs. Start with Pak as your base. Add Cuts for a defined cutting window. Run Stak or M-Stak in 21-day blocks, depending on whether strength or size is the goal. Read each panel and count your caffeine.
Shop Animal Pak, Cuts, Stak and M-Stak at Bulldog Nutrition, an authorized Canadian and US retailer of Universal Nutrition's Animal line, with fast shipping across Canada.
Research References
- Universal Nutrition. "About Us." Animal (animalpak.com), accessed October 2026.
- Universal Nutrition. "Animal Cuts" product page, Supplement Facts panel and FAQ. Animal (animalpak.com), accessed October 2026.
- Universal Nutrition. "Animal Stak" product page, Supplement Facts panel and FAQ. Animal (animalpak.com), accessed October 2026.
- Universal Nutrition. "Animal M-Stak" product page and FAQ. Animal (animalpak.com), accessed October 2026.
- Health Canada. "Caffeine in Foods." Government of Canada (canada.ca), 2025.
- Health Canada. "Dietary Reference Intakes Tables: Reference Values for Vitamins." Government of Canada (canada.ca), 2025.
- Guest NS, et al. "International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Caffeine and Exercise Performance." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2021.