Are you interested in using mass gainers to gain weight? Don’t miss out on this complete guide to mass gainer supplements, so you can add muscle and look great.
Keyword(s): mass gainer
If you’re hitting the gym, drinking protein shakes and still aren’t seeing muscle growth you should use a mass gainer. While a gainer brings many benefits, people still don’t understand how to properly use them to see the best results.
Are you interested in using mass gainers to gain weight? Don’t miss out on this complete guide to mass gainers.
Why Should You Use A Mass Gainer?
Gainers are great for people who need to supplement their diets or tone their physique. They bring clean calories, carbohydrates, and other ingredients that will promote lean muscle gain.
To gain muscle mass it’s important to take in more calories than you burn. People who are lifting for the first time or have a busy life may find it a challenge to pack in the needed calories. Others may have difficulties because of a small appetite or fast metabolism.
A number of calories that a mass gainer should have will be different for each individual. Most have success with 400-600 calorie gainers, while those with a harder time building mass may need more.
It’s important to start with gainers with a small calorie level then work your way up to see how the gainer reacts with your system. People with indigestion or an already large intake of calories may struggle with gainers that have a higher calorie level. Incorrectly using gainers may result in gaining more body fat than intended.
Gainers bring improvements to people who need more carbohydrates to gain mass. This is because a carbohydrate deficit will result in proteins being used for energy rather than for taking care of muscles.
Creatine in gainers helps with recovery time, resulting in shorter rest periods. This will let you work out harder than you normally would. It’s important to maintain the right amount of calories to guarantee a fast recovery rate.
Gainers increase the amount of L-glutamine in your system. This helps to secrete human growth hormone, improve the immune system, and reduce muscle tears. It also counteracts glutamine depletion that comes from intense workouts.
While on gainers it’s essential to still eat big meals to get all the needed vitamins and macronutrients.
Protein shake Vanilla flavor accompanied by weights and sportsmen in the background
The Right Ingredients
The best gainers have the right ingredients to improve the right type of fat in your body. Fat helps to grow muscle, keep testosterone levels high, aid in recovery, and keep off body fat. Make sure the gainer has as little saturated fat as possible.
Ingredients that improve fat:
- Medium-chain triglycerides
- Flaxseed oil
- Borage oil
- Conjugated linoleic acid
The best gainers have proteins that digest at different rates for muscle growth. The right proteins will help to reduce muscle breakdown.
Types of proteins that gainers should have:
- Fast-digesting hydrolyzed whey protein powder
- Moderate-digesting micellar casein protein powder
- Slow-digesting egg white protein powder
The best gainers will provide a variety of carbohydrates with different digestion rates.
Fast-digesting carbohydrates that will give you energy:
- Dextrose
- Maltodextrin
Slow-digesting carbohydrates that will keep your insulin levels steady:
- Waxy maize
- Oat powder
- Brown rice
- Fructose
Mass gainers provide all of these essential ingredients in the form of a powder that you make into a shake.
Not For Losing Weight
Mass gainers aren’t for people who are trying to lose weight while working out. Using a mass gainer will give you more calories and your body fat won’t go away.
Don’t worry if you see fast weight gain after the first couple weeks. This gain is water weight from creatine and the increase in carbohydrates. After a week or two, this water retention will leave your system.
Scales aren’t a great indicator because it judges both water and body fat. To best judge your weight and the effectiveness of the mass gainer it’s suggested to get a body fat test done by your gym. This free test will give you a better indicator of how your workout is coming along.
Who Should Take It?
Mass gainers work the best for:
- Busy people who are always active and can’t eat 6 meals a day
- People with weak appetites or can’t take in the needed calories
- People whose weight goes to their butt and are seeking a better alternative
- Hard gainers who have difficulty putting on muscle despite working out
Hard gainers typically have fast metabolisms and low natural body fat. Even after reaching the right amount of calories, hard gainers could still have difficulty gaining muscle and reaching their macronutrient goals. A mass gainer will go a long way in helping these people to see the results that they want.
How To Take It
Taking mass gainers is an easy process, anyone who has made shakes should know what they’re doing. To create the shake you will have to combine the powder with your choice of liquid.
The liquid that you use with the shake depends upon personal preference. Some people use water while others choose milk for taste and additional calories.
To make the shake, spoons won’t do a lot of good. Instead, you’re going to need a shaker cup or blender. This process will also remove the lumps from the drink and make it taste better.
How Many Scoops?
Everyone has a different metabolism which may be unpredictable, slow, or fast. The number of scoops depends on what your targets are and the nutritional value of your particular mass gainer. You should check the calorie and macronutrient of the gainer and tailor the number of scoops around your personal daily goals.
Most people use one to two scoops of a gainer. If your goal is to add mass, you should use a gainer that has a higher number of calories. One or two scoops can go a long way to give you the results you want to see by supplementing your macronutrient and calorie intake.
Using more than two scoops could result in a shake that’s thick, lumpy, or unappetizing.
How Many Shakes a Day?
The number of shakes you have per day depends on your calorie and macro goals. There are apps that make it easy to track your calorie intake. The number of shakes you have should reflect the number of calories you still need that day.
What Time Should You Use It?
You should take it in the morning, after working out, and before bed. This will help to give you solid protein and clean fats that will prevent muscle breakdown and promote growth.
The times you have a shake should also depend on what the particular gainer is. Some gainers are the most effective at different times.
Gainers work best pre or post workout because it’s when it will be the most effective. The best supplements for pre or post workout have little fat and a high level of fast-acting carbohydrates. These supplements will drive your insulin cycle and get amino acids into your muscles quickly to help with growth and recovery.
Taking a Gainer Without Working Out
While on a mass gainer you should make sure you’re hitting the gym or it’ll result in unwanted fat. Some gainers are formulated for use close to working out while others are to be taken as meal replacements or additions.
Taking a mass gainer without working out may help those with weight management issues. But, you should consult your doctor beforehand.
Some people take gainers on their rest days to meet their caloric target for that day.
When Should You Stop Taking It?
A mass gainer should be used to help you reach your weight goal. After you’ve reached this goal or are noticing accumulating body fat it’s time to stop using it.
How Is It Different From Protein Powders?
Many people take both protein powders and mass gainers at the same time. Although both are shakes, they improve upon your system in different ways. Mass gainers will help you reach your calorie target, while protein powders help you to reach your protein target.
Protein powders are the most important of the two. These powders contain whey which helps your muscles to repair and recover. It’s also a cheaper source of protein than meat, fish, or dairy.
Protein powders contain a higher amount of protein, containing 80 to 90% than mass gainers. Mass gainers have more calories and carbohydrates than powders.
Mass gainers are great for athletes who need more carbs or those who miss a meal. Protein powders are great for people with low-carb diets.
The labels on these products will help you distinguish between them in the store. Mass gainers are often labeled mass or weight gainers, the rest are simply called protein or whey protein powders.
Is It Worth It?
People who need mass gainers to reach their daily nutritional goals on a consistent basis should take it. Those who don’t need it to reach these goals don’t need it.
When given the choice between healthy food and a mass gainer, food is the still the most effective option.
If you’re having difficulty reaching your goals, a mass gainer is a useful and inexpensive way to help fill your needs.
If you have any further questions or are seeking a gainer, contact us.
Alex Rogers is a supplement manufacturing expert. He has been formulating, consulting, & manufacturing dietary supplements since 1998. Alex invented protein customization in 1998 & was the first company to allow consumers to create their own protein blends. He helped create the first supplement to contain natural follistatin, invented whey protein with egg lecithin, & recently imported the world’s first 100% hydrolyzed whey.
