Weight gainer--good idea or not?

[krd]

I've been working out at the gym nearly every day for about three months now. My ultimate goal is to gain more muscle mass. Right now I weigh about 120 pounds (I've actually gained about 10 since I started going). Today, one of the guys at the gym suggested to me that I purchase some weight gainer. He says he's got a whole bunch of products that he uses. He appears to be in great shape, and is one of the best looking guys at the gym, so it's tough to argue with him. But he also says he runs 45 minutes a day to get rid of his stomach.

So I have major reservations about it. For me, gaining weight is a pretty scary idea. I had an eating disorder as a teen, and that whole mindset is a tough thing to break out of. I don't want to be super big--I just want to be more muscular in the arms and chest. I'd still like to be able to keep my waistline and have a flat stomach. I'm wondering about what the effects of the weight gainer will be--will I gain it in the right places, or will I just get a gut? How much cardio would I have to do to counterbalance the effects of the weight gainer? How much lifting would I actually have to do to turn all those extra calories into muscle? Is there some things I should cut out of my diet to avoid getting fat? That's why I'm a bit afraid to go through with it--because I have no idea what I'll end up looking like. I guess I'm just looking for some clarification on what I should do.

 

[MR_PERFECT]

I'll be the first to admit I'm not an expert, but I know weight-gainers worked for me. I gained 30 lbs in 6 months with the following:

My meals consisted of apples/bananas, potatoes, steak or chicken, protein shake, oatmeal and a weight-gainer. I ate 5-6 times a day, that's including the weight-gainer, which I would drink one hour after my workout. I would then eat a regular meal (steak/chicken with a potato) one hour after the weight gainer. With the protein shake, I would eat a potato or 2 apples/bananas. The only other supplement I used was glutamine.

The routine that worked best for me was doing one body part per day. It took me 7-8 workouts to do my entire body. I would do 5-10 minutes on a stationary bike as a warm-up. The only weight I gained was muscle. I had a six pack and I was pretty lean.

 

[Ofus]

I tried the GNC weight gainer for almost a month, I didn't gain shit, and the stuff made me sick.

Just go to Wally World and buy some TV dinners, then eat one every 2-3 hours. That will do the trick. Also, homemade gainers kick ass.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=83594

Remember, its better to eat 6-7 small meals per day (with protein in each meal) than to eat 2-3 meals all at once if you want to maximize muscle gain and minimize fat gain.

As far as stuff to cut out, quit drinking non-diet sodas, eat less sweets and fried foods. Start drinking protein shakes if you aren't already.

 

[Templeton]

Yea, at 120 you are well on your way to becoming "super big", i'd be worried.

 

[enkai]

I'm against weight gainers because they do not contain any good carbs, the carbs in there which are plain and pure sugar, if you want that effect just go and buy a tub of dextrose and dump it into your protein shake and you'll get the same effect, on top of that...They cost too much, only FIVE servings per the huge tub which is like 8 lbs in weight, too thick to drink and generally taste like **** plus they're expensive to begin with so you should consume good carbs such as oatmeal, potatos, and things like that...In addition you'll get some high quality nutreints to go along with it, just eat plenty of them. However if you want a weight gainer regardless of my opinion I suggest you buy some optimum nutrition whey protein from 1fast400.com it's cheap there and I like that store and get some dextrose, throw in the dextrose, two scoops of whey protein, some ice cream, and a banan in a blender and mix it all up and whalla you get a weight gainer. The guy you saw at the gym might took many different routes to looking the way he does, as well as his genetics play a big role, but him running 45 mins to keep his stomach flat while bulking is utter bull**** because 45 mins of running daily will shoot up your coristol levels, but yeah thats all i gota say G.

 

[Big N]

Krd:

Ok, before we get into this you are going to have to make a realization. On your journey to gain muscle, there will be a period of time where you have fat. Toward the end of this journey, you "cut" the fat, and are left with muscle.

Second, you will never, ever, ever be "super big" without consciously making an effort to become "super big." This **** doesnt happen overnight. It took me a year and a half to gain 30 pounds. Now, instead of looking scrawny I look muscular. I don't look like one of those WWF wrestlers. That takes years to do. In short, you can't become "super big" simply by taking a weight gainer.

Third, do some research. Read Diesel's guide to bulking (it's a sticky at the top of the H&F forum). Follow it for 2 years. Then follow his cutting guide. I guarantee you will be satisfied with the results.

Finally, weight gainers are ****. The only times I would consider using a weight gainer is during or immediately post-workout. This is because they are full of crap you only want post-workout: high-GI carbs and fast-absorbing protein. Dont use them at any other time.

Good luck. By the way, it is going to be very hard to gain muscle and keep your flat stomach at the same time.

 

[DJ Girevik]

Weight gainers are overpriced, just eat more. Try lots of peanuts - for some reason, they never fill me up, always leave me just a tad bit hungry. They contain lots of protein, as well as monounsaturated fat (good fat) and relatively low carbs (but not Atkinsesque low carbs).

 

[krd]

I realize I won't become "super big"; the reason I brought that up is to clarify what my goal is. I'm guessing most of the skinny guys who post here actually are looking to become super big--I didn't want people to assume I was looking for the same thing and give me the wrong type of advice.

But the fat thing is tough to deal with--I realize my percentage body fat will increase, I just don't want to look fat. It would be tough dealing with the feeling of my pants starting to get tight, and if my workouts aren't intense enough or if there are some mistakes in my form, I may end up with just a bunch of extra pounds.

Deisel mentions doing absolutely no cardio. Again, it's tough to tell if his methods are intended for someone with my particular goals, but I would think that I wouldn't need to monitor my diet so strictly if I got a little exercise in there. My routine at the moment is 30 minutes a day, three times a week, which I've been told is the minimum. It's advised that everybody should do this anyway, to keep the heart healthy.

I actually have a workout routine recently given to me by a consultant at the gym, who is also one of the spokespeople for a certain brand of supplements, but I don't necessarily have to buy the products to follow the routine. I was reluctant to start with the new routine, because I found it confusing, (part of my motivation for posting this thread) although I talked with him further today to help clarify things. Also, I'll hopefully be able to get some further nutritional advice from him as well. The weight gainer suggestion was simply made by one of the guys who works out there, who although in incredible shape, is definitely not an expert, so I guess I should take his advice with a grain of salt. I wanted to post this so I could hear what other people thought--and from what I'm hearing, weight gainer is not such a good idea. Am I right?

 

[jakethasnake]

Originally posted by Templeton
Yea, at 120 you are well on your way to becoming "super big", i'd be worried.

Unless he's 5'1". Then I think he would qualify as 'super big' at 140 or something.

 

[krd]

Originally posted by jakethasnake
Unless he's 5'1". Then I think he would qualify as 'super big' at 140 or something.

I am actualy about 5'8.

 

[wheelin&dealin]

Originally posted by enkai
I'm against weight gainers because they do not contain any good carbs, the carbs in there which are plain and pure sugar, if you want that effect just go and buy a tub of dextrose and dump it into your protein shake and you'll get the same effect,

Very true.

If you want a better weight gainer, just add some oatmeal to a protein shake and there you go.

 

[jakethasnake]

Originally posted by krd
I am actualy about 5'8.

dayum. That's a SERIOUS metabolism you have there.

 

[sonick182]

I was on the same boat as you (except the eating disorder thing, im naturally very skinny), 8 months ago, i was 5'6" at 108lbs.

Now, im 120-123lbs. COz i go to school, i dont have the time and the $$$ to buy alot of food, i get a tub of MealReplacementPowder (MRP) that i use to boost my nutrients (Mainly carbs and protein) after a workout, and also sometimes when i need some food and i cant get any.

The best way is to do it naturally, coz you know what calories are from what. Eat lotsa pasta and other products to get your carbs up, and for protein, eat beans, chicken breast, red meat, whatever. Just eat eat eat. Because of this, eating this much costs a pretty penny. some weight gain products can have 2500calories per serving. Now thats ALOT, only for like super body builders. You prolly just wanna use it to supplement your diet, adding a couple hundred calories to keep some buffer for your metabolism to use rather than your muscles.

 

[Big N]

Dude, you're going to have to get this fat thing sorted out. Either you are willing to be semi-fat for a little while in order to become ripped in the end, or you are not going to gain muscle very quickly or easily. To do it right, you are going to have to lose the six pack for a month or two. That's just how it is. It'll be back, even better than before, once youre done cutting.

If you do cardio, you are going to have to monitor your diet even more strictly. Instead of just eating 2000 calories per day, you are also going to have to account for the calories you burned while running. To me, that seems like the same thing as making yourself dig a hole and then fill it back up. You are just wasting time. You are keeping your heart healthy by getting off your ass and lifting.

Finally, no beginner routine should be confusing. It should be real simple. Maybe something like:

Monday - Squat, dips
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Bench, chinups
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Deadlift, Rows
Sat - Rest
Sun - Rest

 

[Matt Rogers]

krd, just to re-iterate Big N, you do have to put on fat to get big. The good news is that with the extra muscle you gain with the fat, you will actually look BETTER not worse. 120lbs at 5ft8 is underweight. Seriously!

At very low body fats your body finds it very hard to put on muscle. It is much better at doing it when one is around 12-15% bodyfat.

I was once 140lbs at 6ft1 which translates to around 5.8 at your weight. I too did not want to put on fat. Went nowhere for around 6 months. Then this guy I knew locally got me on a bulking program with heavy weights, and a lot of food (eventually 4000 calories). Did I put on fat? Yes I sure did, but my waist size only went up around a couple of inches to around 30inches. Did I put on muscle, yup a lot of it-after 6 months of hard training, my weight went up to 170lbs, and I looked so much better. This summer, when I go running (bareshirt of course) I get looks of admiration from females. Previously, it would have just attracted comments about how my ribs show, and how I was all skin and bones.

Go for it, and PM me if you need any more persuading.

 

[krd]

A post was recently made by MattB regarding my concerns. I thought I'd post it here. The orignial thread was called "Bulking...but getting fatter as well", if anyone wants to go back and reply.

Originally posted by MattB
I have been lifting hard and eating lots (no fried foods, pop drinks ) and now I am bulking up. Lately though, it seems that my weight is stuck at 148 (with strength increasing). My arms are not getting that much bigger but they are getting stronger. I also notice that fat are slowly acculmulating around my waist and chest..

It would be frustrating to do all that work and have nothing to show but a few rolls around the middle. Of course, the benefits are that you become stronger, but I really don't plan on getting a job in construction anytime soon. I'd like to look good too.

But I do want to at least give it a shot. I'll ask the guy at the gym (the one who knows what he's talking about) how he feels about the cardio. If he says the same thing, I guess I'll drop it from my routine. The reason why his workout plan was so confusing was because, although he went through the exercises with me, all he gave me was a sheet of paper with names--33 of them to be exact. As a beginner, it's hard to remember what "Db military press", "Alt Lunges", or "Skull crushers" actually mean. He said he'd give me another sheet, this time with pictures, which will hopefully make things a whole lot easier.

I'm aware that 120 is underweight, but I used to take pride in the fact that I was so slim. Now I realize that the ladies don't like skinny guys, so there's not much good in staying this way. As I said, I've actually gained about 10 or more pounds since I started, although I was 120 at one point in high school, but that's about as much as I've ever weighed. I don't like to focus on weight too much, because seeing the numbers can be very intimidating. I'd rather judge by how I look and feel. I'd love to get looks of admiration from females--that's more than what I'm getting now. So if you want to persuade me, that's a good way to do it. Thanks guys, for the words of encouragement.

BigN, it's amusing that you assume I'm afraid of losing my six pack, since I don't have one to begin with. My waist is small, because I'm so thin, but it's not incredibly flat, unless my stomach is empty (which is why I believe my extra weight could easily accumulate around there). I'm sure you know having a six pack is tough for even a pro to develop. So I'll save such questions for another post (or just do a search).