I know that Weight gainers can come in handy for when you are very lacking in time as they’re quick and easy to prepare and consume. But this is their only advanatge and the only time i would reccomend them. Real food is always better. wouldn’t say theri pointless but most likely unecessary.
Not everyday but most days I do lack alot of time where I should be eating and i’ve been thinking about the Gainer just for extra calories and quickness.
Here’s one I’ve just noticed on a website I use, It’s not the best and it’s not got a great amount of calories I know but taken twice a day on a busy day and after training with a meal could give me near an extra 1000 Cals!
Though i’ve just noticed the Ultra Fine Scottish Oats which are available, Near to the amount of calories, More carbs less protein but can be mixed with my whey and seems to be good for bulking…
I personally have no trouble getting in my cals in a day, but for those who do weight gainers are great. Its easier to down tons of calories in liquids than in solid food. But really, they’re only necessary if you’re really falling short on your daily total while still eating all the time.
As for oats in the shake… haven’t tried it yet, its been on my to do list for a few months now. I’m picky about textures in my food though, so we’ll see…
unless you never have any days off which is unlikely, you can prepare enough food so that you don’t have to waste your money that you could spend on some high quality real food on a ‘shit fat sugar shake’. oats in whey would be a great weight gainer. it’s very easy to add more calories with olive oil and heavy cream. so…no store bought weight gainers are not necessary. they are mostly marketed for dudes who think that if they take the stuff and do nothing else differently then they will become a hyooge w/ hawt abz.
Yes, a waste of money. Shitty carbs/fats…and tastes bad.
Home made quality weight gainers are easy to do, for example:
Throw in a blender 3.5 ounces of raw nuts (almond/walnuts/cashews…)+ 5 raw yolks+ raisins/dried prunes/dried apicots/dried figs+ some whey + milk or water for consistency…and you are done. Taste good and lots of quality calories.
Not all the weight gainers are shit. Just make sure you don’t get the crap ones.
I think they are great for bulking because they are quick and easy. They also don’t keep you full very long, so they free up some stomach space if you have trouble eating enough.
Most of the SHW powerlifters and strongmen I’ve heard in interviews use some form of weight gainer. It’s near impossible to get 10-12k kcals a day, like many of them do, without them.
I try to get in 6,000 a day and rely on several liquid meals. My breakfast consists of 2 bananas, 1 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 cup yogurt, and 1 cup pasteurized egg whites from a carton, all blended together. Doesn’t taste good, but it will put hair on your chest.
It seems like they’re easy enough to make on your own, and then you know what’s in it and whether or not that stuff is good for you.
I don’t rely on them since i’m making good gains on only like 4000 cals a day and any more seems to go to fat. If I’m not hitting that quota I usually drink whole milk or a Metabolic Drive shake with EVOO.
i think the majority of them are crap. look at the top brands or supps and most dont carry a “weight gainer”. would you like to put on quality mass or half quality and half crap? take a quality protein supp and add to it. increass your cals first.
I did weight gainers for a while and it worked, but it’s really a convenience thing. Plus, most of them are loaded with crappy carbs. High calories in little food basically equates to adding fats to your diet. 2 scoops whey, 1.5 cups whole milk, 2 tbsp peanut butter and some omega 3s is easily around 700 calories, and contains a much more even distribution of calories (in terms of quality protein, fat and carbs) than a weight gainer with 75 g of maltodextrin. And both virtually just as easy to make in terms of time and cost. One, however, is much healthier for you.
[quote]dfreezy wrote:
In reality, no supplement is ‘necessary’, its just that they make life more convenient.[/quote]
Agreed.
However, when pressed for time and in need of calories and protein, I’ll mix Metabolic Drive Complete with coconut oil or peanut butter. It’s very tasty and high quality. Sometimes I’ll throw in some frozen fruit as well.
my weight gainer tastes great and I make it myself. It’s around 1000 calories give or take. Oh…it’s a hell of a lot cheaper too.
in a blender:
4 ice cubes
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup yogurt
2 scoops Metabolic Drive
1 banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 shot of EVOO
5 grams creatine on non training days when it won’t be in my Surge
I’ve used weight gainers in the past when I was relatively inexperienced with nutrition. It worked, I gained allot of weight but it was not all muscle as you can imagine. I don’t use them anymore simply because none of them are carbs+protein or healthy fats+protein combination’s.
Cytogainer always was a solid product for me. Look at the nutrition facts on the tub and if there are too many carbs and sugar then dont get it but cytogainer has 54 grams of protein and like 75 grams of carbs which isnt bad for post workout if you are tryin to pack on mass