Despite what your favorite fitness magazine is telling you, not everyone has an easy time building muscle mass. Do you have an otherworldly metabolism? Well it’s going to require more calories for you than the average person. Does fat stick your frame like superglue? Well lean mass is going to require some clearly defined calorie consumption goals and some effective cardio.
For those who are eating right but still falling Labrada mass gainer short of your caloric intake goals, perhaps you’ve even gone as far as investing in a weight gaining supplement (a.k.a. a mass builder). These supplements can be incredibly effective when they’re used the right way. Mass builders, like Serious Mass by Optimum Nutrition, can provide a well-balanced dose of muscle building calories that you can even down on the go. But I know someone out there has invested in a mass gainer and STILL isn’t seeing the results that they want. Have you made a plan? Are you still struggling to see the gains you want? Let’s examine five reasons the mass-building supplement you’ve purchased isn’t helping you get serious mass.
1) You’re Not Training Hard Enough
It is incredibly easy to get into the “magic supplement” mindset, the thinking that the right supplement is what’s going to get you into shape. Sure supplements can and do help, but I am a big believer in the idea that sound training and a healthy diet are the crux a good mass-building program.
Are you pushing your muscles to failure, are you feeling light soreness after training? Are you doing cardio that gets you winded on a regular basis? If you’re pushing yourself, you are on your way to changing your body quite rapidly.
2) You’re a Hard Gainer
There are people out there who can eat ANYTHING they want and nothing ever happens. I have a friend from high school who hasn’t gained a pound since high school and enjoys going to restaurants that serve specialty foods, noted for their highly unhealthy fat content. This friend can eat circles around me and NEVER gains anything! That’s wonderful for a person who wants to stay slender. However, for this friend it would take a tremendous amount of calories if he wanted to pack on muscle. It’s the metabolic speed demons who supplements like weight gainer, Serious Mass was created for.
3) You Have Gaps in Your Regular Diet
THERE IS MORE TO YOUR NUTRITION THAN YOUR SUPPLEMENT! As a stated before sensible nutrition and sound training or the crux of any good transformation program. Supplements are meant to do just that, supplement your diet, not replace it. Eating healthy high protein meals 5-7 times a day and coupling that with your mass-building supplement can really change your body.
4) You’re Overtraining
This is a really simple concept. Give your muscles time recuperate and they will grow. This is one reason that you can alternate muscle groups during a training cycle, it gives the muscles that you blasted so hard in the gym yesterday a chance to recover and grow. If you want to get bigger, build rest periods into your training schedule.
5) Your Supplement Sucks
I hate to be blunt, but not all supplements are good ones. There are supplements out there that don’t mix well, ones that don’t absorb well, ones that don’t taste good, you name it. It’s important to research which supplements work and which ones don’t.
Admittedly I used to be a pretty big South Park fan. Despite it’s crudeness, there was one episode that I found very fitting for all types of weightlifters. There was one old episode where Cartmann decides to use the Weight Gain 4000 supplement to beef up. Named Weight Gain 4000 because it consisted of 4000 grams of saturated fat per serving, Cartmann ended getting EXTREMELY fat from the supplement.
I don’ t know if it’s even possible to achieve those kind of saturated fat levels with out just adding pure lard, there is an interesting point here… what’s in your supplement matters. All weight gainers are going to have pros and cons but you want a supplement that is going to give you the best value for your money. It is essential to buy a mass gainer that provides high quality protein, amino acids, and carbohydrates that will aid in your weight/mass gaining goals.