Looking to gain some muscle? but are you having trouble with gaining weight? Then it might be a very good idea to take some supplement that will help you put on some mass. And what supplements work great for this? Exactly weight gainer supplements. unfortunately, there are thousand different weight gainers available – so it can be difficult to make the right decision for your needs. That’s why i decided to write this best weight gainer supplement review here. So you can decide for yourself which one is the right thing for you.
Best weight gainer supplement
First things first. If you’re looking to gain weight, then you should be eating enough. A weight gaining supplement should be used as the name says. As a SUPPLEMENT. So the first thing you should be checking before you even start thinking about getting a supplement is how much calories you’re taking in.
A good rule of thumb is around 15-16 times your bodyweight in pounds. So if you’re weighing 150 pounds – you can eat around 2500 calories per day for maintenance. Anything above that will be put in your muscles. Track your total intake of calories for a couple of days when you’re eating normally. And see if that is above or below how much you should eat.
A weight gainer is nothing more than an easy solution to getting in more calories. If you’re not full after a meal, then there is still room for more calories – so I recommend you first stock up on healthy nutritious foods before you take supplements.
Most supplements for weight gain contain a couple 100 calories – so you will be able to add these to your total number. Don’t go overboard. Cause otherwise you’ll start gaining too much weight – and much of that will be fat. And that is something that we don’t want, right?
So let’s find out what the things are that the best weight gainer supplement should have.
5 things to look for in a weight gainer supplement
#1 Should contain enough calories
The first thing to look at when you’re checking a weight gain supplement is to see how much calories it has per dosing. As we said before, most contain a couple 100, but there are also monster shakes that contain more than 1000 calories. For most of you reading this, that would be complete overkill. And you’d end up like fat bag of potatoes. Instead of the lean body that you want.
I recommend to find a supplement that adds around 500-600 calories to your daily amount. if you need more, then there most likely is something wrong in your diet. Or maybe in your exercise routine. For example if you’re working out 6 times per week for 2 hours. Then it’s a good idea to scale down your workouts a bit. And focus on gaining strength and not burning as much calories.
#2 Good mix between carbs and protein
The next thing to look out for is that there is a good mix of carbs and protein in your weight gain supplement. You want a mix, since that way you can easily take it before or after a workout (when it is proven to be the most effective). A ratio of around 50 carbs for every 10-15 protein will work best.
You can also check if there are any other things added in the mix. For example some crucial necessary amino acids, minerals and vitamins. or if you’re really serious than it might be a smart idea to pick a weight gainer that has creatine and glutamine in it. That way you’ll know for sure that you’ll be gaining strength and mass at the same time.
#3 Doesn’t cause indigestion
Some weight gainer are known to cause massive indigestion. You’ll feel full, bloated and generally bad if you take the on a consistent basis. The best way to avoid these ones is to buy only verified quality weight gainers – and avoid the really cheap ones that you can get at Wal-Mart for example.
Another good thing to do is to check the reviews of the weight gainer. A little bit of bloat is to be expected, but if the majority of the reviewers say that they are feeling uncomfortably full when taking the supplement, then there might be something wrong. And is better to avoid that specific supplement.
#4 Good price for a good amount
Another thing to check for is the amount of calories that you get per dollar that you spend. After all, even if a supplement is good for you, you don’t want to buy a $50 tub every week. That would simply be too much. Most weight gainer supplements go for around $30 for 20-30 servings. So you’ll have enough for 3-4 weeks. Most things cheaper will unfortunately be of inferior composition and most likely cause bad gas and indigestion.
#5 With a flavour that you like
The final important thing is that you like the flavour it comes it. After all, you probably will have to be chugging a good portion of it every day to get your calories. So it’s a good thing to pick a taste that you like – otherwise chugging half a liter of weight gainer with a chemical taste you don’t like will lose its charm very quickly. Trust me on that. luckily most gainer come in the regular tastes as chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. And these taste great most of the time if you solve them in water.
Best weight gainer supplement conclusion
There are a lot of things to watch out for if you’re looking for the best weight gainer supplement. But if you follow these guidelines you’ll be sure to find one that will help you get closer to your goals. Nothing will beat good food and training hard a couple of times per week – but having a good weight gainer will sure help you put on some good slabs of muscle.
P.S. curious what weight gainer I recommend? Take a look at this Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass weight gainer. I do advise you to only take 1 scoop per serving, since the recommended dosage of 2 scoops will give you more than 1250 calories – which is too much!