They may not be right, but lots of skinny guys consider themselves to be “hardgainers”, “ectomorphs“, or simply incapable of gaining weight and muscle by normal means.
Consequently, the market for weight gainers is one of the most lucrative for supplement manufacturers.
Do weight gainers help bodybuilding or weight training?
Skinny guys who don’t gain body weight can’t add muscle mass, no matter how hard they work out.
If these guys never learn how to create a diet that supplies excess calories, they start to look around for a quick fix. They fall into the weight-gainer trap.
When they finally get enough calories to gain weight, the muscle gains come too. Some commercial weight gainer shakes supply around 2000 calories per serving. This is more than most skinny guys eat in an entire day.
So yes, weight gainers help guys who are undernourished, but the weight gain supplements don’t do anything that a balanced, high-calorie diet can’t do better. Real food is ideal, but guys on the go can benefit from weight gainers when they have no time to cook.
Make your own weight gainer
There are no secrets to making an effective weight gainer drink. Pack it full of calories in the form of fat, and throw some protein powder into the mix to help with muscle protein synthesis. It’s simple, easy, and effective for underweight guys who don’t have time to eat.
In his famous 800-page book “The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding”, Arnold Schwartzenegger lists several recipes for weight gainer drinks. To make your own weight gainer, Arnold recommends these recipes:
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Level 1 – provides 50 grams of protein |
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20 ounces of milk |
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4 ounces of cream (or an ounce of olive oil and 3 ounces of water) |
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2 eggs |
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2 tablespoons lecithin granules (as an emulsifier) |
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½ cup of protein powder |
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Flavoring |
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Blend the milk, cream, eggs, and lecithin. Wait for the lecithin to dissolve. Add the protein powder and blend until dissolved. For flavoring, use a ripe banana, other fruit, or vanilla extract. For sweetening, use fructose or an artificial sweetener; don’t use “fast” carbs. Refrigerate and drink in 3 portions throughout the day, between meals. The lecithin prevents it from separating. |
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Level 2 – 72 grams of protein |
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16 ounces of milk |
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6 ounces of cream |
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4 eggs |
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4 teaspoons lecithin granules |
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½ cup of protein powder |
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Flavoring |
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Level 3 – 98 grams of protein |
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16 ounces of milk |
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8 ounces of cream |
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6 eggs |
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6 teaspoons lecithin granules |
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¾ cup of protein powder |
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Flavoring |
There you have it: Arnold’s recipes for making your own weight gainer shakes.
Arnold also recommends drinking a portion of the weight gainer 1 ½ hours before working out, to give the protein time to digest.
If you do make your own weight gainer, use it during your bulking phases when you are actively gaining weight, but don’t rely on it for everyday nutrition. Remember: good food comes with nutrients that are missing from artificial food substitutes.