help, skinny guy needs to gain weight

[problemchild]

I'm 5'8 125lbs 18 years old and you could see my rib cage. I work out but I need to gain weight also. A skinny gain workout out and gaining muscle doesn't look right. I know i have to eat but what about the weight gainers.

I heard of GNC 220 180, mass tech, and n-large 2. Any other suggestions

Please help me pick out the best overall weight gainer. I don't have that much $

[EME]

Hey problemchild,

I personally prefer Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey.
I like the nutrient profile, almost all protein without all the sugar in many of the other brands.

I also feel that it tastes and mixes better than many of the other protein supplements on the market. I like the Double chocolate flavor.
The price is good as well.

100% Whey doesn't have as many calories as some of the traditional "Weight Gainers", but you can easily up the calories by mixing it with with milk and/or adding in peanut butter, oats, honey, or other items you may like.

Good luck with your training and let me know if you need any additional help.

- EME

[CHUKS]

Hi problemchild

If you are looking to bulk up and gain weight you will need to increase you daily calory intake significantly. I expect you are what is classified as a "hard gainer" and someone who finds it difficult to put on body weight and probably have a high metabolism, so any food you are eating is being used in a short amount of time.

Some good weight gainers are products like Prolab N Large 2 and Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass. Both taste nice in my opinion and im sure you will find a lot of other people who use them, especially N large 2.

A lot of weight gainers you will find are loaded with sugar though, and have carbs in them which are complex, but still faster absorbing that proper complex carbs in real food. Another alternative you may not have thought of is to use a "home-made" weight gainer. If you use the right ingredients in the correct proportions you can get a nice tase, it may not taste quite as nice as something like NLarge because of the amount of sugar in that, but it is much healthier and will build more muscle. If $$$ is a problem a home made solution is probably the best. Here is a good recipe for one and all you need is a blender and you are sorted:

2 scoops of Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey
1/2 cup of uncooked oatmeal
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp of honey
1 banana
2 cups of milk
You cud also add icecream to this as well if you wanted to enhance flavour

1000+ calories and 75g+ protein

You will probably be best off steering clear, or at least cutting down, the amount of cardio you do, as this will obviously burn off calories and also slightly inhibits the amount of muscle you will be building from the weight training.

Hope this helps.

[Steelerfan]

Most people would probably say that your are a hardgainer, but in all reality you are probably not getting enough calories into your body. You should be eating at least 5 to 6 times a day, at around two or three hours apart. Don't forget to take in at least 1 gram, or in your case I would say 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight.

Workout only three times a week, with no cardio. Start out trying to eat about 2500 to 3000 calories per day. Use a quality protein shake to help supplement your meals (preferably 100% Optimum whey protein). Take a good multi vitamin.

If some of you more seasoned vets see that I left something out, feel free to add or correct me if you think I am wrong.

[Xanatos]

Most people would probably say that your are a hardgainer, but in all reality you are probably not getting enough calories into your body. You should be eating at least 5 to 6 times a day, at around two or three hours apart. Don't forget to take in at least 1 gram, or in your case I would say 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight.

Workout only three times a week, with no cardio. Start out trying to eat about 2500 to 3000 calories per day. Use a quality protein shake to help supplement your meals (preferably 100% Optimum whey protein). Take a good multi vitamin.

If some of you more seasoned vets see that I left something out, feel free to add or correct me if you think I am wrong.

Just wanted to add to this that the workout should not be a marathon. Keep it under 70-75 mins. Also, supplements are supplements, not replacements. Stick with getting real food in your system rather than setting 3 out of the 6 meals as protein powders/bars. But otherwise, Steelerfan said pretty much all I was gonna say as well regarding this topic.

Search for "ectomorph" on this forum to get similar stories and what others have suggested.

[IKilledBritney]

Hi problemchild

If you are looking to bulk up and gain weight you will need to increase you daily calory intake significantly. I expect you are what is classified as a "hard gainer" and someone who finds it difficult to put on body weight and probably have a high metabolism, so any food you are eating is being used in a short amount of time.

Some good weight gainers are products like Prolab N Large 2 and Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass. Both taste nice in my opinion and im sure you will find a lot of other people who use them, especially N large 2.

A lot of weight gainers you will find are loaded with sugar though, and have carbs in them which are complex, but still faster absorbing that proper complex carbs in real food. Another alternative you may not have thought of is to use a "home-made" weight gainer. If you use the right ingredients in the correct proportions you can get a nice tase, it may not taste quite as nice as something like NLarge because of the amount of sugar in that, but it is much healthier and will build more muscle. If $$$ is a problem a home made solution is probably the best. Here is a good recipe for one and all you need is a blender and you are sorted:

2 scoops of Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey
1/2 cup of uncooked oatmeal
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp of honey
1 banana
2 cups of milk
You cud also add icecream to this as well if you wanted to enhance flavour

1000+ calories and 75g+ protein

You will probably be best off steering clear, or at least cutting down, the amount of cardio you do, as this will obviously burn off calories and also slightly inhibits the amount of muscle you will be building from the weight training.

Hope this helps.

o/t but how the hell did u get such a bad rep off just this one post?

[Xanatos]

o/t but how the hell did u get such a bad rep off just this one post?

Ouch - Now that's rough

[Liquid]

o/t but how the hell did u get such a bad rep off just this one post?

LOL


as a rep pimp, i feel bad

[pu12en12g]

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121291