Am I using the right gainer? And am I taking it at the right times?

[mrb1946]

I'm 16 years old and I've been trying to bulk for about 8 weeks now. When I started I weighed 185lb. I now weigh 196lb. I want to get to 215lb. I've been taking TwinLab's Mass Fuel within 45 minutes after my workout. This is the only time I take it. I have been taking in more calories than I usually do in clean foods. Would it be beneficial to take it more often? Should I take this before bed as opposed to 20g of casein (I usually take 20g of casein before bed)? Should I switch to a different gainer? I'm also taking 5g of creatine along with the r4 recovery shake immediately after my workout. I don't take any straight whey isolate. I'm still pretty new to supplements and I am overwhelmed at all the information out there. Thanks for any help.

[bmontgomery87]

the timing of your gainer isn't really critical.

whats your maintenance and how many calories are you eating every day?
if you aren't putting on mass then add another 500 cals every day. wait a few weeks, then reevaluate. I had a hard time when i first started bulking, even though i was eating more I wasn't growing, because i wasn't eating enough.
You burn a lot of energy lifting weights, and that new muscle takes a lot of calories to fuel.

[mrb1946]

the timing of your gainer isn't really critical.

whats your maintenance and how many calories are you eating every day?
if you aren't putting on mass then add another 500 cals every day. wait a few weeks, then reevaluate. I had a hard time when i first started bulking, even though i was eating more I wasn't growing, because i wasn't eating enough.
You burn a lot of energy lifting weights, and that new muscle takes a lot of calories to fuel.

I don't have an exact number that I can say, but I can definitely say that I am eating more than I had before I started. You say the timing isn't critical, but I have heard often that I need to take protein in soon after my workout to rebuild the muscle. Should I take a whey protein after workout and the gainer at a different time?

[JoeTheXperience]

I personally think mass gainers are alright if you can afford them, and you are trying to eat real food first. You can take your gainer anytime you like. I take a gainer shake once in between meals and once post workout.

So other gainers to look into:
Real Mass
Up Your Mass
Serious Mass
Real Gains

Youre young though man. Just get a good protein and make your own.

[mistabigstuff19]

dont be so concerned with consumer a "mass gainer" You are 16 so GH is still abundant in your system use that to your advantage and just eat big.

[AngelRM]

bmontgomery is right, the gainer will help you get extra calories, but won't do much unless your diet makes the difference. you actually don't need a gainer, but it is very helpfull. the main thing here is you to eat more and that's all. if you still want a gainer, check pro-complex, serious mass, true mass or citogainer