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How Do I Choose the Best Weight Gainer?

Kelly Ferguson
Kelly Ferguson

Typically, someone who uses a weight gainer is doing so to gain muscle mass instead of fat mass. Very underweight individuals who need to gain fat or athletes who need to bulk up quickly may not worry if some fat is gained in the process of adding more muscle, but most of the time, fat gain should be kept to a minimum. Therefore, the best weight gainer is one that includes healthy ingredients, such as protein and multivitamins, that will use the extra calories to build muscle rather than to add more fat to the body. When choosing a weight gainer, also look for ingredients that will help you accomplish your goals, such as increase energy, and a reputable brand or source.

The best weight gainer product most likely will contain some form of protein supplement, such as whey protein. Whey protein is one of the most commonly used ingredients because it is believed to be reliable, healthy, and beneficial to muscle growth. Sometimes, weight gainers also include all or many of the vitamins often found in a daily mulitvitamin, optimized for maximum muscle building. Most weight gainer supplements have added ingredients that may provide extra energy for workouts and increased recovery for after the workout, such as creatine and L-glutamine.

A weight gainer is a calorie dense food designed to help consumers gain weight.
A weight gainer is a calorie dense food designed to help consumers gain weight.

While it may seem like the best weight gainer would contain all of this and more, some experienced fitness enthusiasts find they have the best results with simple whey protein powder, and recommend trying out products before buying into what might be largely hype surrounding the ingredients. The exception to this rule may be supplements that contain multivitamins. The body needs the right amount of vitamins to function optimally, and many individuals do not get enough vitamins through diet alone.

Whey protein powder can be used as a weight gainer.
Whey protein powder can be used as a weight gainer.

Choosing the best weight gainer can be hard to do the first time, and may require some experimentation with several products that include different ingredients or vary the amounts of each of the ingredients. Since everyone has a different diet and exercise routine, and everyone's body reacts differently to foods, exercise, and supplements, it is difficult to predict which weight gainer would work the best for a specific person. It may help to determine what issues you would like help with and then purchase a supplement that can assist you in that area. For example, if you often lack the energy to get a good workout, try searching for weight gain supplements that increase energy safely.

Weight gainers should be used to build muscle mass, not fat mass.
Weight gainers should be used to build muscle mass, not fat mass.

It is important to find a reputable source from which to buy your weight gain supplements. Some brands may be diluted and have a lower concentration of ingredients or have other disadvantages that would make them less effective than others. Beware of products that sound too good to be true. Investigate each of the ingredients of the supplement you are interested in to make sure you will be getting the effects you want.

Discussion Comments

Laotionne

Just like losing too much weight too quickly, gaining large amounts of weight fast is not healthy. You should slowly increase your body weight so your body will have time to adjust. Even if you are adding all muscle, your joints will have to work harder to support the extra weight.

Feryll

I like smoothies, so I add some of the whey protein, like was mentioned in this article, to them and that gives me more protein and more calories so I can keep my weight up. Lifting weights is another way I put on weight. Whenever I stop lifting for a short while, my weight starts to drop. Of course, I have to be sure to eat full meals.

By the way, milkshakes are also good for fast weight gain, and you can add whey protein to them, too. As long as you are exercising you shouldn't have any problem with adding too much fat. You can also just add the protein to a glass of milk, but it doesn't taste nearly as good as the smoothies and the milkshakes.

Drentel

Going to college was my fast weight gain method. All of the cafeterias on campus were all-you-can-eat, and there were a lot of foods to choose from so you could always find several dishes that you liked. I was also a big dessert eater back then, and there were always several of them to pick from.

The bottom line is I was taking in more calories than I had been eating before college and before long I was putting on weight. You've probably heard of the freshman 15. In my case it was more like the freshman 25 or 30. This was a good thing for me because I was playing sports and trying to add weight to a slim frame.

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    • A weight gainer is a calorie dense food designed to help consumers gain weight.
      By: Rostislav Sedlacek
      A weight gainer is a calorie dense food designed to help consumers gain weight.
    • Whey protein powder can be used as a weight gainer.
      By: lculig
      Whey protein powder can be used as a weight gainer.
    • Weight gainers should be used to build muscle mass, not fat mass.
      By: Christopher Howey
      Weight gainers should be used to build muscle mass, not fat mass.