WHAT IS THE BEST MASS GAINER SUPPLEMENT?
If you’re a naturally thin guy who has a tough time putting on weight, a mass gainer supplement can be a useful addition to your overall diet plan.
Nutrition is just as important as what you accomplish in the gym, and one baseline law of muscle growth will always remain constant…
If you aren’t creating a caloric surplus by consuming more calories than you burn each day, you aren’t going to gain an ounce of muscle.
This is where a mass gainer supplement can come in handy.
Rather than having to cook up and choke down huge quantities of chicken breast, fish, rice and potatoes, a weight gainer shake will provide you with a quick, calorie-dense mix of protein, carbs and fat that can be prepared and consumed in just a few minutes.
For those with higher daily caloric requirements, this helps out quite a bit when it comes to overall convenience and adherence to the diet.
But what is the best mass gainer supplement available to help you accomplish this?
The key thing to keep in mind is this: aimlessly cramming huge numbers of calories down your throat every day is not going to be the best approach.
Your goal should be to gain lean, quality muscle mass rather than just trying to shoot that number on the scale as high as possible.
Your body can only synthesize a limited amount of dry muscle in a given day or week, and if your caloric surplus shoots too high (beyond about 15-20% above your maintenance level), all you’ll be gaining are pounds of unwanted fat.
The problem with most of the standard commercial weight gainers that you find at your local supplement store is that they are usually nothing more than a basic mix of whey protein and maltodextrin.
Now, whey protein is great. In fact, it’s the most bio-available source of protein on the planet and also has the strongest amino acid profile for supporting muscle recovery and growth.
In a direct comparison of whey protein vs. whole foods, whey always ends up being the top choice from a pure bodybuilding perspective. (Technically speaking, whey protein is a whole food as it is a natural component of dairy that is isolated during the process of turning milk into cheese)
Maltodextrin, however, is far less than ideal as a carbohydrate source.
It’s a spray-dried powder that is normally used as a food additive, and it’s as rapidly absorbed in the body as pure glucose. On top of this, it contains no real fiber or micronutrients at all.
The majority of traditional mass gainer supplements out there contain upwards of 60, 70, to 80 grams or more of pure maltodextrin per serving.
Now, if this is consumed in moderation and it fits into your overall daily macronutrient intake, then it’s probably not going to cause you any harm. However, a far better option exists…
Purchase a high quality whey protein powder on its own, and then blend in your own sources of high fiber, nutrient dense carbohydrates and healthy fats.
This type of shake only takes a minute or two of extra preparation time and provides you with a far higher quality muscle building meal.
Not only will you be getting the top quality protein from the whey, but you’ll also be getting the fiber, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids needed to maximize your lean muscle gains, health and training performance.
Some great carbohydrate sources for this type of shake include ground oatmeal, any type of fruit (banana, strawberry, blueberry etc.) and/or yogurt.
For the healthy fats, go with natural peanut butter (any type of natural nut butter is fine), flaxseeds, or healthy oils like flaxseed oil or extra virgin olive oil.
There’s no end to the different types of homemade mass gainer supplement recipes you could come up with, but here’s one that I personally really enjoy…
Homemade Weight Gainer Recipe
– 8-10 ounces of skim milk (almond milk also works, though it is lower in calories)
– 2 scoops of whey protein powder (whatever flavor you like best)
– 1/2 cup of oatmeal (grind up in a blender separately first, then add to shake and blend again)
– 1 large banana
– 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter (or any natural nut butter)
– 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
– 3 ice cubes
This shake tastes great and provides 804 calories from 77 grams of high quality protein, 79 grams of high fiber carbs and 20 grams of healthy fat.
If you want to build quality lean muscle, optimize your health and streamline your overall bodybuilding diet, 1-2 of these homemade shakes per day is a fantastic option to include in your meal plan.
Regular commercial mass gainers are okay in smaller amounts, but a high quality homemade shake like this one is a far superior option.
Here’s what to do next…
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