ExRx.net

i'm looking to pack on some pounds and want to try a weight gainer/mass gainer supplement.

(insert old questions here which i figured out through bodybuilding.com)

edit: just found this as i research mass gainers:

shake

16 oz. 2% milk
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 banana
1 serving whey protein (example Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey)

Approx. Total: 820 calories
95 g carbs (40g sugars)
48g fat (but only 10g sat fat, plus lots of Omega 3)
53g protein
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bigj3.htm

is this just as effective as a mass gainer? i have all of the ingredients handy.

if not, so far im thinking of buying http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/pl/large.html because it got a good review on http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bigj3.htm

suggestions? comments?

You are looking for calories, with adequate protein. You don't need to go crazy on the protein. In your example, the amount of protein looks fine. And yes, I would go with that over a typical "mass gainer" as it consists of real food. A couple of suggestions though, why not use whole milk? It worked fine for us old timers. Other examples are:, whole milk, a banana, peanut butter, a scoop of ice cream and some chocolate or strawberry syrup, with some protein powder. In your case, where you want weight gain, don't even worry about trying to be too clean. When I was in college , way back in the sixties, our starting guard on the football team was my roomate, and needed to put on weight over the summer. Now keep in mind, this wasn;t the healthiest way to do it, but he was eating cheeseburgers, or some other meat rich type of sandwhich every 3 hours or so, and every night before bed he was knocking down a family size can of pork and beans. He also polished off a quart of milk right after workouts. In 4 months he went from 185 to 210. Now, it certainly wasn't all lean tissue at all, but that wasn't his goal; it was to get stronger and heavier, plus he also kept in touch with his football skills so as not to loose quickness and mobility.
Tim

Yea, that's cool, but Tim's changes would make it better. For a skinny guy like you that's what you need. That and the training advice we gave you should bulk up anybody.

ok, thanks guys.

TimD,

Is the type of mass gainer shake you suggested (whole milk, banana, ice cream, PB, protein) optimal right after the workout? Or would I be better off with a different type of shake and using the mass gainer later in the day?

IMO I wouldn't have any fat immediately post-workout. Just sugars and protein. JMO though.

John

jwcalla do you have any specific reasons for that?

Brkntable,
If you are wanting to stick weight on, yes, right after a workout is fine. You should be pretty much in an insulin independent state anyway right after a workout, so no need to watch fat. You're after calories and adequate protein. Also, some studies have shown that fats have a tendency to promote testosterone production. Thats one of the reasons the oldtimers drank whole milk and ate lots of red meat. When you make one of that size however, you probably couldn't or shouldn't even try to finish it in one setting.
Tim

I am no expert on any of this, however, looking at some different internet sources, I've read insulin levels are high post workout, and with adding fats (even if healthy), you're elavating blood triglyceride levels which will then lead to a greater amount of fat storage in the body.

Also, dairy products are slowly absorbing proteins which is not something you want post-workout.

Whey Protein/Maltodextrin/Dextrose/Water mixture is something I've been recommended by a couple of people.

What size are we talking about? I was thinking something along the lines of:

2 cups of whole milk
1 medium banana
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
1 scoop of whey protein
1 scoop of ice cream

I think that would fill a little over a pint (I use a similar formula now only with skim milk and no ice-cream).

I guess it's important to delineate what, in my mind, I consider a post-workout "drink" and a post-workout "meal". I think of the drink as the thing you take immediately after you finish your workout. The meal I consider to be the first meal after your workout. So for example, I workout in late afternoons and my post-workout "meal" is actually dinner. Here I eat anything and everything healthy that I can -- P/C/F, all of it.

But my understanding is that the point of the post-workout drink is to get an immediate insulin spike, halt catabolism, and restore glycogen and nutrients to the muscles. Therefore, one would want a fast-digesting drink. And, generally speaking, fats slow down digestion and absorption.

How much does it all really matter? I dunno. How much could it really affect your gains? Dunno that either. Chances are there are many other important things that take a priority over this.

For more info., read through this thread:
http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=895

John