Despite what your favorite fitness magazine tells you, not everyone has an easy time building muscle mass. Do you have an otherworldly metabolism? Well, it’s going to require more calories for you than the average person. Does grease stick to your frame like superglue? Well, lean mass is going to require some well-defined calorie burn goals and some effective cardio.
For those who are eating right but still falling short of their calorie intake goals, you may have even gone so far as to invest in a weight gain (aka bulking) supplement. These supplements can be incredibly effective when used properly. Mass builders like Optimum Nutrition’s Serious Mass can provide a balanced dose of muscle-building calories that you can even consume on the go. But I know that someone out there has invested in a mass gainer and STILL isn’t seeing the results they want. Did you make a plan? Are you still struggling to get the profits you want? Let’s explore five reasons why the bulking supplement you’ve bought isn’t helping you build serious bulk.
1) You’re not training hard enough
It’s incredibly easy to get into that “magic supplementation” mindset of thinking that the right supplement will get you in shape. Sure, supplements can and do help, but I’m a big believer in the idea that solid training and a healthy diet are at the core of a good bulking program.
Do you push your muscles to the point of failure, do you feel a little sore after a workout? Do you do cardio that regularly upsets you? If you put in the effort, you’re on your way to changing your body pretty quickly.
2) You are a hard gainer
There are people out there who can eat anything they want and nothing ever happens. I have a friend from high school who hasn’t gained a pound since high school and enjoys going out to restaurants that serve specialties known for being highly unhealthy in fat. This friend can eat circles around me and NEVER win anything! This is wonderful for a person who wants to stay slim. For this friend, however, it would cost an enormous amount of calories if he wanted to build muscle. It’s the metabolic speed demons that supplements like Weight Gainer, Serious Mass, were created for.
3) You have gaps in your regular diet
YOUR DIET HAS MORE THAN YOUR SUPPLEMENT! As mentioned earlier, proper nutrition and solid training are the crux of any good transformation program. Dietary supplements are designed to do just that, complement your diet, not replace it. Eating healthy high protein meals 5-7 times a day and pairing this with your mass building supplement can really transform your body.
4) You overtrain
This is a really simple concept. Give your muscles time to recover and they will grow. This is one of the reasons you can switch muscle groups during a training cycle, as it gives the muscles that you worked so hard at the gym yesterday a chance to recover and grow. If you want to get bigger, build rest periods into your training schedule.
5) Your supplement sucks
I hate to be blunt, but not all supplements are good. There are supplements out there that don’t mix well, don’t absorb well, don’t taste good, whatever. It’s important to research which supplements work and which don’t.
Granted, I used to be a pretty big South Park fan. Despite its rudeness, there was one episode that I found very appropriate for all types of weightlifters. There was an old episode where Cartmann decides to use the Weight Gain 4000 supplement to spice things up. Cartmann was called Weight Gain 4000 because it consisted of 4000 grams of saturated fat per serving, and Cartmann ended up getting EXTREMELY fat from the supplement.
I don’t know if it’s even possible to get that kind of saturated fat without just adding straight lard, there’s an interesting point here… what matters in your supplement. All weight gainers have pros and cons, but you want a supplement that gives you the best value for your money. It’s important to buy a mass gainer that provides quality protein, amino acids, and carbohydrates that will support you in your weight/mass gain goals.
No matter what type of physique you have or what type of gainer you are, building mass requires planning, BUT IT IS DOABLE!
Thanks to Mike Pow
