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Who Should Use a Mass Gainer?
Gaining muscle means you need to consume more food than you are used to. And, a mass gainer helps you achieve exactly that by providing you an easier way of meeting your calorie needs.
Bulking, in gym parlance, entails going into a caloric surplus for a period of time to enable your body to be saturated with the nutrients it needs for optimal muscle hypertrophy. And, this bro-science has been proven to be actual science.
To be able to bulk or gain muscle successfully, you would not only need a surplus of calories but also adequate protein intake.
Here’s some great news for you, mass gainers are formulated to deliver 20-40 grams of protein per serving in addition to the other macronutrient additives it has.
Do I Really Need a Mass Gainer to Gain Muscle?
Technically speaking, you do not need it. Will it make you more compliant with your nutrition needs and help you stick to your goals? The answer to that is a definitive “yes”!
Gaining quality weight, and by quality, we mean muscle, is a long and continuous process. Mass gainers make that journey easier by having a drinkable “meal” with all the nutrients you need. They make sticking to your diet effortless.
There are more benefits to mass gainers than you think. Read on below to find out why you should implement using a mass gainer in your nutrition protocol.
Why Should I Use a Mass Gainer?
Contrary to what most gym enthusiasts think, mass gainers are not just for the skinny folks. As mentioned above, building muscle requires a consistent flow of the right nutrients.
Nutrition is as important as lifting weights. What you do in the weight room provides the stimulus, and what you consume determines how well your body responds to that muscle-building stimulus.
Here are the main reasons why you should utilize a mass gainer in your fitness journey:
1- More than just protein
Assuming that you opt for a quality mass gainer, it is already loaded with the two essential macronutrients you need: protein and carbohydrates as well as additives like BCAAs and digestive enzymes. The two macros are especially important pre and post-workout.
Pre-workout benefits
Prior to working out, your body needs enough protein so you have a lower chance of muscle breakdown.
Carbs, on the other hand, are also needed pre-workout so you can fill up your muscle glycogen stores and have enough energy for the workout you are about to do.
Not to mention, the more muscle glycogen you have, the better the pumps you get.
Post-workout benefits
After a gym session, you need quick-digesting proteins to maintain a positive nitrogen balance.
Having this positive balance maximizes protein synthesis thereby promoting muscle growth.
Carbs post-workout are needed because they are protein-sparing, this means the body utilizes glycogen for energy instead of breaking down your hard-earned muscle for energy.
2 – A quick and complete meal substitute
Finding time to work out and eat in between tight work schedules can be very challenging. But if you are aiming for optimal mass gaining, skipping meals is a big no-no
If you are constantly pressed for time, mass gainers provide you with the solution you need. Mass gainers are a mix of the macronutrients protein, carbs, and fat. Plus, some manufacturers also add micronutrients to make their products even more complete.
In a cooked meal, you would get the same macros. But with mass gainers, there is no need to cook, plate or pack, and chew. You simply add it to water or milk and chug it down. Mixing and drinking a shake is definitely quicker than consuming a cooked meal.
3 – Compliance with your diet plan becomes easier
Most people that set out on a fitness journey fall short, this is because they fail to adhere to their nutrition and workout plans. Compliance with your plan is what sets you up for success.
Going to the gym and lifting the weights is, believe it or not, the easy part. Following the nutrition plan is the most difficult. It takes an hour or two to comply with the workout, yet it takes the rest of the day to follow a nutrition protocol.
A mass gainer shake helps you adhere to your nutrition plan better because it is easy to prepare and consume. This leaves you no room for excuses such as not having enough time to cook, or having no place to eat at.
With mass gainers, it would be near impossible to skip meals or not hit your macronutrient and caloric needs for the day.
4 – Make eating “clean” enjoyable
Eating clean means stripping the food you consume down to the bare necessities. This usually means no fats nor salt and others.
It leads to eating boring and bland food like a chicken breast and rice combo.
This type of strict eating came to be because people wanted to be sure that they only consumed what they needed. This is especially prevalent among pre-contest bodybuilders.
Mass gainers give you an enjoyable way of eating clean without the laborious meal preps, longer eating times, and bland food like rice and chicken breast.
Mass gainers make optimal nutrition easy and quick, perfect for our fast-paced lifestyles.
They come in a variety of flavors minus the sugars, salts, fats, and other additives that can trigger your taste buds and cause you to overeat, and ultimately hurt your fitness journey.
For a list of the best mass gainers you can buy online, click here.
