Hi guys,

New to the forum, nice to meet you all.

I've decided to start working out and I am aiming to gain 20lbs in hope to fill my t-shirts and have bigger arms and a stronger body.

To introduce myself, I am 130lb's/ 9st 4lb/ 59kg and around 5"6. I have never gone to the gym or taken any supplements before.

I was planning to buy some "weight gainers" but I have been having a hard time choosing which product as I feel one sales person is pushing me to buy the most expensive product, which could possibly be the wrong product as well.

I have been suggested to buy a "weight gainer" as well as "whey protein". From my own conclusions, I think the weight gainer is the one I should buy as it has the highest protein content. Please advice.

I also have been confused by sales and word of mouth the number of times the product must be consumed. Some say twice a day and some say three times a day.
Should the times be morning (instead of breakfast?) 2 hrs after lunch and 2 hrs after dinner?

Or just twice, morning and after workout?

Wouldn’t mind some links to beginners work out programs as well, however, I can always Google this and search the forum myself.

In conclusion, I am asking

1. What supplement to take (weight gainer/whey protein?)
2. How many times this must be taken daily
3. A suggested work out for a skinny guy like me (130lb's/ 9st 4lb/ 59kg)
4. When is it time to changed supplement (e.g. from weight gainer to whey protein or something else)

Again, really appreciate any answers, suggestions and advice from the experience.

Kind regards,

Stickman

I would go for whey protien but it is a supplement so it supplements your diet not replaces it. usefully straight after training and when you cannot face another proper meal
eat every 3 hours at least 30g protien if whey helps with this use it.

real food is better!
always have a proper breatfast!

No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. Socrates, 400bc

To make a weight gainer just add fine oats to your whey add fruit to taste blend
I whould go for a cheap bulk whey from eather whey consortium, bulk powder or my protien

No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. Socrates, 400bc

Thanks for your reply waylander, will definatly take notes, especailly that the shakes are not meal replacements.

I'm sorry but i dont quite understand which product you are suggesting to me.
If i am unable to make my own shakes (my job requires me to be away from my own kitchen much of the week) would it be best to buy a straight up "weight gainer" product?

thanks in advance.

happy to hear from others as well.

kind regards,

any body else?

Weight gainer gives you far more calories than a whey protein shake, the main point of a weight gainer is to increase your calories if you are not getting enough from your current diet, whey protein would be lower in calories. If you stuggle to put on weight the weight gainer will do but its more expensive than whey as far as i am aware so i would get some whey, as you dont know yet whether you will gain weight easiely or not.

How many shakes a day will depend on your daily protein intake, you should intake 1g protein for everyone 1lb bodyweight eg 180lbs man will need 180grams protein a day. 1-2 shakes should do, but you need to get the rest from food.

I would change my flavour or brand of shake every 2 tubs as i get bored of the same old taste.

[link=http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/tm.asp

ORIGINAL: Icemansoldier

Weight gainer gives you far more calories than a whey protein shake, the main point of a weight gainer is to increase your calories if you are not getting enough from your current diet, whey protein would be lower in calories. If you stuggle to put on weight the weight gainer will do but its more expensive than whey as far as i am aware so i would get some whey, as you dont know yet whether you will gain weight easiely or not.

How many shakes a day will depend on your daily protein intake, you should intake 1g protein for everyone 1lb bodyweight eg 180lbs man will need 180grams protein a day. 1-2 shakes should do, but you need to get the rest from food.

I would change my flavour or brand of shake every 2 tubs as i get bored of the same old taste.

good post.

personaly i would have good diet and have whey powder. food is always better than powder.

make your own shakes whey with a egg or two with milk, and weetabix or oats.
after a workout, just have whey in water qiucker absorbed

Journal

CURRENT STAT
On a bulk. 15st 7lbs, 6ft. Strong

AIMS
Toget MASSIVE!

ORIGINAL: beefycol

ORIGINAL: Icemansoldier

Weight gainer gives you far more calories than a whey protein shake, the main point of a weight gainer is to increase your calories if you are not getting enough from your current diet, whey protein would be lower in calories. If you stuggle to put on weight the weight gainer will do but its more expensive than whey as far as i am aware so i would get some whey, as you dont know yet whether you will gain weight easiely or not.

How many shakes a day will depend on your daily protein intake, you should intake 1g protein for everyone 1lb bodyweight eg 180lbs man will need 180grams protein a day. 1-2 shakes should do, but you need to get the rest from food.

I would change my flavour or brand of shake every 2 tubs as i get bored of the same old taste.

good post.

personaly i would have good diet and have whey powder. food is always better than powder.

make your own shakes whey with a egg or two with milk, and weetabix or oats.
after a workout, just have whey in water qiucker absorbed

Follow this advice^^
Also, put a decent helping of sugar(just table sugar will do) in the shake, it might even make it taste better, but this kind of shake (sugar and whey) is reserved for after a workout. At other times have weight gainer(assuming its not full of sugar) and high protein food- tuna, eggs, chicken etc

"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true."

IMO forget all supplements at the moment. Spend the first few months getting used to the training and constructing a good diet. Then maybe add a whey protein powder into the mix.

Honestly supplements IMO make hardly any difference. Training hard and eating well make a huge huge difference.

73.25K BW
160K Squat
102.5K Bench
220K Deadlift (3BW)

My Journal

thanks for the replies guys,

icemansoldier

i feel more confident in purchasing a weight gainer now (however i am open to suggestions still)

as a person, i find it extemely hard to gain weight, let alone maintain weight. I am 5"7 and only 130lbs, at most i can get to 135lb, but when i wake up it will be 3-4lbs less.

I cannot physically force feed myself anymore without feeling sick or uncomfortable, also with work and travel, its hard to have a specialised diet sadly.

beefycol

thanks for the suggested home made verison, i will definatly try it out if i am able to.

cliff_vtr

would you agree for me to take suppliements after reading my body composition?

i am a ectomorph at the very least and struggle to gain or maintain weight

ORIGINAL: stickman852

thanks for the replies guys,

icemansoldier

i feel more confident in purchasing a weight gainer now (however i am open to suggestions still)

as a person, i find it extemely hard to gain weight, let alone maintain weight. I am 5"7 and only 130lbs, at most i can get to 135lb, but when i wake up it will be 3-4lbs less.

I cannot physically force feed myself anymore without feeling sick or uncomfortable, also with work and travel, its hard to have a specialised diet sadly.

beefycol

thanks for the suggested home made verison, i will definatly try it out if i am able to.

cliff_vtr

would you agree for me to take suppliements after reading my body composition?

i am a ectomorph at the very least and struggle to gain or maintain weight

Please post what you eat in a typical day. Not what you plan to do, just what a normal day's food is for you. Then we can help you somemore.

Age and Guile beat Youth, Innocence and a Bad Haircut

”How can anyone expect to possess co-ordination in active work when his muscles have never worked together in groups?” Earle Liederman, 1924

weight gainer will fill you up, so IMO its not really needed. Eat small regular meals. If struggling add some sugar to meals. Nuts and oils are also calorie dense.

- milk
- banana
- natural yogurt
- lots of honey
- some oats
- flax oil or flax seeds

blend well for a few mins, drink, it will taste really nice and is packed full of cals and is nutrient dense.

You need to get used to eating the right amount before adding supps. Supps will not fix the problem so fix the root of the problem first. Increase food bit by bit, gradually over a few weeks. Eat regularly too, 3-4hrs.

73.25K BW
160K Squat
102.5K Bench
220K Deadlift (3BW)

My Journal

alright guys, i've read enough and i think i'm going to go out and buy my suppliement.

i'm good with a work out, i will be following the skinny bastard program someone kindly posted.

http://www.strengthcoach.com/public/1469.cfm

i think i will go with the "weight gainer"

does every agree?

i am just afraid to get the "whey protein" and then end up gaining only 4-5lbs after drinking the whole tub.

a point to take is that you all seem to be noramlly built people which have seen good results from whey protein.

i seriously think i fall in the hard gainer catagory at 5"7 and only weighing 130lbs.

since i have been given mannings coupons, its cheapest for me to start with the GNC products.
does everyone one gives the go ahead?

does anyone have any suggestions on what signs i should see when its time for me to move down to whey protein? pherhaps after gaining 10lbs?

i will find a more economic brand of weight gainer after finshing the GNC tube as i cannot afford that price.

i will be sure to warm up properly, and do the HIIT program in terms of meeting cardio fitness

I had the same states as you 3 months ago, im 5"7 at about 130lb, now im 155lb, some may say thats too much of a gain, but im happy with it, and the gain has slowed to around 1/2lb a week so its all good now, my diet isnt the best, but it goes a little something like this:

My Diet

7:30 - Shake - 50g Powered Oats, 45g MP Whey , 500ml Milk, Crusher

10:00 - 2 Flapjacks (The ones tasco make), Apple, Grapes, Water

Pre Work out - Shake - 60g of Maximuscle Weight Gain

Work Out - Water

Post Work Out - Shake - 45g MP Whey, 70g MP Dextrose

30mins/1hour later - Chicken/Tuna (around 130g) with Rice/Pasta

5:00 - Sandwich - 2 slices of whole grain bread, slice of cheese, 2 slices of Ham

8:00 - Chicken/Tuna (around 130g) with Rice/Pasta

10:00 - slice of wholegrain bread, 3 scabbled gets (sometimes a slice of fried bacon)

Pre Bed - 200g Cottege Cheese, 45g MP Whey.

thats my diet on a good day, i dnt always follow it, but if i can i will.

I take whey 3 times a day on training days (morning, after training, before bed) and half a serving of weightgain a day (before work out) no need to go crazy on weight gain if ur diet is good.

diet is the key, not a supplement. To build muscle you need to eat more cals than you burn. Simply taking a supplement wont work. Constructing a good diet will.

From your posts I fear you simply want a quick fix rather than sorting out the root of the problem.

I think all you'll end up doing is wasting your cash and still not have gained any weight.

73.25K BW
160K Squat
102.5K Bench
220K Deadlift (3BW)

My Journal

im a 'hardgainer' and been away from the weights for quite some time, just starting to slowly come back into it.

my diet current looks a bit like this...

wake up:
½ portion nlarge, in full fat milk
bowl porridge
slice toast

mid morn:
tuna sandwich
banana

lunch:
chicken and rice/or pasta

mid afternoon:
tuna sandwich
banana

evening meal:
something or other! chicken, pork, fish, somethign like that.

before bed:
½ portion nlarge.

stands me in at around 3000cals.

post workout, i'll either have another ½ portion nlarge, or some whey protein

my journal: http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/new-start-june-2008-4-month-progress-pic-added-page-3-m347072.aspx

ORIGINAL: stickman852

alright guys, i've read enough and i think i'm going to go out and buy my suppliement.

i'm good with a work out, i will be following the skinny bastard program someone kindly posted.

http://www.strengthcoach.com/public/1469.cfm

i think i will go with the "weight gainer"

does every agree?

i am just afraid to get the "whey protein" and then end up gaining only 4-5lbs after drinking the whole tub.

a point to take is that you all seem to be noramlly built people which have seen good results from whey protein.

i seriously think i fall in the hard gainer catagory at 5"7 and only weighing 130lbs.

since i have been given mannings coupons, its cheapest for me to start with the GNC products.
does everyone one gives the go ahead?

does anyone have any suggestions on what signs i should see when its time for me to move down to whey protein? pherhaps after gaining 10lbs?

i will find a more economic brand of weight gainer after finshing the GNC tube as i cannot afford that price.

i will be sure to warm up properly, and do the HIIT program in terms of meeting cardio fitness

I think your missunderstanding the use of Whey protein and Gainers. To build muscle you need a good ammount of protein, whey protein supplements your diet to help you get enough protein. It wont make you put on weight, excess calories does that, hence why people use weight gainers due to their large ammount of calories. They're usually good for when your eating alot but want to top cal's even further to make sure your getting enough. Remember though, without sufficient protein you will just gain fat and not build as much muscle as you could. Hope that helps a little

P.S I started out at about 9.5stone too, at my highest I got to nearly 14, now at 12.5 and bulking again. Forget the hard gainer sh*t and eat like a frickin horse!

'If at first you don't succeed, find out if the loser gets anything.'

' Slow but sure moves the might of the gods. '