Weight Gainers

[ReasonToBelieve]

Hey guys I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice about weight gainers and stuff you can find at places like GNC. I'm 17, a guy about 5'7 but only around 110 lbs and even tho it never bugged me before I'm starting to wish I weighed more. I don't really feel self-conscious but when I do it's almost always about how skinny I am.

 

Anyway the question I had was do weight gainers help add bulk or only fat? I'm not completely unmuscular and actually am often complimented on nice abs ( haha I'm not trying to brag... this is about me being too skinny remember!). I'm afraid if I start to take these weight gainers I might lose the abs and have them replaced by a beer belly . Would weight gainers do that or would it just help me add bulk w/o losing muscle definition like I'm hoping for?

[Rage]

Hi reason to believe .

 

Firstly, I am also 5'7'' and the good thing about being this height is that it is easier for us to look more muscular than a taller guy (we have less space to fill)

 

The weight gainer is probably a Protein powder, it will only work if you use it in conjunction with a weight program. Well, it will work if you don't, but you may just add fat instead of muscle!

 

If i was you i would sort your diet out first (a high protein diet as excess carbs usually turn to fat)

 

You want to be working out at least 3 times a week with heavy weights lifting for around 6 reps of 4 sets (or a 5x5 or similar) to gain maximum weight, any more than this and you would be adding definition.

 

The reason you want to lift heavy weights to add bulk is as follows;

 

type 1 fibre (slow twitch, endurance) are approximately half the size of type 2 (fast twitch, strength).

 

Working slow twitch will give you a slight increase in size and more definition.

 

Whereas working fast twitch (or both) will make you alot bigger,faster

 

Type 1 fibre are only recruited in activity using below 25% of your maximum strength, after 25% type 2 fibre kick in and, if you lift 100% (maximum strength) all your muscle fibres are recruited (type 1 and 2).

 

this is why you need to lift heavy weights to get bigger.

 

 

Hope this is of help to you

[Rage]

Oh and one other thing-try to cut out cardiovascular activity whilst you are bulking as this stimulates the wrong type of muscle fibre and can hinder growth/weight gains.