Weight training need to gain weight?

Question

I am fit at 40 and started weight training I am 11 stone (70kgs).. 5'11"

I want to gain some muscle mass take me up to 11 1/2 to 12 stone.

I ve seen weight gain products, but not sure if they are right for me...Im concerned I dont want to put fat on...how long do you need to take weight gain supplements??? is it best to use protein shakes? ...or just do it naturally?

Answer 1

the whole purpose behind protein shakes is to help supplement your diet. They are not a magic formula that will make you instantly gain weight. Best time to take a protein shake is after your work out so you can quickly get nutrients into your body. You could also add some simple carbs to the shake like a banana.

Answer 2

It depends on your body type to be honest, and your BMR. If you are mesamorphic, then you tend to be quite lean, but muscley with it. If you're endomorphic, you'll tend to be strong, but have quite high body fat, and if you're ectomorphic then you'll be quite thin with very low body fat but also quite small muscles.

If you're a mesamorph, then weight gainer will hit the spot nicely, it will cause rapid muscle growth, and fat gains will be quite small.

If you're an ectomorph, a calorie dense weight gainer is best, as you will need lots of nutrients in order to grow, but fat gain will be very small.

Endomorphs have to be careful, due to the chances of storing the weight gainer primarily as fat, it's probably best to supplement with a 250kcal formula, one with about 25g protein, 25g carbs and a few grams of fat.

Either way, you'll need to put the work in in the gym in order to get results. Train between 8-12 reps for muscle growth. Any more, and you'll be lifting too lightly, and tears in the muscle fibres won't be deep enough to spark growth. Any less and you'll be focussing more on maximum strength than actual growth and the muscles aren't stimulated enough to cause muscle growth.

To gain healthy weight, you can't rely solely upon supplements, these are just the icing on teh cake, your basic diet has to be full of wholegrains (except post workout for an hour or so) and lean sources of protein. Healthy fats are also a must, and the RDA for this must be met.

Answer 3

Protein shakes are great especially for recovery.  What I suggest to my swimmers, is a Muscle Milk. It's a protein drink that will feed your muscles, but not cause you to store up fat.