QUESTION:

What is the best supplement in gaining weight? I'm a genetically skinny guy 17 yrs. old weighs only 136 lbs. and I can only bench press 120 lbs. I have lots of problems gaining weight. Can you give me any suggestions in buying supplements that can help me gain weight?

MARC'S ANSWER:

Nobody is genetically skinny. I know there's programs out there for the skinny guy that claim they are metabolically different. But there's programs out there saying "lose the hardgainer" label and start thinking big. Fact is.. your metabolism can be changed and your genetics to some.. SOME... extend can be modified.

I used to think skinny. I used to be 130 lbs at age 19 out of high school. Now when I tell people I'm an ectomorph they don't believe me. Took years of training but...

FOOD! Sorry to break the cliche news to you but supplements like weight gainers should only be used IF and WHEN you are truly eating what you need to be eating and cannot eat any more food. I mean, Michael Phelps ate 10,000 calories of real food. Maybe not the best foods for bodybuilding I'll give you that but it can be done. Eating 4,000 calories of clean bodybuilding food is an enormous task!

I know you want a laundry list of my favorite supplements but in all 100%, O.J. like honesty.. I do not take weight gainers. I once did and I added fat. Since then, I quit and have only used regular protein shakes for additional protein and more dense calorie foods like peanut butter, oats, complex carbs to add additional calories.

My weight AFTER quitting any weight gainers went from 175 lbs to 200 lbs! Simply by packing down more food.

If you think you are eating a ton, try calculating it. Head over to one of 10,000 calorie calculation websites and track what you eat for 3 days. 3 days!

9 times out of 10, you are not eating as much as you think or need and you are not doing it consistently. Adding on high quality muscle mass takes a dedication to eating, not skipping meals and above all... doing that day in and day out. Not one week and then skip meals and then oh yeah.. do it again.

Once you've master that, you can make your own weight gainers at home for much cheaper. I mean, truly all a weight gainer is for most is a way to slam down extra calories. In a "healthy" format. You can easily make a 768+ weight gainer, with minimal fat and lots of carbs and protein, at home, in a blender for CHEAP.

Check out Muscle Chow by Greg Avedon, cpt. It's packed full of meals but he has a shake section that is to die for... if you choose that route. Buying a typical weight gainer is going to be a let down.

And finally if you feel you must.. then just add milk and/or oats to your shakes for added calories. That will skyrocket it as well without falling into the trap of having to buy a weight gainer that is the same thing but not as healthy and more costly.

Marc C. David
Author of the NoBull Bodybuilding Book
www.nobullbodybuilding.com