When people normally hear the term muscle gainer they think of a protein powder or some sort of supplement. Well supplements can make life a little easier, but aren’t necessary when it comes to building muscle. People were gaining muscle long before a single supplement hit the market. A good muscle gainer combo is proper training and diet…and the diet doesn’t need crazy amounts of protein either.
[If you do decide to add in a supplement, go with EAS. I am not here to sell supplements, so just Google the term "Myoplex" to find out where you can buy EAS protein shakes. They have the best protein-to-calorie ratio and taste great!]
So What Is a Good “Muscle Gainer” Workout Routine?
In my opinion the best routine to gain muscle involves spending a period of time training in the 6-15 rep range alternated with 2-5 reps. The reason for this is that high reps build the fluid within the muscle cells and low reps build the actual muscle tissue of the muscle cells. The fastest growth will come from an increase of cellular fluid, but strength and density of the muscle will be caused by an increase of the actual muscle tissue.
Don’t Mix High and Low Rep Training in the Same Workout
Your body likes to adapt to a pattern. If you perform high reps and low reps within the same workout it will simply just get “sort of” good at each rep range. Have you ever heard of the saying “A Jack of All Trades and Master of None”? Training follows that same principle. The best muscle gainer workout will involve a period of time lifting for cell volume in the high rep range and a period of time building muscle tissue in the low rep range.
Another Approach is to Simply Just Lift 5 Reps Per Set
Very few guys in the gym follow the proven method of lifting for 5 reps for dense muscle mass. It works extremely well, because it results in a steady increase of muscle size, muscle density, and strength. The downside is that muscle growth will be slower than if you simply lifted 6-15 reps. The upside is that the muscle you do add will be dense and defined.
Here is How a 5×5 Muscle Gainer Set is Structured
When doing 5 sets of 5 reps, don’t warm up using high reps. Lift with a weight you can do 10 times and lift it 5 times. For the second set, pick something you could lift 8 times and do it 5 times. For sets 3-5, use a weight that is challenging for 5 reps, but don’t lift to failure. If you avoid failure you send positive feedback to your nervous system and will get stronger in the long run.
Keep Your Muscle Gainer Diet Simple
Honestly, you need roughly 1/2 to 2/3 grams of protein per pound of body weight. This is 100-130 grams of protein for a 200 pound man. The calories should be kept around 12 per pound of body weight. You really don’t need any muscle gainer supplements if you follow this simple diet and workout approach.