A sure-fire way to build muscle is to train like a beast and consume enough calories. The biggest problem many of us face, is trying to force down enough calories day after day. Have you ever tried consuming 4000 calories a day of healthy food? I can assure you it is not easy and you will very quickly get sick of trying. The solution to this problem is to start consuming mass gainer shakes.

What is a mass gainer shake?

A mass gainer shake is a protein supplement dense in calories and usually contains a large amount of carbohydrates. The problem with many of the mass gainer shakes for sale is that they are often packed with Maltodextrin which is technically a complex carbohydrate; however, Maltodextrin has a glycemic index of around 90, meaning it is broken down by the body very rapidly causing blood sugar and insulin levels to spike which promotes fat storage. So while you may gain a decent amount of weight from gobbling down your daily mass gainer shake, it won’t necessarily be in the form of new muscle.

The solution to this? Make your own weight gainer shake. It is very important to note that not everyone needs to consume a mass gainer shake to gain weight. These shakes are aimed at people who struggle to gain weight no matter how much they eat. If you find that you put on weight (fat) quite quickly, then avoid mass gainer shakes and instead stick to whey protein shakes for after your workout.

My personal mass gainer shake recipe:

•     250mls Full cream milk
•     2 scoops Whey protein (32 grams)
•     Two large Bananas
•     30 grams peanut butter (Black Cat no added sugar or salt peanut butter)

Throw all the ingredients into a blender, mix them up and drink.

The above recipe is one I have used many times over the years when trying to build more muscle and will provide you with roughly 680 calories, 42 grams protein, 28 grams fat and 71 grams carbohydrates. During my bulking phase, I would typically consume this type of shake twice a day on training days.

When creating your mass gainer shake, you can add almost anything as long as it is healthy. Oats, almond butter, strawberries, raisins, honey, and full-fat Greek yogurt all work very well and taste great in mass gainer shakes.

A few more recipes

Recipe #1:

• 250mls Almond milk
• 2 scoops Whey protein
• 30 grams Almond butter
• 8 Strawberries
• 1 cup Oats

Recipe #2:

• 250mls Water
• 2 scoops Whey protein
• One large Banana
• 30 grams Macadamia nuts
• 200ml Greek yogurt
• 1 cup Oats

As you can see, you can add pretty much anything you want to your mass gainer shake. What you put into your shake will be determined by what you like to eat and how many calories you need to consume to meet your daily caloric requirements.