If you are living in Malaysia, I’m sure you’ve all seen those Appeton Weight Gain (Adult) TV Commercials. They are funny alright.

Kelakar jugak la but does it actually work that way? Just 1 or 2 scoops per day cukup untuk menambahkan berat badan? The answer is No! A weight gainer alone doesn’t won’t “really” help you gain weight. So if you are one of those people who have bought Appeton or any other weight gainer, this post is for you.

So..How to Gain Weight or Bulk Up Lah?

Well in summary, you need 3 things: 1) A Reason to Grow, 2) Food to build and yes, lastly 3) Supplements do help. You can do without supplements but the first two are crucial! Lemme me break it down for you.

1. Muscles need a reason to grow. When we talk about weight gain, we usually (or always) mean muscle gain….no one wants to really gain fat. Hitting the buffet and stuffing yourself with supplments IS NOT A REASON ;)… Weight training ataupun senaman mengangkat berat or main best is the catalyst for weight gain. Putting your muscles through stress and strain (the workout) makes your muscles literally wanting to grow. Why? Think of it as a defense mechanism. Your body is thinking that it needs to get stronger in order to sustain the “new” workload. That is why you need to continually diversify and increase the weights – to continually give your body a reason to keep on get bigger.
2. Building Blocks or food. Yes this is where makanan dan supplements like weight gainers come in. Note this – Once your body wants to grow YOU THAN NEED TO supply it with “stuff” that it can build on. Food lah. What kind? Well typically you need carbs and protein (the staple ingredients of weight gainers). When? Well a must before ad after your workout and also throughout the day. So make sure you get your 5-7 meals per day. Wanna gain weight? Than yeah you gotta eat!
3. <Supplements do help. Tapi ingat, makanan tambahan don’t work magic. There’s nothing special in weight gainers like Appeton. They are mainly loaded with carbs (dextrose – think hospital drip), combination of proteins and yeah some fat as well. Thats usually it. So why buy them? well its up to you but they are convenient for pre and postworkout meals. I persoanlly use whey protein supplements daily. Why? Coz they are convenient and give me what I need. So remember to know what you are buying and know what you need ;) Other suppls like creatine and glutamine are great as well but, in my opinion should only be used second to weight gainers.

So is Appeton Weight Gainer a Waste of Money?

Without weight training – YES but if used in combination with weight training and a decent nutrition plan (makanan lah), weight gainers like Appeton are good and effective as they give you want you need. That said, most weight gainers are pretty good – regardless of brand. I personally prefer US based brands like Dymatize, Champion Nutrition or Prolab..but hey its a consumers choice ;) Happy Shopping.

About Kevin Zahri :

I am a US certified personal trainer and nutritionist with over 10 years experience. Over the years, I have published over 10 books, written for Men's Health, other fitness and lifestyle magazines, hosted TV shows and appeared on various TV shows, programs and magazines. I am also an avid corporate wellness speaker and web entrepreneur. More about me here or follow me on Facebook or Twitter.