This weight gain resource review was previously published as an extra edition of the bodybuilding and Fitness Secrets (BFS) monthly newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter (it's free), click here: www.fitren.com/listserv.cfm.
If you're interested in gaining lean bodyweight and/or increasing muscle mass, then this review is for you. If you're trying to lose weight and lose body fat, then you might want to go check out the BURN THE FAT program instead: www.burnthefat.com
Since I write so much about fat loss all the time, I've been getting a ton of email lately asking if I'm ever going to write a book or course on bodybuilding or gaining weight.
I've been thinking about writing a weight gain book for a long time and even did an outline and a few chapters. However, there are a ton of other projects I want to tackle first.
I do have plans to publish a series of bodybuilding training courses that focus on individual body parts and specific training techniques and routines. These courses will help you gain muscle, but they won't be "weight gain" programs per se.
Since I no longer have plans to publish a weight gain course, at least not in the near future, I've been doing some research on the best weight gain programs currently available on the net.
A Google search for "weight gain" gives you 128,000 web pages and a search for "bodybuilding" returns 862,000 web pages. In this sea of muscle building info, so far, I have found TWO resources specifically devoted to gaining muscular bodyweight which I found to be superb and I thought you'd like to read my reviews of them. Here they are (in no particular ranking or order)
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WEIGHT GAIN RESOURCE # 1: "GAINING MASS"
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Over 28,000 successful users in 81 countries make "Gaining Mass" by Anthony Ellis the most widely used weight gain course of its kind in the world.
One of the things about GAINING MASS that I was impressed with was Anthony's honesty in dealing with the supplement issue.
I find it funny and at the same time appalling that many "experts" and authors use their books and courses more as a means of selling supplements than giving legitimate information. With many programs, you are urged to purchase a whole slew of pills and powders or else, you are threatened, the program "just won't work." Sound familiar? (I won't mention any names).
In GAINING MASS, Anthony does recommend supplements, but he is quick to point out, "Supplements are not magic. The supplements do not make the program; they are only there to help you. You will still get results without them. Remember, people were gaining muscle and losing fat long before products like creatine or whey protein were on the market." [underline my emphasis]
Well, that was a huge breath of fresh air hearing someone else finally tell it like it is instead of ramming $300 worth of products down your throat every month as a "back end sale."
Not only that, but Anthony has also done a superb job of explaining in plain English the exact steps you must take every day to gain mass, while also giving the scientific rationale behind his plan (but without being too scientific).
GAINING MASS teaches you about weight training, nutrition, aerobic training, stretching, food choices, hormones, supplements, motivation and a whole lot more - plus you get the tools you need to implement the plan.
Some of the testimonials and before and after pictures - including Anthony's own - are pretty mind boggling. After reviewing the GAINING MASS course myself, it became apparent to me why so many people get better than average muscle gains on this program.
Normally, you could expect drug-free gains of about 1/2 to 1.0 lbs of muscle per week. However, on a few occasions, I've seen people gain more than a pound a week for short periods of time. I guess you could call that a "growth spurt." When you look at the success stories on the Gaining Mass website, you'll notice that "Growth Spurts" seem to be the norm with Anthony's clients.
Here's a word about GAINING MASS from the author himself:
"Fat loss, fat loss, fat loss. Everywhere you look, there's information on how to lose fat. Day after day, week after week, I am constantly bombarded with the issues of overweight Americans. They have low fat foods created for them, they have entire magazines dedicated to helping them lose fat. They even have companies established to help them lose weight and get fit. On the internet, 95% of all fitness related sites are geared towards losing fat.
But what about us? What about the guys who CAN'T gain weight?
I believe that our problem is just as important and as difficult to solve, people don't believe that underweight or thin people can be unhappy with their bodies as well. "You are so lucky," they all say. Well, how come I don't feel lucky? In my mind, being thin is as difficult to live with as being overweight. But, it just doesn't sell. America wants to be thin, so if you already are, they think, you don't have a problem.
For years I did not know what it felt like to weigh more than 138 pounds. I was even underweight as a child. After I was born, I had to remain at the hospital for an extra seven days because of my weight. Understand, this was not just some overnight problem for me. My lack of size had plagued me my entire life, so when I speak, I speak from first hand experience. I am not some guy who is naturally athletic, or genetically gifted. I had always been thin, and I would still be thin if I had listened to everyone around me telling me why I couldn't gain weight.
I hope that my site helps to guide you in the correct direction so that you will avoid many of the mistakes I've made in my long journey to gain weight. If you want it, you can do this. I am not that "special". Believe me, if I can do it, anyone can."
Be sure to take a look at Anthony's site. When you see his before and after pictures, it's gonna blow your mind. Click here to go there now: www.musclegaintips.com
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WEIGHT GAIN RESOURCE #2: "Muscle Building Nutrition"
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Another great weight gain resource, which I've been recommending for a while now and I mentioned in the last newsletter, is Muscle Building Nutrition (MBN) by Will Brink.
You could spend hours or even days searching all over the internet, combing through Amazon.com, doing research in the libraries and browsing aisle after aisle in the bookstores and you will never find a resource with a more complete and objective analysis of muscle building supplements than you will in Will Brink's newest e-book, MUSCLE BUILDING NUTRITION.
This e-book is all about one thing: How To Build Muscle, and the book's strong point is the unbiased coverage of every major muscle building supplement on the market, including:
* Creatine
* Andro
* Ribose
* ZMA
* HMB
* BCAA's
* MCT's
* Methoxy
* Whey
* Tribulis
* Ecdysterone ...
AND 18 OTHERS!!!
When new supplements are released (as they always are), Mr. Brink posts periodic updates on the latest news, research and developments - and the updates are free to MBN owners.
When you read MBN, you will discover what I have been teaching my subscribers and website visitors for the last 5 years: that most supplements are a complete waste of money.
However, buried in the "supplement haystack" there are a few surprisingly effective products that might give you the slight extra edge in strength and muscular development that you're looking for. This is especially important if you're a bodybuilder or competitive athlete of any kind because the line between first and second place is often as thin as a razor's edge. In fact, in this day and age of fierce competition, the line between first and LAST place is often as thin as a razor's edge!
If you're spending ANY money on supplements now and you're not 100% certain whether you made the right decisions or you've simply fallen for the lastest advertising hype, then this is an e-book you want to add to your library.
I'd recommend you read MBN from cover to cover, but you don't have to because it's a phenomenal resource just to keep handy as a reference book. What I mean is this: Have you ever read a magazine or surfed a website and heard the "sales pitch" for the latest greatest supplement... and wondered if it really works or if it's nothing more than hype?
The next time that happens, all you have to do is pull your copy of MBN off the shelf (the ebook is fully printable), and look up the product in question. If a supplement is brand-spanking new and isn't in the latest edition of MBN yet, you just log onto Will's website and look up the "new product updates" section and it's probably already there... along with Will's "thumbs up" or "thumb's down" recommendation (I guess you could say Will Brink is like the "Siskel and Ebert of bodybuilding supplements").
If you've purchased any "breakthrough" products in the past and they did nothing for you, then you can obviously see how having this information at your fingertips could save you a lot of time, money and frustration in the future.
MBN is not just a "supplement review book" either. Will has written a concise section on muscle building nutrition which teaches you exactly what to eat to gain muscle - without getting fat. There's also a special training section written by strength coach extraordinaire, Charles Poliquin, which is absolutely priceless. (you should get your hands on everything written by charles).
This program is endorsed by Lee Labrada, Milos Sarcev, Charles Poliquin, and now I'm happy to say, myself.
Click here to get all the info from Will Brink's website: www.musclebuildingnutrition.com
Well, that's it. In my searches, I stumbled on several excellent bodybuilding training courses that I will write reviews for in the near future, but Gaining Mass and Muscle Building Nutrition are the BEST weight gain resources I have found so far.
If and when I come across any more valuable resources that I think you should know about, I'll post it right here in the Fitness Renaissance website library. Until then, train hard and expect success!
Sincerely,
Tom Venuto
PS. I was recently invited to join the team at Muscle Building Nutrition.Com as a contributing writer in the "Guru" section of the member's area, along with IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Milos Sarcev, World renowned strength Coach Charles Staley and the man himself - Will Brink. More big name bodybuilders, writers and "gurus" will be joining soon. When you grab a copy of MBN, you also get access to this member's area where you can ask some of the gurus your personal questions and/or read exclusive articles that can't be found anywhere else.
Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, freelance writer, success coach and author of the #1 best-selling e-book "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle" (BFFM): Fat Burning Secrets of the World's Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models. Tom has written over 170 articles and has been featured in IRONMAN Magazine, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Muscle-Zine, Olympian’s News (in Italian), Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise. Tom's inspiring and informative articles on bodybuilding, weight loss and motivation are featured regularly on dozens of websites worldwide. For information on Tom's "Burn The Fat" e-book, click here: www.burnthefat.com.