Despite what your favorite fitness magazine tells you, not everyone finds it easy to build muscle mass. Do you have an otherworldly metabolism? Well, it is going to require more calories for you than the average person. Does fat stick to your body like glue? Well, lean mass will require some clearly defined calorie consumption goals and some effective cardiovascular exercise.

For those who are eating right but still not hitting their caloric intake goals, they may even have invested in a weight gain supplement (also known as a mass builder). These supplements can be incredibly effective when used the right way. Mass builders, like Serious Mass from Optimum Nutrition, can provide a well-balanced dose of muscle-building calories that you can cut down on the go. But I know someone has invested in a mass gainer and is STILL not getting the results they want. Have you made a plan? Are you still struggling to see the profit you want? Let’s examine five reasons why the mass building supplement you bought is not helping you get serious mass.

1) You are not training hard enough

It’s incredibly easy to get into the “magic supplement” mentality, thinking that the right supplement is what will get you in shape. Sure, supplements can help, but I’m a big believer in the idea that a good workout and a healthy diet are the crux of a good mass building program.

Are you pressing your muscles to the point of failure, do you feel slight pain after training? Are you doing breathtaking cardio on a regular basis? If you’re pushing yourself, you’re on your way to changing your body pretty quickly.

2) You are a tough winner

There are people who can eat ANYTHING they want and nothing ever happens. I have a friend from high school who hasn’t gained a pound since high school and he likes to go to restaurants that serve specialty foods, noted for their highly unhealthy fat content. This friend can eat circles around me and NEVER wins anything! That is wonderful for a person who wants to stay slim. However, this friend would need a massive amount of calories if he wanted to pack on muscle. It is the metabolic speed demons that supplement as the weight gainer, which Serious Mass was created for.

3) You have gaps in your usual diet

YOUR NUTRITION IS MORE THAN YOUR SUPPLEMENT! As said before sensible nutrition and solid training or the crux of any good transformation program. Supplements are meant to do just that, supplement your diet, not replace it. Eating healthy, high-protein meals 5-7 times a day and combining it with your mass-building supplement can really change your body.

4) You are overtraining

This is a really simple concept. Give your muscles time to recover and grow. This is one of the reasons you can alternate muscle groups during a training cycle, it gives the muscles you hit so hard yesterday in the gym a chance to recover and grow. If you want to grow, incorporate rest periods into your training program.

5) Your supplement sucks

I hate to be blunt, but not all supplements are good. There are supplements that don’t mix well, don’t absorb well, don’t taste good, whatever. It is important to research which supplements work and which ones don’t.

It’s true that I used to be a huge South Park fan. Despite its rawness, there was one episode that I found very appropriate for all types of weightlifters. There was an old episode where Cartmann decides to use the Weight Gain 4000 supplement for reinforcement. Named Weight Gain 4000 because it consisted of 4000 grams of saturated fat per serving, Cartmann ended up getting EXTREMELY fat from the supplement.

I don’t know if it’s possible to achieve those kinds of saturated fat levels without just adding pure lard, there’s an interesting point here … what matters in your supplement. All weight gainers will have pros and cons, but you want a supplement that gives you the best value for your money. It is essential to buy a mass gainer that provides high quality protein, amino acids and carbohydrates that will help you in your weight / mass gain goals.

Regardless of the type of body you have or the type of winner you are, gaining mass requires planning, BUT IT CAN BE DONE!