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Can You Have Abs While Drinking Mass Gainer? (7 Key Facts)

Mass gainer is one of the most popular supplements nowadays thanks to its ability to help maximize gains.

But should you take mass gainer if you want a six pack?

Here’s whether mass gainer helps you get abs:

While mass gainer can help build your abdominal muscles quicker, it can also increase body fat levels. Since you need low levels of body fat to get a six pack, you should avoid mass gainer if you want to get abs.

Lean bodybuilder with defined abs in a gym

In this article, we cover the science behind six packs, the pros and cons of taking mass gainer for abs, and more!

The Science Of Six Pack Abs

Before we go in depth as to why mass gainer can be good and bad for abs, it’s important to explain the golden rules of getting a six pack.

Now, there are 2 components to building six pack abs.

  1. Low levels of body fat
  2. Developed abdominal muscles

Let’s see why.

Low levels of body fat

There’s a layer of fat between your skin and muscle, which is known as subcutaneous fat.

So, the more subcutaneous belly fat you have, the bigger the gap between your skin and your abdominal muscles.

This means you could have the biggest six pack in the world, but if you have too much belly fat, then no one would know!

(As they wouldn’t be able to see them.)

So, the first part of building an eye-catching six pack is to lower your body fat levels so that you can see them.

You can achieve this by staying in a calorie deficit.

Developed abdominal muscles

Anyone with boulder shoulders has developed deltoid muscles.

Anyone with bulging biceps has developed bicep muscles.

And similarly, anyone with a jaw-dropping six pack has developed abdominal muscles.

And so, the second part of owning a sexy set of abs is to build and develop your abdominal muscles.

You can achieve this by exercising your abs regularly and intensely.

Why Mass Gainer May Help You Get Abs

Mass Gainer Helps Build Muscle

Mass gainer contains a variety of ingredients which have been proven to help increase muscle growth.

For example, most mass gainers include creatine.

Creatine increases the amount of available energy in your muscles, and as a result, helps you squeeze out a few extra reps. The outcome being more muscle growth.

Mass gainers typically contain whey protein too, which is an excellent source of protein that helps initiate protein synthesis

So by taking mass gainer when you train your abs, you should be able to build your ab muscles even more.

Drawbacks of Mass Gainer For Abs

Mass Gainer Can Increase Body Fat

Mass gainer is super high in calories, which is bad news if you’re wanting to lose body fat.

Why?

Well, to lose body fat, you need to be in a calorie deficit. In other words, you need to be consuming less calories than you’re burning.

So when you take mass gainer, your calorie intake will be through the roof which will make it much harder to achieve a calorie deficit.

As a result, your body will shift from a fat burning state to a fat gaining state. And if you do gain fat, then your abs will be less visible.

(Related Reading: Does Mass Gainer Make You Fat? [Explained!])

Mass Gainer Can Make You More Bloated

Some ingredients in mass gainer can cause bloating.

For example, creatine increases water retention which can make you look puffy and bloated.

Whereas some people experience bloating from whey protein as they’re sensitive to it.

When you’re bloated, you’ll look less lean which will make your abs less noticeable.

How To Take Mass Gainer To Get A Six Pack

The good news is there’s an optimal way to take mass gainer to help you build that dream six pack.

The first thing you should do is to train your abs religiously while you’re taking mass gainer. This will help maximize abdominal muscle development.

(If you’re gaining some fat at this stage, then don’t worry, it’s pretty normal.)

Then once you’ve built your abs to a reasonable size, you should stop taking mass gainer.

Why?

Well, you’ll need to achieve a calorie deficit in order to lose that belly fat and show the world what you’ve built over the last few months!

3 Awesome Supplements For Building Abs

The 3 supplements listed below are awesome for abs as they help develop your ab muscles and lose body fat.

Whey Protein

Whey protein is the most common type of protein used in protein powder.

It’s low in calories which makes it ideal for losing body fat, and as it’s a good source of protein, it helps you build more muscle.

L-Carnitine

L-Carnitine is a compound that’s naturally found in red meat.

It helps your body use fat for energy, so is a great supplement when it comes to fat loss. And it’s good for muscle building by helping you squeeze out more reps.

Glutamine

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in your body.

According to research, it can help increase growth hormone levels, which not only increases muscle growth but helps increase fat loss too.

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Sources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5679696/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/10599501_Creatine_Supplementation_Increases_Total_Body_Water_Without_Altering_Fluid_Distribution