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’s going to require more calories for you than the average person. Does fat stick to your body like superglue? Well, lean mass will require some clearly defined calorie intake goals and some effective cardio.

For those who are eating well but not yet reaching their calorie intake goals, you may have even gone so far as to invest 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 Optimum Nutrition’s Serious Mass, can provide a well-balanced dose of muscle-building calories that you can even cut on the fly. But I know someone has invested in a mass gainer and is STILL not seeing the results they want. Have you made a plan? Still struggling to see the earnings you want? Let’s examine five reasons why the muscle-building supplement you bought isn’t helping you put on solid mass.

1) You are not training hard enough

It’s incredibly easy to get into the “magic supplement” mentality, the idea that the right supplement is what will get you in shape. Sure supplements can and do 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 pushing your muscles to failure, do you feel slight pain after training? Are you doing cardio that leaves you breathless on a regular basis? If you put in the effort, you’re on your way to changing your body pretty quickly.

2) You are a Hard Winner

There are people out there who can eat ALL they want and nothing ever happens. I have a friend from high school who hasn’t gained a pound since high school and 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’s wonderful for a person who wants to stay slim. However, for this friend it would take a lot of calories if he wanted to gain muscle. They are the metabolic rate demons that supplements like weight gainers, Serious Mass, were created for.

3) You have gaps in your regular diet

THERE IS MORE TO YOUR NUTRITION THAN YOUR SUPPLEMENT! As said before, sensible nutrition and solid training is the crux of any good transformation program. Supplements are meant to do just that, supplement your diet, not replace it. Eating healthy protein rich meals 5-7 times a day and combining them 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 they will grow. This is one of the reasons why you can alternate muscle groups during a training cycle, it gives the muscles you worked so hard in the gym yesterday a chance to recover and grow. If you want to get bigger, include rest periods in your training schedule.

5) Your Supplement Sucks

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

Admittedly, he used to be a huge fan of South Park. 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 to beef up. Named Weight Gain 4000 because it consisted of 4000 grams of saturated fat per serving, Cartmann ended up getting EXTREMELY fat on the supplement.

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

No matter what body type you have or what kind of gainer you are, gaining mass takes planning, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE!