i've started going to a gym, i've only been a couple of times but i'm the kind of person who struggles to put on weight and was wondering if I should start creatine straight away or is it best to wait for a while? If so how long?

Im 5'10 and weight about 67kg (10 stone 5)

Im a newbie to it so sorry if this is really obvious

Eating a lot more calories is the way to put on more weight. I don't believe creatine will do that. Creatine is a protein naturally produced in the body but gets used up during your workouts. People take creatine to replenish their missing creatine to help aid the repair of their muscles and give them energy. It can also cause water retention in the earlier stage which gives the impression of being heavier. It's not a miracle drug or anything, the gains you'll see are likely because you'll have the an extra boost of energy and your muscles will repair quicker.

Just eat more food, preferably meats and just try to pack on the pounds. A lot of people drink a lot of whole milk to help them out.

Using creatine as well though is a great idea. I am so glad I started using it.

Okay thanks I understand it more now. However I shall try to eat more like you said but should I use creatine aswell right now?

Yeah, start using it now. There's never a bad time to start taking it. Just take 5g a day. You're supposed to take it immediately after a workout to hit the insulin spike but I seem to feel an added advantage in taking it about half an hour before.

The recommended calorie intake is supposed to be around 2500 a day for a man, basically you want to try and double that, or get close enough. There's no miracle to the human body, people who aren't able to put on weight just aren't taking in enough calories for them to gain any. Their body is burning off around about the same as what they put in to keep it level.

Aye, I've also noticed that taking it before workouts seems to at least feel better. I mean, it's primary function is to replenish the adenosine-triphosphate (ATP, energy, whatever), and so I think it'd make since to use it to where it'll replenish during the workouts, allowing you to workout longer and harder, leading to quicker results.

Me from another thread, same advice applies:


Is your general nutrition dialed in? If not, do that first. Is your recovery up to scratch? Quality pre- and post-workout foods? Good quality sleep, relaxation? Are you lifting consistently with good technique and putting up good numbers? If none of the above are perfect, fix those before worrying about creatine. Don't run before you can walk, get the basics right first.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

HBK619:

Everything is ok I think from your list, I have tried to improve to my over the last month to gain weight naturally, eating alot of tuna, chicken, whole milk, nuts and even drinking more water but nothing seems to have changed, i'm going to keep it up but I am a little frustrated at the lack on any gains, or does it take longer to notice any gains?

Then eat more of it
Your body isnt unique in the way that you wont put on pounds if you eat enough
Unless you have a weird disease
Moremoremoremore moremoremoremore moremore moremoremoremore MORE

Just go out and devour a bull every day. Logic would suggest you'd gain weight in no time

haha okay guys i get it

quote DeNiro

Everything is ok I think from your list, I have tried to improve to my over the last month to gain weight naturally, eating alot of tuna, chicken, whole milk, nuts and even drinking more water but nothing seems to have changed, i'm going to keep it up but I am a little frustrated at the lack on any gains, or does it take longer to notice any gains?

Exactly how much were you eating? Also, how was your recovery, and your lifting routine? Giving us more details will make it easier for us to help you. The chances are you didn't eat enough, you didn't work out hard enough, and you didn't recover well enough.

Creatine should honestly be saved once you get a routine going, and you pretty well know what you're doing.


Creatine really only puts on water weight at first. He causes your muscles to retain water, giving you better endurance, which means better lifts, and also greater gains.

Once you cycle off creatine, you'll lose the water weight, which ends up being 5 or 6 pounds for the average body builder.