N-Large 2

I'm in my 30s and am 5'6" and *used* to weigh in at 120 lbs. Then I got really serious about gaining weight and adding more muscle to my frame. Following the advice of a couple of online bodybuilding gurus (Will Brink being one of them) I increased my daily food intake and supplemented that with a quality protein weight gainer, creatine and workout regimen (using a Bowflex XTL with squat attachment) and I'm gaining muscle. After a few months I now weigh 135 and counting. I'm gaining about 5 pounds a month. My goal is to reach about 150-160 and then trim down to about 145-150. It's important to understand that you will gain some fat when you are trying to gain muscle mass. It's inevitable.

I've tried GNC's Pro Performance Weight Gainer 2200 and MLO's Mus-L Blast 2000. While I liked the taste of GNC the best (chocolate) it's overpriced at roughly $35 for 6 lbs. Mus-L Blast was a relatively good value when I bought it at Rite Aid, but I didn't like the taste (chocolate) at all. Another thing about these two weight gainers I didn't like was the fact that a lot of the calories you're getting in these weight gainers are in the form of sugars...a lot of sugars, especially with GNC. I was feeling tired during the day and couldn't understand why. Excerising should make one energetic, but I always felt drowsy.

Because I was still doing research on weight gainers I was willing to try different ones after my supply of the current one ran out. I was shopping for another weight gainer even before I ran out of the Mus-L Blast because I didn't like the taste at all. I'd drink it really fast because of this. Then I read about Pro Lab's N Large 2 and liked the fact that it doesn't have a lot of sugars and contains more protein per serving. ... bucket it's not cheap, but it is a decent value, especially when compared to the others I've tried. The taste is not as good as GNC's, but is much better than MLO's.

You can find N Large 2 cheaper online than at The Vitamin Shoppe, but if you have a local Vitamin Shoppe near you it evens out when you factor in shipping. Luckily I do have a Vitamin Shoppe near me within a couple miles. The online prices are the same as the local store.

I may still try other protein weight gainers, but for now I'm on my second bucket of N Large 2 because I really like it and it's a good value. The other thing I like about Pro Lab is that they are straight forward in the marketing of their products. There are some weight gainers that tout 4000 calories per serving, but when you read the back label you have to mix it with a gallon of whole milk! Who's going to drink a gallon of milk in one sitting! Even GNC's marketing is suspect. They say 2200 calories per serving, but that's a massive serving too...something like 7 massive scoops of powder mixed with 2 or 4 cups of milk I think. When I used GNC I only mixed one scoop of powder with one cup of milk twice a day. Currently I'm mixing 2 scoops of N Large 2 with 1 cup of 2% milk twice a day with good results.


Muscles galore   June 16, 2006
R. Burukunte (Norfolk,VA USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Excellent Product if you want to gain lean weight fast. Use this after a workout, You will see noticeable gains very quickly. It tastes pretty good, have been on it for last 3 months and haven't tired of it. I recommend a blender to use with it, it can be a pain to mix it with a spoon.
The recommended dosage is pretty high 4 scoops per dose and 2 doses per day, I tend to run through a 10 lb tub of it in about 3 weeks.


THIS IS GREAT!!!   July 31, 2008
Grant A. Molina (port hueneme, ca, USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I packed on 15 pounds of solid mass in less than two months with heavy squats and this protein powder!


I like it   August 3, 2007
Dave
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

All I have to say about this is it seems to work. I've been gaining muscle weight and I've only been using half a serving per day. Also, it tastes good. Like drinking chocolate milk. After I finished the 3.8 lbs, I went and bought another 10 lb.


Perfect for my needs   March 21, 2010
Paul Cola (Texas)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I'm a tall, skinny guy who likes to stay fit. I don't have, nor want, layers and layers of muscle bulking out of my clothes. I realize that this powder assists in building muscle, but I bought it for an entirely different reason. Pretty much all my life, I've had a fantastic metabolism. So good in fact, I rarely build any fat on my body. Also, I've been sleepy with low energy as long as I can remember. My wife said that it's likely I need a good amount of proteins and carbs throughout the day because I burn them off so quick. Believe me, I've tried everything from giving up sugar (completely), to vegetarianism. But I've never been able to shake that tired feeling. I decided to take my wife's advice. Instead of having a breakfast, lunch and dinner like the rest of the world (because large meals make me sleepy), eat smaller, healthy snacks throughout the day. I really didn't like this idea, because I enjoyed large meals. But I decided to try it anyway.

I wanted to find something that was all-natural, no artificial sugars or flavors, full of proteins and carbs, and tasted good. And, easy and fast to prepare.
In comes N-Large:
It's sweetened with fructose - a simple fruit sugar.
It contains a large of amount of proteins AND carbs
(many protein only drinks don't come with the carbs I need).
It comes in vanilla, my favorite flavor.
It's easy to mix, and takes no time to prepare.
It is working better than anything I've ever tried!

I drink this stuff down about two or three times a day (I use a 1/4 of the recommended amount). Since I need to have my proteins and carbs every 3 to 4 hours, I also eat foods high in both of those (nuts, fish, bread, grains, greens, etc) when I am not drinking a shake. I exercise too, but not like a body builder. I just enjoy staying in shape.

My goal was to raise my energy level. This stuff pulls through! I just wish I could afford a case of it. I'd make it part of my yearly health plan. I don't know if it works to build muscle, that's not what I'm using it for. But I know it works to keep me energized throughout the day. Because of that, I gave it the highest rating.