Powerlifting and weight gain

Hi everybody, I have not been training for over six months and the last training i was doing was powerlifting and i loved it so much. I only joined the gym again last week and i was wondering if anyone here does any powerlifting or where i could get some good info on powerlifting and how i can get back into it the best possible way. I need to get a routine for someone starting powerlifting.

I also want everyone's opion on weight gain powders. I live in the Republic of Ireland so there is a lot of things that i cant get that is in the USA. My friend here owns a supplement shop, so i dont have to travel far or order my stuff by mail. The reason that i ask about weight gain powders is because i need a meal replacment because i work 5 days a week and i dont have enough time to prepare a lot of meals. Could yous tell the things that i should avoid in the weight gainers. I want to add that the weight gainer that i was considering has no added sugar and no simple sugars like sucrose or fructose. It has over 400 grams of complex carbohydrates of which are sugars is 36 grams, should i be worried about these 36 grams of sugars or are they part of the carbohydrates and we need them.

Thank you all for your advice

As far as powerlifting, if you're wanting to put on mass try "Westside for Skinny Bastards. It based on Westside training principles, which many consider to be the best PL training method around.

http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/archive/articles_westside.htm

Also check out http://www.elitefts.com

Generally, weight gain powders are total crap. You don't need that many carbs unless you like decreased insulin sensitivity and increased fat gain and risk of type II diabetes. If you need an MRP then get an MRP. Preferrably a low-carb, low fat MRP, then you can add carbs or fats as needed depending on when you take it. Of course, if you want to get really fat and don't care about your health, a weightgainer will get you there in a hurry. :s

If you want to be a powerlifter, then Westside Training is the way to go...

I gained the most and performed the best when I used to boil about 5 lbs of potatos/day. I ate them a little at a time from morning until about 3pm when I got off work and went to the gym. The rest of my diet consisted of tuna and boiled eggs. LOL - Yes I got sick of the shit, but it was easy and worked.
Period.

Anyway, as to protein shakes - that is another story. Although I've gotten best results from non-processed proteins like eggs and tuna, I admit that I'm a protein shake freak. The best stuff that I have ever used is by ON (Optimum Nutrition). You can buy it cheapest from massnutrition.com in the states. You are better off purchasing a large amount at a time in order to break even on the shipping charges. Not sure if they ship to Ireland, or how much it would cost.

I won't recommend a specific workout plan, since every routine works differently for different people at different stages. I have heard a lot of fuss about the "westside for skinny bastards plan." Westside Barbell bases it's training methods on the conjugate method. I'm sure that the skinny bastards routine is based on that method as well. Whatever program you decide to try - always keep educating yourself on the different methods. . . and try shit out for yourself. Experiment. Keep a log.

Regards,

HOOS