Try asking people how to gain weight and you'll likely see some
bewildered faces staring back at you. For the majority of people,
hearing that question is akin to hearing the questions, "How
do I stub my toe?" or "How do I run out of gas?"
Those confused faces not withstanding, the question is a legitimate
one and one that frustrates those who find themselves on the light
end of the scale. While those on the heavy end can't get through
a commercial break or flip through more than five pages of a magazine
without someone offering up a solution to their weight problems,
it can be a lonely struggle for those who want to put on weight.
If you are lucky enough to get a reasoned response to your question,
it will probably involve the words "eat more." That, despite
being obvious, is great advice. Quite simply, to gain weight you
will need to up your calorie consumption to the point where you
consume more calories than you expend. Couple an increased caloric
intake with a little weight training and you have the recipe for
healthy weight gain.
You may think you eat a lot, even enough to keep pace with your
more weight-furnished friends, but you are probably over-estimating
your intake. After a trip to the doctor's office to rule out medical
causes for your inability to bulk up (thyroid disease and other
medical problems can hamper weight gain), a first step to designing
an effective weight gain program is to journal your eating habits.
Counting calories for a week will give you an accurate view of your
diet.
From there, increase your daily caloric intake by about 300-500
calories until you start putting on the pounds. Keep in mind though,
while your caloric intake will directly influence your bodyweight,
it will be other factors like the types of food you eat and your
weight training regimen that decide the type of weight you are putting
on. So if you are after an aesthetically pleasing weight gain, that
of lean muscle weight as opposed to just some extra body fat to
lug around, it will be important to pay attention to these factors.
To get the most muscle out of your weight gain, avoid the junk food
and focus on eating whole foods. A good weight gain diet should
be composed of 30-50% protein, 20-50% carbohydrates and 20-40% fat
(the majority of which should be essential fatty acids). Different
ratios within these ranges will work differently for different people.
Keep up your food journal and experiment to find the ratios that
work best for you.
Providing your body with the materials it needs to build muscle
is only one piece of the puzzle. A weight training program designed
to give the body a reason to add some muscle will be very important
to achieving your goals. Your workout routines should concentrate
on compound weight lifting exercises (those that involve multiple
muscle groups like the squat or bench press) with weights that allow
you to do 6 to 12 reps per set. Higher rep ranges will tone your
muscles but may not sufficiently signal the body into muscle growth.
Try to either increase the amount of weight lifted or the reps completed
with each workout.
Don't go overboard with your workouts. Two or three one-hour workouts
per week done with intensity should do the trick. Too often those
that have trouble gaining weight (hardgainers) spend too much time
in the gym. This can be counterproductive in two ways. First, it
means you are burning off a lot of the calories that could otherwise
be used to build muscle and, second, you can over-train your muscles
by working them too hard, basically making them unresponsive.
If you are looking for some company in your quest to gain weight,
venture into the bodybuilding community. There you will find many
people also seeking ways to put on lean muscle mass. You will also
find many products marketed to help you gain weight. Be very cautious
when looking at these products. Gaining weight may not be as in
demand as losing weight but it is still big business and there are
a lot of companies out there looking to take your money. While some
of these products can help, others aren't necessary.
With a little motivation, a weight gain diet and a solid weight
training program in place you will have all you need to achieve
your gain weight goals. Better yet, you will never again have to
ask that question that gets all those funny looks aimed back at
you.
JP
Clifford is an avid natural bodybuilder and creator of The Build
Muscle and Gain Weight Fast Guide, a free online resource for those
looking to gain muscle mass. Visit the site at http://www.gain-weight-muscle-fast.com
for more tips and advice on bulking up.
