You go to GNC and load up your basket with all the latest “Anabolic Technology”. Fresh with weight-gainers, pre-workout stacks, mid-workout shakes, and your post workout amino acid matrix –all clinically proven to maximize your lean muscle gains and get you looking like an NFL Quarterback. Then you see the price. $600.00! At which point you hesitantly hand over your credit card while you silently weep, “There’s got to be a better way!”.

Bulking up is simple in theory and cheap in practice. It all boils down to training and nutrition. If you have the proper training protocol and eat the right foods, you will gain muscle. There is no secret mythical formula on how to bulk up; it comes down to eating enough of the right macronutrients and doing the right exercises. However, like most simple ideas, they come with layers of nuance and complexity (think E=mc^2).

Log Your Calories
In order to gain weight you need to eat over your BMR or Basal Metabolic rate.

Use these formulas to calculate how much you burn:

BMR = 66 + ( 13.7 x weight in kilos ) + ( 5 x height in cm ) – ( 6.8 x age in years )

BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) – ( 6.8 x age in years)

Then you have to factor in exercise and whether or not you have an excessively high metabolism. The best way to do this is to log your calories. By documenting what and how much you eat you will be able to see how you should go about bulking. If your BMR is 2500 and you eat 3200 Calories a day and are not gaining weight, then you can start scientifically tweaking your weight gain diet by increasing your daily calorie consumption.

If this happens, increase your daily Calorie consumption by 500 Calories every 3 days until you start noticing weight gain. The idea is to eat 500-750 Calories over your maintenance level so as not to accumulate large amounts of body fat in the weight gain plan.

The best computer based calorie logger is Cron-o-Meter, a free tracking program. http://cronometer.com/download/

However, if you have a smart phone, just search “calorie tracker” in your app store and you will find several free options.

You Don’t Need That Much Protein to Gain Weight

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need excessive amounts of protein to gain muscle. Carbs are far more important for bulking. All you need is 1 gram of protein per kilogram of Lean Body Mass (LBM). This chalks up to about a half a gram of protein for every one pound of LBM. Now lean body mass is not your weight. It is what your weight would be if you did not have fat. If you weigh 180lbs and you are 20% body fat then your LBM would be 144lbs. This would equate to around 72 grams of protein per day. However, formulas are just formulas. I would recommend consuming around 80-120g of protein per day for a 180-pound man to gain muscle. Any more can lead to ammonia toxicity.

As a rule of thumb:
1-1.7g/kg LBM (per Kilogram)

or

0.5-0.85g/lb LBM (per Pound)

Stock up on eggs, milk, ground beef and chicken for cheap sources of protein. Powders are overrated and overpriced. A dozen eggs provides 84g protein, and costs .99-2.99 depending on the brand. Greek Yogurt is also a good source of protein.

Eat Carbohydrates to Increase your Muscle Glycogen Stores

The good news is that carbs are one of the cheapest macronutrients on the market. A good power carb is rice. Rice is cheap and is considered a safe starch – meaning it does not have anti-nutrients or toxins like gluten.

Sweet potatoes and potatoes are also great, versatile carb sources for bulking.

If you are not Gluten-Free then pasta is also a great addition to the budget carb list.

Focus On Anabolic Muscle Building Compound Exercises

Ditch the isolations exercises. They are of little value to gaining overall muscle mass. They are also much more time consuming than compound exercises. The more you focus on Squatting, Deadlifting, Pressing, Cleaning, and Snatching the more you will see gains.

Exercises such as these require several different muscle groups that work in conjunction and in opposition of each other. By working larger muscles groups such as the glutes, hamstrings, quads, lats, and core at the same time, your body is forced to adapt to the stress by releasing more growth hormone and testosterone. Heavy compound exercises produce a hormonal response while isolation exercises do not. The synergistic effect of using the major muscle groups is what leads to this adaptation.

As a rule of thumb, the heavier you lift the more muscle you will gain. You do not have to eliminate isolations exercises like curls, however you should save them for the end of your workout. As an alternative, you can do palms facing in chin-ups. Chin-ups work the biceps as well as the back in a great compound exercise. Normal pull-ups are also great for over all muscle development and fitness.

A sample Lifting Protocol Would be:

Day 1
Mobility/stretch

Snatch 1×5 (75% 1RM)
Squat 5×5 (70% 1RM)
Weighted Over Head Lunges 4x 100ft
Pull-ups 3x max (stop 2 reps before failure)

Day 2
Mobility/Stretch

Superset
Overhead Press 3×5 (75% 1RM)
Pull-ups 3x max (stop 2 reps before failure)
Clean 4×8 (65% of 1RM)

Day 3
Mobility/Stretch

Superset
Deadlift 5×5 (80% 1RM)
Bench 5×5 (80% 1RM)
Barbell Rows 4×8 (80% 1RM)

Consume a High Carb Insulin Spiking Recovery Drink Immediately After Your Workout

And you don’t need a weight gainer or a protein shake. All you need is some chocolate milk. The sugar will spike the anabolic hormone insulin thus increasing protein synthesis. If you spike your insulin levels at the right time, such as after a workout, it drastically enhances your building muscle potential.

However, keeping insulin elevated throughout the day is not desirable and can lead to insulin resistance (fat gain/high blood pressure/diabetes).

Drink 24oz of chocolate milk and you’ll get a recovery drink with 60g of carbs, 24g of fat and 24g of protein totaling to a whopping 552 calories. At 3.99 a gallon, it is by far the cheapest post workout drink.

GOMAD! Drink a Gallon of Milk a Day

There is a protocol called squats and milk popularized by Mark Rippetoe. You do heavy compound exercises and drink a Gallon of Milk a Day. Spring for whole milk as you’ll get the benefit of the extra calories from fit. A gallon of milk a day adds up to 2400 additional calories to your diet with 128g of fat, 192g of carbs and 128g of protein. Cheap and relatively easy to consume if spread throughout the day.

Dietary Fat is Important for Hormone Function

Fat is not necessarily the enemy in the obesity epidemic. While there are some bad fats, the right fats will optimize your anabolic muscle building hormones such as testosterone and human growth hormone. Beneficial fats are both Saturated Fats and Monounsaturated Fats (MUFAs). These are the most chemically stable and are not easily oxidized like Polyunsaturated Fats.

If you ever noticed the fishy smell after using canola oil, that’s because of the PUFAs have oxidized. When PUFAs oxidize, they become trans-fats. Saturated fats are not the enemy of heart disease. Trans-fats and excessive long chain PUFAs (Omega-6, Omega-9) are.

Cook and fry in fats such as Coconut oil, Olive oil, and Palm Kernel Oil to avoid the unnecessary trans-fat and PUFA consumption.

Olive Oil Shots to Skyrocket Calorie Intake

Now this is only for the dedicated and the brave. If you are having trouble eating the necessary calories to bulk, substitute some olive oil shots. Be sure to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil! Each 2oz shot will contain 480 Calories. If you can stomach this much olive oil then go for it! An easier way to consume all this EVOO is to mix it into your chocolate milk.

Remember that gaining muscle is as simple as eating in a caloric surplus and performing full-body compound exercises. Be Consistent, Persistent and Patient.

Summary:

Eat in a Caloric Surplus

Carbs, Carbs, Carbs.

Drink Milk (GOMAD), Eat Rice, Potatoes, and Pasta.

Don’t worry about protein. You’ll get enough in your diet and from milk.

Saturated Fats and MUFAs Optimize Hormone Profile

Squat, Deadlift, Press, do Olympic lifts, pull-ups, weighted lunges and barbell rows for an anabolic hormonal response.

Consume Chocolate Milk for Post-Workout Recovery Drink

Olive Oil Shots for 480 Calories a Pop

Supplements and Powders are Expensive and Unnecessary

Stick with it! Save time and Save Money!

The true goal of any dieter is to lose fat mass and perhaps increase muscle mass, ultimately resulting in a leaner body. By tracking your body weight and body fat levels it allows you to better track your goals. In the case of those trying to gain weight, you don’t just want to gain mass, you want to be lean and toned.

One of the best ways to determine the body’s fat content is with body fat calipers. My favorite caliper, made by Accu Measure, is just one of a host of similar devices designed to help determine the amount of fat within the body.

Fat calipers have replaced underwater weighing as the primary way to determine the body’s fat content. They work by measuring skin folds to determine the subcutaneous (beneath the skin) fat content of the body. The person using the caliper puts the measurement into an equation that predicts body density and fat content.

It’s important to remember that fat calipers do not determine the fat content of the body itself but rather provide a number that plugs into an equation to determine the fat content. As with any mathematical equation the possibility of “user error” exists.

However, the other methods of measuring fat content (body fat scales and hydrostatic or underwater weight measuring) are time consuming, budget restrictive and hard for a single person to accomplish.

Placing a pinch of folded skin between the points of a fat caliper and then using that information to extrapolate fat content is much quicker and easier.

Using body fat calipers to calculate body mass index or fat content may not be as simple as it seems, though. There are over 100 different mathematical equations that can be used depending on sex, age, ethnicity, fitness level and the overall amount of body fat a person has will determine which equation to use and the general consumer will have a virtually impossible time picking the best equation.

And, even using the best fat calipers on the market today, there is still a 4% margin of error. Fat calipers are best used not to determine the exact body fat content a person has but rather to help measure progress of a diet, exercise or supplement program.

The best way for you, the general consumer, to use body fat calipers is not to try to determine your exact body fat content and percentage but rather to use the measurements given by the calipers to measure progress. The numbers don’t tell the full story, although body fat calipers can be really useful when used as a comparison tool.

Most experts agree on the following steps for general consumer use of fat calipers:

1) Test yourself on at least four locations (belly, arm, leg and buttocks for example)

2) Use the EXACT SAME four locations every time you test, noting the measurements of each. Be specific – for example, location one may be one inch to the left of the naval. Location two may be on the back of the arm exactly half-way between the shoulder and the elbow. Many experts recommend using a marker on your body to note the testing sites.

3) Use high-quality calipers. This is definitely a case of “you get what you pay for”. Calipers can be found for as little as $10 but many of the cheaper versions lack the tension control of higher-end models and won’t stay accurate for very long. Remember – you’re in this for the long haul.

Although you don’t have to fork over the $500 for a professional set of calipers you can expect to spend about $100 on a decent fat caliper. A great place to find an expert to help you choose a reputable and accurate fat caliper is at a gym, health club, dietary supplement store or even your doctor’s office.

Once you have an idea of which caliper is right for you look for it online to find the best price (one word of caution – it is best to avoid buying “used” calipers from sites such as eBay because there may be no way to determine their accuracy). Small errors in accuracy can translate into big errors in calculation results.

It’s important to remember that measuring your body fat percentage is just ONE of the components of a successful weight loss campaign. Other factors include increased muscle mass (which would lessen overall weight loss as measured by your bathroom scale), blood pressure and the cholesterol contents of your blood.

Tariq Sims is a NRL footballer that signed with the North Queensland Cowboys for the 2011 season – making his debut in Round 2 against the Newcastle Knights.

Sims, who is of Fijian/Caucasian descent, was playing for the Brisbane Broncos. From 2008 to 2010 he played in the Bronco’s Under 20s team.

Even though Sims attracted the attention of the Cowboys this season as an up and coming rookie, not too many people know about the dietary changes that has transformed the 21-year-olds physique from a modest 84kg footballer that was playing as a winger to a 106kg backrower.

The then under-20s coach Anthony Griffin, who is now the head coach of the senior Brisbane Broncos team, gave a honest assessment of the teenager back in 2008, believing he lacked the size to play in the NRL. The assessment forced the club to perform various tests on metabolism and other things and that helped to formulate a customized weight gain diet plan so that Sim’s could put on some bulk.

These dietary changes included eating bananas and peanut butter sandwiches just before bed, drinking weight gain protein shakes on a daily basis, and eating every two to three hours throughout the day.

This eating plan helped Sims put on 22kg within the space of three years and the results speak for themselves with the Cowboys young gun on the correct path to claim the NRL’s rookie-of-the-year award in 2011.

Sims recalls the daily grind of always eating, which included many late-night feeds, in a desperate attempt to make his NRL dreams come true.

Make no mistake; trying to gain weight is not an easy task. It requires dedication and strong will power. “It was very hard to do,” says Sims. Also he was required to be “Waking up in the middle of the night trying to choke back a sandwich was bloody hard to do, let me tell you.”

In addition to eating like a horse every two to three hours, Sims recalls drinking fluids and protein shakes being an important component of his weight gain diet.

“Before and after training, I made sure I drank plenty of water to stay hydrated and I would have at least three protein shakes a day.”

Although Sims’s wasn’t called up for State of Origin duties this year, during State of Origin series game two he was called into camp by Blues coach Ricky Stuart to give him a better understanding of exactly what it takes to become an Origin footballer.

During this time he had a good chat with NSW captain Paul Gallen, who was very influential on Sims and spoke to him a lot about mental preparation and the external pressures of the game.

Wanting to gain weight and some serious lean muscle mass? Here are some useful tips on how to gain weight quickly for men who are “too skinny” and are struggling to put on extra pounds. As always, there are many people that put on weight very easily and naturally, and desire to get rid of it. On the other side of the scale, skinny guys can find it extremely challenging to gain weight in order to enhance their physical appearance.

It is always good to understand the basics behind natural and healthy weight gain. This is how a person can discover more on how to gain weight in a healthy and quick way. Before tackling this issue, let’s look at the reasons why thin and scrawny guys fail to gain weight successfully. Poor diet, poor motivation and no proper workout routine are some of the primary reasons for thin people not being able to gain weight quickly.

Some men are quick to blame “poor genetics” for their lack of progress, when in reality they just aren’t trying hard enough to gain weight. Gaining weight is in a lot of ways tougher then losing weight so you want to make sure you tick all the correct boxes.

Below are some of the easy-to-follow tips on how to gain weight quickly for men:

Eat Big – A person should make it a habit to eat more than their daily caloric and energy needs. A person should also find out what their BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is. The BMR is a measurement that calculates how many calories get burned daily, and should be used to calculate calorie maintanence requirements for weight gain purposes. You should also begin planning a weight gain diet plan to increase weekly consumption by 3,500 calories in order to achieve weight gain of one to two pounds within a week. The plan should be to consume lots of protein based foods like chicken, fish and beef regularly. Milk is also one of the best sources of protein. A person should balance his meals with a consumption of nuts and vegetables.

Weight Gain Foods – One of the keys to successfully gaining weight is to consume the right types of weight gaining foods. Eating food like chips, fast food and junk food will make a person gain weight fast but its an unhealthy way to pack on pounds and a person can expect to gain mostly fat instead of bulking up if he or she eats this type of food on a regular basis. Don’t get me wrong, there is no problem with having cheat meals to reward the efforts you are making in the gym and the discipline you have to your weight gain diet, but a diet which consists of healthy nutritious foods should form the foundation of your diet.

Lift Big – A person following a weight gain program for men needs to turn the extra calories being consumed on a weight gain diet so that he doesn’t end up being overweight. A person should engage in a progressive weight training program at least three times every week, with the aim of increasing the weight every few weeks to stimulate growth.

But what exactly does a sample men’s workout program look like?

Luckily for you, the No-Nonsense Muscle Building workout program, designed by Vince Del Monte, tells you exactly what it takes to pack on quality muscle for skinny guys and how he achieved his incredible fitness model physique. Vince aka “Skinny Vinny” is the author of the No 1 selling muscle building program on the web and is a regular contributor to Men’s Fitness Magazine.

Wanting to gain weight and sexy curves in the right places? Forget all you hear about women, weight lifting, and “bulking up”, etc. The truth is that gaining weight for women isn’t that different to men. When it comes to putting on weight you will need to select a plan that is based on your natural body shape. The reason is that your body tends to put on weight first in places that come most natural. Hence if you want to gain weight all over (as opposed to only on your waist) then your weight gain program will need to reflect this.

It’s important to also realize that it’s difficult to identify your body shape when you are underweight. As a result, you might need to adjust your weight gain plan as you start to fill out and your shape becomes more noticeable. However, there are three generic body shapes all women should be mindful of…

The Apple Body Shape

The “apple” body shape is characterized by a wide torso and large abdomen. Men who have an apple body shape are said to have a “beer belly”, a “pot belly”, or “love handles”. Women who have an apple body shape tend to put on weight in the face, neck, chest and waist. Due to genetics you are more likely to be gaining weight on your upper body but having skinny legs. In order to gain a nice shape you will need the right exercise and diet.

The Pear Body Shape

The body is classified as pear-shaped if the waist-to-hip ratio, i.e., the size of the waist divided by the size of the hips, is 0.80 or lower. If the ratio is higher than 0.80, the body is classified as apple-shaped. Women who have a pear body shape tend to put on weight on the hips and thighs and not the upper body. In order to gain sexy curves you will need the right weight gain diet plan, which is very important, but you really need to focus on certain workout routines to target the problem areas.

The Proportionate Body Shape

Idealized by many women. The good news is that you will gain weight all over. Both exercise and diet is the key.

The Truth About Women and Weight Lifting

Whenever I suggest to women clients about using weights I usually get a lot of push back. I would like to use this article to correct myths and share some truths.

1. Weightlifting does burn calories. If it burns calories for men it works the same for the female population. To really gain quality lean muscle mass you need to pay strict attention to your diet to compensate for the effort you are making in the gym and to help repair and rebuild muscle tissue!

2. You will not look more like a man, unless you are taking steroids. Men and women were born with different hormones. Not every man who works out with weights looks like Arnold either. Therefore any muscle gain you get as a result of diet and training will only serve to accentuate the feminine shape you already have. You will look sexy and feel better about yourself!

3. If you lift weights while on a weight gain diet you will not look fat. In reality you will be performing fat burning in the gym while building muscle. Reduce the fat around a tight, toned muscle and other will notice.

Weights can help you achieve the sexy body and be prettier than ever before. Why is that? Because with weight you not only burn calories but you target parts of your body that you may want to tighten and develop.

For example you may have hit a wall on development in the buns area with the stair climber, but lunges with dumb bells may give that little extra target that you desire.

Lifting weights can also help to build confidence. I recommend machines for beginners. If you are a beginner then you may start at the machines. It helps build some strength and range of motion to move the weight. But there is something positive in confidence when you can move from machines to free weights. Also movements with weights are not restricted so you can really target those muscle groups.

Exactly what does it take to achieve good results? Well, it takes a real dedication to your diet and workout program. You would be required to exercise at least 4 or 5 times each week. And more importantly, it takes a real WANTING to see that new lean and toned body in the mirror.

But what exactly does a sample female workout program look like?

Luckily for you, the FULL-BODY-LICIOUS workout program, designed by Flavia Del Monte, tells you exactly what it takes and how she achieved her incredible physique. Flavia is the wife of Vince Del Monte, and for those who don’t know Vince, he is author of the No 1 selling No Nonsense muscle building program, fitness expert and fitness model. Flavia’s approach to fitness is incredible and she has undoubtedly got the female formula for getting a great physique figured out. She shares all of that with you so that you can achieve the same results.

I admit that I have been guilty of focusing primarily on the ectomorph body type, also known as the “hardgainer” on this site, because they are the ones who knowingly want to gain more weight and feel better about themselves. However, teenagers and adults are not the only people who are struggling to gain weight. Weight gain is a problem which is common amongst babies and toddlers as well. This age group can have a tendency to be fussy eaters which can effect their development and growth rate, especially when they hit about 18 months to 2 years of age.

Whether you are 18 yrs old or a toddler who is only 2 years of age, the fundamentals of weight gain are no different. To gain weight faster you required to increase your total calorie intake. This can be accomplished by increasing the portion sizes of your normal foods, increasing your meal frequency, and by adding new foods to your regular diet.

When I was given the book, “The Man Who Ate Everything” by Jeffrey Steingarten one year for Christmas, one paragraph in this book stuck with me:

Exposure, plain and simple. Scientists tell us that aversions fade away when we eat moderate doses of the hated foods at moderate intervals, especially if the food is complex and new to us. (Don’t try this with allergies, but don’t cheat either: few of us have genuine food allergies.) Exposure works by overcoming our innate neophobia, the omnivore’s fear of new foods that balances the biological urge to explore for them. Did you know that babies who are breast-fed will later have less trouble with novel foods than those who are given formula? The variety of flavors that make their way into breast milk from the mother’s diet prepares the infant for the culinary surprises that lie ahead. Most parents give up trying novel foods on their weanlings after two or three attempts and then complain to the pediatrician; this may be the most common cause of fussy eaters and finicky adults–of omnivores manqués. Most babies will accept nearly anything after eight or ten tries.

So I decided to put this into practice. I’ve always had an aversion towards blue cheese and olives. Firefly, a tapas restaurant I frequent in town, serves a little plate of olives and bread to their guests upon arrival. Every time I visited, I’d pick up one olive and eat it. After multiple visits, I’m now a huge fan of olives.

I did the same with blue cheese and now I frequently add chunks of blue cheese to my salads to provide some protein and my goodness is it tasty!! It’s not just good with salads either! Sometimes I add blue cheese sauce on broiled chicken or steak or pork chops or in hamburgers. Also good on spinach, broccoli or cauliflower. And depending on the type of blue cheese its generally higher in fat than many other cheeses, so it’s an easy and tasty way to increase fats in your diet. I suggest you to learn why you need to eat fat to build muscle.

I know cottage cheese, a milder tasting cheese, is often a recommended bodybuilding food on a weight gain diet, but I was not very impressed when I tried it. If you can gain an appreciation for a more diverse range of foods then it will allow you to pick and choose the foods you enjoy eating. You don’t have this flexibility if you only like a limited number of foods.

I challenge you to try this too!! For parents who have a child with a poor appetite who is not gaining weight, its important to be introducing new foods like peanut butter, fish, and different fruits & veggies to your toddler and seeing what they like!! Sometimes its simply a case of finding out what they like or being persistent until they finally decide to like a new food.

In this article I will discuss the characteristics of high quality weight gainers and how to use them effectively in your diet to help achieve your goals faster and to prevent you from wasting money on supplements which aren’t helping you out or worse still not good for your health.

One reason that some people don’t become successful and maintain consistency when trying to gain weight is because they hate the taste of the weight gain powder or drink they were consuming. If you don’t enjoy doing something then you will struggle with motivation. There are that many choices when it comes to picking weight gainers there really is no excuse for not liking the one you use.

What Makes A Good Weight Gainer?

Weight gainers should taste good and be easy to consume. You may not think this is an important quality, but I don’t believe in punishing myself day after day by force feeding myself something that is difficult to swallow or that tastes horrible. Whether or not something tastes horrible is completely subjective, but building a better body should be an enjoyable process, and you should enjoy every part of your weight gain diet including your supplements.

Of course you can make yourself swallow something with the belief that it is going to be good for you in the long run, and many of us have done this, but the point is that there are enough brands of weight gainers and flavors out there for you to find something that you enjoy consuming.

While we are talking about the qualities of the best weight gainer, let me stress the fact that a good weight gain supplement should dissolve well into water, milk, or whatever liquid medium you are using. Some people don’t mind this, but I absolutely hate trying to swallow any liquid that contains lumps of powder that haven’t been dissolved properly (those unexpected lumps are the worse).

I don’t always have the time to find a blender in the middle of the day to use to mix all the ingredients that goes into making weight gainer shakes. So for my success it was very important to find supplements that taste great, and that can be easily and completely dissolved in a portable shaker cup.

The best weight gainers should be easy to digest and not interfere with the rest of your diet. A good quality supplement should be formulated in a way so that your digestive system can easily break it down and absorb it for utilization. So it shouldn’t sit on your stomach for hours or make you feel sick to your stomach. It also shouldn’t give you excess gas or diarrhea.

In some cases when you start using a new weight gain supplement there is a period of adjustment that your body goes through as it gets used to the new product. But this adjustment period should not be prolonged and it shouldn’t lead to excess disturbances in your digestive system.

A good supplement should fit in well with the rest of your diet and eating plan and not stand out as something that makes you completely lose your desire for food. Some brands of protein powder can just sit on the stomach making you feel awful and unable to eat for the rest of the day. If any weight gainers prevents you from your normal daily activities, including your training and nutrition program then get rid of it because it is counterproductive.

Choosing The Best Weight Gainer

Choosing the best weight gainer is one that will help you meet your daily caloric needs for gaining weight. However, don’t just consider the weight gainers with impressive calorie numbers as some of the brands are filled with simple sugars and fats. Look at the protein and complex carb ratios and decide which supplement will work best for you.

In addition to resistance training, are you spending time doing some form of cardio exercise to burn fat and get rid of that pot belly? If your primary goal is to bulk up, you are making a big mistake. It IS counter-productive trying to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. Your diet and training program should be tailored to “gain muscle” or “lose fat”, not both, because they have very different requirements.

As a hard gainer, the last thing on your mind should be “fat loss”. One of the attributes of being an extreme ectomorph is that you don’t put on weight easily. Although it can make it tougher to gain more muscle, you will actually be glad you have this body type when you begin to increase your calorie intake to gain mass, because you can eat anything and not put on fat.

If your goal is to gain weight then don’t do any cardio exercise at all, the calories you burn during the cardio workout will result in you having to consume even more calories to make up for the calorie deficit. The focus should be on gaining muscle so you can tailor your diet and training routine to achieve this goal. Stick to doing weight training three days a week, working in the 8 to 12 rep range, and make sure you’re eating to gain muscle not to bulge.

I wouldn’t even do cardio training on your off days, cut it out all together. Too much cardio exercise will increase cortisol levels in your body, which is catabolic, meaning it breaks down muscle tissue. That is why you would never see a bodybuilder doing any form of cardio workout – it is counterproductive to muscle gains.

If you are that desperate to get lower body fat levels so you have a more ripped looking appearance, then you can integrate some cardio into your weight training program once you have gained your desired weight. But as I said this should be the last thing on your mind when you just start training and want to pack on the pounds.

The only cardio I would recommend is some light cardio before working out to warm up the muscles you are going to use, but even this is not really necessary and can be achieved by doing warm-up sets instead.

Don’t get me wrong, there are a wide variety of health benefits you receive from doing cardio, it’s just something which you will want to put on hold whilst your goal is to gain weight.

If you have read previous articles on the site you would know about the importance of measuring body fat percentage when tracking weight gain progress. While you may be gaining on a weight gain program, are you gaining weight in the form of lean muscle or fat? This can only be answered accurately if you track your weight gain progress by measuring body fat percentage. Body fat percentage is the best indicator of healthy weight gain.

So how do you measure your body fat percentage? There are various ways, some more accurate then others.

Underwater weighing method

Probably the most expensive. You have to find a place where they perform this measurement. They immerse you in a tank of water and measure water displacements to calculate your percent of body fat.

Calipers

You pinch certain areas of the body with calipers and then calculate your body fat based on your measurements. You can buy calipers at large health food stores. Prices for calipers can run from less than $10 up to several hundred depending on the quality of the calipers (e.g. plastic vs. steel). You may need assistance from someone else since you may have to pinch some place that you cannot easily reach.

BIA (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis)

These devices send a small current through the body and calculate your body fat based on height, weight and the speed at which the current passes through your body. Tanita makes an electronic scale which provides both your weight and percent of body fat. There are other BIA devices besides the Tanita body fat scale. Body fat scales tend to give a better estimation of body fat when compared with the underwater weighing method, which previously was the standard method for body composition analysis.

BMI (Body Mass Index)

This is a calculation that uses your weight (in Kilograms) divided by your (height x height) (in meters). This number does not take into account your body type; but is supposed to correlate close to your percent of body fat for the general populace. However, this method is not accurate for weightlifters who in general have a higher mass of muscle and a lower percentage of body fat.

The formula to calculate BMI is Weight/(height x height) where weight is in Kg and height is in meters.

It’s only natural for human beings to want to look their best. Sometimes this means sun bathing, other times it means seeing a dermatologist for acne treatments. Maybe you need to drop 20 pounds or grow out your hair after a bad dye job. Believe it or not, it can even mean putting on a few pounds. Naturally you would want the weight to be muscle. It’s not often that individuals want to pack on extra fat. Anyway, if this is the case, then you’ll need to investigate healthy ways to gain weight fast.

Surely you want to pack on muscle and avoid accumulation of fat in the stomach region. Lucky for you, even if you are not blessed with perfect bodybuilding genetics, there is a weight gain system you can adopt.

So you’re hitting the gym, struggling to pack on the healthy pounds. Great job! This is one of the best ways to gain weight. You’re slowly building muscle mass and body strength. There’s no downside to this new regimen. But, it doesn’t stop there. At this point you’re probably overly slim for a few possible reasons. One is genetics. It could run in your gene pool. Then there’s the metabolism. If you have a fast metabolism, then it’s a bit harder to gain weight. This just means you need to have discipline and train hard in the gym.

If you’re struggling to gain weight, you may just not be consuming enough of the right foods. Here’s the deal. In order to gain mass you have to consume more calories than your body can burn. Along with lifting weights, this is one of the best ways to gain weight in a healthy fashion. Now all you need is a healthy weight gain diet and a few supplements. I recommend 4-6 low saturated fat, high protein meals each day. You need protein and carbs for energy and muscle repair.

On top of this, you can supplement your diet. Try weight gain powders. This is a great way to get the protein you need for building lean mass. You can mix 2 scoops of powder with skim milk, juice or water to make a quick weight gain shake which is high in protein and calories and perfect to drink after an intense workout when your muscles demand the nutrients.

Oh, and don’t forget those daily multivitamins. Your body will crave all the nutrients it can get for recuperation from weight training. You shouldn’t be paying attention to the standard daily nutrition recommendations. It doesn’t apply to you when you’re tackling ways to gain weight.

Eating anything and everything is NOT a good plan. This may have been one of the ways to gain weight in the past, but now we know better. Look for organic foods and healthy supplements. Try to avoid high levels of fat, sugar and sodium. You’ll be packing on the muscle in no time.

If part of your New Year’s resolution was to increase your body mass and fitness levels, it is important that your new training regime also includes a weight gain nutrition plan which you follow religiously, otherwise all the hours you spend in the gym will go to waste because you will not be providing your body the sufficient nutrients which are required for recovery and muscle growth.

A key component to gaining weight and building muscle which is applicable both at home and in the gym, is having a varied and balanced eating plan. Unfortunately, when it comes to gaining weight in the form of lean muscle, there has been a lot of misinformation produced regarding how much protein, carbohydrates and fats one should include in their weight gain diet. Here are a few tips that will clear up some of the weight gain nutrition myths floating around.

• The more protein you eat the more muscle you will build. False! If you are adding excess protein to an already balanced diet, your body will store this excess protein as fat. A balanced weight gain diet should derive approximately 10-15% of its calories from protein. Remember, 1 gram protein = 4 calories, therefore a person wanting to gain weight who is eating 3,600 calories/day would need approximately 125 grams of protein per day.
• Carbohydrates are bad. False! Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for your muscles and brain to function properly. Carbohydrates should make up at least 60% of your diet. Focus on complex carbohydrates such as whole-grain cereals, breads and pastas, fruits, and vegetables.
• Drinking water before working out will upset your stomach. False! Proper hydration is essential before, during, and after weight training. Drink 2 cups of water 2 hours before working out, ½ cup ten minutes before, and ½ cup every 10 minutes during your workout. After training, consume a whey protein shake to replenish muscle glycogen.
• The weight gain diet should not differ greatly from a regular, balanced diet. True! Read this weight gain diet and nutrition article to help achieve a balanced diet that works for you.
• You can not gain weight on a vegetarian diet. False! It is possible to build lean muscle and bulk up eating a strictly meat free diet. Research has shown that weight training and supplementation of soy protein will result in an increase in muscle mass. Other protein sources for vegetarians include legumes, nuts, whole grain, and cereals. Read the how to gain weight on a vegetarian diet article.

Question from a reader. I am female with a skinny figure and would be considered by most people to be underweight. Will a women’s weight gain program work for me?

Yes! But it can only be achieved with sweat and hard work, regardless of your age. The same principles for weight gain apply to both men and women with only one major difference. Men and women were born with different shapes and hormones. Therefore any muscle gain you get as a result of diet and training will only serve to accentuate the feminine shape you already have. You will look sexy and feel better about yourself!

Weight gain can come in the form of fat, water and muscle. By far, muscle is the most attractive of the three. Since you are a female I can understand any concern you might have about getting too muscular. Most of the bodybuilding women you see have great genetics. They are not hard gainers like the majority of women and are usually taking steroids (male hormones). The only way a female could look this ripped is from steroid usage. And let’s not forget that the female bodybuilders which you see in bodybuilding magazines are professional athletes. Their diet and training is a full time job for them. They dedicate their life to building a better physique.

Regardless of what you may have read, it is possible for women to gain weight without looking “bulky”. And even if you do become more ripped then what you would have hoped, once you have reached your goal or feel that you are looking too muscular for your own tastes you can always modify the program a little to suit your needs.

Similar to weight gain for men, diet plays a key role for gaining weight with women. You need to be consuming excess calories so that instead of having a calorie deficit, the opposite is true. You are consuming more calories then what your body requires, so it has to store this energy somehow, and with a good training and diet program, it will turn these calories into muscle instead of fat.

First of all, determine your weight gain caloric needs. Once this is calculated, you want to consume 300-500 additional calories per day. This is no different for women is a topic which is well covered on this site. The main point which I wanted to discuss in this article, which relates to muscle building for women, is the issue of hormones.

As you may already know several hormones play a key role in the ability to gain muscle. Without going into too much detail, the “male hormone” testosterone is the muscle building hormone. The amount of testosterone in your body is a limitating factor because you can not build more muscle if your testosterone levels are not high enough. This is why you see female bodybuilders who use synthetic testosterone (steroids) experience faster muscle gains as their limitating factor has disappeared.

Testosterone is referred to as the “male hormone” because testosterone levels are lower in women. Women need not be discouraged though. Testosterone levels can be increased naturally through specific natural training methods and diet.

Several studies have shown the positive effect that resistance training has on increasing testosterone levels in the body, especially directly after a workout. This is why it’s a good idea to drink a protein shake post workout, to take advantage of the testosterone spike.

For the ladies: Don’t be afraid of the weights, get a gym partner and don’t be intimidated by the guys in the gym. Attend a reputable gym with a supportive staff that will assist you and give you proper guidance on how to lift. Your weigh training program should be focused on progressively increasing the resistance. Do special muscle building workouts with the aim of gaining mass instead of building muscular endurance, which includes doing fewer reps and lifting heavy.

If you seriously want to put on weight, you have to find a healthy way to do so by planning a good weight gain program. Sitting around and eating junk food will most definitely put pounds on your frame, but these are not the kind of pounds that you want to gain lean muscle mass. There are certain steps you want to follow religiously that help you put on weight safely. Having a disciplined diet to put on weight is an important component for putting on more muscle. This will include increasing your protein intake and consuming more calories from clean sources. You also want to be changing your workouts so that you work on gaining mass rather than burning fat.

With so many overweight people in the world, you would think it would be very easy to put on weight. The problem is that there is only a few safe ways to do so. Make sure you take the safe road if this is your goal. Don’t look for quick fixes with weight gain pills or using steroids to put on weight fast. Even though you may have skinny genetics, this doesn’t mean you can not build a much better physique, it just takes hard work, and you will still impress the ladies.

I regularly speak with skinny people who on a daily basis ask themselves how to put on weight. Many of them will talk about how they want to put on weight, but I know they really don’t mean it. They just think about the end goal without worrying about what’s involved in achieving it. In order to put on weight you need to focus on the small steps each and every day which overtime will make a difference and guarantee that you will gain weight.

When you are first trying to put on weight, it would be a good idea to count how many calories you would eat in an average day. Eat how you normally would and take note of what you eat and how many calories are in everything. This is actually a really important step when planning to put on weight.

To gain weight you need to be consuming more calories then what your body requires. If you don’t know what daily calories you are currently consuming, you won’t know how many additional calories you will need to consume to start making progressed. Once you have made the calculation, increase your calorie intake by 500 calories to begin with, and keep an eye on progress. If you are not seeing progress when incorporated with muscle building workouts, increase your caloric intake by an additional 500 calories, and re-evaluate. Worry less about what percentage of food is from carbohydrates/protein/fats and focus more on consuming sufficient calories.

This is achieved by making sure you don’t skip on meals. Have 3 large meals per day and 2-3 other snacks. Eat calorie dense foods so you are not just filling yourself with low calorie foods which satisfy your appetite but don’t do much else for gaining weight. When snacking, eat lots of nuts and seeds and other plant based fats like avocado. There is no harm in consuming good fats from these sources.

Did you know that your metabolism affects your ability to gain weight? It’s true. A fast metabolism makes it much easier to lose body fat and lose weight quicker so the opposite is true for a person with a slower metabolism who finds it easier to put on extra weight and in particular gain a lot of body fat.

If you have a high metabolism there is a formula for successful weight gain. This article on Metabolism.com covers this topic very well. In a nutshell…

Step 1: Calculating unique caloric needs for weight gain. If you want to gain weight you must consume more calories than your body requires.

Step 2: Analyzing macro-nutrient needs. You can find the macro-nutrients of every food in the USDA’s nutrient database.

Step 3: Supplementation to ensure you are getting all the vitamins/minerals and sufficient protein in your diet. Here is a list of recommended weight gaining supplements.

Step 4: Designing an effective weight training program which includes compound exercises to train multiple muscle groups.

Even if you are a born with hard gainer genetics, if you follow this strict formula you will gain weight and muscle.

Good luck!

I always get this question from readers who want to gain weight, “What is my ideal weight?” There is no such thing as an ideal weight. Your height and body frame size are only two factors which can determine your weight. Other factors which play a role include your age, fitness activity level, and general health.

When calculating your ideal body weight, consider the importance of body composition. Body composition refers to the percentage of fat, bone, and muscle in your body. If you are a very athletic and muscular person then you may weight a lot more then a person with the same height and body frame size but who leads a less active lifestyle. This is due to the fact that muscle weights more then fat because of its density. If your weight is coming from muscle then you may technically be classified as being overweight but your not really fat at all.

This is what makes using the BMI calculator flawed. It uses a mathematical formula based on a person’s height and weight to calculate a healthy weight range. Every bodybuilder would be considered obese with this measurement. The general consensus is that if you are 20% or more above your ideal weight, then the excess weight you are carrying comes from fat.

Body Fat Percentage

The perfect body fat percentage does not exist. You may perform better with a higher or lower body fat percentage. Body fat percentage can be determined by several methods, most commonly using skinfold measurements (bodyfat caliper readings). Other methods include underwater weighing, total body water (hygrometry), and whole body potassium.

Body Type

Your body type is determined by body fat percentage, body frame size, and your weight. We are all born with different genetics. Some people find it more difficult then others to gain weight and build muscle. Whilst genetics play a role in determining if you can gain weight or build muscle, they will not prevent you from achieving your fitness goals if you are committed to reaching them. You may just need to work harder to achieve them.

Ectomorph’s are commonly referred to as hard gainers because they have difficulty in gaining weight and stimulating muscle growth. The characteristics of an ectomorph include having a small chest, small bone structure, and thin build.

When taking all these factors into account when trying to determine your ideal weight, at the end of the day only you will know what weight you are happy with. As long as your healthy that’s what is most important. If you feel adding an extra 10 or 20 pounds will make you look good and give you more self confidence, then why not take up the challenge.

When it comes to gaining weight naturally, you have to know your body type. We are all born with a different genetic blueprint. Understanding what all three body types are and which one you fall into will help you achieve whatever weight training and diet goals you set for yourself. Based on your body frame size, body fat percentage and weight, you fall into one of three body types: endomorph, ectomorph, or mesomorph.

Mesomorph

Mesomorph’s have the good life! They can gain weight or lose weight easily. They don’t have to workout hard in the gym and basically can eat almost whatever they want and yet they can still maintain their physique.

Characteristics:

• Gains or loses weight easily
• Rectangular shaped
• Upright posture
• Thick skin
• Hard, muscular body
• Builds muscle quickly

Since Mesomorph’s have a naturally muscular build, there body fat percentages tend to be low. They’re not too big and not too skinny. Mesomorph’s tend to be on the move more often than not, so to maintain their naturally built physique, they should eat 5-7 small meals a day. They just train using relatively heavy weights and incorporate an aerobic workout as well.

Mesomorph’s should workout with basic compound exercises as well as single-joint isolation movements. They should do about 3-4 sets per body part with about 10 repetitions each. Remember, if you fall into this category, you want to try to maintain what you already look like. You want to adjust weight training more often to keep your body from getting used to one exercise.

Ectomorph

If you find it hard to gain weight and build muscle easily, then you’re an Ectomorph. Ectomorph’s have an extremely high metabolic rate which makes it a challenge for them in the weight room and at the dinner table.

Characteristics:

• Has trouble gaining weight
• Muscle growth takes longer
• Flat chest
• Delicate build
• Small-boned

Ectomorph’s can eat basically whatever they want and still find it hard to gain weight and build muscle. Since their metabolism burns calories at a high rate, they need to eat a lot more than the average person. If you’re an ectomorph, try to eat at least 5 meals per day. Try to eat a high protein shake when you wake up and right before you go to bed. Weight training is also extremely important. Don’t workout everyday and keep your aerobic and cardio workouts to a minimum.

Ectomorph’s should stick with 3-4 mass building exercises which workout the major muscle groups, like your chest, arms, and legs. Be careful not to overtrain! Many ectomorph’s think the only way to “catch up” to others that are much bigger and stronger is to workout for hours a day. Keep your workouts to 45 minutes to an hour, max. Get in the gym, do your thing, and get out! Ectomorph’s should do around 10-12 sets for larger body parts and 6-8 for smaller ones. Your last 1-2 sets should be performed to failure, meaning workout until you can’t lift the weight(s) again.

Endomorph

Endomorphs usually have a slower metabolism which makes fat loss very difficult. They also have a relatively large bone structure and even though they can lift heavy weights around the gym, their body frame can hide their hard-earned muscle gains.

Characteristics:

• Soft body
• Round shaped
• Underdeveloped muscles
• Over-developed digestive system
• Gains muscle easily
• Trouble losing weight

Their physical features dictate that Endomorph’s should maintain a diet low in fat with a low to medium intake of carbohydrates. Endomorph’s should definitely train using weights along with incorporating an aerobic workout. There are some supplements that will help with fat loss but remember: Supplements will not magically help you lose weight if you do not eat right and workout on a regular basis. I cannot emphasize this enough!

When weight training, Endomorph’s should include both compound and isolation movements. Also, they should mix up their exercises and the order in which they do them every so often. Keep in mind not to train too heavy too often, which can cause serious injury. Endomorph’s should do 8-12 sets with 12-15 repetitions each.

Weight gain isn’t something that is easy to do, it requires patience and discipline to diet and training. Hopefully the weight gain tips on this site will help you to achieve your goals.

One of the best weight gain tips to remember is DO EVERYTHING BIG! That means eat BIG and lift BIG to get BIG. Say that over and over again in your head until you fully understand it. Many people think weightlifting is the key to gaining weight. Of course weightlifting is an extremely important part. However to gain weight, think beyond weightlifting! Your diet is just as important when it comes to gaining weight.

Weight Gain Tip No 1 – Get Counting

Count your calories on a normal daily basis. That doesn’t mean you have to change your normal eating habits – just eat as you normally would and count the calories you have consumed. This is of crucial importance to try to be as accurate as possible. Then get on the scales and weigh yourself.

Weight Gain Tip No 2 – Get Eating!

Eating is first and foremost the most important thing you need for proper weight gain. It makes sense that you need to eat more calories than you burn. This does not mean eating anything and everything within reach! It means you need to include in your weight gain diet, foods that will help you gain lean mass, not bad fats. 6 meals a day is a good start. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and three other small meals at regular intervals throughout the day. Make it your goal to eat every 2.5 to 3 hours. Remember the principal weight gain tip is to get BIG, you have to eat BIG!

Steak, chicken, fruit, milk, vegetables, cheese and assorted types of nuts are the foods to feast on. Eat 4 – 6 pieces of fresh fruit a day, and at least four tall glasses of milk. Low fat milk is a great, cheap protein source – take advantage of it. A sample snack meal would be a glass of milk, an apple, and a hand full of peanuts.

Plan your meals carefully and stick to the plan. What you eat is the most important ingredient in a successful weight gain program.

Weight Gain Tip No 3 – Get Lifting!

As stated above, proper eating is of utmost importance if you want to gain weight, but if you do not complement eating with weightlifting, all that gained weight will be fat – not muscle.

When trying to gain weight, try working out 3-4 times a week. Make sure you are weightlifting correctly! Lift hard and then recover for the next workout. Focus on the big exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bent-over rows, chin-ups, bench press, & military press. These are the exercises that will turn those extra calories into muscle and therefore help you gain weight. You are not going to gain weight by doing lateral raises and step-ups every workout. It’s the multiple-joint lifts that will shock your system and stimulate your body into growth. Gradually add a little amount of weight each time you workout – this will help you strengthen those muscles. If you focus on strength, size will follow. You need to gain muscular strength in order to get bigger. Look around at your local gym – the strongest guys are also the biggest!

Weight Gain Tip No 4 – Get Weighing!

Weigh yourself at the end of a week. You’ll notice you’re gaining more weight after only one week! However, don’t expect miracles. You won’t have put on 10lb!. Remember that when it comes to weight gain, gaining anymore then 1 or 2 pounds a week is unhealthy and means you’re putting on fat instead of muscle. Patience is a virtue! What you want is to see 1 or 2 pound gains at the end of the week. It may not seem like a lot but add it up. You easily gain weight at the rate of 5-8 pounds a month!

Sooner or later you will stop gaining weight and it is now that you should concentrate on eating even more. So, when you stop gaining for at least 2 weeks, start eating an extra 250 calories a day. Every time you see you haven’t gained weight for at least 2 weeks, add an extra 250 calories.

Weight Gain Tip No 5 – Cut out the Bad Fat!

Avoid trans fats like the plaque, and go for the “good fats”. Yes, you want to gain weight, however you don’t want to gain weight that is in fact just fat. So, cut out the cakes, chips and candy. No more visits to McDonalds and steer clear of anything fried. High protein low fat foods like tuna fish (and other seafood), chicken breast, turkey, lean meats, fruits and vegetables etc, are the good clean foods to eat.

Weight Gain Tip No 6 – Get Drinking! (Sorry, water only)

Drink around a half gallon of water a day and even more if you can. Sure, that’s a lot of water, but believe it or not, it’s that water you need for the energy you need to gain weight! Dehydration can lead to all sorts of health problems, including less stamina at the gym.

Weight Gain Tip No 7 – Go to Sleep!

Get lots of sleep. This is one of the easiest yet most neglected weight gain tips. Sleep for a minimum of 8 hours night. You’re body needs it to function properly.

How Much Will I Gain?

Of course as the saying goes “everyone’s body responds in different ways, so it varies”. That said, if you do eat well, lift heavy, and use weight gainers or mass gainers, you can expect to gain about 10-15lbs within 8 weeks.

Supplements?

To gain weight, you do not NEED supplements, but they will help you gain the weight quicker. That’s what they are, supplementation to an already good diet and training program. Think of supplements as the finishing touch.

If you are a hard gainer or new to weight training you are faced with the first and most difficult task in bodybuilding. Putting on size! There are a lot of factors that will contribute to how much weight you can gain. These factors include your bone size, height, and overall body type. More than likely you lean towards an ectomorph. However, do NOT let these factors discourage you! With proper dedication and the right information you can unlock your genetic potential.

How To Weight Train

Did you know that most pro bodybuilders started off using basic exercises? Nothing fancy, just heavy compound movements such as the squat, the bench press and the dead lift. The ironic part is that is when they put on the most muscle mass! Since their genetics are so great, most bodybuilders will then shift their focus from size to quality. We do not have that advantage. Our genetics range from below average to average. Therefore, we must always use heavy, basic exercises at the core of our program. A great tip to remember when selecting exercises is that a basic exercise will involve 2 hands while an isolation exercise will involve 1.

Let us use the biceps for example. Bicep curls are a basic exercise designed to put on more mass. Concentration curls will involve less weight with a dumbbell. Most sources view it as a shaping exercise. In reality, you cannot change the shape of a muscle, only its size! So don’t waste your time, train heavy using free weights and basic exercises!

How To Eat Your Food

Nutritionally speaking, the 2 most important factors in any weight gain diet are calories and protein. If you fail to take in enough carbohydrates your body will start using protein for energy. When this happens you will not have enough protein to repair your muscle tissue. As a result, you will fail to grow.

Think of extra calories in the form of carbohydrates and fats as a prerequisite for proper protein utilization. At this stage do not worry about fat. It is nearly impossible to gain 100% pure muscle. Some of the weight you gain will also consist of water and fat.
Obviously, the most attractive of the 3 is muscle. You must be careful and monitor your waist from time to time. The more of a hard gainer you are, the less you have to worry about putting on fat.

In fact, some people have to shock their bodies into growth! After awhile, things will then start to level off and you may maintain your physique a lot easier.

First Steps To Take

1. Start using free weights with basic exercises. You can find a good set of used free weights and a bench for around $150.
2. Think of your diet and eating weight gaining foods. Make a grocery list and the next time you shop pick up some high quality protein foods such as chicken breasts, milk, eggs, and lean beef.
3. Start now! Don’t put it off. The longer you wait, the harder it will become and the less motivated you will be.

Unlock your genetic potential now!

Do you keep asking yourself, “Am I eating enough?” when it should be apparent, from the fact that your scale isn’t giving you higher readings, that the answer is “No.” If you were eating enough, you would at least be gaining some fat. And the question is almost irrelevant, for the more muscle mass you have, the more food you’ll need. If you think gaining 10 pounds from your current weight takes a lot of eating, wait until you try to gain 10 pounds after you’ve put on 30 pounds of muscle. You have to eat progressively.

How do you know if you’re taking in enough calories to gain weight? The scale will give you progressively higher readings. How do you know if you’re taking in enough calories to gain fast? Not only will the scale give you progressively higher readings, your bodyfat will increase (use a skinfold caliper, don’t try to estimate by eye). This is not sophisticated.

What should you eat? Basically more of everything. But healthy food, people. Read labels and don’t buy grain products that contain flours that aren’t whole grain, don’t buy food with corn syrup added. Eat more vegetables, more lean meat and dairy, more fruit, more legumes, more healthy fats. If you don’t know if an item is healthy, find out. Information is too readily available today for you to justify remaining ignorant.

And you should learn how to cook. Take a cooking class of any kind, learn to cook some new foods. You’ll be much happier if you learn to make a few different dishes. You’ll find it much easier to stick with your weight gain diet plan, you’ll save money, you’ll save time, you’ll stay healthier. If you haven’t yet learned to cook, you can’t imagine how much easier it is to eat a lot, or a little, with a variety of well prepared meals. You’re going to be eating a lot of meals, a lot of food, in your lifetime. Invest some time and effort up front to make it more enjoyable.

Don’t have time to cook? Don’t have time to eat right, or to go to the grocery store? Then you don’t have time to be reading this website. Health first, entertainment second. Get going!

Any time someone tries to change their eating habits or any other element of their lifestyle, they will confront a great deal of mental resistance. Your mind and body don’t like change, you know. They’re happy with the status quo, even if that’s not what you want. That’s why we have to get beyond that resistance before we can move forward with your weight gain.

Below are some of the most common misconceptions about gaining weight. Many of these are probably swirling around in your thoughts right now, and some of them are preventing you from taking action:

Nutritional supplements are a must if you want to gain weight
This simply isn’t true. Supplements are only necessary in some cases. For example, if you don’t take in enough protein through your normal diet, you may want to take a protein supplement. Otherwise, supplements aren’t necessary and, furthermore, they won’t be of any help to you unless you’re already on the right path to weight gain. Supplements alone just won’t do anything for you.

Weight gain can be accomplished without gaining extra fat
Again, this just isn’t true. Most of us are so afraid of adding fat to our bodies that we end up prohibiting our bodies’ ability to gain muscle weight. When you gain weight, you will gain some fat. The key, however, is to know what to eat in order to minimize that fat gain while boosting muscle gain.

Eating more is all you need to do to gain more weight
If that was the key, then you probably wouldn’t have a problem. You could just go on eating binges every day to reach your fitness goals. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. You have to know which foods to eat, how much of them to eat, and what foods to avoid in order to gain weight in a healthy way.

Steroids are the only answer left
Absolutely not! There are too many negative health effects of anabolic steroids for it to ever be viewed as a safe way to quickly build muscle mass. High blood pressure, infertility, baldness, and jaundice are just a few of those effects. Not to mention that some researchers have linked steroid use to paranoia, delusional behavior, and other psychological changes. There are better and safer ways to achieve your goals.

If gaining weight is important to you and to your fitness goals, then we have to leave all of that doubt and misinformation behind so that we can start off on the right foot.