How Do I Gain Weight?
The Get Big Ezine
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 (hard gainers) 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.
See Also:
Index of All Body Building & Fitness Articles
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