The men's fitness blog

If you can eat junk food all day without gaining weight; if you admire marathon runners for their muscles; if you try to impress women with your metabolism rather than your huge pectoral muscles; then you fit the stereotype of the "Skinny Guy".

But while you may think you are eating a lot, are you really? Comparitively, probably not. Even though nutrition is a key part of muscle gain, making yourself eat when you don't feel like it is one of the hardest things to do, but increasing your intake of healthy nutrients is easier; in fact, anyone can do it, no matter what your metabolism is like.

This post is your window to weight-gain.


1. Track Calories. You need around 20 kiloCalories per pound per day to gain weight. So if you weight 140 pounds, you need a minimum of 2800 kCal per day, more if you are training. You may be surprised that you don't eat as much as you think, so use the labels on food to calculate exactly how many calories you are getting, on average. If it is lower than 2800, this is where your problem lies. Use scales and food labels to accurately measure your new intake.


2. Set a Goal Weight. A rule of thumb is at least 1kg for each cm above 1m. Anything less and you’ll always look skinny. For example, if you are 1m 80cm, you should weight at least 80 kg. Body Mass Index (BMI) is also a good indicator of your ideal weight. However, once you gain some muscle, BMI is no longer valid.


3. Eat Every 3 Hours. This will make it easier to overcome a small appetite. Make sure you never skip breakfast. Prepare snacks to eat at specific times - mixed nuts, sandwiches, eggs and protein shakes are ideal. Eat after your workouts to regain energy - include protein to build muscle. Protein shakes are a great idea, since they will also quench your thirst (make sure to only mix hem with water, not milk.


4. Eat Calorie Dense Foods. Getting your daily calorie intake is easier if you eat natural, healthy foods high in calories. For example: 100g raw rice is 380kcals. 100g raw spinach is only 25kcals.

• Pasta. 100g pasta is 380kcal and easier to ingest than 100g rice. Whole grain pasta is healthier, but takes longer to digest. Eat white pasta.
• Milk. If you are not concerned about gaining some fat, drink 2 pints / 1.5 litres of whole or semi-skimmed milk per day.
• Nuts. Mixed nuts & natural peanut butter have 500kcal per 100g, about 50% healthy fats and 25% protein. Use mixed nuts as snack & spread peanut butter on sandwiched for snacks at work or school.
  

5. Get Stronger. You want to go from skinny to muscular, not from skinny to chubby. Get into strength training. More strength is more muscle. If you don’t know where to start, check the resistance training sections at Fitness for Real Men. Some tips:

• Free Weights. They force you to balance the weight, make you exercise your core muscles and avoid injuries by allowing for natural motions. Start out light, focus on smooth technique and add weight progressively.
• Compound Exercises. Do exercises that work your whole body. Squats, Deadlifts, Overhead Press, Bench Press, Pull-ups, Dips, etc …
• Squat. Do squats every week in the gym. When you can Squat more than your own body-weight for at least 1 rep, you’ll no longer be skinny.
• Rest. Muscles grow when you rest, not when you workout. Don’t train daily. Get plenty of sleep.
  

6. Eat Protein. You need 1g protein per pound of body-weight per day to build & maintain muscle. If you weigh 150lbs/68kg, you need at least 150g protein per day. Eat protein with each meal. Sources of protein:

• Red Meat. Steak, venison, ...
• Poultry. Chicken breast, whole chicken, turkey, duck, …
• Fish. Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, …
• Eggs. Eat the yolk, it’s full of vitamins.
• Dairy. Milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, whey, …
  

7. Plan. Failing to plan is planning to fail. You don’t have time to cook 3x/day if you prepare your food in advance and take it with you.

• Do your own grocceries. Avoid skipped meals because you don’t have food available. List everything you need for 1 week and go buy it.
• Cook in Advance. Prepare all your meals once per day: while preparing breakfast or while preparing dinner.
• Take Food with you. Use food containers for work/school, eat before going out on the town and take protein shakes to the gym, …
  

8. Track Your Progress. Success breeds success. Knowing that you’re losing your skinny look will keep you motivated. Track everything.

• Track Calories. Track you daily calorie intake to make sure you are getting a confirmation of how many calories you’re eating.
• Weigh Yourself Weekly. Gaining weight? Don’t change anything. Not gaining weight? Increase your daily caloric intake by 500 kcal. Increase by this amount again if you're not gaining weight by the time you weigh yourself again next week.
• Take Pictures. Pictures don’t lie. You can often forget how far you have come or get discouraged. Muscle gain happens gradually and can often go unnoticed. Shoot pictures every month, so that you can see your progress.
  

Here's a sample muscle and weight gain diet that you can use:

3500 kcal per day. This can be too much at once if you’re only 140lbs or too little if you’re very active. Customize this diet based on your own needs.

• Breakfast: 100g porridge oats, 50g raisins and 1 scoop whey protein shake
• Snack: 100g mixed nuts or fruits or 1 liter milk or tuna sandwich
• Lunch: 200g white pasta, bolognese sause, parmesan cheese
• Snack: 100g mixed nuts or fruits or 1 liter milk or tuna sandwich
• Post workout: 1.5 scoops whey protein shake with milk, banana or tuna sandwich
• Dinner: Chicken breast with rice and salad, or turkey salad or tuna pasta with low-fat sauce
• Pre bed: cottage cheese or scrambled eggs or mixed berries or flax seed, and a glass of water
  

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website: FitnessForRealMen - proven muscle and strength training techniques; fitness and nutrition tips

Labels: gain weight, skinny, weight