Muscle Building Information

How Do I Gain Weight?


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 for more tips on diet and weight lifting designed to help you bulk up.

  


MORE RESOURCES:

7 Minute Muscle Review - Is 7 Minute Muscle Scam?
Global Grind (blog)
The concept of the program is that it does not require a long time every day in order to build muscle. People who need longer time training are necessary ...
7 Minute Muscle Review - Scam?Global Grind (blog)

all 2 news articles »


Hard work is paying off in pounds for Thayer at Total Fitness
Clarksville Leaf Chronicle
Now that he has reached his goal weight, Thayer's new goal is to build muscle mass. His advice for those who claim there's no time for exercise: "There's ...

and more »


Major Muscles: Four Ways to Produce More Growth Hormone!
That's Fit
If you're looking for even more muscle-building tips, discover how you can build muscle even faster by eating enough protein, as well as how to get more ...



Myths surrounding workouts
Visalia Times-Delta
Salazar said protein is beneficial to consume right after a workout, when your body is wanting it the most to build muscle. Myth #6: Muscle turns to fat if ...

and more »


Exercise has an important part to play in staying fit and active as we get older
Cosmetic News Portal (blog)
A recent study of the over 60s concluded that it's never too late to exercise and that even light exercise can successfully build muscle. ...



MUSCLE BUILDING: An Addiction or A Healthy Obsession?
Miami Quarterly
Even people who haven't heard them are consumed with the ideas behind them-fitness and building muscle. 'Meatheads' is another commonly used word, ...



Local briefs for 3/10: Credit seminar slated for April 8
New Jersey Herald
This program is designed to stabilize bone density, increase strength, balance and flexibility and build muscle mass. Two-day leadership training for this ...



Terry's 40 days: Circuit training builds muscle
The Detroit News
They will build stamina, help you lose weight and build muscle in your body. My trainer Melissa Borden calls it "the circuit." I call it names that cannot ...



Irish Independent

Shape up: Don't waste your time
Irish Independent
The goal in fat-loss training is to lower the pH of your blood so that your body will release more growth hormone to build muscle and burn fat. ...
Don't waste your timeIrish Independent

all 2 news articles »


Tucson Citizen

5 ways to build muscle in less time!
Tucson Citizen
One caveat: If you are trying to build specific muscles, compound exercises don't allow you to focus as much on the one muscle group and you may not be able ...


Google News

Article List | Index | Site Map
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved.