10 ways to build muscle faster
See big results by making small tweaks to your training, diet, and lifestyle.
9 Killer Ways To Gain Muscle Naturally!
Tired of being known as the 'skinny guy' ? Then try these 9 muscle gaining tips to combat your fast metabolism and achieve the mass you want!
Today I want to share with you some quality advice on how to gain weight. Now I caution you that this is for the really skinny guy looking to really gain weight because they barely have any meat on their bones. I know what it is like when you feel like you eat all the time and have nothing to show for it. I have been there. I also understand the feelings that you feel when people start to resent you because you can eat whatever you want and not ever gain a pound. They don't realize that to skinny guys, this is a curse more than it is a blessing at times.
However I also despise people saying that they have 'tried everything but nothing works'. This is the biggest lie that you need to stop telling yourself. You may have tried a couple of things but trust me, you just haven't tried the right things yet. Here are 9 tips that will help you to start to gain weight in no time at all. These are tips I have personally used and I guarantee they will work for you.
Here are my top 9 Tips to Gain Weight:
Tip 1. Train Under An Hour
You should be keeping whichever program you are doing to no more than 1 hour of duration. Be sure that you are focusing on keeping the intensity high rather than making the workout drag on. Plus, there's no research that says marathon training sessions are better for muscle growth. Focus on keeping your rest periods under a minute and limit the small talk with other gym members.
Tip 2. Make Eating A Habit
Listen, I know in the beginning of this post I was sympathetic to your problem, but I am also here to say, Suck It Up. I can tell you that to gain weight, you need to focus on making your meals a habit rather than an afterthought. Your body is pre-programmed with your genetic disposition. And in your case, you have a very fast metabolism that digests and burns calories quickly. Focus on having 5-6 calorie-dense meals a day spaced 2-3 hours apart so that your body is constantly being provided with something to metabolize and build muscle.
Calculating Your Caloric Intake And Macronutrient Breakdown!
Tip 3. Stop Relying On Supplements
I have been in your shoes, and I can't count how many times I have fallen prey to the supplement industry. You have to understand, a supplement is exactly as the name implies...A SUPPLEMENT. It is not going to make or break your gains in the gym. The only supplements I recommend are protein powder and perhaps some Gatorade after workouts.
Tip 4. Take It Easy
As naturally skinny guys, you have to stop moving around so much. It's just a part of who you are, but you might fidget or move around a lot in the day. Learn to relax a bit more and try to limit activity outside of the gym as much as possible when outside of the gym so that your energy is put forth to good use.
Tip 5. Understand Caloric Surplus
This is another thing I am very tired of hearing. 'No matter what I do or what I eat, I can't gain weight'. I have heard this countless times and I am here to tell you that you are dead wrong. That's OK, because I actually said the same thing until I realized the truth. Most people think they are eating a lot and you just may be. But no matter what you are eating, if you are not gaining, you are not eating enough. Most times, you should re-evaluate your diet as well and focus on more calorie dense foods. But you need to eat more if you are not gaining.
Also, when changing your body composition, you will need to 'force' things a little bit. Your body doesn't want to change and it doesn't care to gain weight. You need to 'coax' it along and yes at times it may be a little uncomfortable.
Tip 6. Focus On Progression
As mentioned above, your workouts should really be under an hour if even that. But the main take home principle is to make sure you are progressing at a workout. It's so simply yet so many people screw it up. They put in more volume and more until their workouts are at about 2 hours.
Now some things to work for a while and you may see some results. But if you want to gain weight, you're better off focusing on progressing in either the number of reps or an increase in weight lifted within your main program. Just like overeating, this too will be tough and require you to push yourself to the limits.
Tip 7. Change Rep Range Every 3-4 Weeks
Unless you are making great gains and progressing like nobody's business, I would suggest changing the rep range every 4-6 weeks to avoid plateaus. Changing the rep range will make your body adapt to the new stresscausing you to gain weight in the form of muscle.