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 By: Brad Borland
When I was a teen I didn't want to eat and it showed. I was an imposing six-foot-one and 125 pounds of skin and bones. I was highly active with energy to spare, but knew nothing about the benefits of eating enough of the right kind of foods. It wasn't until I started weight training to pack on some pounds that I found out the connection between my eating and my progress of eating as it applied to my progress. Once I discovered this eating took on a whole new meaning. I went through a lot of trial and error and not to mention growing up throughout those early years. Huge calorie-laden weight shakes, countless hours (up to three per day) in the gym, and all the food I could get my hands on. Ah, those were the days, when I could eat whatever I wanted and burn it off just by chewing! Of course, looking back I could have done things a little differently. Sure, I was fortunate that as a kid my mother cooked a lot of healthy food, unlike today whereas fast food has become a staple of the American diet. But I still could have focused a little more on a few things and backed off of others.
Now as I train many bodybuilders I see a lot of myself in them, especially the extremely thin ones who desperately want to pack on some serious muscle. It is always a great opportunity for me to show them the right ways to get there faster without some of the mistakes I have made. I have been down that road and done that, so it is always a pleasure to show others that I did it and that I am a living testimonial of a major transformation. Below are some simple rules to follow, or better yet, rules I wished I had followed. These are not hard and fast rules, just basic guidelines to take in and modify if needed. I do think, however, they are very important in your quest to build an impressive physique. As always, please talk to a health professional before starting any program.
In your mission to gain weight, you must EAT! You must eat enough all day every day and create a calorie surplus. This does not mean eat everything in sight, but just enough for your body to utilize for your rigorous workouts.
  Click Image To Enlarge.In Your Mission To Gain Weight, You Must Eat.
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When I began weight training I started eating three solid meals per day with two homemade supplement shakes in between. Talk about crazy! I would mix about three or four heaping spoonfuls of non-fat yogurt, about 5 egg whites, three or four cups of milk and then two scoops of cement-tasting protein powder. Blend it all up and I had myself a super mass 3000 muscle shake! Now, I do not recommend that in particular, whereas now there are so many great products on the market. But the point is to eat frequently with most meals being actual food and possibly a shake or two added to the mix.
 Click Image To Enlarge.Eat Frequently With Most Meals Being From Actual Food.
Midmorning: Lunch: Afternoon: Post workout: Dinner:
I cannot tell you how many times I look around the gym and see so many people playing on their cell phone and/or their MP3 player. So much time is wasted fooling with these devices that precious time is lost.
When you get to the gym show up with a goal, show up to train, show up to train hard! Love going to the gym, love training, have fun training, but train! I used to think to myself: the longer I waited between sets after a certain amount of time my muscles would start to shrink. True or not it fired me up to lift hard and heavy on my next set.
 Click Image To Enlarge.You Will Not Gain Muscle If You Do Not Train.
My training partner would do 40 plus sets for triceps alone! In this case more is definitely not better; however, I see a lot of guys barely do much in the gym worth anything. Not enough work, not enough intensity, and not enough attention to form and function. Overtraining Articles: Do just enough to work the muscle properly and then leave. Too much of anything is bad for you so adjust your volume, reps, movements, and splits according to your specific needs. I am a big believer of using your fast metabolism to your advantage. Whereas many have written before regarding "hardgainers" needing to train less often, rest a lot and so forth I am quite the opposite. I feel someone with a fast metabolism can workout more frequently due to there quick turn around to repair muscle tissue. If your nutrition is sound and consistent, there is no reason not to work every body part twice per week. A good split can look like this:
My goals were to always push myself past my own limits, to challenge myself with every set and rep and to work toward realizing my own potential. Sure, push yourself, and sometimes max out and see where your strengths lie, but not at the expense of safety. Egos can sometimes get you hurt and cause an injury, taking months to repair.
Do not go overboard with powders, pills, and potions. They have their place in a program, but as a teen you may want to see how your body reacts first to good nutrition and hard training.
 Click Image To Enlarge.Don't Go Overboard With Supplements.
Lack of sleep equals less growth and improvement. Also, try getting in a 15 to 20 minute power nap before hitting the gym. It will recharge you and do wonders for your performance in the gym.
Your teen years should be great years to be spent being with your friends and being involved with school not living in the gym. Find a balance. Rely on your friends for support and invite them to train with you, but by all means have fun with it!
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