For so many people, the only real 'weight problem' is about losing it. If you want to add weight, you won't get much sympathy from anybody. They'll just tell you how lucky you are, that you shouldn't be complaining and that they wish they had your "problem".
Well, if you're reading this, you know what a bunch of BS that is, right? I HATED being skinny. It makes sports tough and it sure doesn't do a whole lot for a guys social life, which is very important in high school and college. I was desperate to gain weight and get some more of the female attention I was looking for.
The truth is, no one will ever gain muscle without food. Dieting for muscle gain is simply a matter of eating. But that doesn't mean there isn't a lot to learn.
Stuffing your face with the wrong type of food, or just eating 1 or 2 large meals a day isn't the way to gain muscle. You'll just end up with the other weight problem.
You must eat more calories than your body burns off.
While this rule can not be broken, it also doesn't give you license to eat just anything. You have to eat high protein, high quality, nutritious meals and have them at least 6 times a day.
If you don't and just gorge yourself whenever on whatever, almost all the weight you gain will be fat, not to mention the possible damage to your health.
High quality protein should be the center point of all your meals. Intense exercise increases demand for protein, which support muscle repair and growth. When you train with weights, you should eat a minimum of 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you weight 150 pounds, try and take in at least 225 grams of protein each and every day.
For us skinny guys, our body will easily burn off any muscle we build unless we do things right and that means eating at least 6 high protein meals every single day, and more if you can do it.
You should eat every 2 or 3 hours and if you have a really fast metabolism it wouldn't hurt to down a protein shake in the middle of the night if you happen to wake up to pee.
You don't have to have carbs or fat at every meal, but you must have protein. When I say protein, I am referring to high quality protein derived from animal sources. For getting bigger and stronger, the only protein you need to be concerned with are those found in whey, casein (cottage cheese), eggs, beef, poultry, and fish.
High Protein Foods
Eggs
Egg whites
Chicken breasts
Turkey Breasts
Lean Beef
Fish (tuna, salmon)
Milk*
Yes, milk: for us skinny guys whole milk is a wonder food when it comes to adding quality weight to our bodies.
High Carbohydrate Food
- Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes, yams
- Oatmeal, cream of wheat, cream of rice
- Rice
- Beans
- Any green leafy vegetable
- Bread
- Pasta
Healthy Fats
- Olive oil
- Sunflower oil
- Safflower oil
- Flaxseed oil
- Walnuts
- Coconut Oil
- Avocados
Totals
- Calories: 3,061
- Carbs: 210 g
- Fat: 96 g
- Protein: 426 g
Conclusion
Eating the right amount of foods consistently will force your body to grow beyond what you may think possible.
As a skinny guy, if your nutrition program isn't perfect, you can forget about gaining pounds of muscle.