Weight Gain Tips for Skinny Guys

Most skinny guys are good at charging out of the gate with their weight training.  You are motivated and inspired, which carries you through the hurdles of getting started.  Unlike overweight people, you don’t have as many concerns about health and flexibility.  But just like everyone else, skinny guys can hit a mental wall when they fail to see results.  This tends to happens when your weight remains unchanged after several weeks of hard training.

Assuming that you are staying true to your program, they most likely reason you are not gaining weight is your diet habits.  Protein consumption, caloric intake, and carbohydrate balance are all essential for achieving weight and muscle gain.  Slacking off in even one of these categories is enough to set your back.

There are three body types in the world of weight training: Mesomorphs, Endomorphs, and Ectomorphs.  Ectomorphs are the skinny guys like you who have trouble gaining weight.  They are characterized by light bones, small joints, and a lightly muscled frame.  Even though this may seem to be the genetic kiss of death when it comes to weight training, there are ways to get past your physical limitations and grow beyond expectation.  The key is an effective diet plan that stimulates muscle growth and positive weight gain.

Calorie intake is first step in the Ectomorph’s guide to getting bigger.  The proper amount of consumption should be 22 times your body weight.  So if you are 150 pounds then you should be getting 3300 calories a day.   Now this would be easy if you could eat McDonald’s and pizza all day, but you need to consume clean calories.  This includes lean protein sources, complex carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables, and whole grain products.  The fact that these products are healthier and contain less calories means you have to eat lots of them.

Eating enough food to get above 3000 calories requires a different approach to your daily diet.  Instead of the 3 meals a day you are accustomed to, you will need to increase to 6 meals a day.  This not only balances your intake throughout the day, but it prevents your body from growing hungry and slowing your muscle growth.  Staying well fueled is an essential part of building muscle whether you are skinny or massive.

Persistence is the key to packing on the pounds.  You will probably reach a point where you feel like you will explode if you take another bite.  If you hit this wall then you can back off a few hundred calories but maintain the six meal regimen.  Try adding 50 to 100 calories per day until you get back up to 3000.  If your appetite is a problem then try a morning run that includes wind sprints at the end.  This is a great fitness technique that will also stimulate your hunger as the day begins.

The first few months of your training program will be the most difficult, but you have to focus on keeping a balance between your workouts and diet.  Doing one without the other is a complete waste of time.  Most skinny guys fall short on the diet front as they are simply not accustomed to the demands of eating all the time.  It is okay to start slow as long as you are making consistent progress.  You can also build in “cheat days” but no more than twice a month at first.  Once you get your routine down and begin to see results things will become much easier.