Introduction
I get a lot of e-mails and phone calls from customers
seeking guidance on how to gain weight. In this article I'll give an overview
of how to go about gaining weight quickly and effectively without having to
take out a second mortgage.
If followed correctly with discipline & hard work, most
should be able to put on a good 20lbs in short order. Let's get to it.
Eat, Eat, Eat
Eating is the first and most important factor that is needed
for proper weight gain. It's simple - you need to eat more calories than you
burn. This does not mean eating anything and everything that is not nailed
down. Carefully plan your meals with foods that will help you gain lean mass,
not fat. I suggest 6 meals. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and three other small
meals scheduled throughout the day. The goal is to eat every 2.5 to 3 hours.
Focus on foods such as steak, chicken, fruit, milk,
vegetables, cheese and assorted types of nuts. It's recommended to eat 4 - 6
pieces of fresh fruit a day, and at least four tall glasses of milk. Milk is a
great, cheap protein source - take advantage of it. A sample snack meal would
be a glass of milk, an apple, and a hand full of peanuts.
Take time to lay out a meal plan. What you eat is the most
important ingredient in a successful weight gain program.
Lifting
As stated, proper eating is of up most importance when
attempting to gain weight, but if you do not lift weights, all that gained
weight will be fat - not muscle.
When trying to gain weight, I suggest working out three times
a week. You need to lift hard and then recover for the next workout. Focus on
the big exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bent-over rows, chin-ups, bench
press, & military press. These are the exercises that will turn those extra
calories into muscle. You are not going to gain much by doing lateral raises
and step-ups every workout. You need the multiple-joint lifts that will shock
your system and stimulate your body into growth. Focus on getting strong by
adding a small amount of weight each workout. If you focus on strength, size
will follow. Case in point, look around at your local gym - the strongest guys
are also the biggest.
Supplements?
To gain weight, you do not NEED Supplements , but they will
help you gain the weight quicker. That's what they are, supplements to an
already good diet and training program. Think of supplements as the finishing
touch.
I suggest only two supplements for those wishing to gain
weight. The first being N-Large 2 . The way N-Large 2 will help is by giving
you a large quantity of calories in one small serving. These will provide you
with at least 600 calories in one easy shake and are especially great for students
who do not have time for breakfast, or snacks in between classes. Just mix one
of these shakes with water or fruit juice and gulp it down in a just a couple
of minutes. It's easy to mix, contains 620 calories per serving, and is very
cost effective.
The second product would be AST Sports Science Creatine
Monohydrate. Most people gain 5 - 7lbs in the first two weeks of creatine use.
If you are interested in quick weight gain, and increased energy for your
workouts, creatine is definitely worth a go.
How Much Will I Gain?
First, I feel I must cite the obligatory disclaimer of
"everyone's body responds in different ways, so it varies". That
said, if you do eat well, lift hard and use your supplements properly, you can
expect to gain about 10-15lbs within a month.