Many people want to gain weight and muscle, but find it difficult to do so. They often assume that they’re not eating enough food or lifting heavy enough weights, but the real problem might be in how they’re going about this. By following these tips, you can easily start gaining weight and muscle at an accelerated rate.
1) Eat Every 2-3 Hours
If you’re trying to gain weight and muscle, be sure to eat every 2-3 hours throughout your day. Make sure you’re eating enough calories daily—this is key! Set a goal of 1g protein/lb of body weight per day. For an average man who weighs 150 lbs, that works out to 150 grams (300 calories) of protein each day.
2) Eat Foods that Are Easy To Digest
While gaining weight is important, you don’t want it to be at the expense of your health. If you’re eating foods that are hard for your body to digest, you’ll end up wasting valuable calories that could have been put toward increasing muscle mass. Eat more nutrient-dense foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables whenever possible. At each meal, eat a source of lean protein and a source of healthy fat.
3) Avoid Diet Fads
While they may help you lose weight quickly, fad diets tend to be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals. When you restrict yourself to eating just one or two types of food, your body might not get all of its daily nutrients. Also, many fad diets are based on elimination (such as no carbs) rather than addition (such as more protein). These kinds of diets may leave you feeling deprived—and most people quit before they start losing any weight.
4) Plan Meals in Advance
To ensure you’re getting enough calories, create a weekly meal plan and grocery list. Keep healthy snacks on hand so you can take advantage of opportunities to eat healthfully. Buy produce in bulk so you have plenty on hand for healthy meals. Make a food diary if it helps track your progress. Stock up on healthful foods such as frozen chicken breasts, yogurt, granola bars, nuts, and peanut butter.
5) Get Enough Sleep
Sleep can have a profound effect on your ability to gain weight, so make sure you’re getting enough of it. A good goal is at least 8 hours of sleep each night. Not only will that ensure that you’re well-rested, but it will also help keep your metabolism revved up as much as possible. After all, your body needs a good night’s rest to build muscle effectively.
6) Use Supplements Wisely
I’m going to assume that if you’re reading an article on gaining weight and muscle, you’re interested in supplements. For example, creatine is a great supplement for gaining mass because it provides increased energy, better recovery time, and helps build lean muscle. In addition, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are essential amino acids that your body can not produce.
7) Consume Lots of Water and Sleep Well at Night
Your body loses a lot of water every day, mostly through breathing, sweating, and urinating. If you don’t replace what you lose, your body becomes dehydrated—and that could slow down your metabolism. Also, a recent study from Northwestern Medicine showed that not getting enough sleep can hinder growth hormone secretion. This is yet another reason why it’s important to get plenty of ZZZs.
8) Follow a Slow-Carb Diet
A slow-carb diet is a great option for newbies looking to bulk up. This plan advocates eating only lean meats, low-fat dairy products, and safe starches like potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, etc. but avoiding grains (including whole grains), beans, legumes, alcohol, and artificial sweeteners—all staples of many other diets out there.
9) Lift Weights at Least Three Times A Week
When you first start lifting weights, there’s no need to hit every muscle group daily. Instead, focus on lifting three times a week. After six weeks of working out, do it four days a week; after 12 weeks do it five days a week. When you’re completely comfortable in your routine, you can start training each muscle group two or three times per week.
10) Keep Yourself Motivated
To increase your weight, you need to consume more calories than you burn. That said, it is important that you stay motivated—after all, it’s hard to do anything when you don’t feel like doing it. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to motivate yourself on those days when going through the motions isn’t easy. Here are some suggestions.
0 Comments