Millions to billions of dollars are made from new diets, weight loss programs, medicines, and surgeries, all to help obese people lose weight, yet almost nothing exists to help skinny people get bigger in size. This page will share some of the most effective tips on how to gain some muscle in your body.
Workout
This may seem obvious to some, but it’s not that obvious to others. Many people believe that it is better to gain fat and “turn” it into muscle by working out. However, new studies are showing that burning fat and building muscle are two separate processes and that they do not directly correlate to one another. Therefore, start working out as soon as possible.
High Weight, Low Reps
To gain muscle mass, one must do a high amount of weight with a low amount of repetitions. This helps in building muscle while doing a high amount of repetitions with low weight tones the body and makes you “cut.” For example; instead of doing 12 reps of 50 pounds, try doing 4-6 reps of 80 or 90 pounds. Start the set with 60% of your max, and by the end of the set (do around 2-4 sets, 3 is a good amount), you should be doing 80-90% of your maximum.
Proper Form
This is extremely important. Many people ignore this and get frustrated when no results appear. You MUST exhibit proper form if you want to gain muscle and not end up hurting yourself. Do the exercises and lifting slowly, and do it properly as instructed on the machine. Also, use proper muscle groups. If you are curling, try to only use your biceps; don’t lean back and use your entire body’s momentum to lift the weight. This will make the workout much more strenuous and effective and will help you gain weight a lot quicker.
Work Out Muscle Groups and Rest
In most cases, it is better to work out muscle groups rather than every muscle every day. Resting is when the muscle is actually built, so you want to rotate what you work out. Also, try to do related muscles on the same day (e.g. doing chest and triceps on the same day, since they are used together in workouts pertaining to them). Also, make sure you rest at least 2 days of the week. As mentioned earlier, this is when the muscle is being built, so make sure no to overwork yourself.
Eat A Lot
Seems simple, right? It’s not as easy as it looks. Many skinny people have quick metabolisms. To counter this, one must eat more than what he regularly consumes to change his metabolism. If you take 1500 calories a day, try taking 1800 or more. Make sure you are eating healthy too; simply eating fatty foods just to gain weight will do you no good. Consume a lot of protein such as meat, eggs, and beans (supplements such as whey protein can help out in this; however be wary of creatine and other stronger supplements as they might be harmful to you) but be sure to get a good mix of fruits, vegetables, and dairy too.
