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Simply gaining weight usually isn't too hard for most people, but gaining weight quickly can prove to be much more difficult. We're talking about building lean muscle mass here, not body fat!
Below, Marc David outlines 6 tips that need to be a part of your program if gaining weight quickly is a top priority. Consuming the right diet, tracking caloric intake and stocking up on the right foods are just
three things that Marc mentions in this article that he frequently sees people fail
to implement in to their programs—which often leads to a lack of results.
Check out Marc's e-book No-Bull Bodybuilding. It's a fantastic resource for anyone new to bodybuilding that isn't clear about how and where to start to achieve their goals.
Top 6 Tips to Gaining Weight Quickly
This short article will arm you with the most important tips you need to
know to achieve weight gain quickly. What does gaining weight quickly mean you ask? Simple... It's gaining significant amounts of lean muscle tissue (not fat!) in a relatively short period of time.
Here are the top six tips that will help put you back on track to gaining muscle weight quickly and safely:
Gain Weight Quickly Tip #1: Eat
Plenty of Nutrition Foods
I often ask people that are having trouble with weight gain exactly what they
eat, and seem to get the same response over and over again..
"Whatever is in my fridge"
Surprisingly that is a common answer, which I find quite shocking.
Gaining weight quickly requires you to know
the number of calories your body requires each day.
These people that don’t keep track of their food intake also have the same
excuses as to why their weight gain programs aren’t working…  They insist that it’s their “high metabolism”, and not problems with their diets that are hindering their progress.
Let’s clear something up for the record...
If your goal is weight gain, you need to consume the right foods in the
right quantities. Furthermore, if your
goal is quick weight gain, then you have
to stick to the same concepts as if you would during the cutting phase of your
diet. Whenever possible, be sure to
choose high calorie, nutrient dense foods.
I’ve learned many things over the years, and I can honestly say that one of
the biggest mistakes I ever made was neglecting to track the foods I consumed during
the “bulking” phase of my program.
Whenever I was in the “cutting” phase, I was very strict about tracking
caloric intake, but during the building phase I just ate pretty much
everything, and never bothered to track it.
Have you ever been in a similar position?
Remember, healthy weight gain requires balance. You
have to eat more calories than your body requires to maintain its
weight, but at the same time, not so many extra calories
that your body stores them as fat.
Are things starting to make sense now?
Healthy weight gain doesn’t mean you have to eat every piece of food you can
get your hands on. It just means that
you have to consume more than you maintenance caloric intake. By following this simple concept, your body
will receive all of the calories it requires for healthy weight gain, but not
so many that it is forced to store the excess calories as body fat.
[ Don’t forget that a calorie is a calorie. Eating too many calories, no
matter what their source, can be stored as fat by the body. ]
The goal is to gain weight quickly--weight gain that minimizes excess body fat and maximizes
muscle growth.
Gain Weight Quickly Tip #2: Plan Your
Meals Wisely
As you probably know by now, gaining weight quickly requires you to eat at least
five to six meals every day. From the
moment you get up, you should be eating ever two to three hours, until you go
to bed at night. Each meal should be
well balanced, consisting of a high protein foods, complex carbohydrates, and a
healthy sources of fats.
If you are aiming for really healthy weight gain, you need to eat
five to six meals daily, and as usual, consistency is they key. Make sure you NEVER miss a meal!
Although some of the bodybuilding legends may have been able to get away with
the traditional three square daily meals, modern day science has proven to us
that it isn’t the best route to go these days.
A fast metabolism and regular protein intake will allow you to maintain the
muscle that you’ve been training hard for, and ensure that your body receives
the excess calories that it needs for quick weight gain.
Eating a light breakfast, skipping snacks, or eating a
massive meal late in
the day can all create problems. Quick
weight gain will only happen if you are consistent
with your bodybuilding diet, and eat every meal, every day! Remember,
even skipping a single meal can throw your body off track.
Ultimately, if you don’t plan your meals, consuming enough food to gain weight quicklywill be nearly impossible.
gain Weight Quickly Tip # 3: Keep Your Pantry and Fridge Full of Food
Gaining weight quickly requires you to have the right foods readily available in your
kitchen. Go take a look in your fridge
and pantry right after reading this paragraph and make a list of what you have.
Your kitchen should be stocked with all of the foods your bodybuilding diet
requires. Highly nutritious caloric dense
foods are excellent choices for healthy weight gain.
Examples are whole grain breads, vegetables such as peas and yams, kidney
beans, lean red meat, turkey and salmon
If your cupboards are empty, you will not be able to consume enough of the foods your body needs to gain weight quickly. You must eat regularly every day,
and without having the foods available this will become nearly impossible.
Your bodybuilding diet should cost you too much. Most of the foods that you should be eating
can be purchased in bulk for reasonable prices.
Frozen fish, chicken, and dried pasta are all excellent choices that won’t
break the bank.
Fortunately, the packaged foods and condiments that you shouldn’t be
consuming are often the most expensive foods.
Gain Weight Quickly Tip # 4: Timing Your Meals
Although the average person usually eats three square meals a day, this is
unacceptable for a bodybuilder. You are
no longer considered an average person, and in order to achieve healthy weight
gain, this isn’t gonna cut the
mustard.
By now you are well aware of the health and performance benefits of
consuming five to six meals a day. The
most important thing to understand is this…
Quick weight gain (once again we are talking muscle weight, not fat weight!) requires
a combination of an increased metabolism, and increased caloric consumption.
To achieve this you have to down at least five to six meals every single
day.
Gain Weight Quickly Tip #5: Consume a Variety of Foods in Your Diet
Even the bodybuilding experts can run in to problems when it comes to
variety
of foods in their muscle building diets. They
become so accustomed to their favorite meals, or the meals that are
most convenient to eat that their muscle building diet starts to lack
an assortment of different types of food.
This can make gaining weight quickly difficult as it limits the number
of
calories being eaten. It also means that
you may be missing out on the vitamins and minerals that other foods
offer. Both factors that are important to mass gain.
Hasn’t anyone mentioned that nutrients are very important for quick weight
gain?
Gaining Weight Quickly Tip #6: Eat Plenty of Food
Do you not feel like eating?
Well that’s not an option--you have to eat!
If your main goal is quick weight gain, you have to constantly consume
calories, whether you’re hungry or not.
If you base your food intake on your mood, weight gain will be
difficult.
I’m always amazed at how many people say that they can’t eat like a 225 lb
Bodybuilder.
 That's because they aren’t close to that size yet.
Once their bodybuilding diet kicks in and they start building muscle, eating
like a 225 lb bodybuilder will just come naturally.
That being said, this doesn’t mean that you can immediately start eating
hundreds of more calories a day without giving your body a chance to
adapt. If you do this you will feel sick
and sluggish, and it will place tremendous stress on your digestive system. What you need to do is gradually increase
your food intake each day, being sure to consume five to six smaller meals. Now closely monitor your body composition and
progress until you’ve determined how many calories you need each day.
Although your caloric intake has gone up, you won’t feel as full because your
meals are being split up into smaller portions.
This makes your body’s digestive system more efficient, and will
increase the amount of nutrients that are absorbed.
The bottom line: You will have an
increased metabolic rate, and will also be consuming more calories—the two
essential elements to gaining weight quickly.
More tips to Help You Gain Weight Quickly
- Stay well hydrated. With your increased
calorie intake and weight training workout, drinking plenty of H2O is crucial.
-
Start weight training! Healthy weight
gain requires you to build muscle, which is the main focus of your bulking
phase. The carbohydrates in your
bodybuilding diet will supply you with the energy you need to get some of the
best workouts you will ever experience.
- Avoid too many cardiovascular workouts since they burn valuable muscle
building calories, and can create a catabolic environment within your
body.
-
Regularly track your bodybuilding program.
This will let you see your progress (or lack of progress!) and will give
you an idea as to what part of your program needs to be modified.
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About The Author:
Marc David is a natural bodybuilder and the author of No-Bull Bodybuilding, which teaches you how to build muscle and lose fat without
using drugs or supplements.
Marc believes that building the body of your dreams
doesn't have to be the most difficult thing you've ever done in your life.
Check out Marc's website at www.nobullbodybuilding.com
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