Weight Gain

So you are looking to gain weight. Perhaps you have tried before and given up discouraged, it is understandable, some people are genetically predisposed to be skinny. But there is a foolproof way to gain lean body mass, fast. And if you stick to the golden rules, you will start seeing results in no time at all.

Central to any weight gain program is weightlifting. There are many ways to exercise and tone or shape muscles, but weightlifting is the only sure way to build the lean muscle you are after. And by weightlifting, we do not just mean picking up a dumbbell and throwing in the air, your technique has to be spot-on, or you will not get anywhere at all. You see, muscles increase in size as a response to being tested over and above what they can comfortably do.

If you push your muscles by lifting and lowering weights the right way, you create tiny tears in the muscle fibre, known as microtrauma, which is a signal to the body that your muscles just are not big enough to do what you are asking them to do. In the process of healing this torn muscle fibre, your muscle cells will be regenerated bigger than they were before, and you will get a little stronger. This face is the key to gaining lean body mass, and once you understand how it works and how to best support the process, you cannot go wrong.

Okay, so you want to create the microtrauma needed to stimulate a transformation response in your muscles. How to go about it? Spend hours in the gym pumping iron, right? Wrong. Getting great results from lifting weights is about hitting your maximum effort in a short period of time, getting those growth stimulus in your muscles firing, and then moving on to the next group of muscles before you do any more damage. Because once you have torn the muscle enough to spark a transformation response, no further lifting will get more results that session.

In fact if you keep going after you have hit your high point, you are probably going to do more harm then good, since the extra damage to your muscle tissue may not heal in time for your next workout, your performance will suffer, and you will not be able to hit your high point next time around. Your progress will grind to a halt, and you will get discouraged. If this sounds all too familiar, it might be because people experience this exact phenomenon every day. They work out in the hope of gaining weight, some of them train for hours, but they just do not get any bigger. Because they do not understand the fundamentals. By the time you are done reading this, you will. Which is why you will succeed where others fail.

So you have got your workout plan. Maximum effort, minimum time, give it everything you have got and move on. Do not forget that you will need to show what weightlifters call good form when you work out. This means performing exercises correctly so that you are working only the muscles you intend to work, and not overcompensating with others. If you are new to lifting weights, it will help to get some instruction at your local gym or fitness centre, but even so, your body will tell you which muscles you are working, and you should be able to feel when a lift is not quite right. Get your technique down, and if you are not sure, ask for help. Or you might be wasting your time.

Next you will need a solid nutrition plan, with good macronutrient ratios. Which means plenty of complex carbohydrates, quality protein, vitamins and essential fatty acids. Do not be afraid of fat, some of it is good, and indeed needed for the synthesis of muscle tissue. As a general rule, if it is liquid at room temperature, it is the good kind.

Since you are training hard, you will need extra calories to see you through your intensive workouts, and help you recover afterwards. It is difficult to say exactly how much, because everyones needs are different, but you should definitely be looking to increase your food intake. Many body builders recommend eating five or six slightly smaller meals a day, rather than just three. This is thought to keep the metabolism burning, and provide a constant source of energy and materials for the synthesis of new muscle tissue. If you lead a busy life, meal replacement drinks and bars are a great way to make sure you are getting enough nutrition. Some are specially formulated for weight gain, with additional carbs for those with naturally fast metabolisms.

As well as these, you might want to look into other supplements that help maximize the potential muscle gain from your workouts. Creatine is especially popular, and proven to increase muscle size and strength, as well as concentration and mental alertness.

Finally, the psychological battle is just as important as the physical one. Keep a journal of your workouts and weight gain so that you can see your progress, and work out how you can improve. Plan your workouts ahead of time so that you keep pushing yourself to the max with every set, every rep.

If you follow these tips, and stay positive, you will be able to gain lean muscle mass in no time at all.

Weight Gain