Basics of Weight Gain

basics of a weight gain diet

Key Factors to Consider for Fitness Fans Looking to Gain Weight

Believe it or not, weight gain is an issue that both males and females deal with, even though it may seem like it’s only guys who seem to be the only ones interested in putting on muscle.

Fortunately, the fundamentals of gaining weight, whether you’re a man or woman, remain exactly the same. If you’re looking to gain weight, there will need to be some significant changes made to your diet and training regimen.

Weight Gain Diet

First of all, it is going to be hard for you to gain any weight if you’re not eating enough calories. A common question that a lot of people ask and I’m sure if you’re reading this article you’re wondering the same thing… how can you know if you’re getting enough calories and protein?

Well, before trying out any weight gaining diet, you have to know your calorie maintenance level first. This will help you to determine how many calories you will need every day to stay at your current weight. To gain weight, you will need to increase your calories (in combination with intense weight training) until weight gain occurs.

For example, if your calorie maintenance level is 2,000 calories, and you eat 2,400 calories, you will gain weight if you are consistent with eating the surplus caloric requirements. If you don’t gain weight, increase your calories even more, but make sure they are quality nutrient dense calories.

You will need to force yourself to start eating more on a regular basis. It will only get easier the more consistent you are with your diet. Eating calorie dense foods such as nuts and olive oil will definitely help.

Consuming enough protein in order to build muscle is another vital piece of the weight gain puzzle. Make sure to consume at least 1.5 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight. You can also consume protein shakes to help with getting your protein intake.

Sample Daily Weight Gain Diet Plan:

Meal 1: a cup of oatmeal and a banana.

Meal 2: 1 scoop of whey protein powder.

Meal 3: 3 pieces of chicken breast with some spinach.

Meal 4: a cup of frozen berries, a banana, a cup of orange juice, 1 scoop of protein.

Meal 5: 2 eggs, a cup of whole milk.

These simple meals can change your take on the question of “how to gain weight” permanently, provided the course is followed daily with sincerity and determination.

weight gain diet

Training to Gain Muscle Mass

For those trying to gain weight, it isn’t always possible to get to a gym. Working out at home doesn’t have to mean you have to lack intensity. Heavy weight lifting exercises can be easily performed at home. All you need to a pair of dumbbells, a barbell, bench and some free weights.

We all know the basic compound exercises like the bench press/squats, or at least I think we do. If you’re looking for a challenging workout, you will want to incorporate these muscle building exercises into your exercise routine.

When designing a workout routine to put on mass, you need to be familiar with some lingo. Here is some terminology that you should be familiar with. A rep is each time you perform an exercise. A set is a group of reps. So, a rep would be a single push up and a set would be ten presses. If I write 3×10 then it means 3 sets of 10 reps. So, you would do 10 reps, take a break, do another 10 reps of the same exercise, take a break and do another 10 reps.

Before jumping straight into weight training, make sure to warm up before the workout by doing some nice stretching exercises. During the workout, take 30-60 second breaks between each set. You may want to increase or decrease your reps depending on your level of fitness. Regardless of how much weight you can lift, make each set count and focus on the proper form for each exercise!

Here’s a nice little mass gaining workout for beginners. Try it three days a week. The exercises in this workout are suitable for beginners; it will allow you to develop strength and progress to more challenging exercises. If you don’t know how to do the exercises then YouTube is your best friend. You’ll be amazed at the value for home gyms over at amazon.co.uk too.

Bench – 3×8

Squats – 3×10

Bench Dips – 3×10

Barbell Rows – 3 x 8

This workout routine will target the chest, triceps, back, glutes, and quads, so you really hit a lot of muscle groups. Make sure to do some stretching after the workout to reduce muscle soreness the next day.

After your workout, you should eat some lean protein and carbohydrates. When carbs and protein are combined it helps transport the protein to the muscle, to assist with recovery. Something along the lines of skinless chicken breast and brown rice will do fine. Alternatively, you could have a post workout protein shake.

And that is it! Try it out and see how you feel. You may be sore after the first day, but it’s common and will always happen to people that are just starting out. If you find the exercises are not challenging enough, it’s time to start lifting heavier weights and changing up your workout routine! If you want to build muscle and improve your physique, it’s critical that you focus on making progression with your workouts.

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