Overview
Although most people begin working out to lose weight, there are people who want to gain weight. Often, if you are looking to gain weight, you have a high metabolism and a very thin body. The goal isn’t simply to gain weight, but to gain muscle weight. You can’t gain muscle wait by eating more, so you have to be selective about what you eat and work your muscles to get the results you want.
Step 1
Calculate your current caloric intake. Log what you eat for a few days to get a good idea of your average daily calorie levels.
Step 2
Increase how many calories you eat. To gain weight, you have to take in more calories than you do currently. To gain muscle instead of fat, take in lean protein calories. Lean proteins include eggs, fish, ground sirloin, pork loin, pork chops, chicken, turkey or edamame. Avoid fatty forms of protein such as bacon and hot dogs to prevent weight gain from fat accumulation.
Step 3
Eat six meals a day. Your stomach can only handle a certain amount of food at one time. Instead of trying to fit more food into fewer meals, add a few more meals during the day. Pack high-protein snacks and feed yourself every few hours throughout the day.
Step 4
Lift weights. To gain muscle, not fat, you have to work your muscles. Focus on heavy muscle lifting such as squats, bench press, military press, dead lifts and chin-ups. These exercises work the large muscles in your body, helping you to gain muscle weight. Use a one day on, one day off approach
Step 5
Use supplements. The two best products for gaining muscle weight are creatine monohydrate and weight gain shakes. These products help build muscle when combined with a high-protein diet and a consistent weightlifting workout schedule.
About this Author
Katie Duzan is an accomplished writer who lives in Cary, N.C. She has been a writer since 2006. She has published a variety of articles on websites such as eHow, LIVESTRONG and Overstock.com. Duzan holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration and computer information systems from the University of Arkansas.
