Remember you can't force a square peg into a round hole here, your genetics make up 75% of you so if you are an ectomorph (long limbs, narrow shoulders and hips) you are going to have to work very hard to build up some muscle and change your shape. Having said that on the plus side, did you know that Brad Pitt is infact a famous ectomorph? and look how he transformed himself for the film that really skyrocketed him to fame FightClub.
Nutrition Counts!
In order to gain weight you are going to have to take in more calories than your body uses on a daily basis. Otherwise you are just going to burn off any of the muscle that you are trying to build. The downside to this is that you are going to have to eat more than your body is comfortable with initially. Don't worry this will change over time and your body will start to adapt and absorb the extra food.
Calculate Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
This is important as you need to find out how many calories (energy) you are using up on a daily basis and you need to ensure you are eating more than you are using. You will need your height in cms, your current body weight measurement paper and pen and a calculator to do this.
Men: BMR = 66+ (13.7 x Weight in Kgs) + (5 x height in cms) - (6.8 x Age)
Women: BMR =655+ (9.6 x Weight in Kgs) + 1.8 x height in cms) - (4.7 x age)
Example: Male, Age 30 Height 6ft 4ins (193cms) Weight 9st11lbs (68kgs)
BMR = 66 + 932 + 965 - 204 = 1759 calories per day.
This is the energy used before any activity this is merely to keep you alive at this weight.
Remember if you have a physically demanding job or are also exercising 3-5 days per week you need to multiply 1759 x1.55 = 2726cals per day.
Mind bogling Isn't it? fortunately when I assess my new clients, I have a scale that calculates this for me.
To gain 1lb of muscle you need to take in an extra 2,500 cals per week or say an extra 400 cals per day. This also depends on individual metabolism so you may require more or less you would need to monitor this and also make sure you are gaining muscle and not fat.
I would recomend that you fill out a nutritional diary and log everything you eat you would be amazed how this helps when you are focusing on both weight loss and weight gain.
Best Foods For Muscle Gain
Wholegrain Rice
Wholegrain Pasta
Quinoa
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Wholemeal Bread
Chicken
Turkey
Fish - Tuna, salmon, mackerel, cod, shellfish
Eggs
Nuts
Lean Red Meat
Dairy Products, skimmed milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese,
Protein Shakes (worth their weight in gold)
Protein Bars (ditto)
NB: Don't forget your fruit and veggies, they are packed with essential nutrients that are vital to help your body repair and grow.
You need to aim for 6 meals per day, remember 3 of these will be in snack form for example protein shake, bar or similar. If you are unfamiliar with or unsure about protein supplements, they are ideal to use to supplement your weight gain diet, we use Herbalife Nutritional Products ourselves and they are fantastic, you can view these on our site http://fithealthyhappy.biz View the section on Weight Gain.
NB: Do not leave more than 3 hrs between meals this is crucial, you need to keep your body fuelled.
Good Luck
If you need professional 1-1 advice and a monitored training plan you would benefit from coming to see us check out our website at Personal Trainer Brighton and Hove Website
Have a look at FitFoxy's new website at Diet and Weight Loss Specialist
For an updated version of this article go to Healthy Weight Gain
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