[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_facebook type=”standard”][vc_tweetmeme type=”horizontal”][vc_column_text]You wake up, crawl out of bed and head into the bathroom. Your eyes half open, they’re still sensitive as you flip on the lights. You see the scale in the corner and your heart flutters for a second.
You know you’re going to step on it, but will it be different this time?
You step on the scale and you wait patiently while the numbers change and finally stop. As the final number flashes in front of you a feeling of disappointment washes over you. The same as yesterday. The same as last week. The same as last year.
You look at your body in the mirror and it seems as if it could possibly collapse under the weight of your head.
You can’t gain weight. It sucks.
I’ve been there and I’ve escaped. Now the scale moves on my command.
I’ve also helped others escape that place and there are habits that skinny people share which are holding them back.
Here they are and here’s what you can do about them:
You think you eat more than you actually do
Whenever someone tells me they can’t gain weight I ask how much they eat and the answer is usually “I eat TONS”. When I ask them to keep track of it for a few days it’s usually a different story. Eating a lot is a relative term, eating ENOUGH is what you need.
A big meal can make you feel like you eat a lot but the calories you consume for the rest of the day probably aren’t enough. Or maybe you had one good day of big eating, but do you do that every day consistently? Probably not.
Nobody can eat an unlimited amount of calories. You need to add food until it’s enough to move the scale, and then you need to do that day in, day out.
You do too many isolation movements
Skinny people always look at where they want to add muscle and do isolation movements to bring up those body parts, but if you look like a coat hanger then you need muscle everywhere, not just those places.
The exercises that are going to put on muscle and move the scale up the fastest are the big, compound lifts. Things like squats, deadlifts, rows, chin ups, push ups, dips, and the bench press are going to add serious muscle and strength to your frame faster than anything else could. Focus on adding weight and volume to these movements.
You don’t train with enough volume
Think about this for a second.
How many times have you gone to a gym to see a skinny kid squirming under a bar trying to hit a one rep max? I bet you’ve seen it before, and if you’re a skinny person reading this you’ve probably done it yourself. I’m guilty of it too, I’ll be the first to admit it.
Let me also tell you that trying to constantly test my strength like that did nothing for me in terms of gaining weight. This is because to gain muscle I needed to train with a higher volume. Try to aim for between and 30 and 50 total reps per exercise. This can be split up into 3×10, 4×10, 4×8, 5×10, etc. There are many different combinations that work here.
You don’t train your legs and back enough
Whenever I start focusing on training my squat my bodyweight usually increases by a few pounds within the first week or so. The muscles of the leg and back are the biggest muscles in your body so why wouldn’t you make them a priority? A strong back is also needed to be strong in pretty much anything.
Squat, Deadlift, Row, Chin Up.
You’re afraid to lose your “abs”
If you’re skinny your abs don’t count. Not sorry. Abs support the spine when performing feats of strength and only look good when the rest of you actually looks like it can perform a feat of strength.
Accept that they’re gonna disappear for a bit while you put on some muscle. When you’ve gained an appreciable amount of muscle then you can always set aside a few weeks to lose some fat and see them again. It’s funny because the people who are afraid to gain fat are usually the people who know how to lose it.
Go forth and gain
Gaining weight is simple, but for skinny people it’s not easy. Eat ENOUGH, do the big lifts with sufficient volume, and don’t be afraid to put on a little fat. Do all of these consistently and I promise you’ll come out a larger, stronger person on the other side.
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