There’s no easy way to gain weight fast and can be challenging, but the good news is that it can be achieved if you maintain your discipline. Many professionals recommend a sound approach to weight gain.
If you want to build muscle or add weight which is not fat, you need to take a balanced approach to your diet, training and sleeping routines.
Get the basics in place
The first thing you need to change is the way you sleep. You need to ensure you have enough resting time each night.
This should be at least 8 hours of sleep. Sleeping is one of the best natural ways to improve testosterone levels which is crucial for weight gain.
If you want to sleep better you need to make sure the air in the bedroom is fresh every night.
You also want to limit the heat in the room as it is, generally, better to sleep in a cooler room.
Lack of sleep can lead to weight loss, especially for hard gainers or people with a high metabolism. You need to ensure you take sleeping seriously and follow a strict schedule.
You then need to ensure you have a decent training routine that allows you to put on muscle.
There is a huge debate on what an optimal training looks like. Generally speaking, you should follow some proven tips for a good training routine:
- Limit training sessions to 45 minutes
- Take days OFF, even if you don`t feel you need them
- Follow a push/pull plan which combines muscle groups
- Focus on compound movements and perform them to perfection
- Focus on steadily increasing weights by monitoring your weekly records
When choosing a training routine you need to make sure there are enough new exercises to motivate you to train harder.
This is only possible if you manage good sleeping patterns and eat the right foods.
Some people recommend a split routine which sees you training each muscle group one time per week.
However, there are professionals who recommend a push/pull training program which uses multiple muscle groups in one session. A sample workout would look similar to:
Monday – Push Day – Chest and triceps routine + shoulders
Tuesday – Pull Day – Back and biceps routine + traps
Wednesday – Legs day – give the upper body a rest and train legs
Thursday – Push Day – back to pushing exercises
Friday – Pull Day
You can now take two off days for Saturday and Sunday or you could train legs another time and rest for a single day per week.
Depending on how hard it is to put on weight, you could even turn Thursday into an off day and give the body some well-deserved resting time.
Eat the right foods
Nutrition is the single most important factor when it comes to gaining weight fast.
You can do it by eating junk food and get some unhealthy fats and an increased cholesterol level.
Or you could try a balanced approach and choose the right foods for your muscle gaining plan.
Top tips to gain weight fast
Measure your caloric intake – there is no way around this, you need to count your daily calories.
Once you know how much you eat you can start adding 200 calories into your daily diet. You can also use a free online calculator to estimate what your caloric needs are for your height, weight and age.
The best way to approach gaining weight is by adding a small number of calories to your diet which will not be too impactful on the body.
Spread the meals throughout the day – when you eat 3 big meals each day you might feel low energy and you might even consider skipping the next meal just to avoid the feeling.
If you eat 4 to 6 smaller meals each day you will find yourself with higher energy levels and with a constant caloric intake.
You also need to remember to balance the calories with these meals.
So if you go to the gym in the morning you can have a high carbohydrate meal after the workout which is essential for the body to recover.
Always try pushing your carbs after a workout.
Eat the right protein – you can start with the right meats such as beef, pork, chicken and fish. You want to rotate them to get a balanced approach to nutrition.
You should aim to reach the recommended 100gr per day of protein intake. However, it is not all about meat.
You could get proteins from eggs, milk and dairy products such as quark cheese. You can also get protein from soy and pees.
If you are a vegetarian you can look up other alternatives which are better suited to your situation.
Eat the right carbs – you can choose sweet potatoes, rice oats and other carbohydrate sources which will improve your weight gain plan.
Make sure you stay away from processed carbs. You can do this by preparing your own meals.
You should also avoid carbs which may get stored as fat, such as white bread and pastry products. You can replace them with brown bread instead.
Eat vegetables and fruits – you should not be afraid of eating vegetables and fruits. The sugar in fruits is not the same as processed sugar.
You want to ensure you get enough vitamins, minerals, and fibers from fresh produce and fruit and vegetables are the best sources which are easy to digest.
If you want to gain weight you can have up to 5 servings of fruits each day. You should also focus on eating the right fruits with the right combinations, such as combining Greek yogurt with berries.
Gaining weight the right way is not an easy process. You need to inform yourself on nutrition and food options in your area.
But if you follow a good plan which focuses on training, resting and eating healthy you should be on the track to reach your goals.
You can always measure the food and your weight at the end of the week to track progress.
You can adjust these variables to suit your specific needs each day. To gain weight fast you must challenge yourself and your self-motivation and discipline.
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