Knowing how to gain mass can seem tough at first, especially if you're naturally skinny and struggle to put on weight (known as an ectomorph or hardgainer in bodybuilding-speak).
Perhaps you've tried a weight training program in the past and the results were less than satisfactory; or you've just decided you've had enough and want to pack some pounds of rock hard muscle onto your frame.
Whatever your situation, I'm going to show you the top 5 skinny-guy tips on how to gain mass and get a head-turning body that'll have all the folks down the gym so jealous they'll be asking YOU for training tips.
Now, some of these tips may go against the grain of what you've been told or read in the magazines about how to gain mass, but don't worry, as these are designed for the skinny ectomorph who struggles to gain mass.
Most of the workouts in the magazines are not designed for folks like us, and so following them will often result in frustration and / or failure.
1/ Eat More When considering how to gain mass many folks neglect the importance of their diet and calorie intake, that's why I've put this as mass gain tip number 1.
For the classic skinny guy or ectomorph, this is often the biggest mistake they make when figuring out how to gain mass.
It's simple really...
if you don't feed your muscles, they can't grow.
In order to gain mass the average calorie intake should be around 3,000 calories or upwards, split between 5-6 meals per day, with a focus on protein and carbohydrates.
This will keep the supply of food and nutrients consistent.
For a male to gain mass, your protein intake should around 1-1.
2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight each day.
2/ Sleep Well Sufficient rest and recuperation is an often over-looked and neglected aspect when looking at how to gain mass.
We often feel that action is more important than in-action and so tend to see adequate rest as a waste of time.
BIG mistake! A good night's rest is essential for optimum muscle growth and mass gain, because natural growth hormones rise 30-45 minutes after falling asleep, and so 8 hours rest each night is ideal.
Too much sleep is a no-no too.
Why? Well, when you sleep you can't eat...
and if you don''t eat your body will begin looking to your muscle mass as a rich source of energy and start to break that down instead, un-doing all your hard work.
3/ All-body Exercises Are Better Than Isolation Exercises Although many of the magazines harp on about isolation exercises (i.
e.
working just your biceps, or just your quads etc.
), this is not the best approach for a skinny guy thinking about how to gain mass.
You are much better off starting with the "big-basic" exercises of Squats, Bench Press, Deadlifts, Bicep Curls, Bent Over Rows, Woodchoppers, etc.
Stick to lower reps of heavy weights, trying to always outdo what you did the last time.
These will help you gain mass and build a better balanced body.
Isolation exercises can come later when you've reached a good size and want to take things to the next level.
3 good intense workouts per week are much better than 5-6 half-assed trips to the gym.
4/ Limit Your Cardio Work Cardio work is important for overall fitness and fat loss, but since we are focused here on how to gain mass, we should limit our cardio work.
It is difficult to gain mass and lose body fat at the same time, so you should first focus on gaining muscle mass and then when you reach the right size, change your workout plan to begin cutting off the fat and losing the excess pounds to get the "ripped" look.
5/ Drink Lots Of Water Keeping hydrated is essential for your overall health but especially for gaining muscle mass.
Hydrated muscles repair themselves faster and so growth and mass gain is more rapid.
Also, due to your increased protein intake your kidneys will require more water in order to flush away the toxins which are naturally produced when protein is broken down.
The key here is being organised and approaching mass gain with a plan of action, where you know what to eat, when to eat it, how to train and what your workout plan is over the coming months.
Perhaps you've tried a weight training program in the past and the results were less than satisfactory; or you've just decided you've had enough and want to pack some pounds of rock hard muscle onto your frame.
Whatever your situation, I'm going to show you the top 5 skinny-guy tips on how to gain mass and get a head-turning body that'll have all the folks down the gym so jealous they'll be asking YOU for training tips.
Now, some of these tips may go against the grain of what you've been told or read in the magazines about how to gain mass, but don't worry, as these are designed for the skinny ectomorph who struggles to gain mass.
Most of the workouts in the magazines are not designed for folks like us, and so following them will often result in frustration and / or failure.
1/ Eat More When considering how to gain mass many folks neglect the importance of their diet and calorie intake, that's why I've put this as mass gain tip number 1.
For the classic skinny guy or ectomorph, this is often the biggest mistake they make when figuring out how to gain mass.
It's simple really...
if you don't feed your muscles, they can't grow.
In order to gain mass the average calorie intake should be around 3,000 calories or upwards, split between 5-6 meals per day, with a focus on protein and carbohydrates.
This will keep the supply of food and nutrients consistent.
For a male to gain mass, your protein intake should around 1-1.
2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight each day.
2/ Sleep Well Sufficient rest and recuperation is an often over-looked and neglected aspect when looking at how to gain mass.
We often feel that action is more important than in-action and so tend to see adequate rest as a waste of time.
BIG mistake! A good night's rest is essential for optimum muscle growth and mass gain, because natural growth hormones rise 30-45 minutes after falling asleep, and so 8 hours rest each night is ideal.
Too much sleep is a no-no too.
Why? Well, when you sleep you can't eat...
and if you don''t eat your body will begin looking to your muscle mass as a rich source of energy and start to break that down instead, un-doing all your hard work.
3/ All-body Exercises Are Better Than Isolation Exercises Although many of the magazines harp on about isolation exercises (i.
e.
working just your biceps, or just your quads etc.
), this is not the best approach for a skinny guy thinking about how to gain mass.
You are much better off starting with the "big-basic" exercises of Squats, Bench Press, Deadlifts, Bicep Curls, Bent Over Rows, Woodchoppers, etc.
Stick to lower reps of heavy weights, trying to always outdo what you did the last time.
These will help you gain mass and build a better balanced body.
Isolation exercises can come later when you've reached a good size and want to take things to the next level.
3 good intense workouts per week are much better than 5-6 half-assed trips to the gym.
4/ Limit Your Cardio Work Cardio work is important for overall fitness and fat loss, but since we are focused here on how to gain mass, we should limit our cardio work.
It is difficult to gain mass and lose body fat at the same time, so you should first focus on gaining muscle mass and then when you reach the right size, change your workout plan to begin cutting off the fat and losing the excess pounds to get the "ripped" look.
5/ Drink Lots Of Water Keeping hydrated is essential for your overall health but especially for gaining muscle mass.
Hydrated muscles repair themselves faster and so growth and mass gain is more rapid.
Also, due to your increased protein intake your kidneys will require more water in order to flush away the toxins which are naturally produced when protein is broken down.
The key here is being organised and approaching mass gain with a plan of action, where you know what to eat, when to eat it, how to train and what your workout plan is over the coming months.