Simple steps to weight gain
By Susan Mitchell, Fitness Consultant
Ninety nine per cent of people simply do not consume enough food calories and are eating the wrong food. It happens time after time and someone will ask me how to gain weight, my first question is: “What have you eaten today?” and without a doubt most will say not much. You have to eat to fuel the body, plain and simple. Most men do not consume sufficient amounts of protein, complex carbs, fats, and they keep feeding on simple carbs that won’t help in weight gain and muscle gain.
Overworking the muscles is another big mistake. A very big misconception is the more you work out the more your muscles will grow. This is wrong — if we subject our bodies to stresses beyond the normal level, we actually do the opposite and burn muscle due to the stress. Remember, the body will only repair when it gets proper rest and sleep following an intense workout. Anyone wishing to gain weight must be getting at least seven to nine hours’ sleep a night.
Many fail to see that gaining muscle mass goes beyond the physical. It begins with the mind, and having the right motivation and mental readiness to follow an exercise regime with adequate rest and making sure the diet is designed to promote weight gain. This means getting enough protein, simple and complex carbs, and enough calories to create the environment to gain muscle is an absolute must. We tend to be short term and want instant results; it is unrealistic to expect optimal results in a matter of days or a couple of weeks. Give yourself time — gaining a couple of pounds in a month is good, and in a year you will add 24 pounds and that will make a world of difference in overall tone.
Recognising where you need to make changes in your attitude to muscle and weight gain is the first step. By implementing these few basic pointers you can get started in the right direction to gaining muscle mass.
1. Eat frequently to fuel the body by getting more calories than your body is burning. The first step is to eat more. Try to get a least six meals a day. Have a really good breakfast for hard gainers, get some high calorie protein bars, protein supplements, or weight gain supplements, and eat foods that help to gain lean mass rather than fat, such as beef, chicken, milk, vegetables, fresh fruits, and peanut butter.
2. When lifting weights make the workout intense at least three times a week, with each session lasting not more than one hour for best results.
Follow these simple steps with proper rest, good supplements, and adequate protein and calorie gaining muscle mass, even in hard gainers, will happen.