Gaining weight for some people is difficult. Many people try to use weight gain pills, which, unfortunately, do not work. These people are typically what the medical world calls ectomorphs. Ectomorphs have a body shape that is tall and thin boned and has a difficult time gaining body fat and muscle mass. They easily lose weight, making it even more difficult to maintain the weight that they might have gained. However, all is not lost; there are several things that a person can do to gain weight. I will describe below what can be done to be successful without turning to drugs like anabolic steroids or SARMS.
Lifting Weights
One of the best things to do to gain weight is to lift weights. Lifting weights increase muscle protein synthesis. When muscle protein synthesis is increased muscle mass is increased, causing weight gain. The best exercises to help with weight gain are squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and other free weight exercises. I recommend doing at least 8 to 10 reps of the exercises I mentioned above. I also recommend doing the upper body one day and then lower body the next day. For example, day one will be five sets of bench press, five sets of dips, and five sets of another machine exercise that works the pectoral muscles. Then the next day, five sets of leg press, five sets of leg curls, and five sets of another machine that works the quadriceps muscles. The more one exercises, the better their chances are for weight gain.
Eating Lots of Protein
The next step to gaining weight is to increase one protein intake. Protein yields four calories per gram consumed. The average person should consume about 2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight. Protein will help the body stay in a positive nitrogen state. A positive nitrogen state means that the muscles in the body are not breaking down. The body continually goes back and forth between a negative net protein balance and positive protein balance. The key is to keep the body in a positive nitrogen state to continue to grow muscle mass. Protein should be consumed at least once every three to four hours.
If you are a vegan and do not eat eggs, getting your protein is simple. The highest quality vegan protein is from lentils. The brand name is Lentein, and it is rich in BCAA’s and is a complete protein. It was also recently discovered to contain vitamin B12, which most vegan proteins are lacking. Other high-quality vegan sources of protein are rice protein and pea protein isolate. Try to consume at least 30 to 40 grams of plant protein pre or post workout for optimal recovery.
People that want to gain weight should avoid the following:
- Caffeine. Caffeine increases cortisol, which is a catabolic hormone that increases metabolism.
- Sugar. Sugar will lead to fat gains. One wants to gain muscle, not fat.
- Artificial ingredients are bad for your health.
In conclusion, there are no shortcuts to gaining weight. Buying weight gain pills will not work. Once most eat a lot of protein plus train with free weights in order to be successful. Proteinfactory.com has many high-quality protein powders that can be utilized to supplement the diet.
