How To Gain Weight Without Getting Fat
Contrary to a lot of what you will hear from the mouths of the body building guru’s it is very possible to build plenty of lean muscle to increase body weight without the negative side effect of increased body fat. It really just comes down to the right knowledge.
As a matter of fact it is even possible to build muscle while you burn fat! Now I’m sure that there will be those who would call this body building heresy but it is the absolute truth for those with the right genetics.
It is not an easy regiment to follow but it’s possible. I myself have done it and I know several others who have too. For now we’ll lay the foundation for a plan that will get you started on gaining muscle weight without increasing your body fat percentage to the point of being fat.
We guarantee that if you have the discipline and dedication to start and continue in this simple (but not necessarily easy) program you will notice massive changes in a very short time.
Obviously “very short time” is relative. Will you stack on 20 lbs of muscle in a month? Not without an incredibly unhealthy dose of the illegal stuff.
Contrary again to the gurus however it is possible to gain a lot more than the 7 – 8 lbs a year that they say is possible when going about things naturally. I know of testimony after testimony and I have my own as well, it is possible to stack on far more than this.
In our experience we are convinced based on proven results that it is very possible to see gains as high as 25 lbs in just 16 weeks. This is based on a totally natural diet.
These numbers are for beginners and amateurs to muscle building. Obviously keeping up this pace is not possible but even if you only do it once, do you have any idea what an extra 25 lbs of muscle would do to your physique and strength?
Even if you are the hardest gainer on the planet and this is doubled to 32 weeks these are much more impressive numbers than the 8 lbs a year preached by many. It is not that hard to force your body to grow naturally even if you’re a “hard gainer”.
There are three legs to the foundation of a good muscle building program. They are nutrition, training and rest. We told you this would be simple but not necessarily easy. We’ll make some brief comments on each leg of this foundation to help point you in the right direction.
Nutrition.
Okay, no doubt this will probably be your biggest obstacle. It is where the majority of ignorance lies. It is where people make their biggest and most frequent mistakes. It is also where people cheat the most, fail the most and give up on the most.
In our experience it can be as hard to maintain a muscle building diet as it can be to maintain a fat burning one.
You are going to have to eat like a horse!
You are going to have to eat even when your not hungry. Here are some very simple starting point tips.
- Eat 16 times your body weight per day in calories. Your target is 1 – 2 lbs per week. Any more or less adjust your calories accordingly in 200 cal. increments.
- 3 – 4 grams of carbs per day per pound of body weight. Try to make as much of it as you can complex carbs (eg. oatmeal, whole grain bread).
- 1 gram of protein per day per pound of body weight. Divide this up between all your daily meals.
- Get plenty of unsaturated essential fats in your diet. You will need this to maintain high levels of testosterone which is necessary to build muscle.
- Eat a huge breakfast and then at least once every 3 hours until bed time. Protein / carb shakes 20 min before a workout and then a good meal right afterward.
Training.
One of the biggest mistakes that people make is on how often and for how long they need to be in the gym. It is surprisingly less than what most think. 3 times per week with at least 1 rest day in between them and for no more than 35 minutes a time.
I can hear boo’s coming from all the fools that refuse to give their bodies the necessary recovery time it needs to maximize the benefits of their gym time. Again, it’s been proven to us over and over by our own experience and by hundreds of testimonies this is all you need.
This will help to make the time in the gym much less invasive on your life which will in turn, make you much less likely to give up on your goals.
Here are some brief training tips to help you get on the right path.
- You should primarily use multiple muscle working exercises (eg. squats, dead lifts, clean and presses, clean and jerks, bench and military presses, rows, chin / pull ups, dips). These will work multiple muscles at one time which better improves functional and explosive strength as well as decrease the amount of time it takes to finish a work out.
- High weight and lower reps to start. 80% of your maximum ability per exercise and 3 sets of 4 – 6 reps.
- Use super sets to keep your cardio levels higher, maximizing blood flow to the muscles. This will also decrease the time you have to spend at the gym.
Last is rest. Not a whole lot of tips here. Try to get a good nights sleep every night. Leave at least one day off between training days. Even though this is a very simple part of your plan it is an absolutely necessary one.
If you don’t rest your muscles will not recover and therefore will not grow.
So prepare for a battle with your will in the nutrition department. As far as the gym goes “get in, get done, get out” is our motto. Be sure to get your rest. You will be well on your way to reaching massive gains with this basic plan.
More Awesome Muscle Building Stuff
How To Get Bigger Muscles
We use tried and proven methods both in the gym and in your diet. We like to give it to you straight. Our purpose here is to just very quickly outline our three foundations to building massive amounts of lean muscle naturally and quickly.
Our three foundations are Nutrition, Training and Rest.
Nutrition.
No doubt in our minds this is where the biggest and most mistakes are made.
Just like in dieting to burn fat or loose weight, dieting to build muscle takes discipline and work. Many argue that nutrition is the most important part of muscle building. I’m not sure we would agree with that. If you eat right but don’t train you won’t grow and visa versa.
If you don’t rest you won’t grow either. Rather than see it as the most important part we see it as one of the foundations of muscle building without which you will not grow.
Some basic tips on starting your muscle building diet are these:
- You should eat approx. 16 x your body weight in calories per day.
- You should include 3 – 4 grams of carbs per pound of body weight per day.
- 1 gram of lean protein per pound of body weight per day.
- You should include plenty of essential fats into your diet and don’t forget to consume plenty of fruits and veggies. A healthy body grows best.
- Last tip here will be to eat often. Start with a big breakfast and then eat every three hours right up until bed time.
Training.
One of the biggest mistakes that people make in this department is over doing it. This is especially true of beginners or amateurs.
What tends to happen is something like this:
A person sets a new years resolution to stack on some muscle one year.
They fail to do adequate research to first arm themselves with knowledge to intelligently accomplish their goal.
They have all the motivation in the world and go buck nuts in the gym until they fail to see results.
They find some bull crap information on the internet that tells them that they can only build 7 – 8 pounds of muscle per year naturally.
They get frustrated and give up.
If this has never happened to you, count yourself in the minority.
We’ve heard this story 1000’s of times. What you need is a simple but intense training regimen that abides by our motto for the gym; “get in, get done, get out”.
You only need to train for a maximum of 35-45 minutes at one time and you only need to do it 3 days a week!
You should always allow for a day of rest and recovery between training days. Keep your weight high and your reps low.
The weight you use should leave you capable of 8 – 12 reps per exercise. To get your time in the gym down we always recommend using compound exercises in super sets.
By compound exercises we me lifts or movements that require several of your bodies muscles to complete the lift. Not only does working multiple muscles at once get your routine done with quicker it more effectively builds explosive functional strength.
Rest.
This is simple.
Take a day off between training days as we mentioned before. Be sure to get plenty of sleep at night. If it is possible, try to sleep on a fairly consistent schedule. When you rest you recover and grow. Without it you will significantly impact your results.
So, prepare yourself to face the muscle building diet monster (it is possible to slay). When you train, get in, get done and get out.
Finally, get plenty of rest. If you make this the foundation of your muscle building plan, you will grow.
What To Look For In A Weight Training DVD
If you’re looking for some insight on finding a good weight training DVD for you to follow then read on. One of the first things you should consider before even trying to find a DVD program is what it is you want one for.
We promise you, if you are looking at weight training videos as a short cut to reaching your goals you’re probably not going to find this article helpful unless you take this piece of advice; scrap that stupid idea.
At best, short cuts don’t work, have never worked and will never work and at worst, many of them promote products or programs that can actually be damaging to your health.
So, if a short cut is what your looking for our first recommendation is; “change what your looking for”. If you’re committed to doing the work necessary achieve you physical goals however, and are looking for a video program to help take some of the planning off your hands and would like the hands on advice of a trained pro then you’ve taken the first right step. The process of looking within your self is not yet over though.
The next step is determining in your mind what it is you are looking to achieve by following a DVD program.
Determining this will help you to more intelligently find and fit a program to the goals that you’ve set for yourself.
Whether it is fat loss, strength increasing, muscle building, endurance training or whatever, different programs will produce different results so figure this out first.
These next tips are going to be more general but true for all video programs. Once you’ve determined the above details of the training process run the videos and trainers you are considering through some of these simple tests.
First, do they know what they are talking about?
Now, we understand that part of the reason you are choosing a video is because of the help you want from somebody who knows what they are talking about because you yourself might not.
We’re not asking you to become a pro yourself so you can evaluate everything that’s asked of you in light of your own professional knowledge.
What we mean is do they seem knowledgeable in the field in which they are offering advice?
Do they provide you with the “why’s” of what they are asking you to do?
I am convinced that knowledge is a very important key to achieving your goals. Your mind is designed with a desire to know.
Providing your mind with intelligent reasons for why you should do things a certain way will help you to use your intelligent mind to keep you on track and away from pitfalls.
Second, Testimonials.
Are people who’ve had or have the same goals as you achieving them by following the program you are considering? We would say that this is absolutely essential to your evaluation process.
Before and after photos, written or video testimonials and even better first hand word of mouth testimonies are a great way to help you find the program that you are looking for.
Are the trainers or programs recognized by famous people or respected organizations? If the stars are using it (for real that is) then it probably works.
Third, does the video program begin at a level that you are at? It is very easy to see the results of incredibly intense video programs and get all emotionally drawn in to buy when in reality it is at a level that is beyond your current ability.
The opposite of this problem is also very possible as well. Too light of a system for your current ability.
Make sure that the program starts where you are at now and brings you to the place you want to be or at least to a place that is well on the way to the place you want to be.
How To Choose The Right Weight Lifting Shoes
Choosing the right footwear is probably the most crucial decision you will make with regards to your gym attire. In the areas of safety, stability and comfort the shoes you wear will have the greatest impact on your time at the gym.
Other than covering up your naked butt the rest of your attire doesn’t play all too critical or functional of a purpose but the shoes you wear will play a very critical and functional role.
Let’s start with why good gym shoes are important.
The primary reason is safety.
I had a terrible experience at the in house gym where I work.
The SMITH Machine I was doing squats on was not bolted to the ground!
With 6 45 lb plates on a 50 lb bar resting on my shoulders and about half way down for my first squat the entire rack tipped forward towards me, lifting the back of the SMITH machine about 4 or 5 inches off the ground throwing me completely off balance.
Fortunately, because of fast reflexes, not being tired yet because it was my first rep and because I was wearing my very supportive work boots I was able to regain my balance and push the SMITH machine back to balance as well. I walked away with a slightly pulled groin muscle but obviously it could have been violently worse.
I know that my foot wear was not the only factor in recovering my balance but I believe that it helped a lot.
The primary reason choosing proper footwear for the gym is that it makes up part of a safety net of proper support to help prevent injury. You will not meet your physical goals in the gym if you are at home injured.
Proper footwear will help to prevent injury by providing the proper support you need while training.
Now, no doubt just like any other product or industry in the world there are high quality products that live up to the claims and advertising of the company and there are useless products that only prove their companies advertising and claims to be bull crap.
We want to give you some basic tips for finding the right pair of weight training shoes.
Just like every other sport or exercise in the world (eg. soccer, baseball, football, golf, rugby, tennis, sprinting, running etc.) there are shoes specifically designed for weight training in the gym.
Our first recommendation is using the right shoe for the job.
A weight lifting shoe should fit snugly on your whole foot and ankle. Most will lace from above the ankle right down to the toe to create a snug fit throughout the entire ankle and foot for all foot widths.
There should be an added adjustable strap at both the ankle and metatarsal area of the foot for added ankle support and lateral support. The sole should be non-compressible as you can’t achieve perfect balance on an imperfect spongy foundation.
The tread should be made of neoprene or crepe to provide maximum grip on the surface of the floor of the gym.
Personal comfort will be important too. Be sure to shop around and find something that works for you.
We would strongly recommend that you make fashion your very last priority when shopping for a lifting shoe.
Fact is, proper support is essential to proper form and proper form is essential to effective training and effective training is essential to maximizing benefit.
Proper support and proper form are the primary ways injury is prevented. Injury is obviously a major hindrance to achieving maximum benefits.
The logic is inescapable. Get yourself some weight training shoes and start lifting like a pro.
Why Weight Gain Drugs Hurt You Instead of Help
So, you need to gain weight.
If you’re like everyone else it’s probably muscle weight and not fat that you want to gain it in. What we are going to talk about in this article should not come to you as a surprise.
We know, that you know, that the pharmaceutical and nutritional supplement industries are multi-billion dollar industries. As a result, just like all other multi-billion dollar industries they are filled with false claims, useless products, wastes of money and even outright evil corruption.
Fact is, for every good piece of information, good supplement or good piece of training equipment, there are probably 100 bull crap, harmful or useless ones.
Next to diet and fat loss drugs and supplements, weight gain drugs and supplements are probably a close second for being the worst of them all.
That is only the case because of our nation having more obese and fat people that want to be skinny than it does skinny people that want to put on muscle. Should these statistics ever reverse themselves you will see the drug and supplement situation reverse as well.
So, why shouldn’t you take weight gain drugs? Well, in our “no bull” fashion we’ll give it to you straight up and then expound a bit more. They are quite often harmful to your health. They are absolutely unnecessary and not as effective as proper nutrition. They are brutally expensive.
The first reason is obviously our primary concern.
Did you know that every side effect or possibly harmful ingredient is not always and does not always have to be listed on the bottle?
The fact is many weight gain drugs and supplements contain ingredients that have been proven to be harmful in other countries around the world and have been banned from use there.
But, because our regulations are different than other countries or are maybe a bit behind in research in some areas the bad stays in.
What is most infuriating is that it is often the same pharmaceutical or supplement companies that make their drugs for one country without the harmful ingredients, because they wouldn’t be allowed to sell it there otherwise, will still put it in the products and to sell it to us! Be on your guard with what you put into your body.
Do your own research before you trust their claims. Do not be deceived, these companies are businesses that are driven by power and money long before they are driven by their desire to really and truly improve your health.
Fact is, unless you truly have a serious health problem like a pituitary gland disorder (the gland that produces growth hormone), you do not need weight gain drugs.
If you do require the use of drugs because of a real and serious condition you still need to do your own research and find the best all natural supplements available to help you battle your condition.
For the rest of you relatively healthy people it should be all about your nutrition and training program. What most people don’t realize is just how much you really should be eating in a day to help you grow.
16 times your body weight a day in calories to start. Increase or decrease by 250 calories per day up or down. Your target should be 1 – 2 pounds per week of increased body weight.
Increase calories if you are below this mark and decrease if you are hitting numbers above it. 3 – 4 grams of carbohydrates per day per pound of body weight. 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day.
Essential fats are necessary to building lean muscle as well. Drink fast acting carb and protein shakes 20 minutes before and just after your training.
Eat a big breakfast every day. Never go more than 3 hours without eating a meal. You have to eat like it is your job to do so. Combine this with 3 35 minute long training routines per week.
Use multi-muscle group exercises like squats, dead lifts, chin ups, bench and military presses, dips, clean and presses etc. Use about 80% of your maximum weight and do 3 sets of 4 – 6 reps of each of the exercises you choose for that week.
You can use super sets to get your routine done faster. Get in, get done, get out is our motto for the gym. If you follow a plan like this, unless you have a health problem that is preventing your muscles from developing, you will gain lean muscle mass very quickly.
In fact, your body is quite capable of putting on 15 – 25 pounds of muscle in about 16 weeks.
Lastly, if your money situation is anything like most of us, there is just enough for you to continue to live the way that you have structured your life.
Or, like many, not quite enough. The last thing you need to add to your budget is the unnecessary expense of possibly harmful and probably useless drugs and supplements.
Just to clarify, we are certainly not implying that all nutritional supplements are bad and unnecessary.
Protein and meal replacement shakes are a great way to get the necessary numbers into your daily diet plan.
Vitamins, essential oils, minerals etc. can and will often come in the form of very beneficial supplements. Simply put, be very careful of what you put into your body.
A good sign to watch our for is ridiculous claims. Don’t allow you’re emotions to lead you to making foolish decisions because of them being tickled by fancy, flashy advertising or by exaggerated and ridiculous claims. Use your intellect to lead you when making decisions. Your intellect requires facts.
This will help keep you away from the bad and on the safe and healthy path to fulfilling your goals.
So, start your new job of eating like a horse. Train hard at them gym. Get in, get done and get out. Get plenty of rest. You will grow.
