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In the health, fitness, and nutrition world, achieving optimal or desired body
weight is dominated by a single theme: losing weight. The vast majority of
products and services available on the market proclaim to achieve weight loss
goals, and even the (often discordant) medical community is in general harmony
when it comes to promoting weight loss options, including drugs and some
surgeries.
Overall, this is not a negative thing; especially with the Center for Disease
Control predicting that obesity (which is already considered an epidemic among
US youth) will soon become the number one preventable killer in the US,
overtaking cigarette smoking. Yet lost within this maze, and haze, of
weight-loss drive are naturally thin people who face a different challenge:
they want to gain weight; not lose it.
The Problem of Gaining Weight
The saying "a little information is a dangerous thing" applies quite
dramatically to the problem of gaining weight. The information available ?
anecdotes on the web, ignorant health care "experts" who have not actually
researched the problem of losing weight ? is generally of poor quality. In
fact, the strategy "just eat more to gain weight" is far too often the
well-meaning -- but woefully incompetent -- advice prescribed to naturally
thing people who want to gain weight.
The impact of this ignorance is a cycle that involves two concepts:
misinformation and misunderstanding. At first glance, these two words may seem
synonymous. Yet, as briefly described below, they both have their separate
roles to play in the problem of gaining weight.
* Misinformation stems from poor quality information, including anecdotal data
that has no scientific basis, which leads people to attempt implausible and
sometimes dangerous weight gain programs.
* Misunderstanding stems from the lack of results due to the misinformation
phase noted above, and leads to the erroneous conclusion that a naturally thin
individual "cannot gain weight".
Despite this dramatic problem, correcting this knowledge gap is possible, and
involves three strategies:
1. Appropriate Nutrition
2. A Complete Training Program
3. Intrinsic Motivation and Keeping Up Progress
Each of these key aspects are discussed below, but it is essential to note that
they are integrated; no element is more important than another, and they work
in a holistic, reinforcing system.
Graining Weight via Appropriate Nutrition
In the weight loss world, the word "calorie" is one of the more dreaded terms;
and it's not uncommon to find self-proclaimed diet foods that promise to help
eaters burn more calories than they consume. For naturally thin people who wish
to gain weight, however, the challenge is reversed: you need to ingest more
calories than you burn.
Unfortunately, that simple phrase ? "you need to ingest more calories than you
burn" ? represents the totality of most anecdotal (and inept) advice provided
to naturally thin people. True, while the end of gaining weight is to ingest
more calories than one burns, there is so much more information that must be
conveyed. You could just eat ice cream all day. That has plenty of calories,
right? But you would simply get fat. Why? Because all calories are not created
equal.
Yes you must eat more food, but not more junk. Otherwise, the end result of
ingesting "junk foods" (those that contain high amount of saturate fat,
trans-fat, sugar and processed carbohydrates) is that an individual may "feel"
physically bigger, but that increase will be simply an increase in unwanted
fat. Even worse, is that the desired weight gain will not be concurrent to this
increase in body fat, since fat tissue weighs so much less than muscle tissue.
The most stunning visual pointer of this biological reality is looking at Sumo
wrestlers. Indeed, while these powerful men possess a great deal of muscle,
unlike bodybuilders or heavyweight boxers, they are often best characterized by
their enormous stores of fat; and all of that fat tissue comes from a steady
diet of calories from fat (many Sumo wrestlers ingest startlingly unhealthy
amounts of junk food).
On the other hand, calories derived from high quality sources of protein,
complex carbohydrates and healthy fats are unarguably more beneficial for
adding lean muscular weight.
Foods that are high in protein include: whey protein, lean beef, poultry, eggs,
fish and dairy products.
Calories from protein are efficiently converted into muscle when supported by an
exercise plan (which will be discussed below), and the general rule of thumb
while strength training is to ingest 1 gram of protein for every pound of body
weight. This is typically more than the USFDA Recommended Dietary Intake, which
suggests about 50 grams of protein per day for adult males. However, this
recommended amount is intended for moderately active adult males who do not
need (or want) to gain weight.
Complex carbs are found in potatoes, rice, whole grain breads and beans. Healthy
fats are found in olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocadoes and raw nuts.
Another general rule is that you should consume protein as a part of every meal,
and meals should be eaten in small portions throughout the day as opposed to
large meals 1 or 2 times a day. Calories from protein can help ward off a
dramatic insulin spike that would otherwise greet fat calories (such as after
one eats a candy bar or piece of cake).
Avoiding this insulin spike, or at least preventing some of its damage, is
critical for gaining the right kind of weight (muscle) and avoiding the wrong
kind of weight (fat).
A Complete Training Program
There are more training programs available than can be catalogued; and this is,
in itself, not negative. It simply means that different people, with different
strength training goals, can follow a program that most effectively reaches
their goals. What can be negative, however, is when someone focusing on gaining
weight is provided with a training program that is either incomplete, or
completely meant for someone else; such as someone who wants to lose weight, or
convert existing excess fat into muscle. Find a program that is "specifically"
designed for your goal.
The most effective kind of strength training for "our" needs, involves free
weights. True, machines and other exercises are better than nothing at all but
free weights cause the most stress on muscle fibers, and that is precisely how
muscle is built (through the tearing and repairing of miniscule muscle fibers).
A typical strength training program for weight gain all almost always includes
compound free weight lifts like squats, bench press, shoulder press, pull-ups
(wide grip), and dips. The amount of weight used for each, the amount of reps,
and the frequency of training, will obviously be customized to suit your body
type, current strength, and strength training goals.
It's also important to note is that training too often is both dangerous and
counter-productive. More training does not equal more muscle. The body does not
become stronger during exercise; it actually becomes stronger during the repair
period between exercising. This is rather non-intuitive, but it's a basic
scientific fact. As such, it's critically important for people to avoid
over-training, and to build in appropriate rest periods between reps, sets, and
workouts.
Intrinsic Motivation and Keeping Up Progress
This may be the most neglected component of an effective weight-gain system, yet
it's easily as important as the other two noted above.
The problem of motivation is typically not one of starting. Many people have the
will and desire to start a weight gain program; at least, they do for the first
few times. Where motivation makes ? or breaks ? a weight gain program is when
it comes to monitoring progress and maintaining muscle gain.
This doesn't imply that people are weak or uninterested in progress; actually,
it's rather more complex than that. Though 1,000 people may focus, on the same
day and at the same time, on gaining weight effectively and with measurable
muscular results, it's not an exaggeration to say that each of these people
will experience something different. Some of those differences will be profound
and visible; other differences will be subtle and difficult to put into words.
The dilemma here is that people may start doubting the validity of their
program when their progress (or lack of progress) does not mirror the results
achieved by someone else. Or worse, some people may truly start doubting their
own ability to "ever gain weight" when they see someone else making apparent
progress towards their weight gain goals.
The remedy to this dilemma is contained in the term "follow-through". The key to
successful weight gain lies fundamentally in one's ability to follow-through
with a program, and to stick with it, while at the same time making appropriate
adjustments to exploit gains, and avoid disappointment. Ultimately, if the
nutrition and strength training components are in place, achieving weight gain
goals are merely a matter of time and effort; and that is where motivation
plays it's most important role.
Typical proven strategies to ensure motivation remains high and continuous
include: adjusting workouts to add some variety and avoid boredom; using
visuals (such as a before and after picture, or a video) to monitor progress;
writing down (realistic!) goals; measuring physical improvements on a bi-weekly
basis; measuring mental/psychological improvements on a bi-weekly basis;
staying focused, and of course, taking breaks when necessary.
Putting it All Into Place and Taking Action
As noted earlier, there is a disconcerting amount of poor quality (or no
quality) information available that purports to help naturally thin people gain
weight. The majority of this harmful information revolves around "eating more";
which, if it works, simply leads to the creation of permanent fat cells.
Unfortunately, for naturally thin people stuck in this cycle of misinformation
and misunderstanding, their choices are to either remain thinner than they'd
like, or put on fat pounds and risk a high body fat ratio or even obesity.
Thankfully, however, nothing needs to be created in order to help naturally thin
people succeed in their weight gain goals; scientific advancements or miracle
cures are not required. Simply, what is required is action based on what is
already available, and what has been noted above: proper nutrition, effective
strength training and self-motivation.
Ensuring that these three elements are present is the unifying theme that is
common to almost every successful weight gain story that has ever been written,
applauded, and admired.
Former "skinny guy" Anthony Ellis is the author of Gaining Mass! The most widely
used weight gain program in the world.
This unique program designed to help people gain weight and build muscle, is
currently being used in over 90 countries and boasts the largest private weight
gain forum on the Internet, with well over 13,000 members at
http://www.fastmusclegain.com
Click
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