I Can't Gain Weight

I hear this a lot… “I can’t gain weight” (you should read the previous line in a really whiny, annoying voice).  I fully realize that this issue is for a minority of those exercising, but it bears covering.  Besides losing weight is really easy, eat less and control insulin… that about covers it.  I know, I know, you have a gland problem or some sort of condition that prohibits weight loss… it is called eating.  I digress.  Gaining weight is pretty easy too.  There are some interesting ways out there to accomplish a weight gain.  I once tried one popularized decades ago, called GOMAD (gallon of milk a day).  I couldn’t quite manage the whole gallon of WHOLE milk, but I was drinking around three gallons per week.  I will skip to the end of the story… I got really fat.  I went from 165 lbs to 190 in a very brief time frame.  I got a bunch stronger, but checking the mailbox felt like I was running a 5k.  I don’t recommend it.  My latest endeavor into the world of weight gain has progressed a bit slower and with more thought. I went from 175ish lbs to 185ish in about 6 months.  In light of my latest success, I have some practical suggestions if you want to get stronger and put on some quality weight.

Back squat.  I am a big believer that eating will follow training.  If you kill it in the gym, you will get hungry.  This is one of the problems with exercising to lose weight.  I say instead back squat to gain weight!  If you back squat 5 sets of 5 and end the session with blood vessels bursting in your eyes (also not recommended) you will be hungry, and this heavy compound movement leads to a large hormonal release.

Eat lots of meat (or Tofu beast… this is for one of my favorite readers).  If you want to put on muscle, the body needs protein.  This shouldn’t be a shocking.  I suggest at least one gram of protein per lb of bodyweight minimum.

Eat a bunch more.  This doesn’t sound very technical, but it is still useful advice.  Do your best to stick with whole foods such as veggies, fruit and the more dense potatoes. 

Drink whole milk.  This natural concoction helps babies grow as well as adults.  It is full of a great balance of macronutrients and has a big insulin affect.  It also is the perfect thing to mix your protein powder and coffee with for a workout shake. 

Forget the abs.  It is very difficult to gain strength and muscle (unless you are a beginner) without gaining a bit bodyfat.  Relax… that stuff is easy to lose, just reverse the above list.