Ask Dr Nerenberg | Health and Fitness

how to gain weight + muscle?

i am 17, male, weigh about 130 and am about 5 10. i am skinny but i want to gain weight. i am drinking premium nutrition protein shakes twice, once in the morning and once after workout. also i am vegetarian. i want to gain more weight and muscle, what more should i be doing?

Hey there,
The biggest mistake when building muscle is imitating Bodybuilders. Most of those people don’t train naturally, are genetically gifted and never started training that way. Doing their routines won’t make you build muscle fast at all.
The average person needs a different approach. One that builds muscle in a short time and prevents physical & mental overtraining from doing too much, too soon. Here’s a good way how to build muscle and gain weight:

1. Become Stronger.
More strength is more muscle. Get into strength training. I recommend weight lifting because it allows you to start light and add weight endlessly. Start with an empty bar. Learn proper technique. Add weight each workout to keep pushing your body out of comfort zone. You can also do calisthenics : Push-ups, Pull-ups, Pistols, etc. Switch to harder versions or add weight when they become easy.

2. Use Free Weights.
You can lift the heaviest weights using barbells. More weight is more stress, thus more muscle. Dumbbells are amazing for assistance exercises, but not for your head lifts. It’s Safe, Efficient, Functional and versatile.

3. Train Your Legs.
Squats work your whole body, they’re the most efficient exercise. You’ll look totally different once you can Squat 1.5x your body-weight. That’s a free weight Squat with hips coming lower than knees.

4. Get Recovery.
Pro athletes workout 5-6 times per week. But they didn’t begin that way. They added workouts as they got stronger & bigger. You’ll overtrain if you jump straight into their routines. As a beginner you must have more recovery. Make sure you rest, sleep, drink enough water and eat properly. “Eat like a horse. Sleep like a baby. Grow like a weed”.

5. Eat Whole Foods. You’ll obtain a lower body fat, so the muscles you’ve built show better. And the vitamin & mineral content helps recovery. Stop eating food coming from a box. Eat whole foods 90% of the time.

Proteins: poultry, fish, whey, milk,
Carbs.: whole grain pasta, quinoa,
Veggies: tomato, carrot,
Fruits: orange, apple, peers,
Fats : fish oil, real butter, nuts, flax seeds,

6. Eat More.
You need food for energy and for muscle development & recovery. Eat before you workout. Get proteins & carbs post workout to help muscle recovery & replenish energy store. Eat Every 3 Hours. 6 meals/day intake of protein, accelerates muscle repair & recovery.

7. Gain Weight.
You’ll never look strong weighing 140lbs at 6″. No matter how much training you do. Here’s the most important part. Eat Calorie Dense Foods. Become Stronger. Drink Whole Milk.

8. Consume Protein.
Proteins have the highest thermic effect. You need 1g protein for each pound of body-weight daily to build & maintain muscle. That’s 160g of daily protein if you weigh 160lbs/72kg. Eat whole proteins with in your meal.

To see an article about a program that helped me and many others gain muscles and weight enter the following link:

http://www.squidoo.com/no-nonsense-review

Cheers !

Unbiased Nutritional Supplement Review: Muscle Milk Light Ready to Drink Cartons (Final Grade: B-)

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