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How to Go From Skinny to Muscular in 7 Steps (with a diet plan)

Editor’s note: This article was submitted by Mehdi, author of StrongLifts.com.

A lot of people who are skinny wish they could gain weight and a muscular physique, but don’t know where to start. And going to the gym can be intimidating when you’re a beginner.

Today we’ll look at the biggest reason people are skinny, and how to begin to build muscle, the healthy way.

If you’re skinny, you might think you eat a lot. But you probably don’t. The No. 1 reason people are skinny is because they don’t eat enough calories.

Even if you have a fast metabolism, you’ll need to eat more to gain weight. Couple that with strength training and you’ll go from skinny to muscular. Here’s how.

1. Eat More. Skinny people claim they can eat everything they want without gaining weight. The truth is, you can eat everything you want without gaining weight because you’re not eating a lot. But you can change that.

Track Calories. Track your calorie intake for a week using FitDay. You need to eat your body-weight x 20kcal daily. You’re probably hardly getting this right now. This is why you’re skinny.
Eat Body-weight x 20kcal. If you weigh 140 lbs., that’s 140 x 20 = 2800kcal daily. You’ll need about 2 weeks to get used to eating this amount of calories. Keep tracking calories using FitDay.
Add Calories. After 2 weeks, add 500kcal per day. You won’t feel like throwing up if you ate the same amount of calories the previous 14 days. At 140lbs, switch from 2800kcal to 3300kcal after 2 weeks.
Track Weight. Weigh yourself weekly. Keep eating the same amount of calories if you gain weight. If you don’t gain weight: add 500kcal per day the next week. Repeat this until you have your goal weight.

2. Eat 6x a Day. No more kicking off the day with coffee, then nothing until lunch time, then a big dinner, then some late-night snacking. Build the habit of eating 6 times a day, without forgetting in-between meals.

Eat Breakfast. Your body will use muscles for energy if you don’t eat breakfast. You want to go from skinny to muscular. Get calories from the first hour. Build the habit of eating breakfast.
Eat Every 3 Hours. Set times to eat and stick to them. Breakfast 7 a.m., snack 10 a.m., lunch 1 p.m., snack 4 p.m., dinner 7 p.m. and before bed snack 10 p.m.
Alternate Meal Size. If you eat 3000kcal daily, try 600kcal for breakfast, lunch and dinner and 400kcal for snacks. This isn’t an exact science — what counts is the calories per day/week/month, not the calories per meal.

3. Eat Calorie Dense Food. Veggies are healthy but don’t work well if you want to go from skinny to muscular. 250g broccoli for example has only 100kcal. You need calorie-dense food.

Whole Grain Carbs. Oats, rice, breads, pasta, potatoes, yams, beans, etc. 200g whole grain pasta is 700kcal.
Milk. If you don’t fear gaining some fat, go for whole milk. Else use skimmed milk. 1 liter whole milk is 500kcal.
Nuts. Almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, etc. 100g peanuts is 500kcal. Also try peanut butter.
Healthy Fats. Flax oil, liquid fish oil, olive oil, etc. 1 Tbsp. of each gets you 300kcal daily.

4. Build Strength. The stronger you become, the more muscles you’ll have. Get into strength training. Do exercises that hit several muscles at the same time: Pull-ups, Bench Press, Overhead Press, Deadlifts and most importantly, Squats.

Start with an empty barbell. Learn how to do the exercises first. Increase the weight progressively. If you dont know where to start, check StrongLifts 5×5 Strength Training Program: it takes 3 sessions of 30 minutes a week.

5. Get Protein. You need protein to build muscle and to recover from workouts. Get at least 1g of protein for every pound of bodyweight each day. Sources of protein:

Lean red meat. Beef, pork, lamb, deer, buffalo, etc.
Poultry. Chicken, turkey, duck, etc.
Fish. Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc.
Eggs. Eat the yolk, its full of vitamins.
Dairy. Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, quark, yogurt, etc.
Whey. Not necessary but great for easy post workout shakes.

If you weigh 140 lbs.: 1 can of tuna at lunch, 200g quark as snack, 300g meat at dinner and 500ml milk through the day will get you 140g protein.

6. Prepare Food in Advance. Nobody has time to cook 3 times a day. Preparing your food in advance is easier. When it’s time to eat, take it out of the fridge and put it for 2 minutes in the microwave. And you’re done.

Morning. Wake up 30-45 minutes earlier and prepare your foods for the day including breakfast. Let it cool down in the fridge while having a shower.
Evening. If you have trouble waking up early, cook your meals for the next day when coming back from work.

This isn’t as much work as it sounds. You have to make breakfast anyway, prepare your other meals in the meanwhile. Make double rations. Keep leftovers for the next day. You’ll get used to it.

7. Take Food With You. Avoid situations where you don’t have access to food for more than 3 hours. Built the habit of taking food with you.

Work and School. Prepare food in advance and take it with you to work or school. Ask if you can microwave your food at the cafeteria.
Movies. Take a bag of peanuts with you instead of the usual things like popcorn or ice cream. It’s healthier, calorie dense and saves you money.
Going to Town. Eat before you leave. Take a bag of mixed nuts or a protein shake with you in case you get hungry.

Don’t care about drinking protein shakes in public. Don’t care about eating the food you prepared at work while colleagues go out eating junk food. Care about gaining muscle and being healthy, not about what people think.

The Skinny to Muscular Diet. Some inspiration to get started. Use FitDay and the bodyweight x 20kcal rule to know how much you need of each food.

Breakfast. Scrambled eggs. Oats with raisins and milk. Granola with milk.
Snack. Quark with apples. Peanuts. Protein shake.
Lunch. Can of tuna with rice. Turkey sandwich. Pasta bolognese.
Dinner. Meat or poultry with rice and legumes. Fruit as dessert.
Before Bed Snack. Cottage cheese with flax seeds and berries. Glass of milk.

Do What it Takes. You’ll sometimes have to force yourself to finish your meals. And yes preparing your food is more work than buying food on the road. If you really want to lose your skinny look, you’ll do what it takes. Else, you don’t really want it after all.

Mehdi helps you build muscle and lose fat through strength training at StrongLifts.com. Click here to download your 52 pages FREE eBook.

If you liked this article, please bookmark it on del.icio.us or vote for it on Digg. I’d appreciate it. :)

How to Go From Skinny to Muscular in 7 Steps (with a diet plan)

Editor’s note: This article was submitted by Mehdi, author of StrongLifts.com.

A lot of people who are skinny wish they could gain weight and a muscular physique, but don’t know where to start. And going to the gym can be intimidating when you’re a beginner.

Today we’ll look at the biggest reason people are skinny, and how to begin to build muscle, the healthy way.

If you’re skinny, you might think you eat a lot. But you probably don’t. The No. 1 reason people are skinny is because they don’t eat enough calories.

Even if you have a fast metabolism, you’ll need to eat more to gain weight. Couple that with strength training and you’ll go from skinny to muscular. Here’s how.

Track Calories. Track your calorie intake for a week using FitDay. You need to eat your body-weight x 20kcal daily. You’re probably hardly getting this right now. This is why you’re skinny.
Eat Body-weight x 20kcal. If you weigh 140 lbs., that’s 140 x 20 = 2800kcal daily. You’ll need about 2 weeks to get used to eating this amount of calories. Keep tracking calories using FitDay.
Add Calories. After 2 weeks, add 500kcal per day. You won’t feel like throwing up if you ate the same amount of calories the previous 14 days. At 140lbs, switch from 2800kcal to 3300kcal after 2 weeks.
Track Weight. Weigh yourself weekly. Keep eating the same amount of calories if you gain weight. If you don’t gain weight: add 500kcal per day the next week. Repeat this until you have your goal weight.

Eat Breakfast. Your body will use muscles for energy if you don’t eat breakfast. You want to go from skinny to muscular. Get calories from the first hour. Build the habit of eating breakfast.
Eat Every 3 Hours. Set times to eat and stick to them. Breakfast 7 a.m., snack 10 a.m., lunch 1 p.m., snack 4 p.m., dinner 7 p.m. and before bed snack 10 p.m.
Alternate Meal Size. If you eat 3000kcal daily, try 600kcal for breakfast, lunch and dinner and 400kcal for snacks. This isn’t an exact science — what counts is the calories per day/week/month, not the calories per meal.

3. Eat Calorie Dense Food. Veggies are healthy but don’t work well if you want to go from skinny to muscular. 250g broccoli for example has only 100kcal. You need calorie-dense food.

Whole Grain Carbs. Oats, rice, breads, pasta, potatoes, yams, beans, etc. 200g whole grain pasta is 700kcal.
Milk. If you don’t fear gaining some fat, go for whole milk. Else use skimmed milk. 1 liter whole milk is 500kcal.
Nuts. Almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, etc. 100g peanuts is 500kcal. Also try peanut butter.
Healthy Fats. Flax oil, liquid fish oil, olive oil, etc. 1 Tbsp. of each gets you 300kcal daily.

Lean red meat. Beef, pork, lamb, deer, buffalo, etc.
Poultry. Chicken, turkey, duck, etc.
Fish. Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc.
Eggs. Eat the yolk, its full of vitamins.
Dairy. Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, quark, yogurt, etc.
Whey. Not necessary but great for easy post workout shakes.

If you weigh 140 lbs.: 1 can of tuna at lunch, 200g quark as snack, 300g meat at dinner and 500ml milk through the day will get you 140g protein.

Morning. Wake up 30-45 minutes earlier and prepare your foods for the day including breakfast. Let it cool down in the fridge while having a shower.
Evening. If you have trouble waking up early, cook your meals for the next day when coming back from work.

This isn’t as much work as it sounds. You have to make breakfast anyway, prepare your other meals in the meanwhile. Make double rations. Keep leftovers for the next day. You’ll get used to it.

7. Take Food With You. Avoid situations where you don’t have access to food for more than 3 hours. Built the habit of taking food with you.

Work and School. Prepare food in advance and take it with you to work or school. Ask if you can microwave your food at the cafeteria.
Movies. Take a bag of peanuts with you instead of the usual things like popcorn or ice cream. It’s healthier, calorie dense and saves you money.
Going to Town. Eat before you leave. Take a bag of mixed nuts or a protein shake with you in case you get hungry.

The Skinny to Muscular Diet. Some inspiration to get started. Use FitDay and the bodyweight x 20kcal rule to know how much you need of each food.

Breakfast. Scrambled eggs. Oats with raisins and milk. Granola with milk.
Snack. Quark with apples. Peanuts. Protein shake.
Lunch. Can of tuna with rice. Turkey sandwich. Pasta bolognese.
Dinner. Meat or poultry with rice and legumes. Fruit as dessert.
Before Bed Snack. Cottage cheese with flax seeds and berries. Glass of milk.

Mehdi helps you build muscle and lose fat through strength training at StrongLifts.com. Click here to download your 52 pages FREE eBook.

If you liked this article, please bookmark it on del.icio.us or vote for it on Digg. I’d appreciate it. :)

Spewed into the world on 11 December 2007 in Health & Fitness |
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Brilliant comments (73)

Albert | UrbanMonk.Net Says:

December 11th, 2007, 21:08 pm

Nice post! Very timely as I’m going back to the gym right now. Is that you as a kid, Leo? LOL

Cheers,
Albert | UrbanMonk.Net
Modern personal development, entwined with ancient spirituality.

Leo Says:

December 11th, 2007, 21:11 pm

Lol! Not me, but I wasn’t far from that build.

Craig Harper Says:

December 11th, 2007, 21:20 pm

Nice work Leo!
As you would now in terms of ‘pumping iron’ your body will only get bigger and stronger if you stimulate it the right way. Hypertrophy is a physiological response to stress (in this instance lifting weights) and your body will only gain muscle if you give it a reason to do so. In order for that to happen you need to do a few things.

Follow a program which is progressive in design; that is more weight, more reps, more volume, more variety, less recovery (between sets) or a combination of all variables. If the program is not progressive our body will adapt for a short while and then plateau. Too many people in too many gyms (and garages) do the same things, the same way, day in, day out and then wonder why their body doesn’t change.

If you are starting out, focus your weight sessions on compound (multi-joint) exercises. These are the movements which will stack on the beef.

Once you have a training base (four to six weeks), start to train harder and heavier. Don’t put yourself at risk or let your ego get the better of you, but lifting relatively heavy weights with good form is the key to stimulating your muscles to grow. If you want to be big, lift big.

Keep up the great work Leo!

Tina Su - Think Simple Now Says:

December 11th, 2007, 21:35 pm

hahaha.. Albert.. that was funny. :)

The Eating hit home with me. I tend to forget eating in the morning until noon time. Terrible habit.

I like to snack on raw almonds through out the day as they’re a good source a protein, is very filling and tastes delicious. Avocado is another vegan alternative for gaining protein.

Nice work Mehdi! Off to check out your site.

Tina Su - Think Simple Now Says:

December 11th, 2007, 21:36 pm

“The Eating” = “The Eating 6 times point”
Looks like the submit forum cut that part out.

Michelle Says:

December 11th, 2007, 22:37 pm

What about us vegans/vegetarians?

zero255zero Says:

December 11th, 2007, 23:04 pm

Make sure you stick with it–sometimes you can’t see the results for a couple of months. But it is well worth it, especially when people comment on how you look, that is added motivation. Great article.

robert Says:

December 11th, 2007, 23:06 pm

This is very protein heavy and low on fiber - which could cause more health issues than being skinny would ’cause’.

If you really feel the need to build muscle for image, you probably should be talking with doctor or at least a diet expert before using these guides.

Also, I don’t see much in aerobic exercise. Ask a gym instructor about a better balanced exercise plan.

Craig’s points are valid.

Leo Says:

December 12th, 2007, 0:24 am

@robert: Actually, there are some good fiber foods in the diet plan Mehdi suggested — more fiber than many people get in a regular diet. Oats, raisins, granola, apples, berries, fruits, flaxseed, legumes, nuts … good healthy sources of protein.

As for aerobic exercise, I think that’s important. I do a lot of running myself. However, while bulking up, you don’t want to overdo the aerobics.

@Michelle: Good vegetarian/vegan sources of protein:

* Soy protein powder - for shakes
* Other soy protein, such as vegetarian “chicken” and “ground beef” etc, as well as soy replacements for dairy such as soy yogurt
* If you eat dairy, low-fat dairy is great — cottage cheese, yogurt, etc
* If you eat eggs (which I don’t), that’s good (in moderation)
* If you don’t eat eggs, try scrambled tofu
* Beans and other legumes (I love lentils)
* Nuts!

Sam Page, CFT Says:

December 12th, 2007, 0:41 am

Some solid ideas here. I’m not sure the “before” and “after” photos are realistic, (not to mention there are probably at least 20 years separating them) but I realize they’re primarily for effect.

Summer Says:

December 12th, 2007, 1:03 am

Wait, I’m confused. It’s late and my brain may be misfiring…

I get the calorie consumption to start. 110 x 20 =2200

but after two weeks add 500 per day? As in day 15, consume 2700, and day 16 consume 3200? Or simply consume 2700 for the next two weeks, increasing by 500 each two weeks, until I hit the ideal weight?

Leo Says:

December 12th, 2007, 1:11 am

@Summer: Your second guess is closer to the mark. Although, I wouldn’t keep adding 500 every two weeks, as that could lead to serious overeating after a couple of months.

What you want to find is the level of calorie intake that gives you the rate of weight gain you’re looking for … so after 2 weeks, increase to 2700 (in your example) and keep it there for two weeks to see what your rate of weight gain is … if you’re happy with that rate, keep yourself at 2700 per day. If you’d like to gain faster, increase to 3200 and see what your rate of gain is.

Dustin Diaz Says:

December 12th, 2007, 1:58 am

No way. I like being skinny. Being muscular is over-rated. However hearing my mom relentlessly nagging me to gain weight will never get old. It’s just something I chose to live with.

MrTwist Says:

December 12th, 2007, 1:59 am

Here’s an easy shortcut:

.5 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight or put another way, 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.

Plan on eating six meals a day (about every two to three hours) to get enough protein.

Drink lots of water.

MrTwist Says:

December 12th, 2007, 2:00 am

That should have said:

.5 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight or put another way, 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight PER DAY.

robert Says:

December 12th, 2007, 2:10 am

I’d do some serious discussion with a diet person before embarking on that kind of diet. And, actually more important; consider that the ‘need to bulk up’ is basically the male version of females try to be skinny. Towards the extremes (and way before the extremes) you’re approaching unhealthy practices.

Granted there are fiber sources in the list of foods.

But there are many high protein foods there that are low fiber (and carbohydrates ). Excess protein puts an unnecessary load on your excretory system.

I’ve coached jr. level cyclists. They are very muscular, excellent aerobic condition, eat in healthy ways that will support them on through their lives.

Tim Says:

December 12th, 2007, 2:58 am

It’s important to eat macros (fat, carbs and protein) in the right proportions also.

A great book is available called “Scrawny to Brawny”. There is a website scrawnytobrawny.com with details.

That book covers the lifting and eating and is written specifically for “hard gainers”

If you read this post and thought, I have a question, they are all answered in that book.

I have no interest in it other than I have read it, it worked for me and on that basis I would recommend it!

Vince Says:

December 12th, 2007, 4:48 am

Awesome article. Although this is often posted around the web, this easy to read article actually made me enthusiastic again.

Acheman Says:

December 12th, 2007, 6:23 am

I’m sick of all these fitness articles being aimed at guys. It wouldn’t take much research to make them appropriate for women; or at the very least, if you’re writing an article about fitness for men, put that in the title somewhere, or mention it somewhere in the article itself.

Many women would love to gain more muscle, and most should to reduce their osteoporosis risk. But articles like this one which just say ‘Oh, do some pullups’ don’t help at all.

Camilla Says:

December 12th, 2007, 7:24 am

@acheman - i don’t see where Leo made it male-specific. He used pictures of men sure, but he has to choose one sex or the other. I believe the article itself is completely generic, i am using exactly the same kinds of techniques to build muscle (i have a personal trainer to do all the thinking and planning for me though).
I do agree that this article is nowhere near enough to get someone started working-out correctly, but i don’t think it’s meant to be, i think it’s just meant to be a ‘basics’ run through and a motivational read. I thought that for that purpose, it does the job very well.

Acheman Says:

December 12th, 2007, 7:55 am

@Camilla: It’s great that you can afford a personal trainer, but then you hardly need articles like these, eh? For a woman who isn’t already muscular and/or trained, almost all of the exercises Leo suggests would be impossible. I’m trying to build my strength up, and I’m always massively discouraged by articles like these that imply that if you can’t go and do pullups on a tree you’re not fit to have an exercise programme. Also, I’d suspect that less testosterone would mean that you’d be slower to put on masses of muscle weight, and so the diet plan would need to be modified. God knows I’m not denying that there are a lot of myths about women’s inferior capacity for muscle growth. But it is true that they do it *differently* in certain respects, and it would be a darned good idea to talk about that rather than just assuming a default audience of men in their twenties and thirties.

Mehdi Says:

December 12th, 2007, 8:42 am

@Acheman. There’s no need for an article to go from skinny to muscular for women, because women’s body respond to stress the way men’s body do. Eat the same as men do, do the same exercises.

I have never seen a woman that couldn’t life an empty barbell. Not being able to do pull-ups is not a gender problem, it’s a strength problem. You’ll get better at pull-up by doing them more. Not being able to do one single pull-up is common, this article will give you solutions.

Women can build strength/build muscle just as men do by using the same methods. It just takes longer because of lower testosterone levels. With the right attitude you’ll get there, regardless of age/sex/whatever. Good luck.

Camilla Says:

December 12th, 2007, 9:29 am

@Acheman: “For a woman who isn’t already muscular and/or trained, almost all of the exercises Leo suggests would be impossible.”
I disagree - although you may be that pullups wouldn’t neccessarily be a goer for a beginner of either gender. All the others mentioned however, would be entirely possible for people of any strength, and then Leo suggests further more tailored research.

And i can afford a personal trainer because it’s important to me. I’m actually on a pretty low wage. I choose to spend money that would otherwise go on better living arrangements or treats, on training. And i would definitely disagree that having a personal trainer means i don’t need articles like this! As i already commented, half of its use is as a motivational tool, and god knows i can always use those, lol. And there is always more advice than one personal trainer can give, more ideas, unique approaches, etc.

“I’m always massively discouraged by articles like these that imply that if you can’t go and do pullups on a tree you’re not fit to have an exercise programme.”

A real pity that it discouraged you, i didn’t read anything like that in the article, i found it pretty inspiring! Especially on the diet aspect, because i’m rubbish at that. :P

Best of luck with your efforts though, i’ve had great success recently and it’s a really good feeling when you get somewhere with your training. :D

@Medhi: Good points, all. Agreed. :)

Camilla Says:

December 12th, 2007, 9:30 am

Jesus, sorry Medhi, i’ve been acting as if Leo wrote this, whereas you did. I’m not normally so quick to miss points like this, i’m normally the one getting irritated that others miss it! My apologies. Substitute Leo’s name for yours in the comments, lol. :s

Rae Says:

December 12th, 2007, 10:24 am

Thanks Leo. This was pretty motivational for me. I needed a kick in the derirear to get back to lifting. I’m more involved with converting fat to muscle but the principles are the same. Keep up the good work.

Jeremy Says:

December 12th, 2007, 10:24 am

It’s good that you provided a diet plan to meet the requirements, because it is very difficult to eat 1g of protein a day. When I did it I would eat almost all meat and protein shakes and after a couple weeks I started getting crippling stomachaches and had to stop and change to a more balanced diet that was still protein-rich.

Also, you need to commit to lifting weights HARD and for a LONG time. I’ve been lifting an average of 2.5 times a week for the past year, with a protein shake after each workout, and I have gone from 177 to 185.

Going from skinny from muscular is a lot like filling up a bathtub with an eyedropper.

Jeremy Says:

December 12th, 2007, 10:26 am

Oops, meant to say “1g / lb body weight per day” instead of “1g per day”

Camilla Says:

December 12th, 2007, 10:32 am

Having thought on it - does anyone else think maybe the ‘guest post’ alert needs to be bigger, or a different colour? I see others have missed it on this post, and i certainly think my eyes just saw it as part of the header and skipped over it. I don’t tend to miss the alert on getrichslowly.org, perhaps because he puts it in a box which stands out a little more? Just a suggestion - i’m going to pay more attention in future anyway! :P

Dan Says:

December 12th, 2007, 11:02 am

Great post Leo / Mehdi. I am currently following a plan similar to this, and thought I’d sure my typical daily foods since I’m vegan and everyone has the protein question:

Meal #1: oats, soy milk, banana, flax seeds
Meal #2: brown rice/hemp protein shake
Meal #3: whole wheat pita, hummus/bean salad, spinach
Meal #4: vega protein shake, apple
Meal #5: brown rice, tofu, hemp oil, spinach, tomatoes
Meal #6: almonds/almond milk

Last time I checked this was around 3200 kcal and 150g protein

Camilla Says:

December 12th, 2007, 11:36 am

On second thoughts, ignore me, i’m talking out of my hat (and spamming your comments section Leo, sorry!). getrichslowly.org doesn’t do it any different, i think i’m just being blind today. I shall shaddup now. ;)

Andrew G Says:

December 12th, 2007, 11:44 am

Excellent post as always, Mehdi.

Sal Says:

December 12th, 2007, 11:52 am

The article might not have been specifically aimed at my situation but I can certainly “pick the eyes out of it” for my needs - which are simply to at least maintain and preferably increase my weight.

I am fit and healthy, don’t especially want to overdo the muscular stuff but at 5ft3″ and under 100lb I don’t have much leeway between being the “normal for me” thin and “gosh you look awful” skinny.

I see this article and similar as just mainly motivational stuff . It serves to remind me of what I probably already know, it offers some good tips on how to eat more and eat more regularly ( a problem that gets scant sympathy from the general slightly overweight population) and I like the way that it is orderly and structured. (I’m a neat freak, ok?)

I can take what is useful from here and adapt according to my needs - like no way am I ever going to do anything resembling a pushup (I thought that was an item of ladies’ underwear?) but some of the hints about gradually increasing cal intake, the eat 6 meals ideas etc etc are very useful for me. I may no longer be a spring chicken but I want to delay looking like a scrawny old chook !

Thanks for the article - I thought it was great.

Giles Says:

December 12th, 2007, 12:02 pm

Actually you are going to get fat from this plan, unless you really take the strength training seriously. You have the list in the wrong order. Perfect the 5×5 workout from strong lifts which is excellent, but takes time for you to build a basic strength and get the exercises perfect (you this takes a little practice) and then go for the over-eating and strength training program.

I’ve used the above many times before, it works but it took me some time to get the strength training nailed and after 4-5 weeks I always gained too much fat (belly) and had to have a rest, reduce diet and start again with a variation on the program.

pinkpillsanity Says:

December 12th, 2007, 12:25 pm

Oh thank god. There’s tons of resources on how to LOSE weight, but as an underweight person, that doesn’t help me much.

Modern Worker Says:

December 12th, 2007, 13:00 pm

Eating healthier and more often has been the biggest aid in my quest for a bigger, stronger body. Good tips here Leo, you’ve obviously done your research!

Sal Says:

December 12th, 2007, 13:00 pm

Exactly and that’s why I really welcomed this article. I certainly would like just a little more weight, probably no more than another stone , even half a stone would be nice - if only to shut up those people who feel they are entitled to come up to me and say things like “Gosh you’re skinny, aren’t you”. I swear one day I will answer back “Sure and you are fat but I wouldn’t be so rude as to say so”.

And of course, if you dare to be slightly underweight then the next assumption is that you are anorexic!

However, I don’t want to put some weight on at the cost of my health. I suppose i could probably gain weight by eating things like cream and ice cream and a heap of fried stuff but if it’s a toss up between skinny and healthy or normal weight and bad diet then I’ll take the skinny option please.

However, I think this article has pointed the way to simply increase the volume of what I would eat anyway. Thus, hats off to the author and “more please!” (which is not something I say very often).

Leo Says:

December 12th, 2007, 15:10 pm

@Camilla: Yeah, actually, a lot of people miss the guest post note at the top and bottom of each guest post. It’s not just you. I think people tend to skip over any notes in the beginning, because they’re in a hurry (we all are) and want to go to the meat of the article. It’s a common problem on many blogs I think.

@Acheman: I hear what you’re saying, but I have a wife and sister who have both been doing strength training and I’ve seen some of the exercises aimed at women (especially in women’s magazines) and I don’t agree with them. A lot of them are aimed at “toning” the tummy or thighs or butt, but what they really want to do is lose a little fat in those areas or strengthen the muscles. What Mehdi has provided here will help do those things, and the exercises can be done by a man or a woman.

I think women are often intimidated by what are perceived as men’s exercises, but that’s just because of the huge bodybuilders lifting these huge weights. I’m intimidated by that too! If you can’t do pullups, there are other exercises you can do instead, or get some help and do assisted pullups, but eventually if you stick with it you’ll be able to do it.

Miss Gisele from myBeautyMatch.com Says:

December 12th, 2007, 15:42 pm

Mehdi,

I think you’ve touch on a good point. Protein is one of the most underrated food groups not only to bulk up, but also to loose wait and also maintain a healthy body as you age.

A lot of people have equated that protein as fattening (for so many women) or some people are only eating “meat” based protein and bypassing vegetable protein.

You’ve really started a good discussion!

To Leo’s point, I’ve been doing weight training for almost one decade now and I cannot tell you how much inner strenght I derive from it!!!

Ladies, start pumping iron!

Gisele

Acheman Says:

December 12th, 2007, 16:31 pm

@Leo: but that’s exactly it! All the articles are either a) aimed at women, and full of crap about ‘toning’ or b) aimed at men, and vastly overstate the level you’re starting at and the speed with which it’s possible for you to gain muscle. What would be so difficult about having a diet plan aimed at people who are going to build muscle slowly, not fast? What would be so difficult about having exercises that would be suitable for someone starting with lower baseline strength, especially in the upper-body area? I sure as hell know that my inability to do certain exercises is a strength problem. But articles like this one which imply that it’s such a severe strength problem that it’s never going to be remediable just make me want to give up altogether, because if I’m that far off the level that this article thinks I’m *starting* at, I don’t see how I’m ever going to get anywhere. It’s just depressing.

Acheman Says:

December 12th, 2007, 16:38 pm

& @Mehdi - how hard would it have been to link to that ‘how to get started with pullups’ article in the original body text, instead of as an afterthought?

I’ve just spent too long reading all these posts all over blogland about how anyone can go from zero to hero in six weeks by eating tuna and doing a load of exercises I can’t even half do. And for a long time, because I couldn’t do pushups and my guy friends could, I thought it was because I was there was something seriously physically wrong with me.

Mehdi Says:

December 12th, 2007, 17:07 pm

@Acheman. Link is in the article, number 4.Building strength, second line ;)

Do pull-ups 3x/week as described in the article & you’ll be able to do 1 pull-up within 6 weeks. I got a female reader who does rock climbing & needed to increase her pull-up strength. She went from 1 to 5 pull-ups in 2-3 weeks. It’s a matter of persistence & applying methods that work. Don’t believe the hype, strength & muscle takes time. Good luck with it Acheman.

Philip Says:

December 12th, 2007, 17:08 pm

@ robert

This doesn’t really strike me as a “high protein” diet. If you do the math, suggested protein intake is about 20%. Not sure where Medhi would suggest the rest of the calories would come from but it seems like 20% from fats and 60% carbs would be a fairly healthy breakdown. While I would prefer more sources of vegetarian protein, Mehdi does suggest lean protein sources along with dense, whole grain carbs, which are pretty good sources of dietary fiber.

@acheman

Don’t lose hope. My wife has the hardest time with pushups and related exercises. The cool thing about bodyweight exercises is that they are easy to modify for increased or decreased strength, if you know how. With pushups, for example, doing them on your knees to start is a good way to build up strength, and also elevating your upper body, by putting your hands on a chair or weight bench is a way to decrease resistance. I’m working on a couple of articles about this very thing for my site as we speak, so check in sometime, and don’t give up!

Peace,

Philip | Brickhousebodymind.com

Mehdi Says:

December 12th, 2007, 17:09 pm

Another thing, this one is from Napoleon Hill

“You’ll never get somewhere if you don’t start somewhere”.

When I started strength training age 15 I couldn’t do one pushup, and I’m a man.

Leo Says:

December 12th, 2007, 17:51 pm

@Acheman: That’s not a bad idea … aiming an article at those who have never done strength training or can’t do one pushup or pullup. Maybe Mehdi will do that for me sometime down the road. :) Thanks for the suggestion … and don’t get depressed … as Mehdi said, we all have to start somewhere. Take it in little baby steps, and soon you’ll find you’ve come a long way. But the important thing is to start, even if you start really small!

Jeff Kenton Says:

December 12th, 2007, 17:53 pm

Alright, I’ll ask, since everyone else is too polite :-)

What is quark?

Camilla Says:

December 12th, 2007, 17:56 pm

@Leo: good to know it’s not just me, but darn frustrating all the same! I think you’re right, we’re always in a hurry. I’m constantly finding that clients have missed crucial parts of my emails to them, or reminding coworkers i am training to “just slooowww dooownn!”. I guess i need to remind myself every now and then too!
It’s like we’re all diving across the intersection without checking left and right first. We all need to decide what we’re going to do, then take a deep breath to collect ourselves, and only *then* do it!
I think we need an article about it. ;)

Mehdi Says:

December 12th, 2007, 18:04 pm

@Leo. At your service ;)

@Jeff Kenton
Quark is cheese, similar to cottage cheese. It’s harder to find in US as far as I’ve understand. It’s more popular in the US. Cheap source of protein, like 80g protein for less than 1€ in here. Here’s the quark entry from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark_cheese

Ferdie Says:

December 12th, 2007, 21:30 pm

Hehehe…This is not a good advise for those people are skinny..Eating for 6 times are enough to gain weights.? It must good takes or prepares your meals are enriched in vitamins.I mean to say,nutritional foods or balance diet.Secondly,discipline yourself,clean living is the best.Dont abuse yourself.Stop smoking,drinking.For me,the best way to gain weights is love urself?

Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:

December 13th, 2007, 1:58 am

I’d highly recommend taking a look at the Men’s Health Ab’s Diet as well. It’s great because it allows you to reach your goals without making too many sacrifices. Plus there’s room for the occasional indulgence!

Kenneth - Guy From Success Blog Says:

December 13th, 2007, 13:18 pm

Thanks for the fantastic article ZenHabits, I’m one of the skinny guy in the town, seriously. SKINNY! I’ve tried all kind of weight gain stuff but it doesn’t seems to be working.

I guess I just have to increase calories and force myself to eat more.

deepali Says:

December 13th, 2007, 14:15 pm

#5 is not quite true. unless you’re planning on entering a body building competition in a short amount of time, you don’t need that much protein. as it stands, the average American (who has no diet or exercise plan) gets more than enough protein to sustain a healthy physique. what matters more is what else you’re eating and whether you are doing weight-bearing exercises. Aim for something more 1.5g of protein per kg body weight (0.75 per pound) unless you need rapid muscle gain (which isn’t healthy for your system anyway). You’ll live longer, getting to enjoy those muscles longer. :)

stef Says:

December 14th, 2007, 3:52 am

Hi
I’ve got a question about the diet posted.

>> Breakfast. Scrambled eggs. Oats with raisins and milk. >> Granola with milk.

Does this mean I have to eat all of this or one I choose ?:

Ashwin Says:

December 14th, 2007, 6:43 am

Thanks Mehdi and Leo for this informative post! I’m a very skinny guy and have been trying to gain weight+muscle for lots of years now. I do eat just as much as folks bigger than me eat, so I’d never thought of increasing my food intake. Thanks again! :-)

Mehdi Says:

December 14th, 2007, 6:52 am

@Stef
Choose one of the recipes for your breakfast. Skinny guys are often not used to eat breakfast, so start with light meals, increase the meal size later on.

law dawg Says:

December 14th, 2007, 16:23 pm

Also remember that there are two main ways to gain muscle, progressive overload (do more reps and/or add more weight) and neurologically (those types of workouts that stimulate hormonal responses).

Personally I like to mix them up - one day of heavy lifting and another of circuit (ala Crossfit, Rosstraining, etc.). Keep it fresh and keep the body guessing. Don’t let it acclimate.

At the end of the day, though, you must train. Without added stress on the body most additional calories will be stored as fat. The body really only recognizes a few phases - expenditure (burning calories during exertion), recovery (repairing damage caused during expenditure) or storage (preparing for the upcoming famine that the body doesn’t really know isn’t around the corner). If you’re not burning calories or repairing damage then you’re storing.

So get to work!

DrSteve Says:

December 16th, 2007, 16:49 pm

A lot of young guys have this concern/interest. This article accentuates the food side of things. Good, that’s half the problem. The other ‘halves’ are which are,’t gone into much are: really hard training and rest

Two golden tips:
1. Do not read bodybuilding magazines - ithey’re junk unless you’re on steroids.
2. Do read: hardgainer.com

michael Says:

December 27th, 2007, 20:18 pm

Sorry to come so late to the party.

I had this problem when I was younger, and it’s a tough thing to deal with. This article highlights the basics. For in depth tips and suggestions (and for anyone who wants to get into shape), I highly recommend the forums at http://forum.bodybuilding.com/.

Don’t let the name of the site fool you — this is for more than just muscle-heads (although there are a fair number of those there, too).

kona Says:

December 31st, 2007, 5:59 am

i have to challenge this workout plan as more of a theory than an applied and proven science.

i’ve been on the track to gaining weight for a little over seven months now and have had a few problems with this eat as much as you can approach.

first of all, i’m 5′11″, in my early thirties. i’ve been in the 140lb range for over a decade, but over the last few years have noticed my metabolism slightly dropping a few notches to get me into the 150 range (and guess where the weight goes for that kind of gain)… i’ve tried so many different diets and workout plans over that time that it makes me bitter that it’s so easy for most men.

at any rate, my biggest problem with eating so much is the effect: lethargy! consuming this many carbs/calories induces the biggest food coma you can imagine. as a result it’s almost impossible to make it through that days 1hr workout because all you want to do is collapse into a deep sleep. and even when my will power takes charge and i forge through those low rep, ridiculous weight workouts, all i really notice in the long run is more frequent bowel movements. it’s like my body just extracts a few nutrients and passes the rest through, maybe sending a few fat cells toward the stomach or chest area to add insult to injury..

now having had my cynical fun, i will say i’ve managed to increase my strength. i’m curling, lifting and doing pretty much double what i started with over half a year ago, but from my size you’d never guess. and yeah, i’ve put on a tiny bit of muscle, but what i see in the mirror while i’m working out is gone the next morning.

not sure what i’m doing wrong here. i’ve tried working out six times a week, 1hr a day. down to two times a week, 30min a day… nothing. for one month i even ate a full heaping plate of pasta with a large chicken filet and a side of bread for dinner each night… nothing.

having said all this, i do have the will power to keep trying. but i need something a little more promising than just another ‘eat more’ plan, because it’s just not working.

Machold Says:

December 31st, 2007, 10:05 am

A very interesting approach to the subject! What it made me think of is the fact that some people can’t absorb protein very well and so nver put on the weight or muscle they need. And that’s when SON Formula can help, first used to feed patients without stomachs, now also used for nutrition, muscle mass enhancement and weight control.

Chris Says:

January 2nd, 2008, 16:29 pm

Good post :) never belive people who say ‘you’ll always be skinny’ or ‘its just the way your built’ i used to be a 11 stone bean pole (at 6′7 11 stone is very skinny) and thanks to John Berardi and his team at http://www.scrawnytobrawny.com/ i’m now a much happier 16.5 stone, if you want to fill out, and stay that way, that site along with http://www.precisionnutrition.com/ will give u everything u need.

All th best for the new year people : )

Francis Says:

January 5th, 2008, 6:05 am

my skinny look had trouble me a lot. Im not really skinny,(not muscular though). How can i gain muscle fast with the fact that im lazy.?

Need to gain Says:

February 17th, 2008, 11:29 am

Im 17 years old, 6 foot and wiegh 132 lbs. I was just wondering is this article would be a safe way for me to gain wieght ?

Denise Says:

March 8th, 2008, 17:15 pm

My goal is to gain 20 pounds this year, this site was a great way to start me in the right direction. Thanks!

WOTANG Says:

March 29th, 2008, 16:18 pm

should i start the diet with the exercises, or should i start the diet first (to get muscular mass)?, and what if i just get on diet but i don’t exercise?….tahnks!

jack Says:

May 14th, 2008, 16:30 pm

im 14, and im the skinnyest kid in my year

i dont relly like it becasue i get terrorised for it..
do you think this plan is good for me ?
103.8lbs
oh i dont eat vegetables.

Time to gain weight Says:

July 24th, 2008, 16:36 pm

Ack…too expensive i ate all the food when i started but healthy food is too expensive lasted about 3 days plue where i live is broke.

TANK Says:

August 3rd, 2008, 14:41 pm

im very very skinny.. and ive jus started to take protien shake with milk.. and i eat rive 4 times a day… 5 times workout a week ( 2 hours workout ) and im a smoker… so can i be muscular???