I cannot tell you how many people I have had come into my office and tell me that they absolutely cannot gain weight no matter what they do. They go on to tell me that they have tried everything imaginable and now they have just accepted the “fact” that they will be a skinny little estrogen filled boy for the rest of their lives. The term that they always use is “Hard-gainer”. I hate that word. It is so far from the truth its not even funny. Sure you can come back with a number of arguments: high metabolism, genetics, etc. You can go through the whole list…but the truth is most people just aren’t taking the right approach to weight gain. Every single one of my clients that I just described, without exception, has packed on 10-15 pounds or more of muscle in just the first few months!! From there they go on to gain more muscle than they ever though imaginable.

Weight training is obviously a crucial element in improving your performance, packing on muscle mass, and everything else you are looking to do. But one of the most overlooked aspects is the necessity and benefit of a proper nutrition plan. Picture it like this…when a contractor builds a house he has to build a solid foundation before he builds the walls and roof or his progress will be shaky and eventually collapse. The same is true with weight training. Nutrition is the foundation that has to be laid solid before the big gains can be make through training. Without a solid nutrition plan you are limiting yourself and your potential to perform and pack on some serious size. Here are some tips to start you on your way to gaining muscle mass the way you have always dreamed of doing!

1) EAT MORE MEALS

Most people do not eat enough meals every day and many don’t even know how many they should be eating. This is one of the most common problems I see with people trying to pack on size.

Say goodbye to eating 2, 3 or even 4 meals per day. You need to start eating 6-8 times everyday. This is the only way to get enough nutrients in your body to put yourself in a positive calorie state that is needed to gain weight. However, not every meal has to be a full course, whole food meal. You should consume 3-4 whole food meals along with 3-4 snacks. Protein shakes and snacks are a great way to get in some extra calories without stuffing yourself full of food all day. With today’s lifestyle, many people don’t have time to cook, eat, cook, eat all day so protein shakes are a huge benefit in this manner since it takes about 30 seconds to shake and drink one.

2) Protein Shakes

What kind of protein shake should you drink? Since you are looking to pack on muscle mass you want something that is going to give you the calories and nutrients you need. Whey protein is a great supplement and probably the most common among trainees. However, if you are trying to pack on muscle and gain weight, Whey protein by itself just is not going to supply you with enough calories to help you in your quest. You will benefit more from a weight gain or meal replacement formula. Something with a good amount of protein, at least double that amount in carbs and something that is often overlooked is making sure you are getting some fats in it also. They should be derived from healthy oil (Canola, Safflower, etc) or in the form of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). If you have a hard time finding this than just add 1-2 tbsp of flaxseed oil into your shake. You should be consuming 3-4 meals per day along with 3-4 “pseudo-feedings” or snacks. These can consist of protein shakes, unsalted nuts, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, etc. We will get more into choosing the correct foods in a minute.

3) Proper Food Choice

Since you are trying to pack on muscle you need to choose foods that will enable you to do so. There are so many options available that it is easy to be confused by all of the advertising. Let’s make it easy.

First, everything you eat should be chosen because it is calorie dense. Choosing calorie dense foods will greatly enhance your ability to gain good weight in the form of muscle. What does that mean? Stay away from foods that contain empty calories such as chips, candy, junk food, etc. These will do nothing but hinder your progress and have an undesired effect on your body. In order to determine if the food you are eating is a good choice you need to read the label. 1g of carbohydrates or protein each contains 4 calories. So if you consume: 10 grams of protein = 40 calories. 1g of fat contains 9 calories. More than double that of protein or carbs! That is why consuming enough healthy fats and EFAs daily is essential to packing on muscle, so choose food accordingly. If the food you are eating has its calories coming from these sources and not from others, like saturated fats, sugars, partially hydrogenated oils, etc than you are in good shape.

Second, a very common question that I get is: What kind of carbs should I be eating? The answer to that can be found in the Glycemic Index. This is a numeric rating system that shows how a carbohydrate affects the blood glucose levels in your body. A carbohydrate with a low rating will have a steady release into your bloodstream and not a cause a spike in your insulin, which can cause excess carbs to be stored as body fat. On the contrary, a carbohydrate with a high GI rating will cause an insulin spike in your bloodstream. As a general rule of thumb, dark carbs (wheat bread, sweet potatoes, etc) have a lower GI rating. *This is not always true* But high GI carbohydrates do have a place in a performance enhancing diet. After exercise or during times when rapid muscle glycogen replacement is necessary it is recommended to eat high GI carbohydrates. 50-100g after intense exercise is best.

Lastly, along with choosing calorie dense foods you need to do a couple other things. One is eat more red meat. Red meat should be the main protein source in your diet over chicken, fish, etc. It contains more calories and lends itself better to gaining weight. Another thing is to drink calories whenever you can. Add milk to your protein shakes, drink a glass of milk with breakfast, protein shakes, etc. This is an easy, no-hassle way to increase your valuable calorie intake.

This is the first installment of the Packing on the Mass Series. Take these tips and put them to use! They will take your weight gain and training to the next level. Stay tuned for some more tips that are GAURANTEED to help you gain muscle mass like never before!!