A properly designed diet and weight training program will help anyone gain weight and build muscle.
How to gain weight
Weight gain is something that isn't easy to do and you probably know this already. I know first hand because it is something I have to do every day. I am an ectomorph by genetics, which is the "skinny body type" and the one with the fast metabolism which makes gaining so hard for guys like me. The key to weight gain is to do everything BIG. You have to eat big, to lift big, to get big. Say that over and over again in your head until you fully understand it. A lot of people think weightlifting is the key to gaining weight, and I won't argue, it is an extremely important part. BUT, there is another thing that is just as important when it comes to how to gain weight, and that is your diet.
So, to put it as simply as possible, there are 5 simple steps to how to gain weight, and here they are:
1) Count how many calories you eat in a normal day. Don't change anything, just eat like you normally would and count how many calories you consumed. This is an extremely important step, so try to be as exact as possible. Also, weigh yourself.
2) Starting the day after you counted calories, eat 500 calories MORE then you normally do. So, lets pretend that the day you counted calories you counted 2000. For the rest of the week, you would now eat 2500 calories a day. Instead of eating 3 big meals a day or eating all day all the time, spread those calories out over 5-6 smaller meals. Eat one meal every 2 and a half to 3 hours. To get big, you have to eat big! Remember that.
3) Weightlifting! Get in the gym and lift! This is another important step to how to gain weight, so make sure you are doing it correctly. For more information on weightlifting workout routines and splits, read the workout routines and splits section.
4) At the end of that week, weigh yourself. You'll notice you're gaining just after one week! Now, don't expect to see a 10lb increase. Gaining anymore then 1 or 2 pounds a week is unhealthy and means you're putting on way to much fat. So look for 1 or 2 pound gains at the end of the week. Don't sound like much? You can be gaining 5-8 pounds a month!
5) Heres an important one. At some point, you will stop seeing weight gain. At this point, you will have to eat even more. So, when you stop gaining for at least 2 weeks, it means it is time to start eating an extra 250 calories a day. Every time you see you haven't gained weight for at least 2 weeks, add an extra 250 calories.
[http://www.intense-workout.com/weight_gain.html]
Workout routines are what exercises, how many sets, how many reps etc. that you do for each muscle. For example, 3 sets of the flat bench press, 3 sets on the incline bench press, and 2 sets of flat bench dumbell flyes is an example of one of the many chest weightlifting workout routines. A workout split is a term given to how you split up your workout. What days you do what muscle on. For example, doing biceps back and legs on Monday, and doing triceps shoulders and chest on Thursday is a workout split. Here i will give you some sample workout routines, the routine I use, and tell you how to make your own workout routine.
One rule when making weightlifting workout programs is to make sure to split it so that you aren't overtraining. Doing chest on Monday, then triceps on Tuesday, then shoulders on Wednesday will overtrain your triceps. Why? Because just about every chest and shoulder exercise works the triceps secondary. And almost every back exercise works the biceps secondary. So, you would need to do 1 of 3 things when making your workout routines and splits:
1) Work chest, triceps and shoulders on the same day, and biceps and back on the same day so that it's ok if the secondary muscles get worked that day, because your doing them anyway.
2) Separate those muscles that work a secondary muscle so that they are far enough apart not to overtrain you. For example, do Chest Monday, triceps on Wednesdays, and shoulders Friday... and biceps Monday with chest, and back Wednesday or Friday.
3) This is personally what I prefer, and do myself. Do chest and triceps Monday, and shoulders Thursday, and back and biceps together on Friday.
Sample Splits
Coming up with weightlifting workout routines and splits and programs isn't really rocket science, once you understand the basics you can create your own. But, here are a few sample split routines and programs off the top of my head I have either used at one time, or are commonly used by other people
Monday - Chest/Back
Tuesday - off
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - off
Friday - Shoulders/Arms
Saturday - off
Sunday - off
Monday - Chest/Biceps
Tuesday - off
Wednesday - Shoulders/Legs
Thursday - off
Friday - Back/Triceps
Saturday - off
Sunday - off
Monday - Chest/Triceps
Tuesday - Back/Biceps
Wednesday - off
Thursday - Shoulders
Friday - Legs
Saturday - off
Sunday - off
Remember, these are just sample programs. Some people like to workout on the weekends, and I don't. So in all the samples I made them off days. It all depends on what days you have time to workout and/or when you want to workout which is why these are just samples, not splits you have to use.
[http://www.intense-workout.com/workout_routines.html]
