Archives for January 2012

It’s true, skinny guys have to do things a little different from everyone else especially when it comes to building muscle and gaining weight.

If you haven’t done so read How to Build Muscle Fast because it’ll give you the fundamentals you need for muscle growth.... This article is Part II of that article designed especially for skinny guys and hardgainers. (in other words don’t read this page before reading that article)

In this article I’m going to reveal to you very easy and “practical” ways (that you can start using immediately) for you to gain weight if you’re a skinny guy. In the next few minutes you’ll learn how you should approach food and eating, what habits you need to break as well as strengthen. So let’s get started:

Step #1: Constantly Eat Food

If you’re a skinny guy or hardgainer and you want to build muscle then the first thing you need to learn is that food (calories) are VITAL to your success. Most skinny guys have a “faster than normal” metabolism which means that your body typically burns through more calories in a day than the average person.

This is important to know because, in order to build muscle you have to consume more calories than your body burns each day. And if your body naturally burns through more calories in a day (for example 2500 calories instead of 2000 calories - which is true for most skinny guys and hardgainers) then you’re going to have to consume more calories overall in order to be in a caloric surplus.

So now that you know you’ll have to consume more calories than most people to virtually get the same results the best way to achieve this is to eat food (consume calories) constantly throughout the day.

I’m not saying that your entire day should be spent at the dinner table, but what I am saying is that you should prepare yourself to be constantly nibbling on “healthy muscle building foods” throughout the day.

As a skinny guy / hardgainer you should be consuming a “muscle building meal” approximately every 2 ½ - 3 hours and even snacking on “healthy” things in between depending on your metabolism.

Step #2: Increase Your Protein AND Your Carb Intake

We all know “extra” protein is essential to building muscle. Nothing new there. But what most skinny guys forget about is Carbs.

Here is something you may not know.

Your body needs “calories” to survive and your bodies most preferred source of “calories” is Carbs.

In the end, your body doesn’t care what food source it comes from. Which means if Carbs aren’t found then your body will use another nutrient source to get these calories.

So why is this important to you???

When it comes to muscle building, protein is essential to muscle repair and muscle growth. But it can also be used an energy source (it can be broken down for energy in the body) as well.

As a skinny guy it’s important that every bit of protein you consume each day gets used for muscle growth and repair. But if you only consume more protein and not carbs as well, your body will actually use that extra protein for energy rather than muscle growth.

As a hardgainer here is a general guideline for how much Protein and Carbs you shuld be consuming each day in order to build muscle and gain weight

1.5 - 2g Protein x (your bodyweight in lbs) each day
2.5g Carbs x (your bodyweight in lbs) each day

For example if you weigh 150lbs, every day you should be consuming:

225 grams (1.5g x 150lbs) of protein
375 grams (2.5g x 150lbs) of carbs

Make sure you learn what the top foods to build muscle and what foods you should be consuming everyday to build muscle and gain weight

Step #3: Avoid Hunger Like the Plague

As a skinny guy, when it comes to building muscle you have to realize that hunger is a VERY BAD THING.

Hunger is the response your body gives you when it’s running low on calories from it’s #1 calorie source (Carbs).

If you think of your body’s energy levels like the fuel gauge on a car, you can’t build muscle when your stomach is on Empty.

It’s a very simple concept but it plays an important role especially if you’re a hard gainer or skinny guy. Whenever hunger strikes, just remember you’re NOT building muscle.

In fact if you’re ever hungry throughout the day you’re actually 1 step away from your body breaking down the muscle you already have. Don’t believe me??

Remember, your body NEEDS calories to survive. If it can’t get Carbs or Protein from your stomach because it’s empty guess where it’s going to look at next.... your muscles. Why?

Because your muscles are made of Amino Acids (Protein) and your body knows that they can be broken down for energy should it need it.

So remember, avoid hunger like the plague because you can’t build muscle when your gas tank is on empty.

Step #4: Short But Intense Workouts Are KEY

I talk about this more thoroughly in the previous article but this is a BIGGIE when it comes to building muscle as a skinny guy.

Since our bodies in a sense is working against us when it comes to putting on muscle we have to do things that promote MAXIMUM muscle growth if we want to see results and doing Short and Intense workouts is one of them.

Why Short Workouts?

It’s primarily because of a hormone called Cortisol. The higher our stress levels the higher our Cortisol levels become. And get this... one of the effects of high Cortisol levels is “Catabolism” (muscle breakdown)

This is important because after about 60 minutes of intense training our Cortisol levels begins to rise.

Which means the longer you stay in the gym working out after this point the less effective (and actually counter productive) your workout becomes.

As a skinny guy the key to your workouts is to stress the greatest amount of muscle fibers in the shortest amount of the time possible. And then get out.

This is why Compound Exercises are amongst the top exercises to build muscle because they stress the most amount of muscle in the least amount of time.

So if you’re a hardgainer and you want to build muscle and gain weight Short And Intense Workouts are ESSENTIAL.

That’s which it’s highly recommended that you spend no more than 60 minutes weight training while you’re trying to build muscle.

Step #5: Destroying Your Skinny Guy Habits

After helping hundreds of other skinny guys build muscle and gain weight, I’ve come to realize that there are several habits that most skinny guys have that are holding them back. And if you’re reading this right now then I’m certain you’re guilty of a few of these "habits" as well:

• Skimping out on your meals
• Letting yourself go hungry before you eat
• Thinking of eating as a DREADED "chore"
• Not pushing yourself in the gym
• Making excuses
• Not having a plan (Winging it) - this includes your diet plan and your workout plan
• Listening to "all the wrong" people about building muscle

The truth is if you’re falling victim to any of these things then you’re literally sabotaging your results. And it’s important that you DESTROY these habits ASAP because you can’t build the physique you want with these habits.

If you want to build muscle fast and you’re a skinny guy then here is a quick list of the Muscle Building Habits you need to live by and start taking action on them TODAY:

• Never letting your stomach go hungry
• Cooking and Preparing your meals in advance
• Eating on a schedule
• Always thinking about your next meal
• Not waiting til you're hungry to eat
• Getting in, Working Out and Getting Out ASAP
• Training like it's your LAST workout EVER

This is something that I address BIG TIME in my 30 Day Build Muscle Challenge Training Program. You can’t build the body you want with the habits you currently have, you have to do key things each day to Destroy your skinny guy habits and strengthen your Muscle Building Habits.

Life Changing Tip: Write those Muscle Building Habits above somewhere you can see them multiple times each day (and FOLLOW THEM) you’ll be surprised how fast you start seeing results, just by following these "HABITS")

Step #6: Reward Yourself

Let's be honest, building "life changing, physique altering" muscle takes a BIG commitment and alot of dedication. But in my opinion it takes an even BIGGER commitment and dedication if you’re a skinny guy.

Why??

Because us skinny guys have to do even more to get the same results as average guys. And it can take a few weeks before “real” results start appearing. And that’s why it’s VERY important that you reward yourself on a regular basis for sticking with your diet, your workouts and your recovery.

Not only is it great for your motivation, it’s great for your SANITY as well. (trust me, I know how grueling following a muscle building diet and breaking yourself in the gym can get)

Aside from lack of results alot of guys quit because they lack the motivation it takes to see the life changing results they want. Well, this won’t be the case with you if you just reward yourself regularly.

I’ve transformed my body twice (more on that later) and the second time was way more “enjoyable" (and fun) than the first and a large part of that was because I rewarded myself each week for sticking with my diet, workouts and recovery.

And it really doesn’t matter what you do to reward yourself. It can be something as small as eating at your favorite restaurant once a week to getting a massage each for a job well done.

Here’s how I reward my way to fast muscle gains.

Each week, to reward myself I take a “RAID-A-BUFFET” Day.

Yep, after EVERY successful week I’ll treat myself to MASSIVE amounts of delicious food.

You’ll be surprised how focused you get in the gym and outside the gym with your diet when you have something like this to look forward to each week.

There’s a number of reasons why I prefer to treat myself this way but the #1 reason is because it’s EXTRA calories.

And remember, as a skinny guy CALORIES are crucial to building muscle. And it’s a proven fact, the more calories you consume the more muscle growth you can experience.

So if you want to build muscle and gain weight I highly recommend you reward yourself with (MASSIVE AMOUNTS of) delicious food every week.

If you like these tips and you’re a skinny guy / hardgainer I highly recommend you check out my 30 Day Build Muscle Challenge Training and see step by step what I did to transformation my body from skinny to massive.

What do you think???...

What was your favorite tip?
Do you have a tip of your own you’d like to share?
Do you have a question about any of the tips I’ve mentioned?
Do you have any experiences you’d like to share about building muscle?

I’d really love to hear what’s on your mind when it comes to building muscle or fitness in general so please leave me a comment and let me hear what’s on your mind and if you enjoyed this article.