The most popular topic for fitness must be how to lose weight. However, there is still a group of people suffering from light weight.
Those who are chubby always express their admiration about it. Some girls may like the compliment but others may don’t like for it is not good-looking if too thin.
Boys always want to be strong but some of them just stay thin however they eat.
I’m one of the thin boys who always eat too much but never gain weight. I’m so desperate about it. Many girls said they admired me but I never felt happy about this.
I want to gain weight and become stalwart so I begin to learn how to reach the goal. After one year persistence, I get good results and now I am about to share the experience to help you who want to gain weight as well.
The most significant thing I need to stress at first is that Rome was not built in a day. If you want to achieve it, you need a strong desire for it.
Why it is hard to gain weight?
It is about inborn physiques. People were born with different physiques, which is a little like initial character properties in the game. There are 3 types of physiques determining your weight, endomorph, mesomorph and ectomorph.
An endomorph is easy to become soft and round, a mesomorph is of medium and strong building, and an ectomorph is thin.
Fast metabolism and fast fat burning make the ectomorph hard to become strong. Moreover, an ectomorph doesn’t have enough vigour and energy.
Is it possible to change the physiques, and how to change it?
Exactly it is possible, but it will cost a long time and you have to make big efforts.
Generally, you have to pay attention to these 3 parts.
1. Strength Exercise
The best way to gain weight is to gain muscles by strength exercise.
According to my own experience, pectoral muscles, gluteus, and thigh muscles grow faster than other parts. I see good results within 3 months. For me, the arm muscles and back muscles are most difficult parts.
I just use adjustable dumbbells and mat to do exercise at home. I was too thin that I was just 46kg weight so I was unable to hold even just 3kg per hand when did exercise first.
It is shame that I just use 1.5kg at the beginning. Especially, I never finish the last several movements for arm muscles exercise.
About back muscles, I couldn’t feel the power from back as it is so weak. It spends a long time for me to find the back power.
You need to pay attention to do not only exercise the easier parts to gain muscles. Arms, legs, butt, and core muscles (chest, abdomen, backs, etc.) should be exercised together, or the body balance will be broken and there will be some problems on weak parts of body.
Many motions will help your serval parts, such as dumbbell incline fly mainly help exercise chest but also help some with arm. So you don’t need to worry about don’t have enough time to exercise all.
My Schedule
Day 1 Arms and shoulder
Day 2 abdomen and Chest
Day 3 Back and Legs (While I am exercising legs, butt get excited as well)
Day 4 abdomen and Chest
Day 5 Arms and Legs
It is not the most scientific schedule. But it is not very strict to exercise specific parts on specific days. But please be careful that don’t exercise one part for constant several days because muscles need rest and time to recovery. I suggest to taking exercise 4-5 days a week.
The time for one-day exercise is better not be over 1 hour as the ectomorph doesn’t have as much as energy and power as normal people. I always do 40 minutes.
If you are a beginner, it is more import to learn how to do exercise with correct parts than finishing the whole process. You can slow down and feel where the power is from at first. After you get familiar with the motion and correct way of power, you can go ahead to do all.
And it is better to learn motion from one app which will remind you of wrong posture. If you feel some parts are painful, hurt, and other uncomfortable instead of normal ache, you need to check if your movements are correct, and if you don’t find where the problem is, please ask a coach or someone who well know exercise to help you and stop exercise till you correct it.
The weight of the dumbbells should match your body condition. After you feel it easy to finish the whole lesson, you can pick up a heavier one.
Warming up cannot be ignored before you start strength exercise, and it will protect you from body damage. Stretch is significant after the exercise as it will make your shape look better and relive muscle ache.
Strength exercise is the main way to gain weight, but cardio is a must as well because it can help your body relax and muscles recover, and improve the ability of your heart and lung. You can just take 5-10 minutes to ride an exercise bike or just walk at high speed.
2. Food Intake
For people like me trying to gain weight, success=70% food intake + 30% exercise. Eating is more import than exercise in some ways. The tips are:
A. Multiple meals with small amount for each
An ectomorph always doesn’t have good digestion. Multiple meals with small amount for each reduce the burden on your stomach so that it is better for your body to take full use of food. I always eat 4-5 times a day.
B. Eating different food for nutritional supplement
Carbohydrates are greatly important to gain weight. I ate weight gained at first. I was too thin so I had to eat it after exercise or I would become thinner.
But now I can gain weight without it as my body ability gets better so I can digest food better than before. If you need it as well, please note that carbohydrates and energy are more important than proteins.
Besides carbohydrates, your body needs proteins, water, sodium, calcium, vitamins, and so on. That’s why eating different food is quite significant. They will help you gain weight meanwhile make you healthy.
3. Good Rest
There is no need to stress the benefits from good rest. It will help your body recover and stay healthy. 8 hours are better.
At last, I have to stress it again that Rome was not built in a day. You may see good results after 3 months and longer.
I gained 5kg already but I can just keep it at the moment. As if I want to gain more weight, I have to cost more time on exercise and eat more.
If I become a boss some day, I may have more time and money to go ahead with weight gaining plan.
