How To Gain Muscle

Question: How do you gain more muscle when you have a hard gaining weight? Im a skinny guy that can only gain weight by gaining muscle by going to the gym. Ive tried eating more but my metabolism just burns it off. I eat healthy (Boneless chicken breasts, vegetables etc) and have started going to the gym regularly again. Im slowly gaining muscle, but its so hard to actually add on muscle and weight, any thoughts?

Answer: There are to basic principles two gaining muscle mass: 1. Consistency in training 2. Eating above your calorie maintenance level-your maintenance level is the amount of calories you need to stay at your current body weight Your body doesn't want you to have muscle, and will minimize muscle growth if there is not a surplus of nutrients. In other words you have to eat alot. 80% of your gains of muscle will be from nutrition. Heres a formula to find your calorie maintenence level: BodyBuilding Programs Review Muscle Building Workout Guide BodyBuilding Software Nutrition Home :: Nutrition How Many Calorie Do You Need? Everyone burns calories at their own pace. This is because every one has his or her own unique metabolism rate. Hence it is quite difficult to find one size fit all kind of estimation for Calories requirement. We need calories for all our basic purposes. We need calories to even breath and live. We burn calories both at rest and play. The only thing that differ between various activities is the rate at which we burn calories. So we burn much fewer calories when we are sitting and working on our computer as compared to when we are running or going upstairs. While sleeping, our bodies burn between 70-100 calories per hour. This is called our Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR. Your calorie requirement is dependent on your objective. Are you looking forward to weight gain or weight loss. For people looking for weight gain the idea is to increase your calorie intake. When you increase your calorie intake, the excess calories get stored in your body. Depending on your nutrition type as well as your workouts, these excess calorie may get stored as fat or muscle. What we discuss out here is how to estimate the number of calories you need for maintenance level - your maintenance level is the amount of calories you need to stay at your current body weight. Simply, if you want to gain weight you will have to cross your maintenance level. All the tools out there for finding your maintenance level just give you an approximate value. There is no formula to find your exact maintenance level. This can be attributed to the fact that your calorie consumption depends a lot on your day to day activity level. One of the most commonly used and preferred method of finding your maintenance level is called the Harris-Benedict Equation. Harris-Benedict Equation is so popular because of the number of variables that it analyzes. It takes your sex, age, height, and weight into consideration. Other important factors like your heart breathing, activity level etc are also given their due importance. The additional energy requirement of these processes is also taken into account by the Harris-Benedict Equation. The equation is identical for both men and women except that the numbers in equation change. Here is a sample calculation for a guy named Jack: Parameters Age: 26 Weight: 175 Pounds Height: 70 Inches First multiple the weight in pounds with the number 13.8, we will call this value as X 175 pounds x 13.8 = 2,415.0; Next multiply height by number 5, we will call this value as Y 70 inches x 5 = 350.0 Next multiply age by number 6.8, we will call this value as Z 26 x 6.8 = 176.8 Total Calories Needed = A + Y - Z + 67 Total Calories Needed = 2655.2 Also make sure to eat one gram of protein per bodyweight daily, as this is the prime muscle building nutrient. Secondly make sure that you push hard when you weight lift. Go for between 8-10 reps if your a begginer and 5-7 if your intermediate or advanced. Make sure to it muscular failure on these- the point where you cannot lift the weight for another rep. Also make sure not to neglect your legs and back when you train, becuase when you train them you create more testosterone throughout your body, which is a muscle building and fat burning hormone. Lastly make sure you are making consistent gain in your work- make sure you are increasing the weight or reps each week, to be consistent in your gains.

Question: How to gain muscle without losing weight? I'm thin for my age. I would like to gain arm muscles and leg muscles and stomach muscles. Not like brolic looking but just a little more fuller. I look healthy but I'm trying to gain weight. I just need ideas on what to do to gain muscle without losing weight? Any tips on gaining weight too? I also have a peanut allergy. Thank you so much!

Answer: I would make sure you are eating high protein, with healthy fats (avacado etc) and lots of complex carbs (brown rice, sweet potatoes etc.) and when you workout do less reps with more weight..if you are doing a ton of cardio you will prob drop weight so just limit cardio to like 15 min sessions and focus on weight training exercises...bike, free weights, abs, etc Hope this helps...

Question: How to gain muscle and work my very physical job? I want to gain muscle and i know i need muscle rest to grow. The problem is i work at the airport and lifting and loading bags/luggage all day 6 days a week takes a toll on my already sore muscle from the workouts. Is it possible to even gain muscle with the one day rest at hand? more calories protein anything?

Answer: Agreed with the protien, and water of course. There are additional supplements that can help as well, go to your local nutrition store to speak with them about it. Do stretching on the over worked muscles whenover you can, this not only relieves some of the pain and prevents injuriy, it also premotes muscle growth. On the one day you have off, really take a day off from working out. Your body will thank you for it, and try to stay away from working the muscles you are already working hard at work- cut back to only targeting them once or twince a week.

Question: How do I gain muscle without gaining weight? I am 19, 5'7, 119 pounds and a girl. I am trying to gain muscle, but not gain any weight. Getting rid of some fat would be a plus too. My current gym routine involves an hour on the elliptical, 10 minutes speed walking on the treadmill, 40 minutes of weight lifting and body sculpting exercises, 10 minutes of stretching. I typically eat about 900 to 1400 calories a day. Am I on the right track to gain muscle without gaining weight?

Answer: If you are wanting to gain muscle you are going to gain weight! You cannot gain muscle and lose weight I think what you mean is you want to tone up which effectively is burning fat to reveal the muscles, remember a persons weight and a persons body fat % are two totally different things girls who are skinny are light because they have very little muscle, muscle is dense and is alot heavier than fat, where as a toned figure would still carry abit of weight due to the muscles but still be a healthier body and not to mention more attractive. Weight should never be the issue when judging a healthy body its more about your body fat percentage.

Question: How do I gain muscle mass without getting a gym membership? I am very skinny, it is usually recommended that I only do squats and deadlifts. How can I gain muscle mass without the use of any weights, or are weights essential to gaining mass?

Answer: There is no way without resistance with weights. Dead lifts and squats make you soar indeed; from experience. I had a gym teacher in college that recommended it and we were all hating him for a week. Just use small weights and start out with 2 sets of 12. work your way up to say 5 sets of 12 with maybe adding a set a week. Once your up to 5 sets, try moving slower with your work outs, by then you'll start getting a high from having your muscles worked. Always stretch before each workout and work the upper one day, do some say swimming (cardiovascular) the next; then work your lower body the next day. Eating protien like eggs, meat, and fish make the workout seem easier. I have a bowflex. Good Luck.

Question: How to gain muscle with certain foods? Okay so im a basketball player and i really need to gain muscle fast. so im wonderin what type of foods i need to eat to gain muscle. i play basketball EVERYDAY for about 5 or more hours. i weigh 141 and i need to gain at least 10 or more pound OF muscle NOT FAT by september. i dont drink protein shakes or any of that stuff. i just wanna gain muscle naturally. somebody help? ohh and i just turned 15 in May. and im about 5'10 - 5'11.

Answer: First off, Whey protein is a high performance functional food that can definitely aid in recovery and improve your immune function. And if a muscle is stimulated properly, whey can help repair and build new muscle tissue. Whey protein is safe and is already in many of the things you are probably eating daily. Did u know it's in Cheeze it crackers, candy bars, pop tarts, oreos and many other foods, including almost all dairy products like yogurt, milk, cheese etc. Baby food has whey protein, The protein in milk is 20% whey, so whey in its concentrated form should be perfectly fine at any age as long as you are not lactose intolerant. Next time you are at the store look at the label on some baby formula. Even that has whey protein in it. Start reading labels and you will see many foods that contain whey, and are safe at any age. Whey is a naturally occurring protein in dairy and it has a lot of health benefits even if you don't workout. http://buybulkwhey.com/forum/index.php?topic=95.0 http://buybulkwhey.com/forum/index.php?topic=80.0 http://buybulkwhey.com/forum/index.php?topic=73.0 Now if you want to really stimulate some muscle growth I would suggest doing the Mike Mentzer style Heavy Duty (AKA high intensity) workouts. You can find a ton of the workouts on youtube!! Hope this helps :)

Question: How can my Boyfriend gain muscle without going to the gym? I'm starting to work out a lot to lose weight. My boyfriend on the other hand is really skinny. The both of us would love it if he could gain some muscle in his abs and arms. The problem is he doesn't have the money or time to go to the gym. I tell him to do push ups, sit ups, do some running, whatever he can do but it seems like he still doesn't gain any muscle. What should he do exercise and food wise for him to gain muscle?

Answer: If joining a gym is out of the question have your boyfriend purchase a set of dumbells with adjustable weight and if possible a bench. He should be able to find quality used equipment for dirt cheap prices as most people purchase the equipment use it once or twice and then dont look at it again for months. Once he has the equipment have him start a full body routine where he performs three or four excercises for each bodypart with a rep range between 8-12. Also have him cut down on all cardio work, running, biking, jogging, as this will burn calories away which is the complete opposite of what he wants to do when building muscle. For an individual to put on muscle mass it is vital that they consume more calories than they burn. Have your boyfriend start increasing his caloric intake by 500 calories everyday by eating lean proteins, chicken breast, tuna fish, lean red meat. Also be certain that he is eating enough complex carbohydrates to fuel his workouts. If you want more information feel free to email me.

Question: How fast would i gain muscle under these conditions? I am 16. I read that you rebuild lost muscle much faster than building new muscle that you never had before. I lost a lot of muscle due to under eating on a diet while doing a lot of cardio. How fast should i rebuild the lost muscle if i start working out? Would it be realistic of me to gain (as a beginner) 3 pounds of muscle a month?

Answer: the general term for this is muscle memory. When an active person repeatedly trains the outcome is to induce physiological changes which attain increased levels of accuracy through repetition. Even though the process is really brain-muscle memory or motor memory, the expression "muscle memory" is commonly used. an estimate that meat heads tend to use is that we lose muscle at a third the rate we gain, so if we train for 3 years after 1 year we will be back to normal. To get big quick depends on your natural ability, your diet and the amount of and quality of effort you put in. as a guide you will need to increase your calorie intake by about 50%, see how that goes and give your muscles time off to recover. 3lb muscle in one month is a bit optimistic and for every lb muscle gained you should expect to gain 2 or 3lb fat. Thats just the way the cooky crumbles im afraid, you can focus on losing the fat and getting ripped later,that will need another question.

Question: How to gain maximum muscle when pumping iron? I am a natural ectomorph so it's hard for me to gain muscle. I try to exercise everyday for an hour but 3 weeks already passed by and I only see marginal changes. Should I start lifting heavier? Which is better: lifting heavyweights a couple of times or lifting lightweights lots of times? Thanks. Sorry, I know this is irrelevant for this section but this is the most populated section.

Answer: Keep it varied. They say it's best to keep your muscles from getting used to one way of working out. Shock them with supersets every once in a while. When I had the best results, I would go heavy weights and minimal reps for a week or two, depending on how I felt. Then I would switch to the usual 12 - 10 - 8 set without really maxxing out on the last 8. Keep your protein intake high too, but drink lots of water to avoid kidney problems. Of course you should change exercises every few months or so too: go from a regular dumbell triceps extension to a pulldown on the pulley machine, or use the Cybex machine.

Question: How can I gain muscle mass in 3 months without getting chubby? I'm 5'8 and weigh 145 lbs. I am in pretty good shape. My muscles are defined, but I wish to gain mass while still retaining that "lean" look. Some of my main areas of concern are my arms, chest, traps and legs, but I'd like to gain muscle mass all over. Also, I can only do 2-3 workouts per week and would like to gain it before I leave the country in January. Any help appreciated!

Answer: The biggest mistake when building muscle copying Bodybuilders. Most of them don’t train naturally, are genetically gifted and never started training that way. Doing their routines won’t make you build muscle fast at all. The average person needs a different approach. One that builds muscle fast and prevents physical & mental overtraining from doing too much, too soon. Here’s a good way how to build muscle and gain weight: 1. Get Stronger. More strength is more muscle. Get into strength training. I recommend weight lifting since it allows you to start light and add weight endlessly. Start with an empty bar. Learn proper technique. Add weight each workout to keep pushing your body out of comfort zone. You can also perform calisthenics : Push-ups, Pull-ups, Dips, etc. Switch to harder versions or add weight when they get easy. 2. Use Free Weights. You can lift the heaviest weights using barbells. More weight is more stress, thus more muscle. Dumbbells are good for assistance exercises, but not for your main lifts. It's Safe, Efficient, Functional and versatile. 3. Train Your Legs. Squats work your whole body, they’re the most effective exercise. You’ll look totally different once you can Squat 1.5x your body-weight. That’s a free weight Squat with hips coming lower than knees. 4. Get Recovery. Pro athletes workout 5-6 times per week. But they didn’t start that way. They added workouts as they got stronger & bigger. You’ll overtrain if you jump into their routines. As a beginner you require more recovery. Make sure you rest, sleep, drink enough water and eat correctly. “Eat like a horse. Sleep like a baby. Grow like a weed”. 5. Eat Whole Foods. You’ll achieve a lower body fat, so the muscles you’ve built show better. And the vitamin & mineral content helps recovery. Stop eating food coming from a box. Consume whole foods 90% of the time. Proteins: Meat, fish, whey, eggs, milk, Carbs.: Brown rice, quinoa, … Veggies: tomato, salad, carrot, … Fruits: orange, apple, pineapple, peers, … Fats : Olive oil, real butter, nuts, flax seeds, … 6. Eat More. You need food for energy and for muscle growth & recovery. Eat Post Workout. Get proteins & carbs post workout to help muscle recovery & replenish energy store. Eat Every 3 Hours. 6 meals/day. Gives your muscles a stable intake of protein, speeds up muscle repair & recovery. 7. Gain Weight. You’ll never look strong weighing 140lbs at 6″. No matter how much training you do. Here’s the most important part. Eat Calorie Dense Foods. Become Stronger. Drink Whole Milk. 8. Get Protein. Proteins have the highest thermic effect. You need 1g protein per pound of body-weight daily to build and maintain muscle. That’s 160g of daily protein if you weigh 160lbs/72kg. Eat whole proteins with every meal. To view an article about a system that helped me and many others gain muscles and weight enter the following link: www.squidoo.com/bulkingup

Question: How can you gain muscle and mass as a scrawny teen. What are good meal plans and workouts? Im 5'9 ish 16 and 115 LBS. very skinny. I hate it. I eat small amounts a lot have two big meals a day and excercise somewhat. I do lift. What can I do to gain muscle and bulk up?

Answer: Check out this website. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/shia_labeouf_workout.htm if you read on in the article, you're describing yourself as a ectomorph. follow that, cause shia was scrony and had to bulk up for indy and gain muscle and bulk up aswell, let me know what you think!

Question: How much protein should intake to gain muscle mass using P90X? I am going to start using P90X in hopes of gaining muscle mass and looking similar to the people on the infomercials. I am currently 6 feet and 170 pounds (male). I am right around 10% body fat and in pretty good shape. The one thing that I know I dont get enough of is protein. How much would you suggest to gain muscle mass during those 90 days? Also any tips on carb and fat intake would be appreciated.

Answer: As a rule of thumb consume 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Make sure you are consuming ample amounts of whole food proteins as well as quality whey protein! As far as your nutrition stick to a 60/20/20 mix

Question: How many pounds of muscle can you gain per week? What is the maximum pounds of muscle can I gain per week? What is a plan that could help me gain the weight? I need to gain weight, about 2lbs per week as by my doctor, but I want to know how I can gain muscle. How can I gain 10 lbs without looking like I gained 10 lbs?

Answer: Refer to the website: www.bodybuilding.com

Question: How do i gain muscle and some sort of abs if skinny? Im 15, pretty skinny and im looking to gain muscle and abs. What kind of excercise should i do and what should i eat (if protein will some examples please) to gain muscle. Some sort of plan each week of what i should do would be nice.

Answer: If you want to get bigger without going to the gym and without taking any supplements start doing some push ups. Nothing, I mean Nothing will get you bigger and stronger like them. When you get a hang of them, try doing the push ups from an incline level, put your foot up on a chair an start banging them out..For your abs, just do a set of crunches every other day, no need to be doing them everyday.

Question: How do I keep and gain muscle on a low calorie diet? I am an 18 years old,male,5'8,and 325 pounds I've been on a diet for the last 5 weeks and have lost 15 pounds.I take in 1200-1500 calories a day and lift weights 3 days a week unfortunately I've lost muscle.Does anyone have suggestions on what I can do to keep and gain muscle on a low calorie diet?

Answer: you should strive for a healthy weight loss of 3%/month maximum. Your calorie intake is much too low. You arent eating enough to feed your body, especially if you are lifting. Your body is likely using all of your protein as an energy source. Increase your calories to closer to 2500 on off days and 2700 on lifting days and make sure you are consuming at least 100g of protein daily, ideally from lean meats or a whey powder. you also need to make sure you are consuming adequate quantities of carbs and fats for your body to use as energy so it will allow your protein to be used for muscle mass retention. also, stay hydrated and avoid caffeine and junky supplements like muscle milk, creatine and eas.

Question: How can I gain muscle weight using just two 20 pound weights? I want to gain at least 10 pounds before Christmas, preferably in muscle. I want to do this using nothing but two 20 pound weights and eating more of certain foods. Will doing over a thousand reps of 40 pounds per week help me gain muscle in my arms and chest? Also, do you have any recommendations for foods that will assist me?

Answer: Don't worry guys. You follow this site tips surely you gain before Christmas. Eat lot more milky food items. Eat banana & honey mixing before bad. you do sleep per day 6 to 8 hour regularly. you take meals correct timing. you don't avoid breakfast. you can increase your eating habits per day 3 to 5.Please avoid oil foods. Register site get more tips. Only home made tips.More healthy for your body. http://www.atozanswer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=133 This answer has been selected as best answer for more than fifteen times by asker (yahoo answer) for gain weight.