Gaining Weight

I think it’s safe to say the most common goal in the gym is weight loss however I continue to find myself being confronted by countless individuals whose goals is that of weight gain. With this in mind I decided to focus one post on a subject which is often not discussed however provides a problem for so many individuals. So if you are in such a position and really struggling to gain weight for a particular sport or some alternative reason then this post will give a good example of one potential diet to follow for constructive weight gain.

Key points to try when training for weight gain.

1.       Consume more calories per day then the total amount of calories your body uses per day.

(A surplus of 200-400 calories should be sufficient)

2.       Try to maintain a ratio of 50% carbs, 25 % proteins and 25% good fats.

3.       Try to minimize caloric expenditure where possible

4.       Keep training sessions should short 60 minutes

5.       The rest between sets should be kept to a minimum; 90 seconds or less

6.       Weight Training Exercise should not be performed for more than two days in a row.

7.       Work within a range of 6-15 repetitions when training.

8.       Training must be progressive

9.       Training must be varied

10.   The form in which you perform an exercise should be impeccable.

11.   Training must consist primarily of free weight basic exercises.

12.   Increase your protein intake to 1.5 grams of protein per pound bodyweight. Protein sources should come from lean low fat sources like chicken, turkey, 93% lean red meats, tuna, egg whites, shrimp, tilapia, mackerel, and salmon.

13.   Increase your carbohydrate intake to between 1.5-2 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight. Good examples are brown rice, oatmeal, pasta and sweet potatoes. Limit the higher glycaemic/simple carbs (like bananas) for after the workouts.

14.   Finally, make sure that you have around 15-20 grams of fibrous carbohydrates, such as green beans or broccoli, at lunchtime and 15-20 grams more at dinnertime as these will help to keep your digestive tract clean and ready to accept new nutrients, thus maximizing nutrient utilization.

15.   Increase your intake of good fats. Some fats are necessary to ensure good hormonal production and thus muscle growth. Eliminate all fats and see your testosterone levels take a dive.

One Example of a natural high calorie diet used for weight gain

Week Starting:
Breakfast	Est Calories	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
3x Large Eggs	210
3x Multi Toast	315
1x 2.5 Cups Rice krispies	260
1x 250ml Milk	130
Mid Morning Snack
1x 500ml Milk	260
1x 100g Oats	388
Lunch
1x Fish portion	250
1x 90g Rice	170
1x Cup Veg	25
1x 1/2 Cup Yogurt	75
PreWorkout
2x Bananas	210
PostWorkout
2x Bagles	287
Mid Evening Snack
1x 2 Chiken Breasts	260
1x 90g Rice	170
1x Cup Veg	25
Dinner
1x Large Dinner	600
1x 1/2 Cup Yogurt	75
Night Snack
2x Scrabled Eggs	98
total	3808