Skinny workout: how to exercise and what to eat to gain weight

Why is it difficult for you to gain muscle mass?

Scientists have long noticed that the ability to build muscle is different for everyone. So, some people in 12 weeks of training can gain 1.6 kg of muscles, while others during the same time will not gain at all.

And it's not just about eating habits and exercise. You're just out of luck:

You have fewer type II muscle fibers - those that work without oxygen, quickly get tired and seriously add in volume.
Your muscles have fewer receptors that respond to testosterone, the hormone without which they won't grow.
You do not create new ribosomes so quickly. These are organelles of the cell that take amino acids and, according to the instructions of the mRNA, make a protein from them. The ribosome factory is located in the nucleolus of the cell, and your enterprise is slightly behind in terms of production volume.

But that doesn't mean you won't be able to build muscle. The mechanism of muscle growth is the same in all people. You just have to spend more time and money on food and sports nutrition than those who won the genetic lottery and walk all so athletic.

How to exercise to gain muscle mass

When muscles contract, their fibers undergo mechanical stress. Receptors sense it, and a chain of molecular reactions is triggered, which ends with protein synthesis. He completes the muscles, increasing them in volume.

Of course, muscles contract with any kind of work - for example, when you get out of a chair or run a marathon. But in the first case, the tension is too little for growth, and in the second, type I muscle fibers are mainly involved, which reluctantly increase in volume. For noticeable muscle growth, you need fast type II fibers to work (of which you already have few). And to make them do it, you have to pull iron.

How many times a week do

After exercise, protein production is increased by 24 to 48 hours. If you load the muscle again before the synthesis drops to its previous values, some of your efforts will be lost.

Therefore, exercise two to three times a week and do not train two days in a row.

By exercising more often, not only will you not get the muscle growth benefits, but you may overwork your central nervous system. This will lower your performance, and thus the stimulus for muscle growth.

How much and what exercises to do

For each workout, do four to eight strength exercises for different muscle groups. Be sure to include multi-joint movements, that is, those that involve several joints and muscle groups: squats, lunges, deadlifts, bench press and standing, and others. They train the whole body, improve coordination, allow you to work with large weights and give the right stimulus for muscle growth.

However, you should not build your workout only on such activity. So you run the risk of tiring the central nervous system and reducing performance. Dilute the above-mentioned exercises with one-joint: bending the arms for biceps, extending for triceps, bringing the arms together in the butterfly trainer (chest) and others.

Here's a list of the best exercises for building different muscles. They've been tested using electromyography (EMG), so “best” isn't just words. To plan your workout, do one exercise for each muscle group. In the legs article, choose one for the front of the thigh, the back of the thigh, and the calves.

Also, do one abdominal and back extensor exercises for each workout. These muscles help you maintain balance and perform all movements without harming your spine.

How many sets and reps to do

Perform exercises in 3-5 sets of 8-12 times. Pick up the weight so that the last repetitions in the approach are given with difficulty. The final approach can be performed to muscle failure: when you can no longer do it again.

Check list

Train 2-3 times a week.
Do 4-8 strength exercises for different muscle groups.
Include both multi-joint and single-joint movements in one workout.
Do 3-5 sets of 8-12 times.
Choose the weight so that the last repetitions in the approach are given with difficulty. Do the last approach to muscle failure.

How to eat to gain weight

To gain weight in general, you need to eat more, and in order to grow muscles, you need to monitor the amount of protein.

How many calories to consume

First, calculate your daily calorie intake using the Mifflin-Geor formula:

For men: (5 + (10 × weight [kg]) + (6, 25 × height [cm]) - (5 × age [years])) × 1.55 (adjusted for training 3 times a week).
For women: ((10 × weight [kg]) + (6.25 × height [cm]) - (5 × age [years]) - 161) × 1.55 (adjustment for training 3 times a week).

Increase your calorie intake by 15%. This is exactly how much you will need to consume every day.

It must be said that gaining 15% will not necessarily help you gain weight. It all depends on your metabolism. Eat like this from two weeks to a month and, if there is no progress, increase the calorie intake by another 15% (from the original norm). In the first month, you will get used to eating more, so adding on the next batch of calories will not be so difficult.

One study increased calorie intake by 40% (about 1,000 kcal per day) for 8 weeks. As a result, the thinnest participants gained 4.44 kg of weight and 2.87 kg of muscle mass. And this is without training, only due to the increased calorie intake and protein - it was 25% of the daily value of nutrients.

However, this study lasted only a month and a half. It is not known how this amount of protein will affect health in the long term. Too much can damage the kidneys and disrupt calcium metabolism. While this is not entirely proven, if you have kidney problems, check with your doctor if you can eat that way before going on a high-protein diet.

How many calories should come from protein, fat and carbohydrates

All macronutrients are needed to gain muscle mass:

Protein will be used as a building block and a signal for muscle growth.
Carbohydrates will help produce the hormone insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1, without which muscles will not grow. And they will also give you the strength to train.
Fats are needed for the production of hormones, including testosterone.

Your daily diet should be 25% protein, 20% fat, and 55% carbohydrates. In this case, the protein should not exceed 2 g per kilogram of body weight. If the calculation results in more protein, add the remaining calories in the form of carbohydrates.

Let's say your daily calorie content is 2,500 kcal (a 30-year-old man weighing 70 kg). You add 15% (2500 x 0.15 + 2500 = 2875 kcal). To calculate BJU, you need to remember that 1 g of proteins or carbohydrates contains 4, 1 kcal, and 1 g of fat contains 9 kcal.

Thus, the man from the example needs to eat 140 g of protein (70 kg × 2) per day. At the same time, 25% of its daily calorie content will be 718 kcal. In order not to exceed the protein norm, we consider this way: 718 - 574 kcal (140 g × 4, 1 kcal = 574 kcal) = 144 kcal. We add this amount to carbohydrates. Now we calculate the rate of fats and carbohydrates: 64 g of fat (2875 kcal × 0, 2 = 575 kcal ÷ 9 kcal in 1 gram of fat) and 420 g of carbohydrates (2875 kcal × 0.55 = 1581 kcal + 144 kcal, the remaining from protein ÷ 4, 1 kcal).

If you shift this to a classic builder meal, you get a pound of boiled breast, 100 g of nuts and 2 kg of boiled buckwheat. Sounds awful.

Although, of course, you can diversify your diet with many other foods rich in protein, fats and carbohydrates, and get your calorie intake without suffering from monotony. But you still have to eat a lot.

How many times a day to eat and when to do it

Divide your allowance by an equal amount - for example, six meals. Each of them should contain at least 0.25 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight.

You don't need to consume your protein intake right after your workout. You can do this 1, 5–2 hours before her, work out calmly for 1–2 hours, drive home and eat again. That said, the anabolic response will be no less than when taking supplements right in the locker room.

Check list

Calculate your calorie intake and add 15% to it. Eat like this for 2-4 weeks. If there is no progress, add another 15%.
Determine the calories you need to get from macronutrients: 25% protein, 20% fat, 55% carbohydrates.
Count the grams of macronutrients (1 g of protein or carbohydrates - 4, 1 kcal, 1 g of fat - 9 kcal).
Protein should not exceed 2 grams per kilogram of body weight. If you do more, add the rest of the calories to the carbs.
Divide all grams by the number of meals. Eat at least 0.25 g of protein per kg of body weight each time.

If the thought of so much food makes you shiver, you don't like to cook and don't want to eat so much, welcome to the world of sports nutrition.

What supplements can you buy

Protein powder

It is a concentrated protein from animal or plant foods: milk, eggs, legumes. Try Whey Protein - Well-researched,,,, and found to be effective for building muscle.

The concentrate is cheaper, but not suitable for people with lactose allergies. If you have such problems, buy an isolate. For the most wasteful, there is a hydrolyzate - it is quickly absorbed and increases insulin levels, which is beneficial for muscle growth, but at the same time costs more than all others.

Also buy casein, a slow-digesting protein, to take before bed. 30-40 g of casein increases muscle protein synthesis at night. So you will build muscle vigorously while you sleep.

For vegetarians, there are also many different types of protein derived from plant sources: soy, pea, and rice.

Gainer

A gainer is a drink with a mixture of proteins and carbohydrates. It increases muscle protein synthesis as effectively as protein without carbohydrates.

There is really no evidence that the carbohydrate + protein combination raises protein synthesis more than just protein. However, lean people burn more carbohydrates during exercise than others, so this supplement may be beneficial.

A gainer will help you get into your daily carbohydrate intake without a bucket of buckwheat.

Creatine monohydrate

Creatine is a substance that is involved in energy metabolism in muscle cells. The more it is in the muscles, the longer you can work and lift large weights, which means that the muscles will grow,,,, faster. This supplement is well researched and safe for the liver and kidneys.

There are two ways to take creatine:

Loading. Take 20 g per day for six days: 5 g four times a day, one of them immediately after training. Thereafter, consume 2-3 g daily to maintain creatine levels.
Gradual reception. Take 3 g daily immediately after training for a month.

Beta Alanine

Beta Alanine is a beta amino acid that helps you work longer without acidifying your muscles and increase post-workout anabolic hormone levels. Together with creatine, it helps to increase lean muscle mass.

Take 36 grams of beta-alanine daily for 4-6 weeks.

Check list

Consume a protein powder and / or gainer to build up your daily calories, protein, and carbs.
Buy casein overnight.
For added benefits, you can use creatine monohydrate and beta-alanine.