The Skinny Person’s Guide to Gaining Muscle

Gaining muscle isn’t as easy as these Instagram influencers make it seem. It takes so much time, dedication, and sacrifices (especially if you have a sweet tooth). And for naturally slim people, it’s even more of a challenge. Is it impossible? No! Read on to learn how to do it.

Eating, Eating, and More Eating

For individuals with a fast metabolism, gaining weight can be difficult for the most part. For muscles to grow, more calories must be consumed than expended – and a person with a slim build naturally burns more calories at rest.

Start by figuring out your daily caloric needs and adding 500–700 extra calories daily. With this caloric surplus, your body has the energy to build muscles. If that doesn’t work, add more calories and monitor calorie expenditure. It really is all about calories, and there’s a correct number of calories for each person.

Choose nutrient-dense foods rich in protein, good fats, and complex carbohydrates. For example, chicken meat, beef, fish, eggs, and dairy products are all great sources of protein. You should also include healthy saturated fats found in avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oils, as they are dense in calorie content while promoting general fitness.

Frequent meals are key. Instead of sticking to three large meals daily, eat five or six smaller ones per day. You could also benefit from supplements like high-gainer whey protein or steroids online Canada supplies. Both will naturally increase muscle and weight faster than diet alone.

The Right Training Program

With gaining muscle, some workouts aren’t as effective as others. Skinny people need an intense, focused training program that triggers muscle growth. Compound exercises should form the basis of their routine, training several groups of muscles to work together simultaneously. Squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and pull-ups are preferable since they maximize the involvement of all muscles.

Train each group twice weekly so that they receive enough stimulation for growth purposes, just like we explained earlier. A typical split can involve the upper body on Monday and Thursday, the lower body on Tuesday and Friday, and a full body another day. Or you can rotate by doing one upper, one lower, and one rest day before repeating.

What Not to Do

Don’t do this.

Firstly, don’t go on a diet. The best training program will not be effective if you are eating too few calories and proteins. Ensure that you eat enough of the right food to support gaining muscle. Try to avoid a dirty bulk – eating fatty and processed foods to gain weight quicker.

Secondly, don’t overstrain yourself. Although it can be tempting to work daily, muscles need time to recover. Excessive exercise can injure your body and lead to burnout instead of supporting growth. Take a break whenever your body needs it.

Lastly, avoid relying on supplements too much. Protein powders and creatine may help some people, but this shouldn’t be a replacement for whole foods. Supplements should be used as complements in a diet rather than as the main ingredients of such dieting patterns.

So, there you have it, naturally skinny people can put on weight and gain muscle. They’re biologically at a disadvantage, but it’s not impossible. No matter who you are, gaining muscle isn’t the easiest!