Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - I'm underweight & can't get any fatter: Need advice

Willravel · 09-01-2004, 09:35 AM

I had the same problem in the early days of high school. It's actually very simple to gain MUSCLE MASS. Don't gain fat. Trust those of us who have had or are continuing to battle with the mighty gut.
Step 1: set a final goal. You need to know when to stop growing and maintain. This will also serve as motivation. Set your goals and look at them whenever you start to feel that you aren't going anywhere.

Step 2: set an exercise program. You need to be doing honest to God weight lifiting. Serious resistance will break down your muscles and build them back stronger-and bigger-so that you weight more, appear to be in better shape, and are stronger. I joined a friendly neighborhood guym my freshman year of highschool. Learn what exercise best works out EVERY major muscle group. Don't just do chest, back and legs. Work out consistantly. You need to be lifting every other day...forever. Don't say to yourself, "Self, you can lift weights for 6 months, then you can stop." You can't. You'll either pack on the fat, or your muscles will begin to break down. Or both. If you can't afford a gym membership, then go and buy free weights and a bench with a lat bar and preacher curl. The people at the store cdan tell you what those are if you don't know. Get it home and then buy a mens health magazine. I'm not meaning to plug a product, but almost every month, they have a really well thought out and tested by professionals weight program for muscle gain and fat loss.On the off days, stretch upon waking from a good nights sleep, and go play a sport. I reccomend basketball, swimming, or martial arts. This will help you to process your diet.

Step 3: change your diet. You need to start eating more like a carnivor. I would reccomend you eat half a pound of a food full of protien, be it fish, pork, beef, chicken, dog, or nuts and beans. This, with your exercise program, will help in the growth of your muscle mass. You also need to kick up your caloric and carbohydrate intake. Enjoy pasta and crackers and bread. As long as you are exercising, carbs are not the enemy, they are your best friend. They will allow you the fuel to work out your muscles, and thus, become larger. Be sure to eat 5 fruits and vegtables a day. Drink plenty of fluids.
Be sure that you eat 6 full meals a day. Keep the meals balanced. I usually have Total cereal with fruit and some nuts for breakfast, a turkey, chicken, or ham sandwich with tomatoes, lettus, and mustard at about 10:30, another sandwich or something comparable at noonish, soup low in sodium at about 2:30, cantelope, rasins, apples, pears, or some comperable fruit at 4:30, work out like a mofo, a decent dinner at 6:30, and a snack like a protien bar at 8:30. I then get to sleep by 11:00. If you are going to be serious about this program, you need sleep. Otherwise you won't be able to function in school or work. You don't need to use the industrial sized weight gain powder from GNC. The natural way, as I find, is always the best way. This is how you'd do it if you lived now or 1000 years ago.

To sum up. Set a goal, and obtain it by working your muscles well, and eating a lot, but eating healthy. If you follow the program exactly, you will begin to see slight results in about 6 to 8 weeks. After about 6-8 months people will begin to make comments about how good you look. After about a year and some change, you shluld have gained about 15-25 pounds of muscle and dropepd fat too.

If at all you get a disease during this schedule, tone down the exercise and the meals. Go back to just going to work and eating 3-5 regular meals a day. When you've made a full recovery, go back.

Good luck!

09-01-2004, 09:35 AM	#23 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	I had the same problem in the early days of high school. It's actually very simple to gain MUSCLE MASS. Don't gain fat. Trust those of us who have had or are continuing to battle with the mighty gut. Step 1: set a final goal. You need to know when to stop growing and maintain. This will also serve as motivation. Set your goals and look at them whenever you start to feel that you aren't going anywhere. Step 2: set an exercise program. You need to be doing honest to God weight lifiting. Serious resistance will break down your muscles and build them back stronger-and bigger-so that you weight more, appear to be in better shape, and are stronger. I joined a friendly neighborhood guym my freshman year of highschool. Learn what exercise best works out EVERY major muscle group. Don't just do chest, back and legs. Work out consistantly. You need to be lifting every other day...forever. Don't say to yourself, "Self, you can lift weights for 6 months, then you can stop." You can't. You'll either pack on the fat, or your muscles will begin to break down. Or both. If you can't afford a gym membership, then go and buy free weights and a bench with a lat bar and preacher curl. The people at the store cdan tell you what those are if you don't know. Get it home and then buy a mens health magazine. I'm not meaning to plug a product, but almost every month, they have a really well thought out and tested by professionals weight program for muscle gain and fat loss.On the off days, stretch upon waking from a good nights sleep, and go play a sport. I reccomend basketball, swimming, or martial arts. This will help you to process your diet. Step 3: change your diet. You need to start eating more like a carnivor. I would reccomend you eat half a pound of a food full of protien, be it fish, pork, beef, chicken, dog, or nuts and beans. This, with your exercise program, will help in the growth of your muscle mass. You also need to kick up your caloric and carbohydrate intake. Enjoy pasta and crackers and bread. As long as you are exercising, carbs are not the enemy, they are your best friend. They will allow you the fuel to work out your muscles, and thus, become larger. Be sure to eat 5 fruits and vegtables a day. Drink plenty of fluids. Be sure that you eat 6 full meals a day. Keep the meals balanced. I usually have Total cereal with fruit and some nuts for breakfast, a turkey, chicken, or ham sandwich with tomatoes, lettus, and mustard at about 10:30, another sandwich or something comparable at noonish, soup low in sodium at about 2:30, cantelope, rasins, apples, pears, or some comperable fruit at 4:30, work out like a mofo, a decent dinner at 6:30, and a snack like a protien bar at 8:30. I then get to sleep by 11:00. If you are going to be serious about this program, you need sleep. Otherwise you won't be able to function in school or work. You don't need to use the industrial sized weight gain powder from GNC. The natural way, as I find, is always the best way. This is how you'd do it if you lived now or 1000 years ago. To sum up. Set a goal, and obtain it by working your muscles well, and eating a lot, but eating healthy. If you follow the program exactly, you will begin to see slight results in about 6 to 8 weeks. After about 6-8 months people will begin to make comments about how good you look. After about a year and some change, you shluld have gained about 15-25 pounds of muscle and dropepd fat too. If at all you get a disease during this schedule, tone down the exercise and the meals. Go back to just going to work and eating 3-5 regular meals a day. When you've made a full recovery, go back. Good luck!