Being a naturally skinny guy myself, I have always looked to crack the “skinny guy genetic code” and implement diet, supplement, and lifestyle tricks that allow me to gain weight quickly. Building lean muscle mass is no easy task for most people, especially the serious hardgainer. What will separate you from the other guys with similar genetics is your ability to get creative and figure out the most efficient way for you to gain lean muscle mass. I have experimented with lots of different workouts, diets, and supplements over the years to figure out what my body responds best to. This has helped me come to many stunning conclusions on what works best for naturally skinny guys. If you’re saying to yourself that you want to gain weight and are looking for 3 incredibly effective secrets that have helped me, continue reading! I’m going to share with you guys 3 of my mass building secrets that have taken me from being a naturally skinny guy who was 135 pounds soaking wet in high school to being a 190-pound fitness model. During my weight gain journey, I tried just about everything under the sun to gain lean muscle mass and have unveiled a few “secrets” that will help you pack on muscle mass quickly. Two of these are diet tips and the other is a powerful workout tip that will sky rocket your strength and lean muscle mass gains. I’m excited to help you out, so let’s dive into my 3 mass building secrets.
I Want to Gain Weight: Mass Building Secret #1
You have to consider the fact that not all protein is created equal. This means that there are very high quality sources of protein that contain an abundant supply of amino acids to fuel protein synthesis, and there are also some very low quality forms of protein that are loaded with fat, hormones, and have a much lower quality protein percentage. As a naturally skinny guy, you need to feed your body the best sources of protein at all times. I have found it most beneficial to consume slow digesting forms of protein that drip-feed your muscles with amino acids throughout the day. These are the building blocks of muscle, and you want a steady supply of these amino acids throughout the day to initiate protein synthesis and speed up recovery following an intense workout. Consuming high-quality forms of protein at every meal will also ensure that you are creating the ever so important positive nitrogen balance in your body. This will create an anabolic atmosphere and help you build lean muscle mass quickly. So what are some of the best sources of slow digesting protein? I recommend consuming an abundance of the following high-quality protein sources: Grass-fed beef, boneless skinless chicken, fat-free turkey, wild-caught fish, whole eggs, egg whites, casein protein, Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese These are all high-quality sources of protein that are lean and high in muscle-building nutrients. One bad habit that a lot of skinny guys make is they think that drinking a whey protein shake is the same thing as eating a bowl of egg whites or a piece of grass-fed beef. You have to keep in mind that things like a whey isolate shake digest very quickly, and if you want a sustainable source of amino acids for your muscles throughout the day, this may not be the best option. If you’re going to drink a protein shake during the middle of the day as a meal replacement, I recommend a casein protein shake, as this digests much slower.
I Want to Gain Weight: Mass Building Secret #2
One of the most powerful mass building strategies is to consume an abundance of carbohydrates before and after your workouts. I noticed a dramatic difference in my workout intensity, strength, and muscle building when I started incorporating this trick. Insulin is highly anabolic surrounding a compound exercise workout, and as a naturally skinny guy, your body responds very well to carbohydrates and is much less likely to be stored as body fat. This means that carbohydrates are your secret weapon to building lean muscle mass quickly! This might be the most powerful secret of all. So how do you implement this strategy and what kinds of carbohydrates work best? Here’s what I recommend: Pre-Workout Carbohydrates: You should be consuming 40-60 grams of slow digesting carbohydrates 60-90 minutes before your workout. Some of the best choices include beans, sweet potatoes, lentils, whole grains, oatmeal, fruit, and multi-grain cereal. Post-Workout Insulin Spike: You want to spike your insulin immediately following your intense resistance-training workout. This can be achieved with a 2:1 ratio of fast digesting sugar to rapid digesting protein. I recommend about 40 grams of dextrose powder and 20 grams of protein powder for every 100 pounds of body weight. Post-Workout Meal: 60-90 minutes after finishing the post-workout shake, you should be consuming another 50-60 grams of slow digesting carbohydrates. My favorite post-workout carbohydrates are sweet potatoes, quinoa, and black beans!
I Want to Gain Weight: Mass Building Secret #3
One thing that I always recommend to guys is to keep a workout log that tracks everything you do in the gym. The main reason that I do this is to make sure that I am always progressing and getting stronger in the gym. If I have a workout log that tracks my weight and reps for every workout, it will literally force me to continue to improve. For example, if I see that last week I bench pressed 275 pounds for 3 repetitions, my subconscious will push my body to add 5 more pounds or do one extra repetition. This is really powerful stuff over the course of several months to a year. While tracking your entire workout may seem a little ridiculous to a beginner, at the bare minimum, I recommend keeping a “strength log” on the 3 most important muscle-building compound exercises. These exercises are the bench press, squat, and dead lift. Every single time you perform these compound exercises, track the weight and the amount of repetitions you do. Reference your strength log before each compound exercise and make sure that you are always aiming to improve. This helped me a ton and I am proud to say I am currently at my career high on all 3 power lifts thanks to the external accountability of my strength log!
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