If you’re looking for the top ways to gain weight, it’s important that you consider a variety of different approaches so that you can clearly see which will help you reach your end goal the fastest.
There are a number of effective ways to gain weight that can be used if you structure them into your workout routine properly and fully understand what it is you are to be doing as you move along.
But, if you use some of the weight gain techniques improperly, you could end up over-training and actually doing more harm than good… So pay attention!
It’s going to be imperative that you take the time to learn about these different ways to gain weight, how they work, and who they are best suited for. This way you’ll know exactly what you need to do in order to start making gains.
Let’s start off with this video from Jeff Masterson:
Jeff Masterson is the creator of the Weight Gain Blueprint Program – A step-by-step muscle building program that shows you how to pack on 20… 30… even 40 pounds of muscle or more in the shortest time possible.
Exercise Technique #1: Supersets
The first type of technique that you can use to take your progress up a notch is a superset. A superset is a form of training where you’re going to pair two exercises immediately back to back working the same muscle group with no rest in between.
So for example, you might do a set of dumbbell bicep curls followed by a set of EZ-bar reverse-bicep curls. Once both exercises are finished, then you would rest for 30-60 seconds before carrying on.
Who This Is Best Suited For:
This technique is going to be best suited to those who are more advanced lifters who are looking to induce a higher state of fatigue and bring about more lactic acid in the muscle cells.Supersets are great for ‘pump’ training as the blood flow to the region will be enhanced, so it will really make you feel fuller after performing them.
They’re also really good for those who are short on time in their workout session as by doing these you can dramatically cut back on how much total time is necessary to move through each workout.
Adding It To Your Workout:
When adding supersets into your workout routine, you generally want to choose to do them for two muscle groups that oppose each other. So for instance, you would pair the biceps with the triceps or the quads with the hamstrings.
While this isn’t a rule, it’s generally the best way to go about setting them up.
Don’t do them on all exercises, but rather add one or two sets to each workout.
Exercise Technique #2: Drop Sets
Another one of the best ways to gain weight is with drop sets. Drop sets will be where you perform one set of one exercise and then rather than stopping to rest, you drop the weight by five pounds and then perform a second set.
Once that second set is completed, you’ll drop the weight one more time and then perform a third and final set before taking your rest break.
Who This Is Best Suited For
Drop sets are great for those who also want a higher amount of fatigue generation with their workout and who are currently plateaued at a given weight on a particular exercise.
By adding a drop set into the mix, you can help overcome that plateau so that when you do go back to straight sets again, you’re able to push harder and see increases to your strength level.
Adding It To Your Workout:
Since drop sets are such a high fatigue type of technique, aim to add these towards the end of your workout program when you’re finishing off for the session. This way, you can bring about a total state of fatigue and then move on from there.
Exercise Technique #3: Pre-Fatigue Sets
Pre-fatigue sets are another good way to bust through weight lifting plateaus and gain weight. Pre-fatigue sets entail you performing one set for an isolated exercise first before moving on to a compound movement.
This way, by tiring out that smaller muscle group, you ensure that it’s not being called into play for the compound exercise you perform and instead, it will strictly be that larger muscle group doing all the work.
Who This Is Best Suited For:
Pre-fatigue sets are ideal for those who are looking to really take the intensity of their workout program up a level and who are good with dealing with fatigue and pushing through it.
They’re also great for those who are looking to specialize in building up the larger muscle groups such as the chest, quads, hamstrings, shoulders, and back.
Adding It To Your Workout:
When adding this to your workout, you would want to pinpoint the helper muscle groups in any compound lift that you’re doing and then target that first with the isolation exercise. So for example, if you’re doing bench press and want to work the chest, perform a few sets of tricep extensions first.
Or, if you’re doing squats and want to work the hamstrings, perform a few sets of leg extensions prior to moving on to the squat.
Keep in mind that since you are tiring out these helper muscles, it’s normal to see the amount of weight you should be lifting significantly decline. This is due to the reduced level of muscle fiber recruitment that will be present when doing that compound lift, which takes away from the amount of force you have to push the weight.
So there you have a few of the commonly used ways to gain weight that you should consider adding to your workout program. Keep in mind that these are all advanced techniques so not something to do if you’re a brand new beginner.
If you’re just starting out on your weight gain journey, then using a straightforward weight gain program that focuses on simply adding more and more weight to any compound exercises you perform will likely be your best long-term strategy.
Once you have a more solid base of muscle mass behind you, then using one of these different and unique ways to gain weight will be much more beneficial to keep your progress moving forward.
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