putting on some weight

[marcode]

anyone whos met me in person will know im a pretty skinny cunt.

i dont particularly watch what i eat, and i dont exercise much (trying to do a bit more actually), i eat plenty but always seem to fluctuate around the same weight. no matter how much food i shovel down my throat nothing seems to change much.

is there anything i can do to alter this?

id rather not just get fat, but instead get a bit more mass all over.

i know fuck all about exercise, or this kind of stuff.. so can anyone gimme a rough guide as to what i should be at doing id be very grateful.

[super mike]

Have a read through the stickies mate, they will have all the basic info you'll need. Then come back in here and ask a question or 2.

But basically you will need to have a good routine, with plenty of rest and a decentish diet, essentially you need to consume more calories than you use so you grow, but don't overcomplicate things with loads of unnecessary numbers.

[Nibb]

Code theres are 3 bodytypes.

Ectomorph; Mesomorph & Endomorph...from the photos ive seen of you theres no doubt you are an Ectomorph.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somatotype

Im afraid you may find it difficult to put on a major amount of weight in a short time.

Of course its not impossible...but its not a easy as us feckers who can "chub to buggery" at will!

[marcode]

i aint in a hurry so time is not an issue, but i shall have a read and get back to you with questions.

whats good food with lots of calories? i presume this doesnt involve simly scoffing loads of fatty crap?

Famous ectomorphs include Joey Ramone, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Kate Moss, Doug Jones, footballer Peter Crouch and swimmer Mark Foster.

cant be all bad i guess.

[Nibb]

Famous ectomorphs include Joey Ramone, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Kate Moss, Doug Jones, footballer Peter Crouch and swimmer Mark Foster.

Indeed!

[super mike]

Yup, not all bad at all, you could look like Crouch.

If you can eat without putting on weight then 'fun' foods like pizza with meat/fish + veg, big sarnies/burgers, steaks, oven chips on the side, basically anything can be incorporated into a decent diet (which goes against many people's beliefs). Also 'healthy' snacking with nuts and beef jerky is good. And as I understand it you're a toker, so you have no excuse not to be eating a lot

[Over Carl]

That body type thing was an interesting read, but how can Angelina Jolie fit in the skinny category?

[ffrr]

sounds like you're a typical hard gainer... so you have a naturally super fast metabolism. The best thing to do, as already stated, is simply eat more... maybe upto 8 times a day, but at least 6 times at that.

Work out your BMR, see the stickies / g00gle, and then times your given figure by 120% at least, doing that will over compensate your calorie intake. Try and do some form or resistance training 2-3 times a week to promote growth. As for cardio you'll probably need to do very little maybe keep it optional with your metabolism, depending on your commitment! But in general you should do some to aid your cardiovascular system, even if it's just twice a week for 30 minutes.

Food wise, once you know your daily intake, would be to aim for high'ish carbs and even fat and protein requirements... say 50-60% carbs, 25% fats, 25% protein...

keep your foods healthy to avoid unnecessary fat gain... oats, wholegrain breads, wholemeal pasta, brown rice, baked potatoes, eggs/whites, chicken breasts, turkey, lean red meats, tuna and lean white fish, fruit and veg, and get healthy fats from nuts, oily fish etc ... suplement wise, if you choose to take them go for bulking shakes that are high calorie and include creatine.

example;

breakfast; scrambled eggs on toast.
morning snack, chicken sandwich and fruit.
lunch, jacket potato beans and cheese.
afternoon snack, tuna sandwich and fruit.
dinner, chicken curry with brown rice.
evening snack, cottage cheese and pineapple.

and maybe a few weight gain bulk shakes througout the day... and also drink plenty throughout the day too, aim for 1 litre per 1000 calories.

[marcode]

simply eat more... maybe upto 8 times a day, but at least 6 times at that.

sweet jesus, ill burst lol

no seriously thanks for that, ill have a look at this BMR lark and work out how much i should be scoffing.

that recommended diet sounds pretty good too actually. any links to shake type stuff i should look at?

thanks so far... that ecto stuff nibb posted explains a lot really.

[RUDE BOI]

Fellow hard gainer here. Started training and putting on mass just over 6 months ago, and my body has changed quite a bit.
Being an Ectomorph the biggest problem you'll have is eating, you have to increase you eating quite alot.

Main things that helped me were:
Eating more meals, not bigger meals just more of them, you want to eat every 2-3 hours

Use Meal Replacement Powers (shakes) much easier than actually eating 7 meals a day

Have a good work out plan and stick to it

Don't skip meals! Can be very hard work eating so much and carrying on with you daily routine, I had to cut down my drinking, as my routine would alway go tits up when I would go on a weekend bingeing session.

A shake I used was Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass, pretty much suited to hard gainers.

I also stopped smoking puff round the time I started my routine, as I couldn't really get motivated while on it, and was too lazy(baked) to get in the kitchen and make something decent.

Good luck

[Roach-Rampino]

Mate until I was 15 I was very short and until I was 19 (the end of my class A days - coincidence ) I was very skinny too. I started drinking Guinness instead of lager and training at the gym. I've never touched any form for gear (steroids) but have learnt over the years how to eat and train well. I am still learning all the time. I am now 6'3" (that's just natural growth) and weigh a shade under 15 stone.

Good build/shape/physique comes from long term good training and sensible diet. By long term I mean years. It's a good thing that you have said you are in no hurry because loads of people are under the misconception that great gains can be made quickly and easily. Some people are like "I am going on holiday in 6 weeks; I want to have bigger arms, chest and a six pack". That isn’t happening.

Start your days with a small routine, say 3 sets of press-ups (even if it's just 3 sets of 5 or whatever you can do) some reverse dips, some squats (for your legs, you need to cover your whole body). Then have a decent breakfast, some fruit and porridge with Soya milk.

If you are like me and haven't got the time or can be fu(ked to sit there munching through a big bowl of breakfast, whack the whole lot in a blender and make a pint of smoothie, you can chug that down as you get ready for work. Try to prepare ahead with your meals for lunch at work, cook some rice at the beginning of the week, keep some individual turkey or chicken breasts in the freezer, cans of tuna, sardines, mackerel etc. Mix up a Tupperware the night before or in the morning (again depending on time). Have a portion 3-4 hours after you brekkie, then another 3-4 hours after that. If getting a good lunch is fairly easy then save the last portion for later 3-4 hours after your lunch and have a jacket spud with tuna/beans/chilli, a wholemeal pitta with chicken, a granary sandwich with turkey and salad. Avoid eating regularly anything fried, crisps, or chocolate. Try instead to snack on dry fruit (apricots, prunes - not too many!, dates, etc) and nuts, although give salted peanuts a miss.

One of the main reasons we all eat junk or convenience foods is just that, they are convenient but if you have planned ahead you won't end up eating shit full of chemicals, you will eat good, protein rich food, taking in the right amount of carbs and sugars, good fats and vitamins to help build your body effectively.

Have a look at the home gym routine I posted here:

http://www.digital-forums.com/showpo...18&postcount=1

Try to get hold of a small set of dumbells, they are very versatile and can really help as a starter to training at home. Or even better a set of resistance tubes and a door anchor.

[Mashburn]

Try making your own shakes. Cheaper, tasty and no simple carbs or sugars.

For example: whey, powdered oats, peanut butter, milk and a banana. Blend it up and neck it. Loads of calories in that.

So you could eat say 4/5 'normal' meals a day and 2 shakes. A bit easier than trying to eat 6+ meals a day.

[cronus71]

I was like you Marcode, up until a certain age. I just didn't put on any weight (well at one point I did, but I ate massive amounts, then split from the gf and went back to a normal weight again), now at 36 I'm grateful for this, as when I look at most people my age...