A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Bigger

By Steve

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Today, we’re going to discuss a healthy life coming from the opposite end of the spectrum.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed a crazy increase in the number of emails from skinny nerds looking
to pack on some muscle and size and feel better about themselves, no doubt spurred on the summer
weather and bathing suit season!

I know that feeling, because I was that guy.

Although I’ve spent the past five years helping people lose weight and live better through Nerd Fitness,
I’ve spent the past thirteen years personally focused on the art and science of getting bigger and
stronger.

If you are a skinny guy and struggle putting on weight, this post is for you.

If you are a skinny lady and are interested in bulking up, a lot of the same advice will apply (and we even
have an entire section for you that explains any differences).

If you are trying to LOSE weight, keep reading. I guarantee you’ll learn something.

To me, getting bigger and stronger is more than just the pursuit of looking better – though there’s
nothing wrong with that. It’s about confidence in your own skin, self-respect that comes with strength
(thanks Henry Rollins), and the satisfaction that comes from being able to do something today that you
couldn’t do yesterday.

Of course, a side effect of getting bigger and stronger is that you also happen to look good naked, which
isn’t such a bad thing 🙂

My story

Growing up, I was always the scrawny, skinny weak kid.

There was a reason I dressed up like superman every other day for the first six years of my life:
Superman was strong, big, and powerful…and I wasn’t

To this day, it’s still a big challenge for me to gain any sort of weight or muscle. Now, if you’re
somebody that struggles to lose weight, you might be thinking: “Steve, you’re so lucky you didn’t have
to deal with being overweight growing up.”

Don’t you worry, a killer flat top, my height (5’2″ until I was 16), four years of braces, and two Acutane
treatments made sure I still got the full adolescent experience 🙂

When I was cut from the high school basketball team (which I thought was the end of the world), I
signed up for a gym membership to get big and strong; within five minutes I had almost killed myself
when loading up way too much weight for a set of bench presses. Fortunately I survived, and thus
began my love affair with strength training.

I spent the next six years training in a gym, reading every muscle and fitness magazine I could find,
drinking protein shakes religiously…and had about 3 pounds of muscle gain to show for it. I just
assumed “I’m one of those people who can’t gain weight.”

It turns out, I was doing it all wrong.

After graduating college I moved to California, signed up for a gym membership, and received a few free
personal trainer sessions. Although I thought I had known it all (I had been training for 6 years in a gym!
I read the muscle mags!), I still took the free sessions for the hell of it.

The trainer drastically simplified my workout and doubled the amount of food I was eating. I thought he
was crazy, but I stuck with it.

In 30 days, I had put on 18 pounds (pictured below), increased the strength in ALL of my lifts, and felt
more confident than I ever had before in my life.

That’s when the lightbulb when off in my head: there’s a better way.

And thus began a radical redefinition of how I thought the human body worked, how muscle was built,
and where I needed to put my priorities. Since then, I’ve spent seven years learning everything I can
about how muscle is built.

A few years back, I took an epic 35,000 trip around the world, and despite not having access to a gym for
6 months, I managed to once again pack on even more muscle and get myself in great shape without
once picking up a weight (pictured below):

Again, my world was turned upside down. I learned that gyms are not a requirement to build muscle
and get stronger (if the proper training routine is used).

I’m still not the biggest guy in the world, nor will I ever be. I’m okay with that. I’ve learned that anyone
can pack on muscle, even skinny nerds like me. If you’re skinny and want to get bigger, you’ll be fighting
genetics the whole way, but do not let that deter you. Anything is possible.

Today’s article outlines everything I’ve learned over the past 13 years of mistakes, successes, failures,
and adventures.

Your diet is the most important thing

As they say, muscle isn’t made in the gym, but in the kitchen.

Just like for somebody trying to lose weight, in order for somebody to GAIN weight, their diet will
account for 80-90% of their successes or failures.
What that means: you’d be better off working out twice a week for 30 minutes and eating right, than
working out 6 days a week and not eating properly.

I learned this the hard way.

I spent four years of college working out five days a week for 90 minutes a day trying to get bigger. I
drank protein shakes like I thought I was supposed to. I got a little stronger, but never bigger.

Why?

BECAUSE I DIDN’T EAT ENOUGH CALORIES.

When I get emails from people who lament the fact that they can’t gain weight, I always first ask about
the person’s diet; more often than not, that person thinks they are eating enough, but are definitely not.

Here’s the truth: If you are not getting bigger, you are not eating enough. Your body can burn 2000+
calories every day just existing (and then factor in exercise and, gulp, cardio – I’ll get to that in a minute),
and you need to overload your system with calories in order for it to have enough fuel for the muscle
building process.

Now, for every person, the number of required calories daily is different:

For some people, it might be 3,000 calories a day.

For others, it might be 5,000 calories a day.

For this guy, it’s 8,000 calories a day.

Now, you might be thinking “there’s no way I can eat more than I’m already eating. I’m always full.”

Like a muscle, your stomach can be trained to eat more food. I’m not a big fan of calorie counting, but I
think for a newbie starting out, tracking calories for a few days is a great place to start. I find that a
majority of skinny dudes overestimate the number of calories they consume (and conversely, a lot of
overweight people UNDERestimate how many calories they consume).

So, track your calories over a few days and get an average. Then, spend the next two weeks eating
an additional 500 calories per day and see how your weight adjusts. If you are not getting bigger, then
you should add an additional 500 calories per day and repeat the process.

Depending on your training, genetics, how skinny you are, and how much weight you need to gain, you
can decide how much weight you want to gain each week. Some gurus say that under optimal
conditions, you can expect to gain one pound of muscle per week, while others say 2 lbs per month is
more realistic.

Now, if you’re a true beanpole, putting on more weight than 1 pound a week might be a good thing:
extra glycogen, some fat, and water stored in your body can be a good thing for your confidence and get
you headed down the right path.

So, don’t listen to the sites or programs that say “gain 40 pounds of muscle in two months!” – unless
you’re on the juice (‘roids, not Hawaiian Punch), it’s going to be a slow, long process.
Sure, It is possible to have incredible transformations in a short amount of time, but it’s far less likely to
be sustainable change, which is what we’re looking for. Rather than massive weight gain over a month,
you’d be much better off gaining .5-1.5 lbs a week, every week, for six months…and then keeping the
weight on!

Before we get into the workout stuff, let’s get you eating more.

What types of calories to eat

For starters; you need to be eating enough protein each day. Claims for the amount of protein needed
vary wildly from source to source (and athlete to athlete). Personally, I have found that 1 gram of
protein per pound of lean body weight (2 grams per kg) works for me. If you’re not interested in figuring
out your body fat percentage to determine your lean body weight, try taking your total weight and
eating .8 grams of protein per pound of body weight (1.6 grams per kg).

After protein, in order for you to get bigger, you need to eat enough calories composed of carbs and
fats.

It’s no surprise around here that I’m a big fan of the Paleo Diet. That being said, when I’m in the process
of getting bigger, I don’t strictly follow the Paleo Lifestyle. In fact, I strategically add in foods that are
NOT Paleo because they help me gain weight. If I need to eat 4,000 calories, it’s easier for me to do so
by mixing in some non-paleo items. Depending on your desired level of healthiness and amount of
weight you need to gain in a certain time period, you have a few different options available to you:

The “See Food” Diet: This is the diet I used to put on 18 pounds in 30 days. Looking back at how I ate,
I’m now grossed out, but for me at the time, it worked (and got me interested in diet research). If you
are super skinny and on a tight budget, this might be your only option. Whole milk, cereal, pasta, rice,
potatoes, fast food, ice cream, juice, peanut butter sandwiches, meatball subs from Subway, whatever
gets you to your caloric intake goal for the day. When I put on my 18 lbs, I used to drink 3 CytoGainer
shakes a day, because it was the easiest way for me to stay on target. If you are training properly, a
majority of these calories will go towards building muscle instead of putting on a lot of fat.

Now, I’m not a big fan of this method much, as I’ve come to learn the quality of food is as important (if
not more so) than quantity when it comes to your overall health, and we’re aiming for bigger AND
healthier.

GOMAD: Drink a gallon of whole milk every day along with your meals. Sounds crazy, yup, but it
works. A gallon of whole milk is full of enough sugar, carbs, fats, and protein that when all said and
done, results in 2400 calories consumed in liquid form. Mix in vegetables and meat for healthy meals
and you got yourself a simple to follow diet. I’ve attempted this diet back in my younger days, and
although my stomach hated me, I certainly had success with it, mostly because it was simple to follow
and easy to understand. Here’s a good write up from my friend JC on The Pros and Cons of GOMAD.

The “healthy” bulk: I have followed this method to great success multiple times (including right
now). Ultimately, I follow the Paleo principles whenever possible (good sources of quality meat, tons of
vegetables, minimal amounts of gluten and processed carbs), but mixing in some specific items that are
calorie/carbohydrate dense to reach my calorie goals for the day: whole milk, rice, oats, legumes and
lentils, and/or sweet potatoes, along with enough healthy fat sources (nuts, avocados, olive oil, coconut
oil, almond butter).

Can you bulk using just paleo? Yes, it’s possible, though it can get incredibly expense and
difficult. Getting 4000 calories from paleo-only sources is a challenge, but certainly doable. If you have
the budget and want to try it, go for it. You’ll be eating truckloads of nuts, avocados, and sweet
potatoes.

How to eat more calories

Just like knowing that you need to exercise and actually DOING the exercise are completely different
things, so is knowing to eat more food and actually being able to accomplish it.

Here’s the biggest piece of advice I can give you:

Liquid calories are your friend.

I get a huge chunk of my calories every day from making my own ‘calorie bomb’ smoothie for post
workouts.

Things like whole milk, coconut oil, almond butter, and even olive oil are easy ways to add calories to a
shake in the quest for MOAR MUSCLE! No blender? Just add a glass of 8-12 oz of whole milk to every
meal!

Feel free to mix and match your own ingredients and see how many calories you can get into a smoothie
without breaking your blender 🙂

Along with liquid calories, you can train your body to simply consume MORE regular calories. If you are
cooking rice, each week try adding in an extra quarter cup when you cook it. And yeah, you have to
FORCE your stomach to accept more food, even when you’re not hungry. This is not enjoyable, as you
often feel like you’re going to explode. However, just like it’s necessary to force your muscles outside of
your comfort zone to get bigger, you need to force your stomach outside of it’s comfort zone until it
adapts to accepting more calories. So, start by adding a little bit more food each day and soon enough
your stomach

If you’re interested in more specific advice on diet for bulking up, I cover a lot of this stuff in greater
detail in the Rebel Strength Guide, but the explanation is pretty clear: EAT MORE FOOD!

Getting stronger = bigger muscles

If you want to get bigger, focus on getting stronger.

Here’s how it works: when you strength train, your muscles are broken down and then rebuilt stronger
to adapt to the stress you have applied to it. As long as you are continually increasing the weights or
reps you are lifting (to an extent), your muscles will continually adapt to get stronger. If you are doing
this while eating enough calories, you are getting bigger.
Now, many sites might recommend you follow a bodybuilder type routine that focuses on isolation
exercises that chops your body into different segments and works each of them out once a week.

You may have seen something like this:

Monday: Chest

Tuesday: Legs

Wednesday: Shoulders

Thursday: Back

Friday: Arms and Abs

I think these routines aren’t beneficial for 99% of the population, and isolation exercises don’t have the
effect that we’re looking for. For the newbie, compound lifts simply do a better job at achieving our
goal of muscle/strength building; compound movements are more efficient.

Along with that, there are some safety concerns with isolation exercises: when you train your muscles to
work in isolation…they get really good, in isolation but not in real situations. Unfortunately, our body is a
complex system in which all muscles work in tandem to get things done.

For that reason, we’re going to focus on full body routines that contain compound exercises that give us
the most bang for our buck. If you want to mix in some isolation exercises at the END of a routine for an
extra pump, go for it. But build your routine around the big movements, and get really strong with them.

Specifically, get really good at these movements:

Squats

Deadlifts

Overhead Presses

Bench presses

Bent over rows

Body rows

Dips

Push ups

Pull ups

There’s a reason Mark Rippetoe (author of Starting Strength, a must-read for anybody interested in the
above exercises) lives for old school barbell training: it freaking works. If you can focus on getting really
strong with the above movements, and eat enough calories, you will also get bigger in all of the right
places.

Here’s a simple workout plan I just created for you:

Monday: squats, overhead presses, and pull ups

Wednesday: deadlifts, bench presses, body rows

Friday: lunges, dips, chin ups

Deceptively simple, incredibly effective.

Each workout, you get a chance to work out your legs, push movements, and pull movements: a chance
for your muscles to be broken down and rebuilt STRONGER!

Another popular workout plan is Stronglifts 5×5 program (which I have also followed to great
success). It’s simple, it’s comprehensive, and it works.

In this humble nerd’s opinion, if you are serious about strength training, your routine NEEDS to have
squats and deadlifts in it.

Which workout plan is right for me?

Honestly, no matter WHAT routine you follow, if you are getting stronger and adding weight to each
exercise (while eating enough calories) you will get bigger.

Get stronger and the rest will take care of itself.

Worried about how many sets and reps you should do?

1-5 reps: strength and power

5-8 reps: strength and some size

8-12 reps: size and some strength

12+ reps: muscular endurance

What this means: if you want to get bigger and stronger…keeping your reps in the 5-12 range is the
sweet spot. Pick up a weight that is heavy enough that you can only complete your specified number of
reps.

But don’t overthink it: One method might get you a little bigger and the other a little stronger, but that
shouldn’t concern you. What’s important is that you pick a plan and follow through with it while
focusing on eating enough. After a few months, you can reevaluate and then adjust based on how your
body has changed.

How much weight should you lift? For every of the barbell movements above, I start with just the bar,
and then add weight in 5lb increments each week. It’s important to get form right and get your body
used to the movement for when you start to lift heavy weight.

How long should you wait between sets? Again, don’t overthink it. Waiting 2-3 minutes allows you lift
heavier weights, and thus makes you stronger. Waiting 60-90 seconds puts more of an emphasis on
muscular size and endurace (as you’re resting for a shorter period)…but don’t overthink it. Do the next
set when you’re ready.
A piece of advice from 8-time Mr. Olympia, Lee Haney: stimulate, don’t annihilate. Don’t destroy
yourself for the sake of destroying yourself; stop one or two reps short of maximum effort can save you
from overtraining and potential injury – remember that muscles are built in the kitchen!

What about body weight training?

Long story short: Yes, you can get bigger and stronger doing exclusively body weight exercises. Take a
look at any olympic male gymnast: he is jacked, with giant muscles, all built with body weight exercises.

HOWEVER, it requires a very specific type of training regiment to see those results.

When you can do more than 12 reps of an exercise, you are not building strength or size, you’re building
muscular endurance. So, doing 100 push ups in a row will not build muscle and size efficiently; instead
you’re just becoming really efficient at doing lots of pushups.

Think of it this way: If just doing more of something made you bigger, then it would be marathon
runners that look jacked, not sprinters. It turns out that it comes down to the INTENSITY of the exercise
and power required to complete the activity.

The challenge with body weight exercises is that, just like with strength training above, you need to
consistently increase the difficulty in order for your muscles to adapt. Because you can’t “add weight” to
a body weight exercise to make it tougher, you need to increase the difficulty of the movement itself.

If you can do 4 sets of 15 push ups, you need to make them harder to progress. Do 4 sets of 10 push ups
with your feet on a bench. Then do divebomber push ups. Work your way up to handstand push ups.

Body weight squats too easy? Work your way up to pistol squats (one legged squats).

4 sets of 12 pull ups not a challenge anymore? Great. Make them tougher. Go for a wider grip, an
uneven grip, or wear a backpack with weight in it.

Due to the difficulty associated with building a proper bodyweight routine with correct progressions, I
highly recommend beginners start take a serious look at strength training with free weights; it’s easy to
record one’s progress, easy to add more difficulty (just add more weight!), and very structured.

As you get stronger and more experienced, mixing in more body weight training is a great idea.

In fact, I personally believe the best routine mixes both weights and body weight training.

So, taking tips from my yodas/friends Jim, Ryan, and Anthony, I’ve created a routine (which you can see
here) that has the best of both worlds:

Weight training for my lower body, body weight movements for my upper body.

Every day starts with either a squat/front squat or deadlift. Each workout also contains a lot of
olympic/gymnastic style movements and holds to build upper body strength.

What it really comes down to is this: no matter what you have access to (a gym, barbell, dumbbells, or
just a pull up bar) you can find a way to build strength and muscle if you follow a plan and eat enough
calories.
If you want body weight routines and progressions specifically designed to build muscle and size, we
have plans laid out in the Rebel Strength Guide (including the exact plans I used while traveling the
world to put on those 12 lbs).

There are plenty of free resources out there as well (like our very own beginner bodyweight routine,
advanced bodyweight routine, and playground routine) – just make sure each routine has you increasing
the challenge and difficulty of the exercise, not just increasing the number of reps, and you’ll be on your
way towards getting bigger.

Get enough sleep and rest!

Last but not least, the other important piece to this triforce of muscle building:

Strength training, eating enough, and RECOVERY.

Your body builds and rebuilds its muscles during RECOVERY. Your muscles generally need 48 hours or so
to recover from its previous workout, so I do not recommend you do any serious strength training of the
same muscle group on back to back days. Feel free to do dynamic warm ups and some calesthetics if
you feel like it on your off days, but I tend to take my off days OFF. I might go for a walk (to Mordor!),
but that’s about it.

A word about cardio: if you are serious about getting bigger and stronger, lots of long distance cardio
will work against you. Your body has to burn so many calories for your runs that it doesn’t get to use
any of these calories in the muscle building process. If you love to run/bike, that’s cool, as long as you
know it’s slowing (or halting) your progress.

So, cut back on the running or cut it out completely. Try mixing in sprints and interval training if you
want to keep the cardio up without having to do all of the crazy distance. You can always add it back in
once you accomplish your weight gain goals.

A few words on SLEEP: You need more of it when you are building muscle. It’s that simple. Don’t be
surprised if after a heavy deadlift day you find yourself wanting to sleep for 10 hours. It might mean less
TV or less video games. Again, if you are serious about getting bigger and stronger, don’t neglect sleep.

Should I gain or lose weight?

If you are skinny fat (you have skinny arms and legs but have a gut), I would recommend strength
training while following a healthy diet to decrease your body fat percentage.

Get yourself down to roughly 12% bodyfat (~20% for women), and then start packing on size.

The alternative is to bulk up first (while putting on even more fat) and then cutting the fat and trimming
down.

I like the first method better. When you get your body fat percentage low, your body can add some
more fat/muscle without you looking fatter. I like Anthony’s technique of never being more than 2
weeks away from the body you want. So, as you eat more and get bigger, if you notice your body fat
percentage start to creep up, you can simply adjust until your body fat gets back in the acceptable
range. Then keep building!

Common questions and objections

“But I just want to get toned, I don’t want to get too bulky.” “Toned” is the worst word in the fitness
dictionary. Do NOT worry about getting too bulky. I’m gonna guess you have 30+ pounds to gain before
you’d ever even be considered “bulky,” and if you struggle with weight gain, what makes you think it’ll
be a challenge to drop weight once you reach your goal? You just need to eat less at that point! So,
always err on the side of too many calories than not enough.

“But I don’t want to do that stuff, so I’m gonna do _____ instead.” Awesome, go for it. Give it a month,
and see how your body reacts. If you’re getting bigger, stronger, and healthier, keep doing it. If not, give
the stuff above a shot for a month and see how things go.

“I’m a vegetarian/vegan, can I bulk up?” Absolutely. You just need to make sure you’re getting enough
calories and protein in your system to promote muscle growth. Beans and nuts have lots of protein; if
you’re vegetarian you can still use dairy to your advantage (whey protein, whole milk, cheese, etc.). If
you’re vegan, then it’s slightly more of a challenge to get enough protein, but it can be done: almond
butter is your friend 🙂

“Should I do ___ reps and sets or _____ reps and sets?” Most likely, either plan will get you there. Its
90% diet anyways. What’s important is that you pick a plan, you progress, you keep track of your results,
and you consistently progressively increase the load that you are moving (be it your body weight or an
actual weight).

“I want to get bigger and faster and have more endurance, can I do that?” I hate to say it, but
endurance sports and getting bigger are almost polar opposites. Compare a marathon runner’s body
with that of a sprinter or gymnast. Put the running on hold for a while, and focus on getting bigger:
you’ll get there faster. When you decide to mix running back in, keep your calorie consumption high
and don’t forget to keep strength training!

“Do I need to eat every three hours?” Nope. The TOTAL number of calories you consume over the
course of a day is more important than the timing of the meals. In fact, there are actually some
scientific benefits that can result from not eating all day and instead condensing it into a smaller
window. However, if you struggle to get enough calories in your system, spacing out your meals might
help you feel less full.

I’m a woman – what’s different?

This section is written by Team NF member Staci, who has had tremendous success with putting on
mass the right way as a woman. In the photo above, she’s 25 pounds heavier in the photo on the right
(and WAY stronger, and healthier, and happier!) If you’re at all concerned about “getting bulky” or that
it’s not healthy/safe/possible for a woman to add weight the right way, this section should put those
fears to rest!
The majority of what Steve has already covered is completely applicable for women. If you want to gain
weight, lift heavy and eat a lot. However, due to our natural hormones, it’s harder for us to gain
muscle. And on top of that, we have a lot of factors (such as hormonal birth control) that have been
proven to make it even harder.

But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. It just means we have to work harder for it.

Now, before we get started, let me just remind you: If you see a photo of a woman who is full of muscle
and looks a lot like a man, she’s most likely on steroids. We simply don’t have the hormones naturally to
get that size. Now, that that’s out of the way, lets go:

Since it’s harder for us to gain the right kind of weight, while some guys can eat the “See Food” diet and
still look great, we will most likely need to focus on one of the “right food” diets.

Luckily, as it takes less calories for us to just exist, it takes less calories for us to bulk. But, this is still a
much higher number than the 1,200-1,500 calories you typically see women following.

Note: I’ve never done “GOMAD” but I have done (and am doing right now) Half GOMAD. Since we’re
most likely going to need a lot less calories than men due to our smaller size, full GOMAD is usually
overkill.

I would also focus on making sure you’re getting enough saturated and monounsaturated fats, keep
your sugar intake low, and make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D and Zinc – all items linked with
boosting your testosterone naturally.

Speaking of testosterone – I know you may think of this as a “male” hormone, but it plays a huge part in
women, muscle building, fat loss, increase bone mass and many other health related issues (remember:
estrogen is made from testosterone). Men make about ten times what we make naturally, so they are
way ahead of the game already. Lifting heavy and sprinting are two ways we can naturally boost
testosterone

Another way we can help our testosterone levels is to watch our cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone
that is promoted by stress and reduces free testosterone levels (in addition to signaling for your body to
store fat).

So we want to keep our cortisol levels down by getting plenty of sleep, eating enough, and reducing
overall daily stress.

For conditioning, instead of running, try sprinting or pushing a prowler.

As for strength training – not much difference here. We still want to be doing compound, full body
movements, and lifting heavy. One big change to note though: women (and their natural growth
hormone) have been shown to respond very well to a higher number of sets with a short rest period (60-
90 seconds)

No matter what you chose, like Steve’s advice to above, pick a plan and eat a caloric surplus. Stop
worrying about the small details and just make sure you are making progress.

How can I help?

This is a monster of an article, and your head probably hurts at this point. If I can narrow it down to
three main points:

Get stronger by picking up heavy stuff or doing more challenging bodyweight movements.

Get bigger by eating enough.

Recover faster by sleeping enough and giving your muscles days off to rebuild.

I see this article as a resource of sorts, so feel free to leave a comment with a question, and I’ll do my
best to answer it, and perhaps add an FAQ section to this article.

How can I help you get bigger and stronger and feel better about yourself?

-Steve

PS: Yes, I cover a lot of this stuff in the Rebel Strength Guide, including workout routines for free weights
and body weight training, exercise demonstrations, and more in-depth meal advice. However, this
article should get you started with EVERYTHING you need….FO’ FREE! Free is good.

TODAY’S REBEL HERO: My friend Helder, Founder of Backlash Beer which currently taking over the state
of Massachusetts. If you live in the Boston area, next time you’re in a bar ask for a Backlash Beer. You
won’t be disappointed.

Here’s Helder after a workout rocking his NF tee with his dog Stout (who has the ability to fall asleep
anywhere, anytime).

Want to be the next Rebel Hero? Take a photo of you doing something epic in your Nerd Fitness gear
and send it to contact@nerdfitness.com so we can feature you on the site!

###

photo source: stretch armstrong, caveman from Damy, plate of meat, male gymnast, sleeping puppy,
scale, smurf, front squat, blender-smoothie, axel wheelhouse

___________________________________________________________________________________

The Skinny Guy's Meal Plan to Gain Muscle

Sick of being stick thin? Get the right fuel into your body with this nutrition guide.
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This meal plan is tailored for men who want to build muscle. Check out the Skinny Guy Workout for the
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TARGET: 3,000 CALORIES, 300g CARBS, 225g PROTEIN, 100g FAT

Forging new muscle requires a menu high in carbs, therefore, calories. But going on a muscle-building
diet is no excuse to gorge on junk food.

Take Miles Teller. To prepare for Bleed for This, in which he plays fearsome Vinny "The Pazmanian Devil"
Paz, the actor feasted on chicken, avocado, spinach, and tomatoes, and kept his morning meals
consistent: “Breakfast was protein powder, ice, water, a splash of almond milk, and some frozen fruit—
like, maybe, 10 blueberries," he told Men's Fitness.

For a clean bulk, you need just enough high-quality, nutrient-dense carbs when your body needs them
most—around your workouts. Note that the plan here is for a guy who trains in the afternoon. If your
sessions are in the morning, simply rearrange it so you’re eating the starch-heavy meals before and right
after your workout, and then avoid starchy carbs later in the day.
If you want to stay healthy and have more energy, this is the plan for you. It’s relatively low in carbs and
very high in protein, and it emphasizes antioxidant-rich foods to improve the health of your blood
vessels while also warding off inflammation—two factors that accelerate the rate at which every cell in
your body ages.

Skinny Guy Rules to Gaining Muscle >>>

Template

Meal 1: Contains starchy carbs

Meal 2: Few carbs, if any

Meal 3: Few carbs, if any

Meal 4 (post-workout): Contains starchy carbs

Meal 5: Contains starchy carbs

Meal 6: Contains starchy carbs

10 Ways to Gain Muscle >>>

Sample Meal Options

MEAL 1: CHEESY SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH SCALLIONS

3 omega-3 eggs

4 egg whites (to add variety, you can switch out for 2 slices turkey bacon, 2 small chicken sausages, 2
slices Canadian bacon, or ¼ cup canned salmon)

¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 scallions, chopped (switch out for 2 tbsp salsa, ¼ cup diced onions, or 2 tbsp diced sun-dried tomatoes)

2 slices Ezekiel bread (switch out for 1 multi-grain English muffin, 3 small corn tortillas, 1 large flour
tortilla, or 1/3 cup rolled oats)

1 small apple (switch out for 2 kiwis, 1 small banana, or 1 cup raspberries)

MEAL 2: BLUEBERRY ALMOND SMOOTHIE

2 scoops vanilla protein powder

1 cup blueberries (switch out for ¾ cup frozen mango chunks)

1 oz almonds (switch out for 1 oz cashews)

1 cup vanilla almond milk (switch out for vanilla coconut milk)

1 cup water

3–4 ice cubes

MEAL 3: GRILLED FLANK STEAK WITH TOMATO BEAN SALAD

6 oz flank steak (switch out for 6 oz salmon fillet; 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; or 6 oz trout)

1 tomato, diced

½ cucumber, diced

1 cup chickpeas (switch out for 1 cup black beans, 1 cup kidney beans, or 1 cup Great Northern beans) •
1 tsp olive oil

The Top 20 Meat Proteins >>>

MEAL 4: POST-WORKOUT NUTRITION

Recovery shake containing 50g carbs + 25g protein

MEAL 5: ROASTED CHICKEN WITH QUINOA SALAD

6 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast (switch out for 6 oz pork tenderloin, 5 oz Buffalo rib eye, or 5 oz
top round beef)

1/3 cup quinoa, dry measure (switch out for 1/3 cup couscous, ¼ cup brown rice, or ¼ cup wild rice)

2 tbsp walnuts (switch out for 3 tbsp slivered almonds, 2 tbsp chopped pecans, or 2 tbsp shelled and
chopped pistachios)

2 tbsp Craisins (switch out for ½ cup quartered grapes, 2 tbsp golden raisins, or 2 tbsp unsweetened)

MEAL 6: YAMS AND PARMESAN WHITE FISH

6 oz tilapia (switch out for 5 oz tuna steak, 7 oz cod, or 6 oz shrimp)

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

2 medium yams (switch out for 1/3 cup Amaranth, 1/3 cup wheat berries, or 1/3 cup pearl barley)

1 tbsp butter (switch out for 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil, or 1 tbsp
coconut oil)

1 cup broccoli florets (switch out for 4 stalks of asparagus)

The 15 Most Basic Facts About Building Muscle >>>

Topics:
carb foodsprotein foodshigh protein recipeshigh energy recipes

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9 Mistakes Skinny People Make Trying to Get Bigger

By Steve

75

I’ve been trying to get bigger for as long as I can remember.

It started when I was 17, days after being cut from the basketball team. What began as a simple quest to
pack on a bit of muscle and feel a bit better about myself eventually evolved into a love of health and
fitness (and ultimately, Nerd Fitness!).

We receive a few emails every day from skinny men (and some women) who are trying to get bigger. As
a former very skinny guy, I’ve made all the mistakes one can make over the past twelve years.

In the past 18 months, after a decade of making inconsistent progress, I’ve cracked the code, and
figured out how to finally gain some muscle. I’m still not big by many people’s standards, but I’m the
Incredible Hulk compared to where I used to be.

Make sure you’re not making these mistakes!

1. Not Eating Enough

If you’re not getting bigger, you are not eating enough.

This one solution will account for 95% of most skinny men and women who are looking to get bigger.
When I started lifting, I spent 5-6 days a week in the gym following a bodybuilder workout routine from
various fitness magazines.

Over the next six years (end of high school and all of college), I put on maybe five pounds total, even
though it felt as though I was eating a lot.

Turns out, I was eating 500-1000 less calories per day than I needed to stimulate muscle growth.

It wasn’t until after college that I finally cracked the code, simplified my workouts, and doubled the
amount of calories I consumed and I was able to put on about 15 pounds in 30 days. This is back in 2006:

I didn’t put the weight on a healthy or sustainable way, but after six years of struggle, this experience
solidified the connection between diet and getting bigger. It finally made sense.

If you don’t eat enough calories, you won’t get any bigger.
If you aren’t getting bigger, you probably aren’t eating enough calories.

If you’re trying to gain, the moral of the story is: when in doubt, eat.

(I highlight some of my favorite techniques in my “How to Get Bigger” article. Hint: liquid calories are
your friend, slowly add more calories until your stomach gets used to it, and when in doubt, eat more.)

2. Setting unrealistic expectations

We live in a world of instant gratification.

Just as people have unrealistic expectations thanks to marketing when it comes to weight loss (“Lose 30
pounds in 30 days!”), people also have unrealistic expectations when it comes to NATURALLY building
muscle as well (Scientists don’t want you to learn this trick to pack on 40 pounds of muscle!”). These ads
are designed to sell supplements, not get you bigger quickly.

We cover this extensively in our “how fast can I naturally build muscle?” article.

The short version is: In optimal conditions, you’ll most likely only be able to put on 1-2 pounds of muscle
per month (or less). Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t make tremendous strength gains — just not
overall muscle mass.

What this means: stop setting your getting big goals by the week or month. It’s time to think in terms of
months and years.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Muscle isn’t built in a matter of days or weeks. It’s going to take time, and
it’s going to take patience. But you can get there!

3. Not having a solid plan

You need a plan. A plan that is balanced, and provides you with big movements that stimulate growth all
over your body.

If you just wander into the gym without a strategy, you’re going to struggle to get bigger. It’s better to
pick a basic plan and stick with it for months and months and months, than jump around from week to
week chasing the newest shiny object.

Here’s the easiest way to put it: get freaking strong at the following movements, eat enough, and you
will get bigger:

Squats

Deadlifts

Overhead Presses

Rows

Pull-ups (weighted)
Dips (weighted)

What plan to follow?

Many people start with Stronglifts 5×5 or Starting Strength, which are both great programs.

I started with Stronglifts, then moved into more of a hybrid program (similar to the workouts featured in
the Nerd Fitness Academy.

If you’re not ready for barbell workouts, start with bodyweight.

Which one of them? Honestly, any of them will work – you just need to start, and stick with it for
months at a time, focusing on getting stronger with each movement.

4. Not doing enough

If you are trying to get bigger, you might not be doing enough in the gym or in the park to stimulate
muscle growth.

No matter what, you need to be doing heavier weight, or doing more repetitions in order to challenge
your body, breakdown muscle fiber, and force your body to rebuild stronger.

Yes, you can get bigger doing just bodyweight exercises – take one look at BarStarzz on Instagram or
gymnasts – these dudes have built their muscle through years of intense bodyweight training. However,
you must be scaling these exercises constantly to make them increasingly more difficult, which many
people struggle to do.

Just doing more regular push ups, bodyweight squats and pull ups is a good way to get conditioned, but
after a certain point, it most likely won’t produce muscle growth without increasing the challenge. Once
you can do more than 10-15 reps of an exercise in a single set, you need to increase the challenge.

I detail this during my “stay in shape while traveling” post, in which I packed on a few lbs of muscle while
ONLY doing bodyweight exercises.

I started by doing just pull ups and dips. Now I’m up to doing pull ups with 60 pounds on a weight belt,
and dips with 70 pounds on a weight belt.

I used to just do ring pull ups, now it’s muscle ups and gymnastic complexes like this and this. So, YES it
can be done! You just need a solid plan that allows you to consistently push your muscles further.

5. Going too quickly and getting injured

In the age of instant gratification, we always want more, now now now.

Over the past decade, I followed a terrible cycle:

Try to get bigger. Eat lots of food, and put on some weight.

Ramp up my workouts too quickly.

Sustain some sort of injury from trying to do too much.

Take a month off to recover.

Start back at square one.

Repeat the process.

Have patience.

Start out with easy weight, and get a teeny tiny bit better every single day.

Even though I have some back issues, I’ve crawled my way to a higher deadlift the past 18 weeks.

Back when I started deadlifting again, I kept thinking “I can do more! I can go heavier!” – but I patiently
forced myself to go just a tiny bit further than the week prior.

As Lee Haney says, “Exercise to stimulate, not to annihilate.”

6. Not following a sustainable strategy

Just like losing a bunch of weight by running on a treadmill and starving oneself is not sustainable in the
long term, neither is making yourself miserable for a month just to pack on some size. As soon as you go
back to “normal” you’ll lose all of your gains!

For me, I’ve found that eating the same meals every single day, getting enough sleep, and training four
days a week for about an hour each time is sustainable for me. As a result, I’ve been able to make
consistent progress for the past 18 months, and my new “normal” is progress and strength
improvements!

If you can’t work out six days a week for the next year, DON’T!

Start with twice a week, doing a basic program, and dump the extra time you would have spent training
into eating more or getting more sleep. If you can train three days a week, that should be MORE than
enough to make you bigger. Remember, if you’re not getting bigger, you’re not eating enough!

It might take you 6+ months longer than if you went all-in and did nothing but eat and lift all day every
day, but you’ll actually KEEP the progress you’ve made rather than giving it all back.

7. Not making it a priority

After telling myself “I want to get big and strong,” I realized that for much of the past decade, it wasn’t
really a priority.

I put work, messing around on the internet, video games, and going out and drinking before my training.
Over the past 18 months, I made it a point to see what I could accomplish if I made getting bigger and
stronger a priority.
I ate extra meals even when I wasn’t hungry. I rearranged my work schedule so I could get all my
training sessions in. I hacked my productivity so I could get more done in less time. I said “no” more
often to staying out really late and drinking. I made fitness a priority.

Is this truly a priority for you?

8. Sweating the small stuff

Bicep curls! Forearm curls! Calf raises! Should I target all three heads of the triceps muscle? I see the big
guy over there doing 8 types of bicep exercises – should I do what he’s doing? Does chest day need to be
bench, incline bench, decline bench, cable chest flys, dumbbell flys?

Should I do 6 sets of 8 reps or 5 sets of 5 reps?

Forget all of that stuff!

If you want to get bigger, focus on getting stronger in one of the few big, basic movements. Once you
have a solid foundation, then we can start targeting specific isolated muscle groups like the
bodybuilders do.

Back to the basics (noticing a theme here?):

Squats

Deadlifts

Bench Press

Overhead Presses

Barbell rows

Pull-ups (weighted)

Dips (weighted)

“But where’s my bicep curls, tricep extensions, ab work, etc.!?!?!”

ALL of those muscles get worked incredibly well with the above exercises, so don’t worry about
isolating. Instead, just get strong. When you can lift heavy things or complete intense bodyweight
exercises, your body needs to adapt.

Let your body worry about getting bigger.

9. Not recovering enough

I used to pride myself on not needing a lot of sleep. I also used to be dumb, apparently. Since putting a
focus on getting bigger and stronger, I’ve had to considerably up my sleep time.
When you strength train, your muscles break down and need to rebuilt over the next 24-48 hours. Sleep
is a key part of this process. Without it, your body can’t recover, and you can’t grow.

So make sleep a priority!

Here’s how to not suck at sleeping.

My last 18 months

I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to pull off over the past 18 months, and I’m excited to see what
the next 18 months bring.

Here are two recent photos to highlight how I’ve transformed over just the past six months.

Photo on the left: October 1st, 2014. 171 pounds

Photo on the right: May 1st. 194 pounds

The best part is that it was all done in a healthy, sustainable, natural way:

Do you have any questions for me? Have you had success as a skinny dude or lady and made great
progress? Have you struggled your whole life with being skinny and still can’t seem to crack the code?

Let me know how I can help!

-Steve (former skinny guy, future Captain America)

The Skinny Guy's Workout Program to Build Muscle

Frustrated with your lack of progress? Stack on size with this three-day total-body plan.

by Sean Hyson, C.S.C.S.; Photographs by Marius Bagge

Email

Hard-gainers or ectomorphs believe it's difficult for them to gain muscle because of genetics. But more
often than not, they're training too hard, not allowing enough time to recover, and not eating enough.
Seriously, it boils down to the simplest of setbacks. But these workouts provided by Ben Bruno, a
strength coach in North Andover, MA, will set you up for success.

Part 1: The Strategy

Eat Up

Aim for a gram of protein per pound of your body weight every day. So if you weigh 180 pounds, eat 180
grams. Take in starchy carbs like potatoes, rice, and oats; and snack on high-calorie (but healthy) foods
like nuts, seeds, and other sources of good fats. If you don’t have the time or energy to commit to
anything else, just remember to eat a lot of food every day. Once a week, weigh yourself in the morning
after you’ve used the toilet and before you eat or drink anything. You should gain about a pound per
week. (If you don’t, you’re not eating enough.)

RELATED: The Skinny Guy's Meal Plan to Gain Muscle >>>

Train Better, Not Harder

You can stimulate muscle growth with very few exercises as long as they’re done with heavy weight and
they activate as many muscle fibers as possible. The workouts here have only four moves per session,
but they’ll be anything but easy. If you’re the type who’s used to light circuits or bodybuilding routines
that try to isolate every muscle, this is just what you need to grow.

Rest

Getting eight hours of sleep per night is crucial for growth-hormone release. “A nap every day in
addition is even better if you can get it,” Bruno adds. In between workouts, get massages or use a foam
roller to work out knots in your muscles and improve blood flow. Making these part of your routine
enhances recovery.

Keep a Log

This program’s main focus is to increase strength, so “record all your numbers,” Bruno says. Every week,
strive to improve by adding more weight or more reps. As your strength goes up, muscle size will always
follow.

Part 2: The Workouts

Directions:
Frequency: Perform each workout (Day I, II and III) once per week, resting at least a day between each
session.

Time Needed: 60 min

How to Do It: Complete all the sets for one exercise before moving on to the next.

After one month, you should have added 15–20 pounds to the squat and deadlift and 10–15 to the
bench press. You should’ve also gained three or more pounds of body weight. If you haven’t, consider
adding more calories to your diet.

Skinny Guy Rules to Gaining Muscle >>>

Day 1

1) Deadlift

Sets: 4, Reps: 5

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Bend down and grab the bar so your hands are just outside
your knees. Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, drop your hips, and drive your heels into the
floor. Pull the bar up along your shins until you’re standing with hips fully extended and the bar is in
front of your thighs. Increase the weight each set until you hit your five-rep max on your fourth (final)
set. Do not go to failure.

2) Chinup

Sets: 4 Reps: 5, 5, 5

Hang from a chin-up bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Pull yourself up until your
chest is above the bar. Perform three sets of five reps and then one set of as many as possible. If you can
do three sets of five with your body weight, add weight with a belt.

3) Dumbbell Floor Press

Sets: 4 Reps: 8

Lie on the floor with a dumbbell in each hand, holding the weights over your chest. With palms facing,
lower the weights down until your triceps touch the floor. Pause for a moment, then press the
dumbbells up.
4) Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

Sets: 3 Reps: 8

Hold the handles of an ab wheel and kneel down on the floor behind it. Keeping your abs braced and
your torso straight, roll the wheel forward as far as you can before you feel your lower back is about to
sag. Pull yourself back to the starting position.

How to Keep Your Strength as you Melt Body Fat >>>

Day 2

1) Bulgarian Split Squat

Sets: 4 Reps: 6 (each leg)

Hold a heavy dumbbell at chest level or two dumbbells at your sides.

2) Bench Press

Sets: 4 Reps: 5

Hold the bar with an overhand, outside-shoulder width grip. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and
arch your back. Take the bar out of the rack, lower it to just below your sternum, then push your feet
hard into the floor to help you press the weight up.

3) Dumbbell Row

Sets: 4 Reps: 6, 6, 6, 20 (each side)

Perform three sets of six, then reduce the load by 20%, and complete one set of 20 reps.

4) Off-Bench Side Plank

Sets: 3 Reps: Hold for 20 seconds (each side).

Lie sideways across a bench and hook your feet under a dumbbell rack or other sturdy object. Only your
hips should be supported by the bench. Hold the position.

The Chicken Leg Elimination Workout >>>

Day 3

1) Front Squat

Sets: 4 Reps: 5.

Set a barbell on a power rack at shoulder height. Grab the bar with your hands at shoulder width and
raise your elbows in front of the bar until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Take the bar out of
the rack, letting it rest on your fingertips and sternum—as long as your elbows stay up, you’ll be able to
balance the bar. Squat as low as you can without losing the arch in your lower back.

2) Inverted Row

Sets: 4 Reps: 8

Set a barbell in a power rack (or use a Smith machine) at about hip height. Lie underneath it and grab it
with hands about shoulder-width apart. Hang from the bar so your body forms a straight line. Squeeze
your shoulder blades together and pull yourself up until your sternum touches the bar.

3) Single-leg Hip Thrust

Sets: 4 Reps: 8 (each side).

Rest your upper back on one side of a bench and sit on the floor. Extend one leg in front of you and
plant the other close to your butt. Drive your foot into the floor and extend your hips up until your body
is parallel to the floor.

4) Pushup

Sets: 3 Reps: As many as possible

Sit at a lat pulldown station and hold the bar with an outside shoulder-width grip. Pull the bar down to
your collarbone