Weight Gain

Chris P Duck

I started going to the gym about 6 weeks ago, with the aim of gaining weight, becoming fitter and building my strength up. I go 3 times a week (cardio once a week and weights twice a week) and never miss a session. Im a very skinny guy. At 5'8", I was around 9 stone. My BF% was only 3% when I was assessed when joining the gym.

Since then I have seriously increased my eating. My appetite has become unsatisfiable. I am trying to eat more protein but I still think I may not be getting enough. I am eating alot more carbs too, sometimes late at night. These carbs do not come from the best sources some times. When going to the gym during the week, I dont get to eat my dinner until about 9:30 in the evening. I find myself snacking after that too.

I have gained about 9lbs since starting. Up to 2 weeks ago I had only increased by about 3lbs. I notice more fat on my stomach and my face seems a little fuller. Im happy with this gain, but I would like if it would spread to my arms and legs too. I know there is nothing that can be done to ensure weight goes a certain place so Im not overly worried about that. I was just wondering, Am i gaining my weight too fast or am I okay to continue like this?

Smellyirishman

I think normally you would look to gain 1-2lb/week if you were bulking for muscles. Since you were so skinny you may pack on more weight per week, but you seem to be around 1-2 per week (9/6 = 1.5).

You cannot ensure that fat goes to any particular place, but you can with muscle (to an extent). If you never work your leg muscles, they ain't going to grow at the same pace as your body. If you want gains in your arms/legs do squats,deadlift,dips,chin ups,benchs,military presses.

Give a general run through of what you typically eat and one of the nutrition squad might say some things.

Take my advice with a pinch of salt, hopefully one of the more experienced guys will confirm/contend anything I have said.

Chris P Duck

During the week I reckon my diet is okay apart from the late night eating and the use of alot of ketchup. Ketchup and brown sauce is really my downfall. Weekends my diet is sporadic and includes alot of junk/sweet food.

Typical diet during the week is:

Breakfast: Porridge made with milk + berries / Weetabix / All Bran + tea
Lunch: Tuna sandwich with wholemeal bread, onion, extra light mayo and lettuce or Tuna/Chicken salad with red onion, beetroot, cherry tomatoes, Gherkins, lettuce
Snack: Apple
Dinner (eaten after 9pm on gym days):
Breaded Chicken/Fish
Chicken/Lamb/Pork Casserole
Savoury Mince Lamb
Steak
Roast Turkey

all include a little potato and huge portions of veg and some sort of sauce or gravy. I also use lots of Ketchup. Would use a 1 kg bottle on my own in 1 week (I know this is really bad for me).

After eating my dinner I will have a cup of. I may snack and often eat some beetroot out of the jar as I love the stuff or put it on a slice of bread.

At weekends time is very restricted so I eat lots of bread which is got from a local bakery and baguettes along with some those mayonaisse salads that are gotten from salad bars(I know these are not good either). I always try to get protein in aswell and could buy a roast chicken and eat 1/2 or 3/4 of it or include a couple of tins of tuna. I may also have eggs also. Weekends may also include some ice cream/chocolate or cake. I will always have maybe 5-7 pints over the weekend too.

I do drink alot of water and could drink maybe 3-4 litres a day.

slicus ricus

You need to eat more regularly. Instead of having one lunch, have 3 lunches throughout the day at intervals of 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours - these intervals are key as theres only so much protein your body can process at the one time. Chicken wraps/ sandwiches/ chicken with rice/ tuna are all good for lunches.

Those 3 lunches, combined with your breakfast and dinner will bring you up to 5 meals a day, which will also eliminate the need to snack. This, combined with your workouts should result in you gaining some weight!

As a naturally skinny guy, you're lucky that you can eat a lot of carbs and dairy products. I know this cos im also a naturally skinny guy. When I started going to the gym bout 3 years ago, i weighed just under 10 st. 3 years of going to the gym (ive missed a couple of months here and there with exams/ injuries etc) and eating at least 5 meals daily have done the job. Now im 13 1/2 st with 10.5% body fat (im 5'10") and am continuing to make progess. SKINNY LADS - IT CAN BE DONE!

Chris P Duck

slicus ricus wrote:

You need to eat more regularly. Instead of having one lunch, have 3 lunches throughout the day at intervals of 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours - these intervals are key as theres only so much protein your body can process at the one time. Chicken wraps/ sandwiches/ chicken with rice/ tuna are all good for lunches.

Those 3 lunches, combined with your breakfast and dinner will bring you up to 5 meals a day, which will also eliminate the need to snack. This, combined with your workouts should result in you gaining some weight!

As a naturally skinny guy, you're lucky that you can eat a lot of carbs and dairy products. I know this cos im also a naturally skinny guy. When I started going to the gym bout 3 years ago, i weighed just under 10 st. 3 years of going to the gym (ive missed a couple of months here and there with exams/ injuries etc) and eating at least 5 meals daily have done the job. Now im 13 1/2 st with 10.5% body fat (im 5'10") and am continuing to make progess. SKINNY LADS - IT CAN BE DONE!

Im not really a natural skinny guy. About 3 years ago I was 13st. I was working and training hard. My weight fell to 9st and I lost alot of muscle also.

I find I cant stop eating late in the evening and at night

slicus ricus

Chris P Duck wrote:

Im not really a natural skinny guy. About 3 years ago I was 13st. I was working and training hard. My weight fell to 9st and I lost alot of muscle also.

Oh rite - i just assumed that because your body fat was 3% that you must be naturally skinny (my mistake). Still, to have extra energy, it would be healthier to have a higher percentage - you'd still look very defined at 8%!

Chris P Duck wrote:

I find I cant stop eating late in the evening and at night

If you add in the extra meals during the day, you'll find you wont be as hungry late at night.

In order to gain size on your arms nd other areas (you referred to this in your original post), its just a case of continuing the weight lifting and stickin to a very high protein diet. Dietary supplements would help but are not essential.

Also, do you do a split program in the gym? It would be advisable to do so if you're looking to gain muscle mass.

blahblah1234

Currently, I'm 11st 3lbs and 5'9 in height. But I look far too skinny. Face is skinny, legs skinny, everything skinny. I would like to be 13st +. Another problem is I have to go to school, which means I can't eat during the majority of the school day. Should I be eating loads of kilocalories a day, or loads of food containing fat or just increase my meals a day and portions. Also, what types of food should I be eating.

slicus ricus

blahblah1234 wrote:

Currently, I'm 11st 3lbs and 5'9 in height. But I look far too skinny. Face is skinny, legs skinny, everything skinny. I would like to be 13st +. Another problem is I have to go to school, which means I can't eat during the majority of the school day. Should I be eating loads of kilocalories a day, or loads of food containing fat or just increase my meals a day and portions. Also, what types of food should I be eating.

It depends on what workout program you're doing. What type of program do you have?

The eating every 3 hours thing is to ensure protein is consistently absorbed into your body to enable your muscles to recover, and thus grow.

I definitely would not advise loads of food containing fat!

blahblah1234

I don't have a workout program and can't afford the gym just yet.....I created another thread just there....so answer there please.

Chris P Duck

I just had an assessment in the gym to judge my progress and I was wondering what you guys make of my progress taking in mind that my goals are to gain a fitness, strength and weight

8 weeks ago my stats were:
Activity level: Low
Height: 5ft 8
Weight: 122lbs
Neck: 13.5
Chest: 33.5
Biceps: 10
Tummy: 32
Quads: 15
Waist 30.5
Hips 30.5
Calfs 14.5

Peak Flow 600
Flexibility 10

BF%: 2.9
Lean Muscle%: 97.1
Water% 76.3
BMI: 18.5

Now:
Activity level: Medium-High
Height: 5ft 8
Weight: 128lbs
Neck: 13.5
Chest: 34.5
Biceps: 11
Tummy: 27.5
Quads: 17.5
Waist 30.5
Hips 30.5
Calfs 13.5

Peak Flow 625
Flexibility 15

BF%: 10.2
Lean Muscle%: 89.8
Water% 66.4
BMI: 19

I also done a push up and sit up test and was able to do 41 push ups till exhaustion and 60 situp in 1 minute

justsomebloke

Looks like some decent progress espescially if you only had 2.9% body fat as that is very low. However i would watch you BF% to make sure that you now don't do the other way now

Chris P Duck

jsb wrote:

Looks like some decent progress espescially if you only had 2.9% body fat as that is very low. However i would watch you BF% to make sure that you now don't do the other way now

What you mean the other way? Like getting fat?

The instructor said that its not that I have exactly gained 8% bodyfat. Its just that my activity level has increased so measurments are taken differently. If my activity level was still low then my BF reading would still be down around 3 or 4%

Transform

Post your training program - weights, reps sets EVERYTHING!

Oh and yes stop eating ketchup today as its stacked with SUGAR!!!!

Chris P Duck

My training was cardio once a week and cardio and weights twice a week. I have been doing this for the past 8 weeks to tone up and get use to training, according to my instructor. Next time im in the gym the instructor is going to have a new training program made out for me. The new program will concentrate more on weights.

Cardio (1 night a week):
(Warmup)10 minutes on the crosstrainer
Stretch
15 minutes on the treadmill, hill running, 10mph
1100m on the rowing machine
15 minutes on the crosstrainer, hills
15 minutes on the bike, hills
5 minutes on the stepper

Situps, 20, 3 reps
Side Situps, 20, 3 reps
Raised leg situps, 20, 3 reps
Supermans, 20, 2 reps
Hamstring stretching

10 minutes slow jogging on the treadmill to warm down
Stretch

Cardio + Weights (2 nights a week):
(Warmup)10 minutes on the crosstrainer
Stretch
15 minutes on the treadmill, hill running, 10mph
1100m on the rowing machine
15 minutes on the crosstrainer, hills

Squats with dumbell, 3 reps of 15,15,20
Bicep curl, 7.5kg, 3 reps of 10 (I sometimes raised the weight to 10kg and done as many as I could on the last set (usually 5-6)
Triceps (bench dips), bodyweight, 3 reps of 15,15,20
Shoulders (Dumbell Shoulder press), 7.5kg, 3 reps of 10
Chest (Machine Flyes), 60lbs, 3 reps of 10
Back (Seated Row), 70lbs-80lbs, 3 reps

Situps, 20, 3 reps
Side Situps, 20, 3 reps
Raised leg situps, 20, 3 reps
Supermans, 20, 2 reps
Hamstring stretching

10 minutes slow jogging on the treadmill to warm down
Stretch
Sometimes followed by a swim

As for the ketchup, I am trying to cut back, but I dont want to eliminate it altogether. I dont eat much sweet stuff, so I think I should be allowed one little vice. Oh along with pints at the weekend

coach

Hi Chris, Interesting post ;-)

Did you have the same instructor do you re-assessment? If not, then most instructors don't measure the same sites. If you had the same instructor then did they use digital body composition monitors or Calipers to measure your body fat? The reason I ask if that body fat monitors are not a very accurate way to measure your body fat.

Here are my top five tips to help you out.

(1) Continue doing compound exercises ie. using more than one joint. ex. Squats instead of leg extenstions. Tricep dips instead of Tricep kickbacks etc.

(2) DRINK EXTRA CALORIES. My favourite weight gain product is called masmmoth 2500. Its 2500 kcalories per serving, consider that 3500 kcals is one pound in weight!!!! Do rotate your products though.

(3) Don't over do it on the Cadio as you may be burning off the calories that are required to be stored to help you build up your muscle.

(4) Train Agaonistic/Antagonistic muscles. ie. Chest/Back then bicep/triceps and the appendicular muscles ie legs/shoulders.

(5) Get plenty of sleep. Thats when the muscles grow.

Hope this helps.

Best Regards

Chris P Duck

coach wrote:

Hi Chris, Interesting post ;-)

Did you have the same instructor do you re-assessment? If not, then most instructors don't measure the same sites. If you had the same instructor then did they use digital body composition monitors or Calipers to measure your body fat? The reason I ask if that body fat monitors are not a very accurate way to measure your body fat.

Best Regards

Yeah it was the same instructor. He seems like he knows what he is talking about. It was a digital monitor that was used.

coach

do u feel like you have put on 7% bf? I don't believe in the digital monitors, calipers are best. Its a known fact that you could get your body fat taken, then you could eat a pizza and the next day the monitor may tell you that you are leaner!!! Good to hear you have an astute instructor. Regards.

Smellyirishman

To put on 6 pounds and 7% of BF does not seem very likely. I would question the validity of the scale and ask them to do a calipers test if they can.

Were you able to see veins clearly before? (And I mean, like bursting out of your skin because 2.9 is very very low, competition body builder low and they don't stay that low for too long) Are you able to see your abs still? Has there been a noticeable different in your definition?

At first I thought it was a misprint and you actually went from 13 to 10. I doubt you were ever 2.9, *maybe* 4 or 5 , but I really don't know.

BrianD3

There's no way you were 2.9% bodyfat @ 9 stone before. No way. You'd be dead or close to it. The instrument gave an inaccurate reading. The 2nd figure of around 10% is a much more sensible figure and may be fairly accurate.

Chris P Duck

Smellyirishman wrote:

Were you able to see veins clearly before? (And I mean, like bursting out of your skin because 2.9 is very very low, competition body builder low and they don't stay that low for too long) Are you able to see your abs still? Has there been a noticeable different in your definition?

There were sometimes that I could see the veins in my arms. I have never been able to see my abs. I dont feel like my definition has changed that much. My eating has nearly doubled, and unfortunately some of it isnt all that healthy. I would say I have gained some fat and some muscle.

Smellyirishman

Then I am going to assume you misread the scale and you started at ~12 and maybe went to 10. Regardless, your readings are wrong, get your trainer to do it with a callipers. At 3% bf, you would probably be able to see intestinal movements, never mind abs!

Reyman

Chris P Duck wrote:

8 weeks ago my stats were:
Activity level: Low
Height: 5ft 8
Weight: 122lbs
Neck: 13.5
Chest: 33.5
Biceps: 10
Tummy: 32
Quads: 15
Waist 30.5
Hips 30.5
Calfs 14.5

Peak Flow 600
Flexibility 10

BF%: 2.9
Lean Muscle%: 97.1
Water% 76.3
BMI: 18.5

Now:
Activity level: Medium-High
Height: 5ft 8
Weight: 128lbs
Neck: 13.5
Chest: 34.5
Biceps: 11
Tummy: 27.5
Quads: 17.5
Waist 30.5
Hips 30.5
Calfs 13.5

You're a slim guy, but some of those measuements are unusually low - particularly the quad and hip measurements at 15" & 30.5".
A 15" thigh vs a 14.5" calf would also be an unusual ratio.

The gain of 2.5" on the quads in eight weeks also seems a little excessive.

Were the measurements taken with muscles relaxed or at peak tension i.e chest expanded, thighs /biceps tensed etc. ?

Chris P Duck

Reyman wrote:

You're a slim guy, but some of those measuements are unusually low - particularly the quad and hip measurements at 15" & 30.5".
A 15" thigh vs a 14.5" calf would also be an unusual ratio.

The gain of 2.5" on the quads in eight weeks also seems a little excessive.

Were the measurements taken with muscles relaxed or at peak tension i.e chest expanded, thighs /biceps tensed etc. ?

relaxed