Bulking up - any recommendations?

big b

Hi

Taking an extended beach holiday soon & would like to bulk up a little.
Am 6'2" and about 15.5 stone, but legs & arms are fairly skinny.

I do lots of walking which should help my legs at least, and use a set of hand weights at home. I also eat like a trojan, but I've never really filled out that much. Any weight I put on is confined to a bigger belly. No problem with strength or anything, I just look ........slimmer than I'd like!

Was wondering if it was worth trying one of those weight-gain supplements from Boots or wherever?

Or any other ideas very welcome.

g'em

Walking and hand-held weights are going to do sfa to help you bulk up.

If you eat a lot and don't train alongside it, you'll put on fat.

If you eat a lot and lift lots of heavy stuff alongside it, your body will use the extra calories to help it build muscle.

Weight-gain supplements are no better than food to help you put on mass, they contain all the same ingredients, they're just slightly more convenient.

You say you eat like a trojan but post up your diet so we can see exactly what it consists of. Oh, and your current training (if any). It'll need to be a two pronged approach - training AND nutrition if you want to gain weight healthily.

Moving to Fitness.

big b

Hi G'em

Thanks.

I don't actually want to put on any more weight- just re-distribute it a little!
I don't have much of a belly, but my legs in particular have always been on the skinny side.
Anyway -
Exercise - About 1 mile brisk walk before work. About 2 mile brisk walk after work. 10 - 15 mins most days with hand weights.

Food - Cooked breakfast every day - rashers, sausage, puddings, eggs.
Fruit &/or bar of chocolate at lunchtime
Usually meat & 2 veg for dinner, sometimes pizza, lasagne etc.
2 or 3 times a week, jelly & fruit dessert.
Most nights - few chocolate biscuits, maybe bar of chocolate
Few pints of porter 2 or 3 times a week

Not exactly a health food freak!
By the way, I'm not looking to turn into Charles Atlas in 2 months, or in fact at all. Just looking to put a little more flesh on the bones!
Thanks a lot

g'em

big b wrote:

By the way, I'm not looking to turn into Charles Atlas in 2 months, or in fact at all. Just looking to put a little more flesh on the bones!

Don't worry, you'd need to be doing a lot more for a lot longer for that to happen

If you want to make your legs a little thicker the best way to do it is with resistance training, not walking.

And as I'd suspected you don't actually eat like a Trojan, you're eating a big, greasy, saturated-fad laden breakfast which is more than likely filling you up until lunch, then you have a sugary snack sending your insulin through the roof, followed a few hours later by a reasonable(ish) dinner and more sugar and sat fat for dessert. Ooops.

Whatever about your weight, do your health a favour and start eating smaller meals more regularly. Get more vegetables in and more lean protein. Try and keep sugary foods to a minimum, drink lots of water and havea good read of the Diet and Nutrition stickies at the top of this forum and the Diet and Nutrition Forum, particulalry this one.

big b

G'em

Thanks again.
You have me sussed!

Lots of good, sensible advice there, and in the stickies too. I do actually drink bottled water, 4x 2ltr bottles a week on average plus a couple of litres a week at work. Have cut way down on the coffee, know I should eat more fish.

The gym isn't really an option for me, but I am going to try to accompany Mrs Big B to the pool more often.

Thanks a lot for your friendly advice.

g'em

No worries. Even if you don't have access to a gym there's loads of bodyweight and 'at home' stuff you could do, in fact both you and Mrs Big B (loving it!!) could do. PM Colm_OReilly, one of the other users here for more info, he's great for that info.