Many gym addicts especially skinny guys want to gain muscle mass and weight but they are having a hard time reaching their goals. These people are usually known as ectomorphs. By nature and due to genetics, they are very slim to the point of being skinny with an extremely low body fat percentage. No matter what they try to do, skinny guys find it hard to pack on muscle mass and weight. But don't despair as there is still hope. It can take a little more work but consistency, patience and discipline will play a key role for your success.

First and foremost, you should pay special attention to your nutrition as it will be the most important thing. You simply won't grow bigger if you don't eat no matter how hard you train. You need to eat like a champion. If you continue to eat "like a bird" or eating the wrong foods, you won't make progress. Yes eating the wrong foods won't take you far. What you need is muscle building foods, foods that will pack on slabs of solid rock-hard muscle mass to your weak frame. Here is a list of muscle building foods for skinny guys.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are one of the most popular carbohydrate source for athletes and weightlifters. Usain Bolt the 100-200 meter sprint record holder eats sweet potatoes on a regular basis. Bodybuilders consider sweet potatoes as a staple food in their nutrition. With its orange and creamy flesh, sweet potatoes are a rich source of dietary fiber, beta carotene and vitamin A. Sweet potatoes are categorized as complex carbohydrates, hence they are slow-digesting and provide a sustained release of energy for your physical activities. You can't rely on protein alone to build muscle mass as your muscles will look flat. Complex carbs will make your muscles look fuller. Sweet potatoes have the perfect calorie count about 105 calories for a medium one which make them great muscle building foods. Eating just 2-3 medium sweet potatoes gives a great feeling of satiety. Some favorite cooking methods include baking, boiling and steaming. Incorporate sweet potatoes in your diet regularly and you'll be amazed by your body's transformation with time.

Salmon

Salmon is an oily fish and has one of the healthiest fats. Salmon has great amount of protein and is also rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, all these highly beneficial for muscle building. Being skinny, you definitely need to load up the calories to gain more muscle mass and eating healthy fats is a great way to achieve that. Wild salmon is preferred over farm raised salmon as it's more natural. If you can't get fresh salmon, canned or frozen salmon is also an alternative. Salmon has nutrient-dense calories. A 8 oz(227 grams) of wild atlantic salmon can give about 408 calories. You can have a salmon dish 2-4 times per week easily. Popular cooking methods include baking, grilling and pan-frying.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil is rich in omega-3 monounsaturated fatty acids and is quite popular to drizzle in salads and meats. Just like salmon, it's also healthy fats good for the heart.

It's an effective muscle building food as it stimulates protein synthesis. 1 tablespoon easily yields 120 calories. You can have 1-3 tablespoons everyday. Apart eating with foods, you can take it after your meals. Coupling sweet potatoes, salmon and extra virgin olive oil is a powerful muscle building meal.

Whole Milk

Your mum was right when she told you to drink milk on a regular basis. Milk is rich in protein, calcium, vitamins and can prevent osteoporosis. Whole milk has more calories than skim or low-fat so this is the best choice for your milk intake. Your goal is to increase your calorie count, if not you won't gain muscle mass. Only drawback with whole milk is it has saturated fats which is the opposite of healthy fats. So drinking it in too large amounts is not too healthy but since you are also exercising, that's fine. Anyway, you're not relying on whole milk alone to build muscle mass. 1 pint of whole milk has about 300 calories so 1-2 pints of whole milk per day is reasonable.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter can play an essential part in any muscle building diet. Rich source of omega-3 monounsaturated fats and protein, it has a good amount of calories ideal for your muscle building goals. 1 tablespoon of peanut butter gives about 95 - 100 calories. You can easily have 1-3 tablespoons per day. Opt for the natural peanut butter.

Chicken Breast

Chicken breast is one of the best lean proteins you can find for building muscle provided you remove the skin which can have fats. A 4 oz skinless chicken breast can give about 130 calories and 22 grams of quality protein.

Chicken breast is a staple food for bodybuilders and weightlifters. So be sure to add this great muscle building food in your diet regularly. Maybe you can buy in bulk and freeze them so that they are handy anytime you need them.

Eggs

Eggs are nutrient-dense and are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat. The best kinds of eggs you can get are free range omega-3 enriched organic eggs. Eggs are a good source of high-quality protein which build muscle. A large egg has about 6 grams of protein.

Eggs are also versatile. You can have them boiled, scrambled, fried, omelette and poached. You can easily eat 2-3 whole eggs everyday for a muscle building routine. Don't worry about the cholesterol in the egg yolk. Dietary cholesterol has no effect in raising bad cholesterol levels and blood cholesterol levels(triglycerides).

Lean Beef

Beef is usually high in saturated fats this is why it should be limited but depending on the cuts, you can find some leaner ones like sirloin, tenderloin, top round, flank, bottom round and filet mignon.

Beef has valuable nutrients like zinc, iron and creatine too so it's a powerful muscle builder and builds strength too. A 4 oz grilled sirloin steak gives about 212 calories and 23 grams of protein. If you pan-fry, the calories can add up to 268.

Homemade Weight Gainer Shake

You might have come across the term "weight gainer" if you're trying to bulk up. Just like its name says, a weight gainer is designed to make you gain weight whether it's muscles or fat or both. Commercial weight gainers are on the rise but the price can be steep and they don't last long. In addition, they are not too healthy as they are loaded with fat, sugar and cholesterol. Making your own weight gainer shakes is your best bet as it's healthier and will come cheaper too. It's easy to make your own homemade weight gainer shake. You will need a blender, a whey protein isolate powder and some more ingredients like raw wholegrain oats, whole milk, peanut butter, some fruits like blueberries, bananas or strawberries, flaxseed oil, full-fat yogurt and some ice cubes.

Here is a weight gainer shake recipe.

(1) 8 oz of whole milk

(2) ½ cup of raw wholegrain oats

(3) 1 scoop of whey protein isolate - Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard, Double Rich Chocolate, 5 Pound is a great choice.

(4) 1-2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter

(5) 1 teaspoon of flaxseed oil

(6) 1 medium ripe banana cut in slices - you can substitute 1 medium banana for ½ a cup of strawberries or blueberries.

(7) 1 full-fat yogurt

(8) 8 ice cubes

Mix everything thoroughly in a blender and you have a nice, tasty and refreshing weight gainer shake. You can have it for breakfast, as a meal replacement, for pre-workout or for post-workout.

Here you go with these 9 muscle building foods for skinny guys. If you train heavy and hard at the gym, eat these foods and have adequate rest but above all be consistent, there is no way you can't change that skinny frame of yours into a muscular eye-popping physique. Good luck.