Building
a hard muscular physique you can be proud of is a dream for many
skinny guys. While it's an uphill battle for hardgainers to build
muscle due to their genetics, it's certainly possible to gain
muscle mass provided you adhere to certain rules.
Start
with some bodyweight exercises
When
I first got started in resistance training, this is what I really
got into. I hardly ever touch a weight. All I know was push-ups,
pull-ups, dips and bodyweight squats. I was skinny at this point
in my life and I have to say thanks to bodyweight exercises because
they have allowed me to gain some muscle mass and improved my
strength as well. The trick to make bodyweight training really
work is to perform them intensely enough. If you do 5 push-ups
and call it a day, that's not enough. You'll need several sets
to feel your muscles working. If you're a beginner, you need to
start slowly and build up gradually though. Bodyweight training
is actually the foundation for any weightlifting program for me.
What I mean is after you perform bodyweight exercises for a couple
of months or years, it's much more easier to get into weight training
and make some solid progress much faster as you already have some
decent muscle mass and more strength.
Lift
heavy weights
Once
you're used to bodyweight training and hit a plateau, it's time
to hit the weights to make more muscle gains. If you have adequate
space at home, you can buy some free weights like dumbbells and
a sturdy bench or if not, simply join a gym. Go heavy on the weights.
Here, I'm not talking about doing heavy bicep curls. Forget about
isolation exercises. Focus more on compound movements like bench
press, deadlifts, rows, squats, military press. These exercises
will also allow you to lift heavier weights. How many pounds can
you curl compared to how many pounds you can deadlift? Since compound
exercises solicit several muscle groups, they will also increase
your testosterone levels naturally and enable you to build muscles
faster.
Eat
eat eat
Being
skinny, you have to eat to get big. You need to increase your
calories from nutrient-dense foods not junk foods. Create a shopping
list and do your groceries. Foods like wholegrain oats, sweet
potatoes, yams, brown rice, quinoa, oat bran, chicken breast,
lean beef, buffalo, fish, canned tuna, eggs, cottage cheese, milk,
greek yogurt, legumes, nuts, vegetables and fruits should be on
your list. You should try to stick to 4-6 small meals a day every
3 hours or so. By eating right, you'll have the proper fuel for
your body during your hard workouts. This is really important,
if you don't eat right, your training will badly suffer.
Use
supplements
Using supplements wisely can give skinny guys an edge in building
muscle faster. Supplements like creatine, weight gainers and whey
protein are handy and convenient. Weight gainers can also be used
as meal replacement or post-workout at times and a whey protein
isolate shake with some dextrose is your ideal choice post-workout.
Eating whole foods and using supplements sparingly should be your
goal.
Sleep
sleep sleep
Your
muscles really develop when you're resting not when you're exercising.
While it's great to have a good pump at the gym, that's only temporary
as your muscles will be back to their initial state unless you
feed them properly with quality nutrition and have adequate rest
as well. Don't neglect the sleeping part of your life. If you're
training hard and eating right but spending late nights for instance,
this will be counterproductive for your muscle building goals.
Sleep early rise early is recommended. A reasonable sleeping time
will be 23h PM - 7h AM. You should aim for at least 7-8 hours
of sleep every night.
For more in-depth muscle building tips and tricks, here at Body-Building-Resource.com,
we wholeheartedly recommend Jason
Ferruggia's Muscle Gaining Secrets. This is truly the ultimate
muscle building guide for skinny guys.