Faqs
How long does it take to gain muscle weight?
There is no set time to gain weight, it all depends on your diet, how often you lift weights and how efficiently you perform your reps. It takes dedication and discipline to achieve the results that you want to see. With that being said, we all have different body types, some have wide frames and some have narrow frames so one’s typical results will differ from another’s results who are on the same diet and exercise plan.
Can I eat anything I want because I am so skinny?
Well this was a mistake I made when I decided I wanted to gain not just weight but muscle weight. Again just because john can eat burgers all day long, and still look ripped, doesn’t mean you can too. The most important thing you should know if you especially want to get ripped is that you need to reduce your fat calories and remember to consume at least a gram and a half of protein for each pound of your body weight. Also drink lots of water and stay consistent with your weight lifting. I guarantee you results in the first few weeks.
What exercises should I do to broaden my shoulders?
It’s impossible to widen your shoulders because we can’t change our bone width and length, however you can build your muscles and also improve posture to get a the look and fit shirts better. Improving posture is not easy because it is a bad habit that many develop from child hood or might be genetic. If you make a conscious effort by sticking your chest out and keeping your back straight you will eventually see improved posture. As for exercises check out the Exercises Page. Standing or sitting military press and shoulder flies worked best for me but there are others that might work better for you.
Free weights vs. machines?
Machines and assisted weights serve a great purpose because they allow us to be able to lift weights with less risk of getting injured. To maximize gains it is in your best interest as a beginner to use free weights because you will allow your muscles (major and small) to really have to work with less or no help. Now I don’t want anyone to think I am saying that pulleys and other equipments don’t work as good, in my opinion from my experience and other people I have trained with we saw better results with free weight training. I have to admit that I currently own other equipments now, because I like a variety in my work outs.
How do I get motivation to stay on the right track?
It’s safe to say that you have been skinny your whole life and wonder how it would feel like to fit into clothes, take off your shirt at the beach or go swimming without feeling self conscious? Well The only person who can change this scenario is you. I started out with a goal of gaining 30 pounds and as you can probably guess I didn’t stay on that path too long. I was inconsistent because I would gain 6 pounds in a month and lose it in two weeks because I would tell myself 30 pounds was an almost impossible goal to reach. I finally disciplined myself to aim for 5 pounds every month, but every pound I gained along the way was a positive result for me. I knew if I stayed true to the plan and gave my body time to grow I would be doing myself a favor.