Introduction

I get a lot of e-mails and phone calls from customers seeking guidance on how to gain weight. In this article I'll give an overview of how to go about gaining weight quickly and effectively without having to take out a second mortgage.

If followed correctly with discipline & hard work, most should be able to put on a good 20lbs in short order. Let's get to it.

Eat, Eat, Eat

Eating is the first and most important factor that is needed for proper weight gain. It's simple - you need to eat more calories than you burn. This does not mean eating anything and everything that is not nailed down. Carefully plan your meals with foods that will help you gain lean mass, not fat. I suggest 6 meals. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and three other small meals scheduled throughout the day. The goal is to eat every 2.5 to 3 hours.

Focus on foods such as steak, chicken, fruit, milk, vegetables, cheese and assorted types of nuts. It's recommended to eat 4 - 6 pieces of fresh fruit a day, and at least four tall glasses of milk. Milk is a great, cheap protein source - take advantage of it. A sample snack meal would be a glass of milk, an apple, and a hand full of peanuts.

Take time to lay out a meal plan. What you eat is the most important ingredient in a successful weight gain program.

Lifting

As stated, proper eating is of upmost importance when attempting to gain weight, but if you do not lift weights, all that gained weight will be fat - not muscle.

When trying to gain weight, I suggest working out three times a week. You need to lift hard and then recover for the next workout. Focus on the big exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bent-over rows, chin-ups, bench press, & military press. These are the exercises that will turn those extra calories into muscle. You are not going to gain much by doing lateral raises and step-ups every workout. You need the multiple-joint lifts that will shock your system and stimulate your body into growth. Focus on getting strong by adding a small amount of weight each workout. If you focus on strength, size will follow. Case in point, look around at your local gym - the strongest guys are also the biggest.

Supplements?

To gain weight, you do not NEED Supplements, but they will help you gain the weight quicker. That's what they are, supplements to an already good diet and training program. Think of supplements as the finishig touch.

I suggest only two supplements for those wishing to gain weight. The first being N-Large 2. The way N-Large 2 will help is by giving you a large quantity of calories in one small serving. These will provide you with at least 600 calories in one easy shake and are especially great for students who do not have time for breakfast, or snacks in between classes. Just mix one of these shakes with water or fruit juice and gulp it down in a just a couple of minutes. It's easy to mix, contains 620 calories per serving, and is very cost effective.

The second product is basic creatine monohydrate. Most people gain 5 - 7lbs in the first two weeks of creatine use. If you are interested in quick weight gain, and increased energy for your workouts, creatine is definitely worth a go. American Creatine is a good choice if you're not sure of which product to choose.

How Much Will I Gain?

First, I feel I must cite the obligatory disclaimer of "everyone's body responds in different ways, so it varies". That said, if you do eat well, lift hard and use your supplements properly, you can expect to gain about 10-15lbs within a month.