Why Can’t You Gain Weight?
The Life of a Ectomorph
I get many people telling me I was probably always in really good shape or always muscular so I had to find a pic of myself when I was 16 years old. In this Pic I was about 135 lbs and as big as that flag pole behind me, lol. I am a born hardgainer or ectomorph, which means its very hard to gain weight and even harder to gain muscle. In a lose weight media driven world we sometimes look past the people out there that have the exact opposite problem. I know many of you wish you had that issue, gosh I can eat everything I want and not gain a lb, that would be wonderful. Trust me on this it is equally as tough when your getting made fun of because you are too skinny and the amount of money you have to spend to eat enough food is like feeding 3 people.
We see so many things in the Media that focus on Losing Weight, The next fad diet, magic pill or infomercial product what we rarely see is the rest of the population that struggles with adding weight and gaining muscle. I was one of these people. Growing up skinny and not finding the gym until the age of 18 weighing a whooping 150lbs and I may be giving you a few extra pounds there. I am going to discuss my techniques, tools and lifestyle that helped me reach my goals and will help you reach yours.
This is the type of person that has been thin there entire life, they can eat about anything they want and thier bodies do not change much, they struggle with adding muscle and remain fairly lean year round. There will be people who comment on this wishing they had this problem but it can just as frustrating trying to build. Adding Muscle is actually much tougher then losing fat regardless of what type of body you have. A 7-10 lb muscle gain in a year is Great, losing 7-10 lbs can be done in 2-4 weeks.
Though there may be many reasons why you may be thin, the most apparent reason is because of your genetics. If your parents are naturally thin or have a small body frame, then you will most likely have the same small body type.
To some degree, your size can also be controlled by your metabolism. If you have a difficult time gaining weight of any kind (fat or muscle) then you most likely have a fast metabolism. That simply means that your body burns calories at a faster than normal rate. You must take this into account whenever you are considering a particular diet or training program. Is it geared towards someone with your metabolism and goal?
Now as you know, there are many ways to train. Hundreds, thousands even. Some work and some do not, but for the specific goal of gaining weight, there are a few UNIVERSAL things that all Hargainerd must do.
Though much of the information I cover here is not as “magical” as you may like, I consider these rules to be the basics with regard to weight gain. These are not all of the answers, but they are definite elements that MUST be addressed in any successful weight gain program.
You should be able to easily integrate these rules into your current program to make it more suitable for your particular body and goals.
GENERAL RULES
1.Get the proper information that pertains to your SPECIFIC condition and goals.
The first big problem I find in most people is the lack of correct information. Yes you are motivated and doing things, but your effort is wasted on incorrect dieting and training information. Basically, skinny guys are taking advice from people who have never had a weight gain problem. Want to know how to gain weight? Then find someone who has walked your shoes. Someone who has been where you are.
2.Set a specific goal and create a plan of attack.
If you were to drive cross country to another city, would you just start driving randomly, or would you plan a route that would get you quickly and efficiently?
Think of your plan as a road map and your goal as your destination. Without a plan and a specific goal you will be without focus and can easily get lost or side tracked. This happens more often than you know. I see many people in the gym just doing whatever, or just eating whatever — no plan or specific goal. They wonder why they don’t make progress. They have no focus.
Having a specific program to follow allows you to take action each day. This action is focused on specifically getting you to your destination quickly. There is no thinking, debating or guessing. You just do it. A specific plan provides necessary daily structure that not only keeps you on the road moving forward, it also helps to develop good eating and training habits that will benefit you long after you have reached your destination.
3.Have confidence in yourself and belief in what you are doing.
Let’s face it; we live in a cruel world. Hate and jealously is everywhere. For most people who begin a fitness program to improve themselves, getting started will be half the battle. The other half will be staying motivated throughout the constant onslaught of negativity from others. A few negative words can do serious damage if you allow it.
The most insulting things you hear may be from friends, co-workers and acquaintances at the gym. People hate change. It makes them insecure, because they suddenly discover there’s more to you than they were probably willing to admit. They fear that you may actually achieve your goal. It makes them look less “superior”.
Once you have begun your plan, you must have faith and believe in what you are doing. Stay focused and avoid overly critical or negative people. If you have to, keep your business to yourself. When I first began my program, I stopped talking about what I was doing because I got tired of hearing things like “you can’t do that”, “that’s impossible”, “you’re wasting your time and money” The stubborn guy I am I wanted to do things the way I wanted to do them. I look back on it and so happy I did things that way because I learned through trial and error what worked for me and I apply this method with anyone I work with. Although every persons body is different and changes different the same guidelines are given. The same people who doubted what I was doing now ask for advice, funny how that works in life.
It’s your life. It’s your body. It’s your dream. Don’t allow your success or failure to rest in the hands of others.
In Part 2 of this article, I will cover your workout rules and guidelines to MAKE SURE you gain muscle.
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