Gaining Weight (lean muscle mass)
the Right Way
By Eric Vaughn C.S.C.S, Muscle Activation Therapist
Most people do not aspire to gain weight except those who have goals requiring increases in lean muscle mass. There are proper ways to reach your weight goals by following a few no-nonsense principles. Try these out and put on the pounds progressively.
• An incorrect approach to adding lean muscle mass is to overly isolate specific muscle groups through single joint movements. Instead, emphasize heavy (5-10 repetitions) multi-joint lifts that stimulate muscle gains throughout the muscular system.
• Some examples include dead-lifts, back squats, front squats, box squats, the clean and snatch variations, power jerks or overhead push presses, weighted chins or pull-down variations, bent-over rows, bench and incline presses (d-bell and barbell), straight leg deadlifts, glute-ham raises, barbell single-leg step ups, weighted lunges, and weighted tricep dips.
• These heavy basic lifts must be accompanied by adequate rest days between training sessions (5-7 days between the same lifts). Also, inadequate sleep patterns will not allow for maximum muscular gains (<6 hours nightly).
• Micro-progression - Particularly if you are not used to lifting heavy, make sure that you do not increase specific lifts by more than 5% per week until you get into the desired 5-10 repetition range.
• Injury is the fastest way to derail your goals of gaining muscle. Listen to your body and get treatment (alternative or otherwise), when necessary. Various soft-tissue therapies that are available will help the recovery process and improve circulation and contractile ability of the muscular system.
• Nutrition - The wrong approach is to start eating anything and everything you can get your hands on. This does lead to a bulking-up but not in the desired way. You are storing excess fat and not necessarily increasing lean body weight when you implement this approach. Find out what your BMR is (new test available at The Houstonian) and then calculate total caloric expenditure including workouts. When this has been determined, an individual can begin by adding an additional 300-500 calories daily. Individuals with low body fat percentages (<8%) may have more difficulty in making gains. Gains are most noticeable when a percentage of fat is kept between 10-13 percent. This allows for an adequate fat cushion to support and protect the muscles during periods of heavy lifting.
A. Eating multiple meals (5-7 daily) with a mostly even distribution of calories per meal will provide your body with a continuous source of nutrients, allowing for recovery and more consistent blood sugar levels.
B. Total protein intake should be between .8-1 gram/lb. Protein sources should consist of lean meats, fish, soy, small amounts of dairy, legumes, and some nuts and seeds.
C. Carbohydrates - Brown rice, wheat bread (live grains), oatmeal (not processed), yams, and limited pastas (preferably wheat).
D. Fats - Unsaturated fats are beneficial in small amounts. Some examples include salmon, avocados, some oils, almonds, and some nut butters.
E. Combining protein, carbs, and fat at each of the frequent meals is a good approach.
• Remember gaining lean muscle mass, especially if you have trained regularly for more than a year, is a very slow process. Many experts believe that gains of 4-7 lbs. of lean tissue over the course of the year are very good. That breaks down to about ½ pound per month. You probably won’t see that on the scale; however, periodic body fat assessments with a consistent technique and tester will provide you the most realistic feedback on your lean bodyweight gains.
• Be patient and have fun!
• Some examples include dead-lifts, back squats, front squats, box squats, the clean and snatch variations, power jerks or overhead push presses, weighted chins or pull-down variations, bent-over rows, bench and incline presses (d-bell and barbell), straight leg deadlifts, glute-ham raises, barbell single-leg step ups, weighted lunges, and weighted tricep dips.
• These heavy basic lifts must be accompanied by adequate rest days between training sessions (5-7 days between the same lifts). Also, inadequate sleep patterns will not allow for maximum muscular gains (<6 hours nightly).
• Micro-progression - Particularly if you are not used to lifting heavy, make sure that you do not increase specific lifts by more than 5% per week until you get into the desired 5-10 repetition range.
• Injury is the fastest way to derail your goals of gaining muscle. Listen to your body and get treatment (alternative or otherwise), when necessary. Various soft-tissue therapies that are available will help the recovery process and improve circulation and contractile ability of the muscular system.
• Nutrition - The wrong approach is to start eating anything and everything you can get your hands on. This does lead to a bulking-up but not in the desired way. You are storing excess fat and not necessarily increasing lean body weight when you implement this approach. Find out what your BMR is (new test available at The Houstonian) and then calculate total caloric expenditure including workouts. When this has been determined, an individual can begin by adding an additional 300-500 calories daily. Individuals with low body fat percentages (<8%) may have more difficulty in making gains. Gains are most noticeable when a percentage of fat is kept between 10-13 percent. This allows for an adequate fat cushion to support and protect the muscles during periods of heavy lifting.
A. Eating multiple meals (5-7 daily) with a mostly even distribution of calories per meal will provide your body with a continuous source of nutrients, allowing for recovery and more consistent blood sugar levels.
B. Total protein intake should be between .8-1 gram/lb. Protein sources should consist of lean meats, fish, soy, small amounts of dairy, legumes, and some nuts and seeds.
C. Carbohydrates - Brown rice, wheat bread (live grains), oatmeal (not processed), yams, and limited pastas (preferably wheat).
D. Fats - Unsaturated fats are beneficial in small amounts. Some examples include salmon, avocados, some oils, almonds, and some nut butters.
E. Combining protein, carbs, and fat at each of the frequent meals is a good approach.
• Remember gaining lean muscle mass, especially if you have trained regularly for more than a year, is a very slow process. Many experts believe that gains of 4-7 lbs. of lean tissue over the course of the year are very good. That breaks down to about ½ pound per month. You probably won’t see that on the scale; however, periodic body fat assessments with a consistent technique and tester will provide you the most realistic feedback on your lean bodyweight gains.
• Be patient and have fun!
Eric Vaughn is a Fitness Professional in Houston, Texas. He was named one of the nation's top 100 personal trainers by Men's Health magazine.
Copyright 2007 PlayIt Fitness All Right Reserved
