Put on muscle fast!

Caloric Surplus Required to Gain Weight

2010-07-05T21:51:00.000-07:00

Some people have messaged me asking how many calories they need to eat to gain weight. It's hard to say, since an individual's basal metabolic rate and activity level change day-to-day. That doesn't even take into account the differences between individuals.

If you are able to create a moving average of your bmr, then you'd probably want to aim at an additional three to five-hundred calories per day. This will ensure that you have enough muscle to do fully recover each day and put on healthy weight. Much more will probably turn to fat as opposed to being used to build muscle.

Top Five Upper Back Exercises

2010-07-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

Want to get a huge upper back? Then do these exercises that are designed for your latissimus dorsi and trapezius muscles.

1. Pull-ups
2. Bent-over barbell rows
3. Shrugs
4. Upright rows
5. Cable rows

How Long to See Results?

2010-02-13T13:50:00.000-08:00

It can take a while before you start seeing significant results in your workout. I recommend waiting at least six weeks before determining whether or not a routine is working, although it can take much longer to start noticing differences. There should, however, be an increase in strength early on - I'd say within the first three weeks. If you're not lifting heavier by then, then I think you're doing something wrong and need to reevaluate your intensity and program.

You can find out more about how to train by checking out my site: MMA Strength

MMA Blog

Strength and conditioning for mixed martial arts

2010-02-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

I've started a new website dedicated to strength and conditioning training specifically for mixed martial arts. If you're interested in increasing your explosive power and anaerobic endurance, then I suggest checking out the site. I'm currently working on an equipment section, so that should be up soon. Right now it currently has a section on diet, training tips, and its own blog. I suggest checking it out.

MMA Strength and Conditioning

muscle building diets for ectomorphs

2009-11-08T18:25:00.002-08:00

While exercising is important for building muscle, you'll also want a good diet that's packed with a ton of good foods. Follow this guide and I'll teach you about the best foods to eat to gain muscle as quickly as possible.

The first thing you need to know if you're skinny and trying to gain muscle is that you're not eating enough. I can't be more blunt than that. If you're not gaining any sort of weight, then you're simply burning more calories than you're consuming or you're at least at baseline. In order to gain weight, you'll need to eat about 300 more calories than you burn, although more is never an issue for skinny guys. While it's important to eat a lot of calories, you'll want to make sure they're good calories and not completely useless...

muscle building diet for ectomorphs

get a huge back

2009-11-08T18:25:00.001-08:00

Building up your back is important because it promotes stability in your spine and is actually one of the most powerful muscle groups in the body. In order to effectively work the back, you'll need to identify the four main muscle groups in it and how they work. Exercise, however, isn't the only important thing when it comes to building muscle. You'll also need to follow a good diet and make sure to get plenty of rest.

The main muscles in the back are the lats, traps, shoulders, and spinal erectors. I include the shoulders with the back because they do make up a large portion of it and they are also worked in many of the same ways that the lats are, so can be mentioned in the same sentence...

Huge back muscle building

how to build muscle

2009-11-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

A lot of people don't really know what they're doing when they go to the gym. Because of this, they generally don't see results and wind up giving up after a few weeks. When you get into weight lifting, there are a lot of things you'll need to learn. In fact, I recommend that you do plenty of research before even picking up a dumbbell because you'll probably just be wasting your time botherwise.

Since many ectomorphs don't really know what they're doing, I'm going to make a short muscle building guide that will teach you the basics of bodybuilding and how to best do it. This guide is for the novice weight lifter that isn't sure if he's doing things right or isn't seeing results. If you're not gaining muscle from working out, then you'e obviously doing something wrong. In this guide, I'll be detailing possible reasons why this could be happening...

Muscle building guide

building muscle time

2009-11-08T18:22:00.000-08:00

Building muscle is a long process and never really stops. There's no point where you actually start building muscle, and there's also no real point where you stop building muscle. If you maintain a good diet and exercise routine, then you can continue to gain good mass well into your 30s and 40s.

With that in mind, many people are concerned with how long it takes to start seeing muscle gains. This will vary from person to person, depending on how fast your metabolism is and how well you can support muscle on your frame. While you're always building muscle, like I said, how long it takes to show will depend on several key factors. If you have a high bodyfat content, then it'll take longer before you start to show muscle, whereas people with low bodyfat will appear to gain muscle more quickly. Your diet will also play a role: if you eat a lot of food, then you'll appear to gain muscle more quickly...

How long does it take to build muscle?

Chicken and Brown Rice

2009-10-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

If you're an experienced lifter, then you probably already know this, but chicken and brown rice is one of the best ways to gain serious mass quickly. It'll also keep you lean since chicken is a lean meat and brown rice contains healthy carbs. You should eat this meal once or twice each day if you're in your bulking (weight gaining) phase and want to make sure you gain as little fat as possible.

You can find more information on how to bulk up here:

Ectomorph Workout

How To Put On Muscle Mass

2009-10-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

When people talk about weight, they almost always want to lose weight (fat) or gain weight (muscle). In order to lose weight, you need to burn up more calories than you intake on a regular basis. This is why fat people are stereotypically depicted as lazy, junk-food eating slobs. To be fat, you must be eating a large quantity of food in relation to the amount of work that you do - in most cases, almost none. To lose weight, you must be active, burning many more calories than you regularly consume.

Therefore, it makes sense to consider that the difference between muscular weight and fat weight is an intense work ethic.

Those that work their muscles out need fuel to support them. This is why it’s important to eat a large amount of food.
--Rob: Don’t worry about getting fat - all of the calories will be burned into the muscle tissue as they recover from work outs. As they recover, they’ll also get bigger and stronger, so they can more efficiently handle the weight that you are forcing them to work with. It’s important to do heavy lifting for this reason, as opposed to just being active.

When your muscles get bigger, you’ll be gaining more mass and therefore more weight, so you’ll be a healthy looking, heavier version of you!

For a more in-depth, and comprehensive guide to gain weight, check out some of these links below:
Good Ways To Put On Muscle Mass
How To Start Bodybuilding

Exercises For The Triceps Brachii

2009-10-17T01:30:00.000-07:00

The triceps brachii is a powerful muscle in the portion of the upper arm that is primarily used to extend the elbow. It is the strongest and largest muscle in the upper arm, taking up more than 66% of the mass.

The best exercises with which to work the triceps brachii are the lying triceps extension with a barbell or dumbbell, bench press (with an increasingly close grip for additional stress on the triceps), cable push downs, bench dips, straight dips, shoulder press, and push ups.

You can find more information on how to bulk up your triceps from these articles:
triceps brachii exercises for ectomorphs
how to get bigger arms
the best triceps exercises

Check Out This Soleus Exercise Article I Wrote

2009-10-17T01:26:00.000-07:00

The soleus is a muscle that is primarily composed of slow twitch fibers and is located on the side of the gastrocnemius. It is weaker than the other calf muscle, but lends itself well to the diamond shape and is relatively easy to work. Rotating between this muscle and the gastrocnemius is the best way to build huge mass in your calves and gain a ton of functional strength.

You can check out my article here soleus exercises where I detail how to build up the soleus muscle the most effective way. Exercises that I explore are the seated calf raise, barbell lunges, and a 45 degree calf extension. All of these are great exercise that'll add some serious mass to your soleus if done correctly.

You may also want to check out these leg strengthening exercises.

The Importance of Diet

2009-09-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

In order to really gain weight you need to eat about 500 more calories than you burn. It's hard to gauge how many calories you burn, but if you're neither hungry nor full, then you're probably eating just enough to sate your basal metabolic rate. This means you need to eat about 500 more calories than you normally do. For ectomorphs, however, this can be more difficult than you think and they might actually require even more calories!

Ectomorphs need a lot of carbs to get their energy going and once they get some carbs, their metabolism ramps up which means they need even more after that point. If you're an ectomorph, then you probably want to try to eat at least 1000 more calories than your basal metabolic rate if you really want to gain weight.

Follow these links for more information:
Can't Gain Weight
Weight Gain Diet

Common Bench Press Mistakes

2009-09-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

The bench press is one of the most common exercises and is also one of the ones that people mess up the most. The only reason I can attach to this is that people seem to think it's not masculine if they can't bench as much as their friends, so they feel the need to throw on more weight than they're capable of doing.

YOU'RE JUST GOING TO GET HURT.

Here are some common mistakes that people make while benching and how it can hurt you or your gains:

1. The most common mistake is that people do not bring the bar all the way down. When you're doing this, you're just cheating yourself. The farther away from your chest you are when you start pushing back up, the less of a work out you're going to get. The proportion isn't even linear - that means doing a 1/2 rep is less than half as effective as a full rep. You're just cheating yourself this way and you won't get very far.

2. I see a lot of amateurs turning their body when they lift. This is due to an imbalance in muscle and is a good way to drop the weights or just hurt yourself. Go down to a lower weight until you learn to control it and use your muscles in unison. If you stick at a lower weight for a little bit with good form and you actually learn how to do it, you'll be surprised by how much more you can lift without actually becoming stronger.

3. Many people also arch their back when lifting. This has a small chance of causing a back injury or pulling a muscle, but it's really just another cheat - similar to only going down half way. You're just going to slow down your gains if you lift this way and it's really useless.

For more information about workout mistakes, go to this site:
Common Squatting Mistakes

How To Pack On Muscle

2009-09-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

Packing on muscle can be a difficult and arduous task. A lot of people give up in the first couple of weeks because they see no results. This is one of the worst things that you can do. I always tell people that if they want to gain weight that they need to be in it for the long haul. You're not going to get huge over night - there are, however, some techniques that'll help you bulk up more quickly.

The first thing you need to do is eat a lot. And by a lot I mean you need to eat everything in sight. If you are ever hungry then you aren't eating enough. If you only eat when you're hungry then your body will be running at an equilibrium, which means you'll maintain your weight. You want to be running at a surplus. I never turn down food, nor do I ever go more than two hours without eating. This is important if your skinny, because you'll have a hard time eating enough food in three meals because your stomach will be small. (I recommend consuming about 4,000-6,000 calories a day.

Another thing that a lot of people fail to do is drink enough water. Water is an essential nutrient and is used to clean out your body. It'll help you recover faster by flushing out lactic acid and allowing your cells to more effectively get the proteins they need. Not drinking enough water is, generally, what makes you sick when working out (same goes for running).

Finally, you need to get plenty of rest. Your body needs at least 6 hours of sleep a day, but I'd say closer to 8 if you're working out consistently. Your muscles repair themselves most effectively when you're sleeping. If you don't sleep, then you'll just hurt your gains. Furthermore, studies have linked diabetes and other ailments with a lack of sleep.

You can learn how to put on mass as an ectomorph with these great resources:
Ectomorph Bodybuilding
Ectomorph Weight Training

How To Get Huge Legs

2009-09-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

If you're an ectomorph then you probably have a hard time getting your legs to grow. It could be because you're doing it wrong or that you're not eating enough food. I'm going to assume the former for now because I have plenty of other articles detailing how to diet and you can find those just as easily.

Now, your leg is a very important part of your body and there are three main muscles that you'll want to work. You'll want to bulk up your quads, your glutes, and your hamstrings. I'll give you the top four exercises for all three:

The squat is a pretty simple lift where you put the weight on your back and squat down to parallel and then back up. This is an important lift because it can release some testosterone into your body which'll help you bulk up quicker and it is also a great lift for entire leg.

Barbell lunges are an underused exercise, probably because of the possibility of injury. They are, however, fantastic and will really help you learn to explode off your leg. These are great for runners and football players, but you have to make sure you can do them right because you'll get hurt if you can't. These are good for your hamstrings and glutes, primarily.

The leg press is pretty straight forward. It's similar to the squat except you don't use all those stabilizer muscles. I wouldn't replace the squat with it, but it's a good supplement and will help you make some gains.

The deadlift works your hamstrings (at least leg-wise). It's a very difficult lift but is also very rewarding because it also releases testosterone and will help you put on overall weight quicker than even the squat will. This is a completely necessary exercise.

While getting big legs is important, you shouldn't neglect the rest of your body because then you won't see as many gains. Follow this guide if you want to get bigger overall: click here

Strength Conditioning For Hard Gainers

2009-09-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

As a hard gainer you probably find it difficult to lift heavy weights and you see that your strength is not going up over time. This is because your body is frail and not conditioned to handle that sort of weight. In order to circumvent this you need to work in the 2-5 rep range and build up the neurological links that are vital to muscular coordination - your muscles will learn to work in unison to push heavy weight.

I recommend that you stick to strength training for the first six weeks of your routine. Use strict form and make sure you're really pushing yourself. You will need a spotter for this - and use free weights so you can help strengthen those weak stabilizer muscles.

Once you do this, you can revisit it every couple months. Inbetween you can work at higher reps to build muscle, but you'll need to have your strength catch back up during regular intervals. If you don't then you'll plateau and see fewer gains.

Learn more about strength training for hard gainers here:
Ectomorph Strength Training
Build Muscle Mass
Ectomorph Bodybuilding

Sick of being a hard gainer?

2009-09-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

You've tried all the body building techniques and you've used all the supplements but nothing seems to work for you. You're a hard gainer. Well, that's okay, because plenty of people are. I was at one point. Being a hard gainer, however, doesn't have to be the end of the world. There are still ways to put on muscles. That said, you need to realize that supplement companies are just trying to get your dollars.

In order to make real gains, you'll have to look in yourself and find out what works for you. You are so indoctrinated by by the bodybuilding community that you fail to see that most of these products don't work.

Will you see gains with steroids? Yes, you will, but they're horrible for you and illegal. Do you want scars, increased risk for heart attack, and acne? I didn't think so.

How about growth hormones? You'll see some gains with these, but they'll make your head huge and give you a big brow ridge. I do not recommend them whatsoever.

But whey protein works, doesn't it? No. Whey protein is just a supplement to your diet. You're not going to get huge taking whey protein. In fact, if you eat a lot of dairy, nuts, and meat then you'll get plenty of protein anyway and won't need the supplement.

Creatine? Again, no. All creatine does is bloat you up with water and gives you the runs. It's not worth it at all.

Some good foods to gain weight with

2009-09-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

Here are some foods that will help hard gainers put on those pounds!

Red meat is amazing because it contains a lot of protein and a good amount of calories. I usually eat one portion of red meat a day, although I have eaten more in the past. I recommend that you don't overcook it because a) burnt food is carcinogenic, and b) you lose the creatine, which is useful in weight gain. My favorite red meat for weight gain is roast beef.

Bananas are also fantastic. They contain potassium that helps with recovery and reduces muscle cramping when working out. For that reason, they are great as a pre- or post-workout meal. I try to eat at least one banana a day.

Oats contain a good amount of energy and are one of the best foods to increase your carb intake. Carbs are more important than a lot of people give them credit for, and if you only eat protein and no carbs, then you'll have a hard time putting on the weight. I recommend eating a good amount of oatmeal and cereal because both will be beneficial.

Here are some more diet tips for ectomorphs:
Ectomorph Diet Tips
Good Foods To Eat For Hard Gainers

Tired of being skinny and want to gain weight?

2009-09-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

I used to be skinny and got picked on all the time. That is, until I found out the secrets to weight gain. I've done an enourmous amount of research and I've found what's worked for me. Everyone is different, but there are some key points you have to understand when trying to gain weight.

1. You need time. Everyone is impatient and wants results now now now. It doesn't work like that. If you want to gain weight you need to be able to commit for at least a year. If you don't see gains in a year then you're doing something wrong.

2. You need to eat a lot of food. I can not stress how important this is and how often it is overlooked. People that are trying to gain weight and can't very rarely eat enough food. If you eat food then you will gain weight, whether it's fat or muscle.

3. If you want to gain muscle weight then you have to lift and lift hard. Stick to core exercises, like the deadlift, squat, and bench press. These are great lifts that will stress your entire body and the latter two actually make your body release testosterone because they're so stressful.

For more information on gaining weight, visit my site here