As a skinny guy (or hard gainer as we're affectionately known in
the bodybuilding world), knowing how to bulk up and bulk up fast is
often the most pressing question on your mind when you enter a gym.
If
you've tried to bulk up before you'll know how tricky it can be. I
suffered a heck of a lot of frustration myself trying different
routines, working out more, working out less, and pretty much following
what I read in the bodybuilding magazines. Unfortunately, much of what I
was reading wasn't catered to my body type, so it didn't help me in my
quest of how to bulk up fast.
In this article, I'd like to show you the 5 secrets that I discovered which help skinny guys to bulk up fast by gaining rock solid muscle and not fat.
Eat TONS More
Lack of sufficient calorie intake, as well as inappropriate nutrition is probably the biggest reason why skinny guys fail to bulk up fast. You have a naturally fast metabolism, which is great for staying lean, so work with it, and make sure your body has enough calories for your workouts AND muscle growth.
An average male should be looking at adding at least an extra 1,000 or more calories per day to their diet. These should be quality calories, not in the form of pizzas, and Doritos.
Increase Your Protein Intake
Along with diet, lack of sufficient protein intake is will prevent you achieving your goal of how to bulk up fast.
You should look to consume around 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. So, if you weigh 180 pounds you should be trying to consume around 180 grams of protein per day.
Aim to get as much as possible from natural sources like lean meats, eggs, fish, and beans and pulses. Use protein powders to supplement what you lack, and choose a powder that is as natural as possible, with little fat and sugar. 100% Whey is one of the best.
Keep Your Workouts Under One Hour
Despite what we read everywhere, there's no need to become a gym rat when looking at how to bulk up fast. In fact, when guys tell you they spend 2 or 3 hours down the gym, they're probably a) wasting a lot of their time b) over training, or c) only doing it with 50% intensity.
If you want to know how to bulk up fast then don't make these same mistakes. One hour workouts 3 times per week is sufficient, as long as you have a real solid plan, and go at it 110%. Approach the gym with a "get in, get out" attitude and you see much better results.
Stick To Compound Exercises
Free-weight compound exercises (i.e. exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time) are the best way for skinny guys to build muscle mass and bulk up fast.
Golden oldies like Chest Press, Shoulder Press, Barbell Curl, Calf Raise, Squats, Deadlifts, and Dips are the best mass-building exercises going and will get you a lot further than isolation exercises, or machine weights. Free-weight exercises force you to use multiple muscle groups to stabilise the bar, which builds bigger and more functional muscles.
Lift Heavy - High Intensity / Low Volume Training
Light weights and high reps are not appropriate for the skinny hardgainer who's looking for how to bulk up fast.
Muscles grow through a process of overload - in other words, they need to be lifting heavier and heavier weights in order to grow.
If you're going to the gym and easily lifting weights in your routine, you need to up the pressure otherwise your muscle growth will plateau. Stick to high intensity (heavy weights) and low volume (less reps). Around 3 sets of 8-12 reps is about right.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Wheeler
In this article, I'd like to show you the 5 secrets that I discovered which help skinny guys to bulk up fast by gaining rock solid muscle and not fat.
Eat TONS More
Lack of sufficient calorie intake, as well as inappropriate nutrition is probably the biggest reason why skinny guys fail to bulk up fast. You have a naturally fast metabolism, which is great for staying lean, so work with it, and make sure your body has enough calories for your workouts AND muscle growth.
An average male should be looking at adding at least an extra 1,000 or more calories per day to their diet. These should be quality calories, not in the form of pizzas, and Doritos.
Increase Your Protein Intake
Along with diet, lack of sufficient protein intake is will prevent you achieving your goal of how to bulk up fast.
You should look to consume around 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. So, if you weigh 180 pounds you should be trying to consume around 180 grams of protein per day.
Aim to get as much as possible from natural sources like lean meats, eggs, fish, and beans and pulses. Use protein powders to supplement what you lack, and choose a powder that is as natural as possible, with little fat and sugar. 100% Whey is one of the best.
Keep Your Workouts Under One Hour
Despite what we read everywhere, there's no need to become a gym rat when looking at how to bulk up fast. In fact, when guys tell you they spend 2 or 3 hours down the gym, they're probably a) wasting a lot of their time b) over training, or c) only doing it with 50% intensity.
If you want to know how to bulk up fast then don't make these same mistakes. One hour workouts 3 times per week is sufficient, as long as you have a real solid plan, and go at it 110%. Approach the gym with a "get in, get out" attitude and you see much better results.
Stick To Compound Exercises
Free-weight compound exercises (i.e. exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time) are the best way for skinny guys to build muscle mass and bulk up fast.
Golden oldies like Chest Press, Shoulder Press, Barbell Curl, Calf Raise, Squats, Deadlifts, and Dips are the best mass-building exercises going and will get you a lot further than isolation exercises, or machine weights. Free-weight exercises force you to use multiple muscle groups to stabilise the bar, which builds bigger and more functional muscles.
Lift Heavy - High Intensity / Low Volume Training
Light weights and high reps are not appropriate for the skinny hardgainer who's looking for how to bulk up fast.
Muscles grow through a process of overload - in other words, they need to be lifting heavier and heavier weights in order to grow.
If you're going to the gym and easily lifting weights in your routine, you need to up the pressure otherwise your muscle growth will plateau. Stick to high intensity (heavy weights) and low volume (less reps). Around 3 sets of 8-12 reps is about right.