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I don’t know about you, but sunflowers make me happy. The way they shine so brightly with their big full face and grow tall towards the sky, waving in the wind. It is especially impressive when you get a big group of them together – they are so sweet. While sunflowers may make you smile, […]
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For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering a question about the different forms of vitamin K2. Everyone knows the importance of vitamin K2—at least around these parts—but very few understand the differences between the various forms of vitamin K2. What are the respective benefits of vitamin K1, vitamin K2 MK-4, and vitamin MK-7? Where can we find each one?
Let’s find out:
Hi Mark,
Have you ever done an in-depth look at the differences between vitamin K2 MK-4 and MK-7?
No. I’ll do one now.
For those who don’t know, vitamin K2 comes in many different forms called menaquinones. MK-4 and MK-7 are the most important menaquinones. Pretty much all the vitamin K2 you’ll encounter in foods and in supplements is either MK-7 or MK-4 (or both), so these are the ones we most care about. There are also ones like MK-11 and MK-10, but we don’t know as much about them. What we do know seems to suggest they act a lot like MK-7. Whatever the case, they’re good.
It directs calcium where to go in the body, sending it to the right places and preventing it from going to the wrong places. You want calcium in your bones and teeth. You don’t want calcium clogging up your arteries or forming kidney stones in your kidneys. Vitamin K2 is the messenger regulating both good and bad calcification.
It improves energy utilization, partially by increasing insulin sensitivity. The more insulin-sensitive you are, the better you can burn glucose without requiring tons of insulin. This allows you to both handle glucose and keep burning body fat.
It’s an important regulator of sex hormone status. Much like it puts calcium in the right places and removes it from the wrong places, vitamin K2 increases testosterone in men and reduces excess testosterone in women.
It protects tissues against cancer, selectively inducing cell death in cancer cells but not in healthy ones.
It’s a powerful inductor of gene expression. In general terms, it turns good genes on and bad genes off.
Found in many unfermented green plant foods, vitamin K1 isn’t useless by any means. It generally heads straight to the liver, where it contributes toward regulation of blood coagulation—the thinning or thickening of blood. People with problems controlling blood coagulation often end up on warfarin, a drug that promotes blood thinning and prevents blood clots. We can convert vitamin K1 to vitamin K2, but this depends on a number of factors, like gut health (much of the conversion occurs in the gut) and usage of certain medicines (statins inhibit conversion).
Back to vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 does what vitamin K1 can do, but more effectively, and then some.
The most-studied is MK-7. The majority of the MK-7 you consume goes to the bones and liver. In the bones, the MK-7 produces osteocalcin—a hormone which regulates bone health, increases testosterone, improves cognitive function and exercise performance, and maintains healthy insulin and glucose levels. Few people know the power of the bones (they’re actually organs) and MK-7 is one of the most important co-factors for realizing that power.
The best sources of MK-7 are fermented plant foods, like natto (fermented soybeans, but natto made with black beans and presumably other legumes will also be high in MK-7).
MK-4 tends to accumulate and act in the peripheral tissues, helping prevent against unwanted and/or unhealthy calcium accumulation. It’s also integral to gene expression and activation.
The best sources of MK-4 are animal foods, like egg yolks, chicken legs and thighs (and chicken dark meat in general—I bet the oysters on a chicken carcass are incredibly high in K2), and goose liver. Pork is also quite high in MK-10 and MK-11, whose biological activities haven’t been elucidated but are likely to be very helpful.
Another good source of a mix of menaquinones is hard cheese, with emmental, jarlsberg, and edam being highest.
Almost everyone should take a vitamin K2 supplement containing both MK-4 and MK-7. Many of the most troublesome and dangerous foods and drugs wreak havoc by inhibiting vitamin K2-dependent processes.
A group of researchers made a strong case that statins, warfarin, canola oil, and hydrogenated soybean oil trigger a host of metabolic and lifestyle diseases by inhibiting vitamin K2-dependent processes in the body:
Statins reduce levels of a necessary co-factor for converting vitamin K1 into vitamin K2 in the brain, testicles, kidney, bone, and other tissues. So if you’re taking statins and want vitamin K2 improving bone health, sexual function, cognition, and lowering the risk of kidney stones, you need to take extra. You most likely need extra (throw in some CoQ10 while you’re at it, as statins also inhibit its production).
Warfarin—the blood thinning medication—reduces vitamin K recycling in the body, lowering vitamin K2 levels and even inducing arterial calcification. In effect, taking warfarin replaces the body’s need to naturally regulate blood coagulation through vitamin K, and natural processes drop off.
Canola oil and hydrogenated soybean oil both contain compounds that appear to inhibit vitamin K2 production in the body.
If you take statins, warfarin or eat canola oil and hydrogenated soybean oil, you should probably ask your doctor about supplementing with vitamin K2.
Similarly, postmenopausal women should take vitamin K2. In a recent study of postmenopausal women, those with osteoporosis had much lower levels of vitamin K2 (MK-7) than those without.
But to be honest? Supplementation is probably a good idea for everyone.
Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care and if you have any other questions about vitamin K2, drop them down below!
References:
Klapkova E, Cepova J, Dunovska K, Prusa R. Determination of vitamins K, MK-4, and MK-7 in human serum of postmenopausal women by HPLC with fluorescence detection. J Clin Lab Anal. 2018;32(5):e22381.
The post Dear Mark: What Are the Differences Between Vitamin K2 MK-4 and MK-7? appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Let me tell you about a character. A character you’ll find many times over in different independent gyms. This person is passionate, not only about their training but the idea of it. The type of training doesn’t matter. It could be:
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When it comes to side dishes, simple is best. A list of ingredients you can count on one hand is the way I like to do it. This dish delivers on ease and offers plenty of solid nutrition and great Primal taste. Cooking up great flavor starts with quality ingredients, for sure, but don’t underestimate the power of a great sauce or seasoning—and the right cooking method. Roasting vegetables is one of the surest ways to bring out a richer, deeper taste. Brussels sprouts work great for this. Add some balsamic and bacon, and you’ve got an amazing side for any meaty main course.
Servings: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 ºF.
Cut the ends off of the Brussels sprouts and then slice in halves or quarters (if pieces are very large).
Place them in a bowl and drizzle with avocado oil and balsamic dressing. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
Roast for 20-25 minutes. Remove the Brussels sprouts from the oven. Then toss with cooked bacon pieces. Add blue cheese crumbles if desired.
Nutritional Information (per serving without cheese):
The post Primal + Keto Cooking Made Easy: Bacon and Balsamic Brussels Sprouts appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
What is your “why?”
No other question pops up in the self-improvement world quite so frequently. As all clichés that get beaten to death, there is actually a lot of value in exploring this question. The more clear we are on what we want and why want it, the more we’ll be able to get momentum on the planning we need to see an effort through.
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Most people are super leery of using public bathrooms, especially those visited by thousands of people daily, like those we find in major airports. I don’t know about you, but I always use a liner on the toilet seat, or if none are available, I use the “hover method.” Additionally, I am very careful not […]
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Just like your poor little forgotten wrists, you probably also pay very little attention to your ankles and feet, unless you have experienced a major foot injury. Yet, ankle mobility could be the number one reason your squat, well, kind of still sucks.
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Dessert can be a final course—or it can be a true finale. This show-stopping pie definitely fits the latter category. Imagine setting this on the table in front of family and guests. Who do you think would be able to resist the colorful, creamy treat? We thought so.
A little fluffier than cheesecake, the lighter filling is a great complement to a dense but sweet crust that will leave graham crackers in the dust. But the best thing? It’s low-carb, Primal and even keto-friendly.
Servings: 10 medium slices
Time In the Kitchen: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time: 4 hours
Ingredients:
Crust:
Filling:
Instructions:
For crust, blend almond flour, Collagen Fuel, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Add butter and mix well.
Scrape the batter into a 9-inch springform pan. Smooth the crust mixture over the bottom and up the sides with your fingers or a rubber spatula.
*Note: if crust doesn’t come together, add a little more melted butter.
Place the pie on a cookie sheet (to keep the bottom from burning), and bake for 15 minutes at 350 ºF.
For pie filling, add boiling water to gelatin and whisk (by hand/hand mixer or in a standing mixer) until completely dissolved. Add cream cheese to gelatin and whip for about two minutes. (If using a standing mixer, scrape out cream cheese mixture into a side bowl.)
Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Then add vanilla and whip until stiff peaks form. Add the cream cheese mixture to the whipping cream and whip until just combined.
Mash half of the berries, and chop the other half.
Add the mashed berries to the whipped cream/cream cheese mixture. Using an immersion blender or mixer, blend until creamy with no lumps remaining. Add Swerve to taste.
Pour into crust and chill for four hours.
Nutritional Information (per medium slice, 1/10th of pie):
The post Keto Strawberry Cream Pie appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
Originally posted at: http://www.nerdfitness.com/
So you want to gain weight fast (and safely)?
You’ve come to the right place, because this is what we do!
This guide covers the exact weight gain strategies I’ve used to go from my “before” (on the left above) to reach my “after” (on the right above).
It’s also exactly how we help our online coaching clients: nutritional guidance and workout plans that line up with their goals.
Oh, and if you sign up in any of the yellow email boxes throughout, you can download our “gain weight and build muscle” shopping list and cheat sheet to hang on your fridge!
Let’s start putting on weight right NOW.
These are the 12 lessons I wish I knew when I started trying to get bigger (click to jump right to that lesson):
NUTRITION
STRENGTH TRAINING
RECOVERY
As we cover in our “Ultimate Skinny Guy’s Guide to Bulking Up Fast,” there’s one rule you need to know above EVERYTHING else.
“If you’re not gaining weight, you’re not eating enough food.”
It’s science and thermodynamics.
Allow me to explain: Depending on your current size and level of activity, your body burns 1200-2500+ calories every day just doing all of its daily processes:
Because your body efficiently uses up all of the calories you consume every day, there are no calories left over to build muscle or get stored as fat.
Want to know how many calories you burn every day? Check out our Total Daily Energy Expenditure TDEE calculator:
Use the metric system? I wish we did too here in the States! Click right here for our Metric calculator.
(Note: we have used The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to create this calculator! [1])
Hooray! You now know estimates of your Basal Metabolic Rate (calories you burn existing) and TDEE (calories you burn while moving throughout the day)![2]
Write this number down and keep it somewhere.
This is the NUMBER ONE mistake skinny people make trying to gain weight and get bigger.
It’s not because you have an overly fast metabolism.
It’s because you overestimate how many calories you’re eating each day, and there aren’t enough calories to create a “caloric surplus.”
Without that surplus, you will never gain weight or get bigger.
MY STORY: I had been training in a gym for 6 years and not getting bigger.
I then worked with a great trainer, who had me DOUBLE the amount of food I was eating.
I thought he was out of his mind.
Until I did it and it worked.
I put on 18 pounds in 30 days [3], and I realized I had been severely undereating for my goals:
In order to gain weight, target an additional 300-500 calories above your daily Daily Energy Expenditure. [4]:
Want to gain weight even faster? As long as you know you’ll also be gaining lots of fat, you can target 800-1000 calories above your TDEE.
What about meal timing? Does it matter WHEN I eat my meals? WHEN you eat doesn’t matter nearly as much as HOW MUCH you eat. Y
our body will process all calories efficiently[5], so focus on total calories consumed.
Depending on your schedule you can:
It comes down to your personal preference. You might struggle to eat 3000 calories in 3 meals, so having 6 500-calorie meals throughout the day might make you feel less bloated and full.
Your value may vary!
See the next section for tips and tricks on WHAT foods you should eat to gain weight.
If you want somebody to help keep you accountable and help you actually bulk up safely and quickly, we have a pretty great online coaching program that has helped people reach their weight gain goals safely and quickly.
If you want to build muscle, target whole foods that come from high quality, high calorie sources whenever possible.
Sure, you could get 3500 calories eating Taco Bell, Twinkies, candy and Mountain Dew, but this isn’t a good long term solution to gaining weight and building a good physique (goodbye health).
Trust me, I know. I put on 18 pounds in 30 days by eating meatball subs from Subway, drinking whole milk, eating McDonald’s, and drinking weight gainer shakes.
I certainly wasn’t healthy, and I’m much more intelligent and knowledgeable about how to bulk how to bulk up safely.
The most important macro we’re going to focus on is protein,[6], as studies have shown you’re more likely to put on the right kind of weight with a high protein diet compared to a low protein diet, and that’s where we’ll start:
HERE’S HOW TO EAT TO GAIN WEIGHT:
We’re going to start building a healthy plate. Your goal should be to eat as much as you need to create your caloric surplus.
FOOD PRIORITY #1: PROTEIN
Protein can come from any number of sources, including:
If you’re curious, from our healthy eating article, this is what a portion of protein looks like:
Also, here’s how much protein is in a serving of food:
As we’ll cover below and in our “How much protein should I eat?” guide, target 1-1.5g per lb (2.2-3.3g per kg) of bodyweight.
PRIORITY #2: CARBS
In order for you to gain weight, you need to consume enough calories, the remainder of those calories will come from carbs and/or fats.
Here are whole foods full of carbohydrates:
To help you get better at eyeballing serving sizes:
1 serving of a starchy carbohydrate is 1 cupped hand (uncooked), or your two hands forming a cup (cooked).
Here are some images to help you learn proper portion sizes (thanks to SafeFood):
In addition to consuming carbohydrates from these sources, it’s okay to consume plenty of fruit while trying to bulk up!
You can read our full “Is fruit healthy” guide to learn more.
PRIORITY #3: FAT!
Fat is a macronutrient that you can eat that can help you reach your goals in the right quantity, as fat can be higher calorie and you can eat lots of it without feeling full.
Healthy fat can be found in foods like:
Saturated fats[8] can come from things like:
To help you gauge: a serving size of fat is roughly the size of your thumb!
For reference, this is a single serving of almonds (162 calories):
THIS is a serving of olive oil (60 calories):
As you can see, you can eat an extra 500 calories of “healthy fats” by eating lots of “heart-healthy” fats like nuts or adding more olive oil to your meals.
PRIORITY #4: VEGETABLES!
Last but not least, you need vegetables in your diet.
If you start to eat a lot more food, your “indoor plumbing” is going to really benefit from eating some high-fiber veggies with each meal:
A serving of veggies is about the size of your fist:
Here’s a quick, non-complete list of veggies that you can choose:
“BUT STEVE, I REALLY STRUGGLE TO EAT ENOUGH CALORIES FROM WHOLE FOODS EVERY DAY!“
I do too. It’s why I consume a good portion of liquid calories every day too.
It’s a surefire way to make sure you hit your calorie goals.
As I lay out in our massive Protein Shake Guide, creating high calorie protein shakes to eat between meals can be the game changer (make sure you check the recipe in that article for my “Powerbomb Shake!”).
Make sure you download our Skinny Guy Guide which has both lessons and a shopping list you can use to prioritize eating the right high calorie, high quality foods!
As we cover above, you can get your protein from any number of sources:
Protein can come from any number of sources, including:
So next let’s answer the question: “How much protein do you need every day?”
The current international Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.4g per pound of bodyweight (0.8 g per kg of body weight):[10].
In our opinion, and as pointed out by this study[11] the RDA # for protein is too low and should be higher regardless of your body composition.
But you don’t care about that. You just want me to tell you how much protein to eat, right? I figured.
Here is our recommendation[12]:
If you’re of healthy weight, active, and wish to build muscle, aim for 1 g/lb (2.2 g/kg).
If you’re going to be strength training while getting bigger, intakes up to 1.50 g/lb (3.3 g/kg) may help you minimize fat gain.[13]
Let me simplify it for you: target at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight (2.2 grams per kg).
Provided you’re a healthy individual with a healthy liver, you don’t need to worry about eating too much protein[14] – you should be more concerned with eating too little protein.
Long story short: studies suggest you will not put on the right kind of weight without consuming enough protein!
Okay, so let’s talk portions. Here’s how much protein is in a palm-sized serving of food:
EXAMPLE TIME!
Let’s say you weigh 150 pounds (68 kg).
That would mean a day of eating could be:
As we cover in our Ultimate Guide to Protein Shakes, a protein supplement can help you reach your protein goals for the day.
Creating a high calorie protein shake with foods like frozen fruit, oats, milk, and a scoop of protein can be huge.
It’s how I hit my goals every day!
MY STORY: I am currently bulking up, and according to my online coach, I need to eat 3200 calories with 240g of protein on workout days (I weigh 172 pounds).
After fasting until noon, here’s how I get 240 g of protein daily:
Total protein intake for me: 244 grams. Adjust to fit YOUR goals!
RECAP ON PROTEIN INTAKE: Target 1-1.5g per lb of bodyweight (2.2-3.3g per kg) while trying to gain weight. When in doubt, eat more.
If you are trying to put on a lot of weight, carbs and fats are your friend.
They have a high calorie count and you can eat lots of them without getting as full as some other things (like protein).
Here are foods full of carbohydrates you can prioritize for bulking up:
Healthy fat can be found in foods like:
Once you know your Total Daily energy expenditure + 500 cal (for weight gain), and you know how many grams of protein you need to eat every day, then the remainder of your daily calories can come from carbs and fats.
Want even simple info? Target 2 portions of carbs, and 2 portions of fat in your meals. If you’re not gaining weight, increase those numbers even more.
This is all about math! Not getting bigger = need MOAR food.
What about other foods like pizza, pasta, candy soda? Sure, you can get away with consuming less healthy things ON OCCASION (pizza, subs, etc.) but avoid fueling yourself with ONLY junk food.
If you’re not sure specifically what you should be eating for protein, carbs, and fats, download our “Get Bigger” Shopping List by putting your email in the box below:
Depending on your training, genetics, how skinny you are, and how much muscle you need to gain, you can decide how much weight you want to gain each week.
Everybody’s results will vary, and thoughts are mixed on how quickly we can build muscle:
Now, depending on how thin you are currently, you might WANT to gain weight even faster and put on a bit of fat.
If you target 500 calories above your Calorie Expenditure every day, you’ll gain a pound a week.
If you target 1000 calories above your TDEE, you’ll gain 2 pounds per week:
Yes, it is possible to put on even more weight than that in a short amount of time, like when I gained 18 pounds (8.1kg) in 30 days.
This was due to consuming 1500 cal above my TDEE, heavy barbell training, targeting lots of protein, and carrying extra water weight (from supplementing with creatine):
My advice: Rather than chasing massive weight gain over a month, you’d be much better off gaining .5-1.5 lbs. (.25-.75 kg) a week, every week, for six months…and keeping the weight on!
So, how do you know if your efforts are working? Simple.
Taking measurements, take photos, and weigh yourself daily:
If the scale is moving UP, keep doing what you’re doing.
If the scale is NOT moving: EAT MORE.
If you’re ever unsure if you’ve eaten enough that day, eat more.
Once you start to get a good feel for how many calories you eat each day, try to eat the same meals to keep it easy.
Still convinced you can’t gain weight even after tracking things? Let us help. I too was convinced that it was my “fast metabolism,” until I learned from my personal trainer that I simply wasn’t eating enough.
Up until this point, we’ve only talked about the weight gain portion.
Do Steps 1-5 above, and you’ll put on plenty weight.
HOWEVER, if you’re not also training correctly, you’ll just be getting fat, and not building muscle!
That’s where strength training comes in!
If you want to bulk up correctly, you need to be strength training with heavy weight and bodyweight movements.
As we lay out in our “Beginner Strength Workouts” guide, these are the BEST exercises you can do to gain weight:
Get as strong as possible with these exercise while eating enough calories and protein, and you will gain the right kind of weight! It’s how I bulked up correctly:]
Here’s a sample workout to gain weight, though you can follow our 6 level gym workout routine too.
WEIGHT GAIN MONDAY WORKOUT:
WEIGHT GAIN WEDNESDAY WORKOUT:
WEIGHT GAIN FRIDAY WORKOUT:
Not sure what those numbers mean? Read our article on sets and reps.
How much should you lift? Read our guide on “How much weight should I lift?“
Don’t worry about isolation exercises like triceps extensions, shoulder shrugs, bicep curls or crunches.
You can certainly do them, but only AFTER you’ve done your heavy lifts for the day!
All of the compound exercises listed here use every muscle in your body, and when you overload your body with calories and protein, those muscles will grow.
If you are going to get bigger, you need to consistently increase the difficulty with every workout.
Every time you train, your muscles break down and have to rebuild themselves.
You are teaching them to say “I must get bigger and stronger in case I have to do that again!”[16]
This is called “progressive overload,” and it’s the foundation of strength training.
So how do you progressively overload your muscles?
If you did 3 sets of 5 reps of squats at 95 pounds last week, go for 3 sets of 5 reps at 100 pounds this week!
Did knee push-ups last month? Great, try to do regular push-ups this month.
Always increase the challenge, and the best way to do that is by tracking your workouts!
Write down how you train, so that way you know exactly how to get stronger next time. I use Evernote on my phone, but you can use an old school notebook or whatever floats your boat.
Write down exactly how much you lifted, how many sets, how many reps, and how you felt.
And then next time?
Pick up more.
In addition to the protein shakes mentioned back in Rule #3, consider a creatine supplement – it allows your muscles to store more water – which will both help you potentially lift heavier and improve your performance in the gym!
If you don’t want to build your own workout routine, or you’re not sure how and when to scale up your workouts for the best results, let us build a routine for you!
Our coaches will build a workout program for your goals, and every day you can check your coaching app and know exactly what to do:
Muscles are made in the kitchen and while sleeping, NOT in the gym.
When you train, you are essentially ripping apart and breaking down your muscles.
Then, during the next 48 hours, as you are eating a caloric surplus and recovering, your muscles get rebuilt bigger and stronger.
For this reason, never exercise the same muscle before it’s ready.
In other words, try not to exercise the same muscle on two consecutive days.
Here’s best common practices for weight gain: Do a gym workout 3-4 days a week with a day off in between each (while consuming plenty of calories). This is plenty of training to promote muscle growth and weight gain.
Long story short: pick up heavy weight in the gym 3-4 days a week for an hour.
Go HARD, go HEAVY.
And then come home, eat, and rest. If you are interested in doing some active recovery on your off days, that’s fine too.
Skinny people usually don’t need to train more, they need to eat and rest more!
You should get at least 6 hours of sleep to function as a human, but getting 7-8 hours of sleep will help aid in building more muscle.[17]
This study[18]. also found:
“Inadequate sleep impairs maximal muscle strength in compound movements when performed without specific interventions designed to increase motivation.”
Think of it this way:
Building muscle is hard work, your body can use all the help (and calories) it can get. Your body is doing nothing but lying there and building muscle while you’re sleeping. [19]
If you are only getting 6 hours or less, you’re not going to get all the benefits of your exercising and diet, and not giving yourself the best change to gain weight and grow bigger.
So don’t make these sleep mistakes!
We often spend quite a bit of time with our coaching clients working with them on their sleep and environmental habits! From turning off the TV an hour earlier to even becoming a morning person, we build fun missions and challenges for our clients around stuff like this to get them results.
Depending on how you currently feel about running, this next sentence will either make you happy or miserable:
“Running might work against your efforts to gain weight and build muscle.”
When you run, your body uses up some of your excess consumed calories to fuel your runs. That makes sense.
This leaves fewer calories left over to build muscle.
Now, nobody will refute the benefits of improved cardiovascular health, nor would I EVER tell you to not do an exercise that you find fun.
In addition, a 2016 study[20] showed that doing endurance training AND strength training actually created larger muscle hypertrophy in untrained subjects than just resistance training alone.
What this means: you do you, boo.
If you’re somebody that runs and enjoys it, great!
If you’re trying to get bigger, here’s what I would recommend:
Is your SOLE focus on getting bigger? Do 3 things:
Interested in giving your heart a workout without steady cardio?:
Want to incorporate cardio the RIGHT way into your life, along with strength training, to start gaining weight?
Our coaching program builds custom programs to help people just like you reach your goals.
With all of this eating, you will probably put on some fat along with your muscle.
That’s okay!
You might even be skinny enough that a bit of extra “cushion” on you is a good thing!
If you are trying to put on MOSTLY muscle and minimal fat gain:
And then fine tune it from there: essentially, you’re trying to thread the needle of “only build muscle, don’t add fat” which is fairly advanced and challenging.
As this 2017 study points out[21], “Protein overfeeding or the consumption of a high protein diet may not result in a gain in body weight or fat mass despite consuming calories that exceed one’s normal or habitual intake.”
This is incredibly challenging, and you do run the risk of not eating enough to build muscle. In addition, you might build less muscle than had you consumed a larger surplus of calories.
Now, what if you’re “skinny fat?”
What if you have a gut/belly, and thin arms?
IF YOU ARE “SKINNY FAT”:
Then, once you get to a low enough body fat percentage that you can see some abdominal muscle definition, you can get back to bulking up.
These are the 11 rules I’ve followed multiple times in my life whenever I have decided to gain weight.
There’s a 12th rule I want to share with you too:
Build the habit of eating and exercise:
It’s important to build a system that sets you up for weight gain success.
It comes down to two things:
So do whatever you need to do to make those things happen!
Here’s my final piece of advice: If you want permanent success, stop thinking in terms of “How fast can I gain weight?” and instead think:
“What can I do today that feels sustainable enough that I can stick with it for a year?”
This is how I get results, and how you can use the tools and tips in this article to get results too. Build small habits that become permanent parts of your life, and the results you’ll get will be permanent too.
Now, if you’re somebody that wants even MORE guidance, and specific instructions to follow, I got you:
1) Our 1-on-1 online coaching program, work with a member of Team Nerd Fitness that gets to know you and your situation. We’ll provide expert guidance and accountability, a custom workout, and regular ongoing support:
2) Join the Nerd Fitness Academy: Our self-paced online course. 1 payment, lifetime access. 20+ workouts, a character creation system, boss battles, and one of the most supportive communities in the Galaxy:
3) Join our free email list, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion! Join a few hundred thousand rebels just like you and I’ll send you a bunch of free guides too. I’m nice like that.
To recap our full article, here are the “12 Rules To Gain Weight Quickly”:
If you have more questions, please leave them in the comments below and I’ll gladly answer them when I get a chance!
You can do this.
Go eat something.
Learn how to do squats and deadlifts.
Do lots of push-ups and pull-ups.
And then eat some more.
-Steve
PS: If you want to read more about this stuff, make sure you check out the following in-depth resources too:
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photo credit: steak, LEGO Grocery store, lego bread and carbs, pencil, Gregor: Dmitry Klokov 250kg Front Squat Wallpaper – All Things Gym, W_Minshull Hardcore Stormies Hit The Gym, Speed
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Once or twice might be somewhat funny, but if you have ever experienced continuous or nonstop farting, you know that it can be downright annoying and embarrassing. Contrary to what you might think, the average person passes gas about 5-15 times each day. So for all those out there who say they never fart…you might […]
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