Men's Fitness: How to Bulk and Add Muscle

If one spends enough time on a fitness or health forum they will likely run into a number of posts by men who are concerned about putting on weight, or "bulking". Many a woman has scoffed at such posts "if only I had that problem" but for thousands of men it's no laughing matter. Adding weight can be a difficult task, but adding lean body mass is an even more daunting undertaking. There are some sure fire ways to add the mass that is desired but it is never easy. Just like losing weight is difficult for a heavy person gaining weight for a thin person is just as hard, in the end each person is simply changing their body type.

The Diet

The first step to putting on weight is eating more. The body works fairly simply, the amount of calories that are burned in relation to the amount of calories that are eaten affect weight. If a person eats more calories than they burn they will gain. If they burn more calories than they eat they will lose weight. For gainers the goal is to take in more calories and burn less.

While eating large amounts quickly seems like a great idea it might not be. When someone gets overfull they seem less willing to eat later, which will equate into less calories for the day. For individuals who get full quickly eating a smaller amount throughout the day is probably the safest bet.

Sneaking in calories into a meal can also help. Think about adding nuts to a yogurt or a bowl of cereal in the morning. The added amount does not have to be a lot and it adds on extra calories.

A lot of weight lifters swear by things like whey powder and other shake formulas. Other find that it simply stores more water in the muscle, creating the appearance that one wants but it doesn't have a long term affect. If a quick result is what the lifter in question is after I suppose it's fine and it can be used to supplement a diet but don't expect it to create a long lasting effect.

A big mistake that many make is assuming that high fat foods are great for bulking. While such a diet will add a good amount of weight quickly most of that weight is going to be fat. Often called a "dirty bulk" high fat diets eventually get the person in question in trouble. Eventually the desire to see muscle tone will arise and the gainer will find they've caused more harm then good. Stay away from the high fat foods and opt for more clean protein to pack on muscle.

Don't get discouraged, adding muscle mass is not an easy task and it can take weeks if not months to see a result, especially if the person in question is "blessed" with a high metabolism and an aversion to adding body fat.

The Workout

Burning calories is also an important factor when trying to add weight. Cardiovascular exercise is key to optimal health and weight loss, however those who are looking to gain should consider cutting back on the cardio a bit. MSN Health suggests sticking to a 30 minute cardio workout three or four times a week. It is enough to create optimal health but won't be burning extra calories. Sticking to lower intensity cardio is also a good bet.

Don't buy into the myths that low weights with more repetitions will create long lean muscle. It's simply not true. Ask Men explains that if the body can do 40 reps without feeling fatigued the muscle is not being challenged at all and thus no result will be seen. Higher weights with less reps will create bigger and strong muscles. Higher reps with lower weight creates endurance.

While it might seem like a good idea to hit the gym every single day and work the body to the bone you will likely not see better results. The entire process of building muscle requires recovery periods. Work different muscle groups on different days giving roughly 48 hours for the muscles to recover. Many men find that breaking workout into muscle groups helps give a quicker result.

Finally don't expect big changes to occur over one night. Rome was not built in a day and muscle mass will not magically appear within a week. Most will see results in 10 weeks, some will see results sooner depending on their body type and body fat. Keeping track of the routine can help builders see where they have come from and how they are improving. A good indicator is strength, so keeping track of how weight tolerances have progressed can inform builders whether or not they are on the right track.

Overall adding weight or losing weight is a difficult task. Perseverance is key and realistic expectations are necessary to avoid getting discouraged.