What is the reason for thinness in teenagers?
During adolescence, the body grows and changes rapidly.
But few people think about how large-scale these metamorphoses are, and how much energy and “building material” are required for this.
Growth rates in adolescents can be quite rapid, because the body is actively developing. This applies to the skeleton, muscles and internal organs.
Let's add mental activity at school, passion for various sports - all this contributes to a huge expenditure of energy.
In such conditions, gaining or maintaining normal weight becomes a difficult task.
How much muscle mass can you gain in a month?
Gaining muscle mass is a fairly long process. We are talking about dry muscle tissue without taking into account water and fat. Muscle growth is impossible without exercise, so we will talk about how much muscle mass you can gain in a month by working out in the gym.
The number of kilograms depends on the experience of the trainee. A beginner has a higher potential, so with the right training program, healthy diet, and protein intake, he can build muscle by 5 or more kg per month. In the future, this figure will decrease.
How to gain 10 kg of muscle mass, how to gain 5 kg of weight ? Such figures require several months. On average, an athlete gains from 0.5 to 1 kg of lean muscle per week, which is 2-4 kg per month.
How to determine your weight norm
There are many tables for determining optimal body weight. Moreover, different countries have adopted their own standards for the same height.
For example, in the USA, a man with a height of 180 cm has a recommended weight of 75 kg. And for us, for the same 180 cm – 85 kg.
There are tables with weight standards for children, adolescents, men and women.
As a rule, adolescents have body weight standards that are several kilograms less than adults of the same sex.
The simplest test to determine optimal weight:
Weight should be equal to height, without the first digit.
For example, your height is 175 cm. This means your weight should be 75 kg. Body weight deviations in both directions are allowed by 3-5 kg.
But it must be said that this is very relative, because everything depends not only on height, but also on the percentage of fat and muscle mass. Therefore, body weight is too arbitrary an indicator.
How to gain weight for a skinny person
First of all, I will say that if you expect to gain weight without exercise, namely strength training, then you want to gain weight. No, you don’t risk getting fat, but you want to, because gaining weight without strength training means gaining fat without muscle. Muscles do not grow without strength training.
for a skinny person to gain weight ... And a living refutation of this myth. I was a typical ectomorph, meaning thin, with small muscles and narrow bones. My wrist circumference is only 15cm. For most, this figure is higher, even for girls. But I'm not complaining, I even like it. There are many advantages to this. I'll write about this later, so stay tuned .
I was thin and, on top of that, I didn’t have much strength or health to lift. I was looking for ways to train that were acceptable to me and I found them. The main thing is the training system. Not a training program, but a system. It includes a training program, a diet, and a work-rest regime. It sounds wrong and scary. But this is at first glance. Now I will explain everything in simple Russian language and you can finally gain a few kilograms of live weight, and if you like it, then continue.
How to quickly gain weight at home without getting fat
In order for your body weight to begin to increase, you need to eat more than you consume. But in order for muscle mass to grow, the muscles must be stimulated to grow. And this can only be done with strength training. Even girls need it. Don’t be afraid, not one girl has yet become masculine from strength training. Look at fitness. Girls lift weights but look great doing it.
I wrote about strength training in the article “How to build muscles . If you still don’t know what processes occur in the body during strength training and muscle growth, then the article “ Muscle Growth” is for you. How to make muscles grow ." You will also find out why your muscles actually hurt.
If you are still poorly versed in the principle of gaining mass, exercise techniques, and training systems, then subscribe to updates to stay informed and fill the gap in knowledge.
We believe that you have read these articles and know that strength training stimulates muscles to grow. You have already chosen the appropriate training option and decided where you will train at home or in the gym.
OK. Let's move on. Now the most important thing is diet. Yes, you heard right, people go on diets not only when they want to lose weight or burn fat (these are different things). In general, the word diet is translated as a way of life, i.e. You go on it once and follow the diet for the rest of your long life.
If you want to have big muscles, then you will have to periodically train them all your life and feed them with protein foods and follow some rules. If you don’t have such a goal yet, then all you need to do is follow my nutritional recommendations and your weight will never be low again.
How to gain weight as a teenager
As you know, body weight can be increased in two main ways:
- Using fat gain
- Due to the growth of muscle mass
For thin teenagers, gaining weight from fat is almost impossible for the reasons we wrote about earlier.
The metabolic rate (metabolism) at this age is very high.
This means the fastest possible use of energy substrates (fats and carbohydrates), which simply do not have time to be deposited in fat depots in the body.
The second option remains - gaining weight through the gym and strength training, by increasing muscle volume.
Eat quality food
The daily amount of calories must be increased to 3500 or more, but only through proper and good food. You should not eat chips or drink sweet soda. The calories obtained from such food are instantly deposited in the fat depot.
We recommend reading: How much weight can you lose in a month with proper nutrition and exercise?
You can get high-quality muscle mass only through healthy food. You need to eat healthy fats, carbohydrates and proteins. The number of calories is important, but what's behind them deserves even more attention.
Eat more protein
Protein (protein) is the building material of muscle tissue. It is found in white and red meat, fish, almonds, eggs, milk, and peanuts. And in order to have a decent supply of muscle mass, these products must be constantly present in the menu.
Features of gaining muscle mass in adolescents
The good news is that teenagers can gain weight by gaining muscle mass!
Growth mechanisms are triggered by the male sex hormone - testosterone, which begins to be actively produced at the age of 12-13. Thanks to this hormone, the boy becomes a young man.
In adolescents aged 15-17 years, testosterone production reaches its maximum values. This age is considered the most suitable for starting bodybuilding.
But the growth of muscle mass in thin teenagers is extremely slow. Again due to fast metabolism.
To provide itself with energy, the body uses not only fats and carbohydrates. If there is too much activity, even muscle mass can be used.
An important emphasis should be on nutrition and getting the right amount of nutrients from food.
How to gain, increase weight with vitamins?
IMPORTANT: Vitamins and minerals are needed for weight gain by both athletes and people who are not involved in sports.
Vitamin A accelerates metabolism, stimulates cell growth and development, which has a beneficial effect on the rapid growth of muscle tissue.
Vitamin A content in foods
To increase body weight, you need all B vitamins . These compounds send energy directly into the cells. A lack of vitamin B1 affects the digestive system, which in turn impairs the body's ability to absorb nutrients.
Sources of vitamin B1
Vitamins C and E are antioxidants that neutralize free radicals formed as a result of redox processes. Ascorbic acid is involved in burning fat, in its place muscle tissue will be built.
Vitamin E in foods
Phosphorus is involved in bone tissue, which will be put under pressure by increasing muscle mass, so its supply is also important when gaining weight. For the same reason, the body also needs calcium .
Sources of phosphorus
Magnesium and sulfur are involved in the synthesis of amino acids, from which muscles are formed.
Sources of magnesium
Copper is responsible for the growth of all tissues in the body, and it is also necessary for the growth of muscle tissue.
Copper content in products
With the participation of zinc, muscle protein is created.
Zinc content in products
IMPORTANT: Whole complexes of vitamins and minerals for weight gain can be found in stores specializing in nutrition for athletes. These are drugs such as Hi Tec Vitamin AZ, Mega Mass 4000, etc.
Weight gain workout program for teenagers
Strength training for teenagers in the gym has its own characteristics:
- Weak muscle corset (especially the lumbar region)
- The musculoskeletal system is not ready to work with heavy weights
- The cardiovascular system is subject to age-related changes and needs special attention
All these factors dictate certain requirements for the training program:
- Each lesson requires exercise for the abs and lower back, which strengthen the muscular corset of the back.
- Almost all exercises are performed lying down or sitting to minimize the compression load on the spine during forceful impact
For the same reasons, the program does not include barbell squats and deadlifts.
Instead, safer basic exercises are used - leg press in a machine and pull-ups on the bar.
Next, consider an example program:
Is it possible to gain weight with proteins? How to drink protein to gain muscle mass?
Thin people can easily gain weight by eating erratically and eating high-calorie foods. But such a person will not only gain weight from fast carbohydrates and fatty foods, but will develop fat folds. Therefore, experts advise “skinny” people to build muscle. And protein, or protein, is responsible for the growth of muscle tissue.
Today, protein can be obtained not only from food, but also from sports supplements. Supplements are created specifically for athletes whose protein needs increase due to strength training.
There are several types of synthetic protein:
- whey, which is the most digestible, is taken after physical activity
- casein - a slower protein, taken at night
- egg
- soy
- meat
IMPORTANT: In order for proteins to act, strength loads are needed. Without exercise, consuming proteins will give minimal results.
Take protein shakes half an hour after training, as well as before going to bed. If you are a busy person and cannot always find time for a full meal, protein shakes will also come to your aid. They are easy and quick to prepare, and you will always be sure of a sufficient daily amount of protein.
Experts remind that most of the protein must still be obtained from food.
How to gain weight and muscle mass: reviews
According to reviews, any short-term diets aimed at increasing body weight give short-term results. Pharmacological hormonal drugs work in a similar way, which, moreover, also have a detrimental effect on internal organs.
Only proper nutrition, healthy sleep, avoidance of stress, and sufficient physical activity can help to qualitatively build muscle mass. In combination with folk remedies and taking vitamins and minerals, these methods will help you achieve the figure of your dreams.
How to gain weight: advice from nutritionist Svetlana Fus
- The largest meal of the day is breakfast. Also, do not neglect the second, lighter breakfast. The first meal should not be immediately upon waking, eat within an hour after sleep
- Do not eat raw foods on an empty stomach. It is useful to eat both vegetables and fruits in the morning, but the dishes should be heat-treated and warm.
- If you are a coffee lover, then do not drink it on an empty stomach, but only half an hour after a nutritious breakfast
- In winter, eat vegetables, fruits, and berries that you have frozen yourself or buy mixtures in the store, but only those that have been safely quickly frozen
- Citrus fruits are the healthiest fruits in winter.
- The last meal should be a couple of hours before going to bed, but not later. It is strictly forbidden to overeat at night
- Keep a food diary where you record all the meals you eat. This will help you control your caloric intake and avoid unhealthy foods.
- Do not wash down your food with water or tea. After eating, if you are very thirsty, take a few slow sips of plain warm water.
IMPORTANT: Svetlana Fus advises eating right not only during the period of weight loss or gain, but also not for a month or even a year. The nutritionist claims that only by adhering to proper nutrition throughout your life can you have a healthy and beautiful body at any age.
