BODY: FITNESS

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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.

DIET & EXERCISE

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The first step to putting on weight is eating more, lifting heavier weights to increase your muscle mass. 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.


by Andrea Francese