5 Wise Tips to Gain Weight and Lean Muscle in a Healthy Way
By Luke Douglas
Many people are concerned about their weight, but rarely do you hear someone wishing to add weight to their frame. For the most part, people want to achieve sensible weight loss to eliminate unwanted fat and reach a healthier weight target. Needless to say, losing weight is a healthy decision if you’re currently overweight, and especially if you’re experiencing certain symptoms that might deteriorate your health.
But then there are the people on the other end of the spectrum. Many of us are actually looking for a way to optimize our nutrition to gain weight in a healthy way and if possible, build lean muscle mass to shape our physique and make us stronger in the process. If you are currently for ways to add weight to your frame without adding unwanted fat, then you have to take a careful and calculated approach.
Let’s take a look at some important tips that will enable you to gain weight and lean muscle in a healthy way this year.
Prioritize your calories
You probably know by now that the most important element of weight loss or weight gain is how you manage your calories on a daily basis. Simply put, you need to eat more calories than you’re expending during the day in order to gain weight, and do the opposite if you’re trying to drop pounds off your frame. However, restricting calories can be much easier than adding them, because you’re not used to eating more and because you have to be very careful about the kind of calories you add to your diet.
Typically, you would always want to prioritize calories from protein-rich foods if your goal is to add lean muscle and sculpt your physique. Keep in mind that carbohydrates and fats are not fattening per se, but focusing on maximizing your protein intake will ensure that you keep growing muscle while burning fat. It takes more energy for your body to process proteins than other macronutrients, and protein is the building block of muscle.
Focus on the right exercise program
Once you know that you need to consume more calories, you can start complimenting your diet plan with muscle-building exercise. Remember, it’s much easier to add pounds to your frame by complementing your lifestyle with exercise, particularly if your training sessions revolve around resistance training.
You should focus your resistance training on hypertrophy (building muscle) and strength, because muscle is lean, and it shapes your body. If, on the other hand, you start eating more but don’t exercise, you can expect to add only fat to your frame. With that in mind, be sure to work closely with your personal trainer to create a workout routine that will prioritize strength and lean muscle growth.
Include the right supplements into your diet
When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to use healthy supplements in the form of vitamins and minerals. However, when you’re trying to build muscle and add weight, then it’s important to use specific supplements for muscle gain that will help optimize your metabolic rate, increase hunger steadily, and get more nutrients like protein into your system.
That said, supplementation is not a substitute for a healthy diet, but it can help you get more of the right calories into your body on a daily basis. After all, eating more is a difficult task, and you have to ensure that you stay consistent. The right weight gain supplements will focus on quality proteins but also the right micronutrients to help you slowly but surely start eating more healthy foods.
Try eating more frequently
Speaking of eating healthy, you can’t hope to put more food on your plate but eat the same number of meals every day. For many people who are struggling to add weight to their frame, eating more is impossible, but eating more frequently is a smart alternative.
The key is to add healthy meals into your daily routine, preferably something like a plant-based diet rich in fiber, vitamins, and various minerals. Eating more frequently is not only a great way to nurture your metabolism, but it’s also one of the best ways to safely add calories to your diet without even noticing the difference.
Hydrate throughout the day
Last but not least, remember that it’s not just about the calories and the supplements – it’s also about healthy hydration. Most of us forget to drink ample amounts of pure aqua every day, and that’s a bad habit that you’ll need to change if you want to add lean muscle and weight to your frame in a healthy way.
Hydration is extremely important for athletes, whether you’re exercising occasionally or every single day. Over the long term, proper hydration will help you stay energized and it will allow you to push your limits in training. Of course, you should try to drink more water between meals so that you don’t ruin your appetite.
Wrapping up
As with every habit in life, the key to healthy weight gain is to stay consistent. Follow these tips but make sure to adhere to them consistently over the following weeks and months and you should have no problem adding lean muscle and weight to your frame, sculpting the physique of your dreams.
Luke is a lifestyle blogger. He is editor in chief at blog Ripped.me and one of the contributors at blog Trans4Mind. He follows the trends in fitness, gym and healthy life and loves to share his knowledge through useful and informative articles.
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Featured image photo by Charles Gaudreault on Unsplash
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