I am 6'0" and I went from 140 lbs and 12% body fat to 150 lbs and 6% body fat. I know those don't seem like large gains but I feel like an entirely new person. I don't really have a secret though- just going to the gym religiously, eating right, and getting enough protein.

 

im in the same boat.
for us hard gainers it takes alot of dicipline to gain significant weight.
as soon as i got serious about going to the gym and lifting heavy i gained about 15lbs in a few months.
after that im lucky to gain 2lbs in a month, and can lose it that in a day of being lazy.

just keep at it and dont get discouraged. eat like its your job, get some shakes, and work on the basics(arms, legs, back), and keep the cardio to a minimum, if at all, until you bulk up.

 

You really just need to hit the gym and consume an ungodly ammout of calories

 

Get your resting metabolic rate tested to determine how many calories you burn at rest. Then consume more calories than your burn . Eat well , lift and get plenty of rest. Without knowing your own burn rate your just guessing and wasting your time. Ain't rocket science consume more than you burn you will gain weight.

Everything else is just a guessing game.

 

Sounds great then you need to understand how your system digests the food you take in. The digestive track doesn't work at a constant rate. Eat a gallon of saurekraut and call me when you get off of the pot. There are so many variables, caloric intake can give you an idea of how many calories you need but just because you eat that many calories doesn't mean your body will absorb it all. Based on each individuals digestive tract you might see someone gain weight by eating x,y,z but another person might lose weight because there body passes it through quicker. Certain oils, fat, milk, etc... Effect ones ability to absorb calories on top of the way your body processes the energy created by absorbtion. Some peoples metabolisms will just plain speed up with caloric intake.

 

Part of my plan is to see a nutrionist to better understand my body. Unfortunately, i do not know anyone who has seen one locally so its gonna be a guessing game as to who i choose.

 

Sorry guys, but I strongly disagree with those who are telling you to just live with your weight. It doesn't matter if you're the skinniest ectomorph with a super met rate. You Can Gain Weight and Muscle. Someone already recommended this but go to Bodybuilding.com and check out the articles and forums.

Basically if you lift heavy doing mass excercises, get rest eat roughly 5-6 times, take your vitamins, protein powder, flax seed oil and most importatnly, remain dedicated...there is absolutely NO WAY you will not gain muscle. It may take some time but you should be seeing improvements every month if you remain dedicated to your plan. Again, this is broken down in very lamens (<--sp?) terms but if you check out the website I noted above and read the articles you'll find a ton of info that you will find useful in order for you to meet your goals.

 

You don't need to buy any books. It's pretty simple:

Eat a lot (pasta, meat, potatos, chicken, fish, vegetables, etc. Make sure you are taking in plenty of protein. Buy some quality protein powder and creatine.

Make sure you are getting plenty of quality rest (do not work out everyday, you need recovery time. Stop all cardio work while you are bulking up.

Stick to the basic lifts: Squats, Deadlifts, Rows, Pullups, Bench, Power Cleans, Millitary Press. Don't waste time with concentration curls and crap like that. You want to hit the major areas of your body hard, not waste energy on little specialization movements.

You're going to have to experiment and see what works best for you. Some people gain well doing full body workouts 3Xs a week, some people only 2xs a week. Some people like to split their workouts up.

I always used basic exercises (like the ones listed above) and did the following:

week 1: 5 reps 5 sets each exercise
week 2: 8 reps 3 sets each exercise
week 3: 10 reps 3 sets
week 4: repeat cycle

Good luck to you, EAT, TRAIN, REST

P.S. Take it easy on the alcohol, it will slow your gains.

 

Nishant,

You're in the same boat I was in when I was in college. I'm 6'3" and weighed 160 as a freshman in college. I ate like a fiend, non stop eating. Worked out everyday for at least 90 mins and used the school football trainer. By the time I graduated college I was tipping the scales at about 200.

THEN work began. I no longer had the fortune of a flexible schedule and free time. My work out regimen suffered and weight came crashing back down to 175 in no time.

Reason for the story, and I think someone else mentioned it, set yourself up with a routine you know you can carry on throughout school and work. Drinking all those shakes and eating like a moose are all bunk because the second you stop it, your weight will come down again.

Now, I just eat 6 small meals/day and mountainbike/run/use dumbells. I'm weighing in now at around 185 with no yo-yo-ing and a decent build.