has anyone here ever tried to GAIN weight?

[mark414]

i know some of you on here will hate me for this, but i'm realllly trying to gain some weight. i've got a decent size but i've got such a big frame that it's real spread out (6'3", 175 lbs with some of the longest damn arms ever)

i'm lifting a lot and eating the shit out of some protein and all that...anyone ever tried (successfully) gaining weight? what worked? what didn't? any tips?

[Phillycat]

1. With your body type, you will have to drink the shakes.

It will be the only way you will ever add bulk. Go to GNC and get some of the weight-gaining powder.

[mark414]

2. ugh the shakes are disgusting

but alas, i sit here right now drinking one...

[Phillycat]

6. Yep. Gross, but effective.

Do not try to go the route of eating ice cream or stuff like that. You may not get fat, but your cholesterol level will suffer, and you won't gain much anyway. The shakes are the only way. You have an extremely efficient metabolism on your big body, and your natural tendency is to get long, lean, and cut (Defined) but not bulky.

[mark414]

10. that's what i'm seeing already

i've really only been lifting consistently for the past 2 or 3 weeks and i'm starting to see some well defined muscles (never had much fat on my body to begin with)

i guess my goal is just to gain 15 pounds by the summer...which i think is doable

[Metatron]

3. Yes.

I recommend adding Ensure nutritional drinks to your diet. As long as you add them rather than substituting for a meal, that will help you put some pounds on. Milkshakes and Ensure were suggestions from my doctor. Best of luck - gaining weight is damn difficult for those who try to do it.

[Straight Shooter]

8. I'll go along with recommending Ensure

You can get a substitute brand instead. I liked the vanilla. Had to drink something pre-surgery to give my body lots of nutrients to deal with the major surgery, and then post surgery to put weight back on. I was so thin, people said I disappeared when I turned sideways.

I don't have that problem now, I'm very three-dimensional :D

[TX-RAT]

13. Same here.

At one time i let my job get to me, went from 183 to 135. Wasn't to sure what was going on, scared the hell out of me. Doctor had me drinking 4 insures a day, plus a 3000 calorie diet. Got the weight back, and retired from the job.

[derbstyron]

18. Another vote for Ensure

Its the only thing that has kept me alive (Im severly underwight).

Hi, Beth!<Beth?
:headbang: :hi: :toast: :bounce:

[terrya]

4. Have you tried creatine?

I've had some success with creatine.

[mark414]

7. my roommate warned me about it

he's a big beefy powerlifter type, and basically said that if you don't lift a lot nearly everyday that i probably don't want to take creatine, because of the way it affects how your muscles absorb water

i've just some of the regular whey protein powder from GNC and luckily i work in a meat department and so i get to bring home a lot of that (protein!)

[Blue-Jay]

12. Dude, creatine makes your balls shrink.

Unless you were going for that effect as well...

[Radical Activist]

5. Yes

For years I was always skinny and the type of exercise I did was not designed for muscle building.
I never gained weight until I tried one thing: beer.
That's the only way I could gain any. Now, that may not be the kind of weight you want to gain, but that's what worked for me. Lots of sugar and carbs.

[mark414]

11. ha

as much as i love beer...definitely not the kind of weight i'm trying to gain

[barb162]

9. nobody I know n/t

[KurtNYC]

14. I swear the thing that broke me out of

a fairly thin weight was UNDER eating for a while. I worked at a ski resort and never got quite enough to eat. Once I went back to eating my fill it started to stay on.

[TlalocW]

15. When lifting

Do heavier weight and less repetition. That will pack on the mass fast.

TlalocW

[mark414]

16. yep

i've got a regular bench and then one of those bowflex things that i use...the bowflex is so much fun because you can do almost anything with it

[Left Is Write]

20. That would be my suggestion also.

Lots of healthy calories, protein shakes, and heavy weights.

[medeak]

17. peanutbutter

is what I told elderly frail patients to eat. It helped.

[NewJeffCT]

19. my wife tries in vain to gain weight

She is 5'4" and can't seem to break 100 pounds. Even other Chinese think she's skinny.