There is only one magic formula to gaining weight and it requires that you eat more calories than your body burns. If you are finding it difficult to gain weight despite the fact you think you eat a lot, it is possible you are not creating a calorie surplus. If you are struggling to gain weight, these tips can help you understand what may be happening.
Why You’re Not Gaining Weight
If you are naturally skinny, you may think you can eat anything you want without gaining. You may claim you have a fast metabolism or that you simply don’t digest food the way heavier people do. You may believe you are constantly stressed which can lead to weight loss or that there is some medical condition that leads you to stay thin. However, there is truly only one explanation for staying thin and that is that you aren’t eating as much as you think you are. Track your calories for one week using an app like MyFitnessPal or something similar. It is highly likely you will find that you are not gaining weight because you are eating fewer calories than you are burning.
Somatotypes: Is Your Body Type Important
Your body type does play a part in how easily you gain or lose weight. People with high metabolisms do exist and it is possible you are not gaining because you are very active. Many people who have difficulty gaining fidget more than those who do not, research indicates. If you have a small frame, you may still have difficulty gaining because your body is not built to be big. Even if you have a small frame, have difficulty gaining due to activity or your metabolism is higher than others, if you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. The key is to eat more calories than you burn consistently in order to see results.
How to Gain Weight
There are several ways to increase your calorie intake in order to gain weight. You can add more calories to each meal or add additional meals. Add calorie-dense food to your diet such as dried fruits, nuts or pasta. Blended food digests easier than food you have to chew, so add smoothies to your diet. One of the best smoothies includes oats, milk, banana, peanut butter and whey protein. Just as overweight people underestimate what they eat, skinny people overestimate what they eat. Track your calories each day to see what you are consuming. Consider a fitness tracker, such as a FitBit or Garmin, to track both calories and activity each day. Add squats and deadlifts with free weights to your workout to help you gain.
- Eat More
- Eat More Meals
- Eat Calorie Dense Foods
- Eat More Protein
- Drink Shakes
- Track Your Calories
- Lift Heavy (But Safely)
- Be Consistent
The Importance of Nutrition
Eating more calories than you burn will help you gain weight, but not just any calories. You want to be sure to choose healthy options, like whole grains as well as lean meats and dairy. Start by adding 500 calories per day than you are burning. If you are not gaining as you’d like, add more calories, but do so slowly to avoid building belly fat. You need to be consistent as it is the daily average calorie intake that determines true weight gain.
You Need to Eat More Protein
Increase the amount of protein you eat each day, such as chicken, fish and eggs. Add 1 gram of protein per pound of body-weight per day to build muscle and for recovery. Some of the best protein options include steaks, ground round, chicken breasts and thighs as well as tuna, salmon, mackerel and sardines. Eggs are good source of protein as are dairy products like milk, cottage cheese and yogurt.
Top Protein Sources:
- Steaks, Ground Beef
- Chicken Breast
- Turkey Breast
- Ground Turkey
- Tuna
- Salmon
- Mackerel
- Eggs or Egg Whites
Eat More Meals Throughout the Day
Small meals are easier to manage than large meals, so aim for six to seven small meals per day rather than three. Start by waking up earlier and eating breakfast. Too often, skinny people eat nothing for breakfast which means they are getting no calories before noon. You need at least eight hours sleep, so that leaves you only 16 hours to eat each day. Start with breakfast around 7 AM, adding a snack 10 AM. Lunch should be around 1 PM, another snack around 4 PM and then dinner around 7 PM. Keep in mind these are not large, more than 1,000 calorie meals, but smaller meals that are between 500 and 700 calories.
What You Should Eat
Choose foods that are high in calories and nutrition. Although vegetables are healthy, they do not have many calories. Keep vegetables in your diet for their nutritional value and fat-burning properties, but if you want to gain weight, you also need to add foods like nuts, dried fruit, dairy, grains, potatoes, fats and meat. Try to avoid junk food even though it is high in calories. McDonald’s food is calorie-dense, but also contains significant amounts of fat, sugar and sodium. Although eating chips, cookies, fries and ice cream may add calories, it can lead to extra fat around your belly. That does not mean you can never eat at McDonald’s or enjoy a cold beer every now and then. The best rule of thumb is 90 percent quality food and 10 percent junk food.
Train Consistently
Lifting helps trigger muscle mass building in your body so you want to include lifting weights in your workout. Lifting also increases your appetite helping you to eat more. If you eat more than you burn, lifting keeps food from being stored as fat. Use free weights which are more effective and safer than machines. Include compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench press and rows. Always try to lift more than you did in your last workout and be sure your form is correct. Your body needs rest, so don’t do more than three full body workouts each week.
Supplements for the Skinny Guy
Blending food in liquid form helps you digest it more quickly. You can make your own weight gainer shakes by combining:
- 100g Oats
- 1 Banana
- 1 tbsp Peanut Butter
- 300ml Whole Milk
- 2 scoops Whey Protein
Mix everything in a blender for 1048 calories, 120g carbs, 80g protein and 28g fat. Avoid processed weight gainer shakes as they are often full of sugars. If you aren’t a fan of smoothies, simply drink whole milk.
These tips and suggestions are designed for people who have difficulty gaining weight when working out. For more tips on workouts, nutrition and weight, subscribe to my YouTube Channel.
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How To Get Bigger Arms | Edge Fitness Arm Workout
Hey everyone! In this video it was arm day. For this workout video we decided to meet over at Edge Fitness in Deptford, NJ. As many of you know, we love to superset our workouts, especially our arm workouts. This means every time we complete a set of bicep exercises, we perform a complementary triceps exercise. It’s the best way to get the blood flowing! You can perform this workout by yourself, but it’s a tougher workout when you have partners. Pushing to the limit, less time between sets.
Don’t get hung up on the amount of weight. Feel free to reduce the weight and keep the reps high.
How To Get Bigger Arms Workout
Have you tried this workout? I’d like to hear from you. Make sure you like, comment, and most importantly Subscibe! Click the button below.
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From the Ground Up: Why Leg Day Is the Foundation of Strength
Did you know? Skipping leg day doesn’t just leave your lower body underdeveloped—it can stall your total body strength.
Leg day is more than a single workout in your weekly plan; it’s the foundation for building real, full-body strength, stability, and explosive power. In this post, we’ll break down why leg day is crucial, how it boosts overall performance, and share tips to make the most of your leg training. By making leg day a priority, you’ll see a transformation in not only your lower body but also your athletic power, metabolic rate, and overall strength.
Table: Sample Leg Day Workout
Exercise Type Sets Reps Rest Time Squats Compound 4 8 90 seconds Lunges Compound 3 12 (per leg) 60 seconds Leg Press Compound 3 10 60 seconds Deadlifts Compound 3 8 90 seconds Calf Raises Isolation 3 15 45 seconds Hamstring Curls Isolation 3 12 45 seconds Note: Always prioritize proper form and warm up before beginning your leg day workout. Consider adding mobility exercises and a cooldown to optimize performance and recovery.
The Power of Strong Legs in Overall Strength
Building a Strong Foundation
Strong legs provide the base that your entire body depends on, supporting stability, posture, and better lifting form. When you build strength in your legs, you’re also setting up your entire body to support heavier lifts and more challenging movements.
- Key Point: Leg muscles like the glutes, quads, and hamstrings are essential for stabilizing the body. They’re the largest muscle groups, meaning that the stronger they are, the better you’ll perform in other exercises, from upper-body presses to core-focused movements.
- Research Insight: Studies in sports science confirm that lower body strength is critical for total functional fitness, improving balance and endurance across all muscle groups.
Quick Tip: Focus on building a strong lower body first, and you’ll notice improvements in exercises you never thought were connected, like bench press and rows.
Why Compound Movements Make Leg Day Essential
Most leg exercises are compound movements that target multiple muscle groups. This means you’re not just building your quads or hamstrings in isolation—you’re engaging your core, upper body, and stabilizers for total body strength.
- Key Point: Compound exercises like squats and lunges recruit a large number of muscle fibers. These exercises not only build muscle but also stimulate the nervous system, leading to better strength gains.
- Example Exercise: Take the squat, a go-to leg exercise. It not only targets your glutes, quads, and hamstrings but also engages your core, back, and even shoulders to stabilize the movement.
How Leg Day Improves Athletic Performance
Section 2: How Leg Day Improves Athletic Performance
Explosive Power and Speed
Leg strength is the foundation of explosive movements like sprinting, jumping, and pivoting—key elements for sports performance and high-intensity training.
- Key Point: Building stronger leg muscles improves acceleration, speed, and agility, essential for athletes in sports like soccer, football, and basketball.
- Case Study: Elite athletes like sprinters and football players focus heavily on leg strength training for explosive power. Research supports that increased leg strength directly correlates with better sprinting and jumping performance.
Did You Know? Power athletes can squat up to twice their body weight, which directly translates to their speed and explosive capabilities on the field.
Core and Balance Benefits
A strong lower body improves your balance and core stability, helping you perform better in both simple and complex movements. When your legs are strong, your body’s balance improves, reducing the risk of injury and increasing control in your movements.
- Key Point: Exercises that engage the legs, like lunges and single-leg squats, are great for improving core stability and balance.
- Research Insight: Studies show that individuals with strong leg muscles experience fewer lower back injuries and knee issues, as their bodies are better able to stabilize and absorb impact.
Hormonal and Metabolic Benefits of Leg Training
Boosting Testosterone and Growth Hormone
Heavy leg exercises, especially compound lifts, naturally stimulate the release of anabolic hormones like testosterone and growth hormone, which support muscle growth and overall recovery.
- Key Point: By training large muscle groups, you’re triggering hormones that benefit your whole body, making it easier to build and maintain muscle across all areas.
- Scientific Insight: Studies show that exercises like squats and deadlifts produce higher hormonal responses than smaller isolation exercises, fueling faster muscle growth and better recovery.
Pro Tip: Include heavy, compound exercises in your leg day routine to maximize the anabolic effects on the rest of your training.
Increased Caloric Burn and Metabolic Boost
Leg muscles are the largest in the body, meaning they require more energy to train and recover. A dedicated leg workout can boost your metabolism, helping with fat loss and sustained energy.
- Key Point: Leg day burns more calories than upper-body workouts because it involves larger muscle groups. This metabolic boost also aids in fat burning.
- Example: A well-executed leg day with squats, lunges, and deadlifts burns more calories than a typical upper body day, making it one of the most efficient ways to shed fat while building muscle.
How to Maximize Your Leg Day for Strength Gains
Focus on Progressive Overload
Building muscle is about continually challenging it, a principle known as progressive overload. Gradually increase weight, reps, or intensity to force your muscles to adapt and grow stronger.
- Key Point: Track your weights and reps over time to ensure you’re making progress. Small increases each week can lead to big strength gains over months.
- Tip: Use a workout journal or fitness app to keep track of your progress and motivate yourself to push further with each leg workout.
Incorporate a Mix of Compound and Isolation Exercises
While compound exercises are the foundation of leg day, adding isolation exercises like calf raises and hamstring curls helps target smaller muscle groups and improve muscular balance.
- Key Point: Combine compound moves (squats, deadlifts) with isolation exercises for a well-rounded leg day that targets every major muscle.
- Example Routine:
- Squats: 4 sets of 8 reps
- Lunges: 3 sets of 12 reps per leg
- Leg Press: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Calf Raises: 3 sets of 15 reps
Don’t Neglect Recovery
Leg day puts high demands on your muscles, so it’s essential to prioritize recovery to allow them to repair and grow stronger.
- Key Point: Take rest days, hydrate well, and incorporate active recovery techniques like foam rolling and stretching.
- Tip: Nutrition is critical. Focus on protein intake and complex carbs post-workout to fuel muscle recovery.
Conclusion
Leg day is more than just another workout—it’s the foundation for true, lasting strength. With strong legs, you can lift heavier, perform better in sports, and even accelerate fat loss. By making leg day a priority, you’re setting yourself up for greater gains in every area of fitness.
Take Action
- Commit to Leg Day: Add a well-rounded leg day to your weekly routine and track your progress.
- Explore More: Check out RunThaCity’s workout guides for complete leg routines or visit RunThaCity’s YouTube channel for exercise demonstrations.
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The Best Stretching Exercises for Sportbike Riders
Riding a sportbike can be an exhilarating experience, offering a sense of freedom and excitement. However, it can also be demanding on the body, particularly on the muscles and joints used most during rides. To ensure both safety and enjoyment while riding, incorporating stretching exercises into your routine is essential. Below, we outline the best stretching exercises specifically designed for sportbike riders, aiming to enhance flexibility, reduce muscle stiffness, and prevent injury.
Key Takeaways
- Stretching improves flexibility and range of motion, essential for comfortable and safe riding.
- Regular stretching can prevent muscle stiffness and soreness, particularly in areas heavily used during rides such as the wrists, shoulders, and legs.
- Incorporating exercise stretch bands can enhance stretching routines, offering resistance that can help improve overall flexibility.
Comparison Table: Stretching vs. No Stretching for Sportbike Riders
Criteria With Stretching Without Stretching Flexibility Improved Decreased Muscle Soreness Reduced Increased Injury Risk Lowered Elevated Riding Comfort Enhanced Compromised Recovery Time Shortened Lengthened Why Stretching is Crucial for Motorcycle Riders
Before delving into the specific exercises, it’s important to understand why stretching is so beneficial for motorcycle riders. Stretching can improve range of motion, decrease the risk of muscle soreness and injuries, and enhance your overall riding experience by keeping the body flexible and prepared for the demands of riding.
Best Stretches for Motorcycle Riding
- Wrist Extensor and Flexor Stretches
- Purpose: Alleviates wrist stiffness and prevents arm pump.
- How to Do: Extend your arm, palm down, and gently pull the fingers towards your body with the other hand. For the flexor stretch, extend your arm, palm up, and pull the fingers towards your body.
- Shoulder and Chest Openers
- Purpose: Opens the chest and shoulders, counteracting the forward-leaning posture.
- How to Do: Interlace your fingers behind your back, straighten your arms, and lift your chest upwards, feeling the stretch in your shoulders and chest.
- Hip Flexor Lunges
- Purpose: Loosens the hip flexors, crucial for maintaining a comfortable riding position.
- How to Do: Step forward into a lunge, keeping the back leg straight and the front leg at a 90-degree angle. Push your hips forward.
- Quadriceps Stretch
- Purpose: Stretches the front thigh muscles, which can become tight from the riding position.
- How to Do: Standing on one leg, pull the other foot towards your buttock, keeping the knees together.
- Seated Hamstring Stretch
- Purpose: Increases flexibility in the back of the legs.
- How to Do: Sit on the ground, extend your legs, and reach towards your toes.
- Glute and Piriformis Stretch
- Purpose: Relieves tightness in the buttocks and lower back.
- How to Do: Sitting on the floor, cross one leg over the other and gently pull the knee towards the opposite shoulder.
Incorporating Stretch Bands for Enhanced Flexibility
Exercise stretch bands can be a valuable tool for motorcycle riders looking to enhance their stretching routine. They provide resistance, increase the effectiveness of stretches, and help improve overall flexibility. Here are a couple of stretches using exercise bands:
- Band-Assisted Hamstring Stretch: Lie on your back, loop a band around your foot, and gently pull back, keeping the leg straight.
- Shoulder Stretch with Band: Hold a stretch band in both hands, lift your arms over your head and behind your back, stretching the shoulders.
FAQs on Stretching for Motorcycle Riding
- How often should I stretch?
- Ideally, before and after each ride to warm up and cool down the muscles.
- Can stretching improve my riding performance?
- Yes, by enhancing flexibility and reducing muscle fatigue.
- Are there stretches to prevent lower back pain from riding?
- Yes, hip flexor stretches and lower back stretches can help alleviate and prevent lower back pain.
- Why is stretching important for motorcycle riders? S
- tretching improves flexibility and reduces the risk of muscle stiffness and injuries, making riding more comfortable and enjoyable.
- How often should I stretch for the best results?
- Ideally, before and after each ride to prepare your muscles for the ride and to aid in recovery afterwards.
- Can stretching help with lower back pain from riding?
- Yes, specific stretches targeting the lower back and hip flexors can alleviate and prevent lower back pain.
- Are exercise stretch bands beneficial for riders?
- Yes, they add resistance to stretches, effectively improving flexibility and strength in key muscle groups.
- What are the best stretches for sportbike riders?
- Wrist, shoulder, hip flexor, quadriceps, hamstring, and glute stretches are highly beneficial.
- How long should each stretch be held?
- Each stretch should be held for at least 30 seconds to maximize its effectiveness.
Conclusion
Incorporating these stretching exercises into your routine can significantly enhance your motorcycle riding experience. Not only do they prepare your body for the ride, but they also help prevent post-ride stiffness and soreness. Remember, consistency is key to seeing improvements in flexibility and to enjoy a more comfortable and enjoyable ride.
For more tips on fitness and motorcycle riding, check out our Fitness Blog at RunTheCity. Whether you’re a seasoned rider or just starting, understanding and practicing these stretches can lead to a healthier, more enjoyable riding experience.
