You may hate that guy down the street who can eat all he wants and never gains weight, but believe me, it’s not a picnic for him either. Almost two-thirds of the US has a problem with obesity or excess pounds, so the people having problems gaining weight are often ignored. What often lacks in those people is muscle, or at least bulk. Many thin people avoid exercise to prevent burning calories, not realizing there are workouts to gain weight. You can put on weight and muscle using those exercises.
Being underweight is more than just body image problems, it’s not healthy.
Using BMI—body mass index, you can classify people by a number. Those with a body mass over 25 is overweight, with those that have a BMI of 30 or more being obese. Those with a BMI under 18.5 are considered underweight and everyone between 18.5 and 25, are considered the right weight. It’s actually worse to be underweight than overweight. One study found that men who were underweight had a 140% greater chance of dying, with women having a 100% greater chance. Obese people had a 50% more chance of dying, but there are more obese and overweight people than underweight people, so it’s more prominent.
Eating more calories than you burn from healthier food and using the right workout can help you gain weight.
Don’t fill up on junk food and high calorie burgers and pastries to gain weight. Instead, eat healthy food eating food like dried fruit, nuts, full fat dairy, meat, grain, fruits and vegetables. You can also add exercise to program to gain weight. What’s the best type of exercise? Strength building. It helps add muscle tissue and muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue does. Unlike running, which burns both fat and muscle tissue, lifting weight builds muscle tissue. Doing push-ups, for example, builds shoulder and arm muscles, bulking you up in a healthy manner.
Bodyweight exercises can be a go-to that you can do anywhere.
Push-ups are just one of the exercises you can do. Pull-ups also build upper body muscles, while squats and lunges build lower body muscles like thighs, hips, butt and calves. The more muscles you build, the more you’ll weigh and the more you’ll be closer to the right BMI. You can use weights to build muscles, too. A bench press and overhead press build muscles.
- Avoid cardio workouts and aerobic workouts if you’re trying to gain weight. You can do them in moderation while you’re trying to gain weight.
- Focus on gaining muscle mass to gain weight. Muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue does, so you’ll bulk up, gain weight and be healthier when you do strength building exercises.
- Focus on being healthy, rather than on gaining weight when it comes to your diet. If you’re building muscle tissue, make sure you have adequate protein.
- At SkinSport we can help you with a healthy diet and a program of exercise that will build muscle tissue and help you gain the weight you want to look your best.
For more information, contact us today at Skin Sport Fitness Center