LiftsmithBeginners
Workout plan for skinny guys: how to finally gain weight
· 2 min read
If you've always been skinny, the problem is almost never the workout. It's food. Most people who can't gain weight eat less than they think. Fix that, train the big lifts with a simple plan, and you'll gain.
Calories that keep up with you. Free to start, no account needed.
Try it freeEat enough
- Work out your maintenance with our TDEE calculator, then eat about 300 to 500 more a day.
- Weigh yourself a few mornings a week. Aim for about 0.25 to 0.5 kg a week. No gain for two weeks? Add 200 calories.
- Drink some of it. Milk, smoothies and shakes add calories without filling you up.
- Protein at every meal: about 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg of body weight a day.
Train the big lifts
Three full-body days a week, built on squats, presses, rows and deadlifts, 3 sets of 6 to 12, adding weight or reps every week. See 3-day full-body workout or, for four days, the upper/lower split.
- Back squatQuads, Glutes
- Barbell bench pressChest
- Barbell rowUpper back, Lats
- Romanian deadliftHamstrings, Glutes
- Standing overhead pressFront delts
- Pull-upLats
What to skip
- Lots of cardio. Keep it to a couple of short sessions a week for health.
- Program hopping. Run one plan for at least three months.
- Training to failure on every set. It costs recovery you need for growing. See should you train to failure.
What to expect
A new lifter eating enough can gain several kilos in the first few months, much of it muscle. See lean bulk and how long to build muscle.
Questions
- Why can't I gain weight?
- Almost always because you're not eating more than you burn. Track your food and the scale for two weeks.
- Is it OK to eat junk food to bulk?
- Some is fine, but most of your food should be meals with protein, carbs and vegetables.
Calories that keep up with you
Liftsmith recalculates your daily calorie burn as your weight and training change, from your weigh-ins and the days you actually train.
- ✓ Free to start, no account needed
- ✓ Plans every set, rep and weight for you
- ✓ Works offline, on Android, iPhone and the web
- ✓ No ads, ever
Keep reading
- Your first week at the gym: what to do and what to expectBeginnersA calm plan for your first week at the gym: three short full-body sessions, which machines and weights to try, how heavy to go and gym etiquette.
- The 5x5 workout: a simple plan for getting strongBeginnersHow the classic 5x5 workout works, the two alternating days, how much to add each session, what to do when you stall, and when to move on.
- How much weight should I lift? Finding your starting weightsBeginnersHow to pick your first weights for any exercise, the warm-up method that finds them in one session, and when to go heavier or lighter.