The common advice of gaining muscular weight has often been: eat lots and exercise less.  Plus, the weird logic of, “Well, you just put on fat and then turn it into muscle,” is also so much nonsense. 

For an under weight person gaining muscular weight is quite a different process.     Take my own story.  I was a typical 98 pound weakling as a teenager.  One of the running jokes was a bet to how many chin ups that I could do: namely none.  I ate like a horse, exercised like a nutcase and played sports.  Later, I lifted weights and ran almost every day.  I was spending my hard-earned money on every protein powder or weight gain pill on the market.  While I did experience a gradual gain up to about 116 pounds (53 kg.) in high school, I just could not seem to gain much more. 

Hanging out with friends until 10 p.m., getting up at 4:30 a.m. and delivering paper, on a bike several miles, 6 days a week, on an empty stomach did nothing for muscle gain or school studies for that matter.  When I quit the route and got the extra sleep, THEN I was gaining muscle weight.

            Fast forward a few years to when I was in the army.  There, I ate regularly, ran and lifted weights.  Much to the amazement to my friends and family, my strength and size increased.  I was over a whopping 124 pounds (56 kg.).  But, being young, restless and knowing everything, I once again fell into late nights and gorging on starch and dairy foods like pizza.  I also was introduced to cheap beer.  

            It wasn’t until I started researching nutrition that I started to make real improvements in my health and strength.  I started looking past the mainstream information that was designed for the average person.  What I ate was as important as what I did NOT eat. 

            What I tested time and again was that by removing wheat and dairy products from my diet, I became stronger.  While some people can eat doughnuts, bagels, pastries, burger buns, sandwiches, spaghetti noodles and pizza crusts with no apparent problems, I found that I felt better when I stopped eating them.  Even today, if I eat a wheat-based food I get some kind of reaction.  At age 49, I tried a baklava (pistachio paste wrapped in pastry) an hour before bedtime and paid for it.  I tossed and turned and could not breathe through my nose for part of the night.  Even after 8 hours of restless sleep, I woke up feeling tired.

            The other two factors that helped me gain muscle and health were: (1) exercising more intensely for a shorter period of time and (2) getting more rest.  The army workouts were O.K., but they tended to reach a certain level and stagnate.  I found that working out intensely 2 days a week and doing just light running and sports during the rest of the week improved my performance.  My running speed and distance improved as did my strength.  At one point, I was lifting heavier weights on Monday and Thursday nights for about 45 minutes each.   Mondays was also a sprint day and Fridays was a longer run around 5 to 9 miles. 

As for rest, I was grabbing naps of sleep wherever and whenever I could.  20 minutes during the lunch hour. 20 minutes after work.  I was in bed, most nights, before 10 p.m.  Sure, it was “uncool” in many circles, but I found that I could think more clearly and was stronger physically.  I also started competing in running races and started socializing with more positive up-beat people.  Despite, a lot of negative talk from many of my co-workers and supervisor, I applied for the paratroopers and eventually was accepted. 

            While determination and will have a lot to do with achieving goals, the proper lifestyle and mental programming will get you there faster.

            So, here are some simple rules for gaining healthy, drug-free muscular weight: 

1. It is not how much that you eat, but rather what you eat.
2. What you assimilate is more important than what you eat.  You should eat s-l-o-w-l-y.  I find that I feel better by eating my lunch at my desk throughout the morning, than following that frantic feeding frenzy at noon.  This speed gorging often leaves most people feeling groggy throughout the afternoon.
3. One or two good, pleasant, sit-down meals a day will gain you more strength and health than 3 or more rushed, agitated meals a day.  Too often, situations like work, family, schooling and military training have us “eating-on-the-run.”   
4. Training for performance instead of cosmetics.  The cosmetics will come after health and performance.  Focus on your training and the results will come.
5. Do not beat yourself up if you think that your progress is too slow.  Most strength gains will happen in spurts.  Even 5 pounds of additional muscle is muscle that is there to stay for a long time.
6. Avoid tobacco, alcohol and coffee.  At least minimize it.  They use up your vital energy sources that you could be using for building strength.
7. Sleep and rest are important.  Exercise stimulates your muscles, while sleep and rest rebuild your muscles.
8. All of above only work if you can change your habits.  Read the other articles on habit changing or visit our website at: www.2ndwindbodyscience.com

Doug Setter is the author of:
Stomach Flattening, Reduce Your Alcohol Craving and One Less Victim