Would you like to gain weight in a healthy way but it is difficult for you to gain kilos and you do not know how to achieve it? There are many people who, contrary to what is usually requested, want to gain some weight: either to improve their physical appearance, to avoid some health problems or to be able to practice a sport that requires gaining muscle mass, there are men and women who are looking for different methods to gain weight a few kilos.
As it happens when you want to lose weight, gaining weight is possible if you follow both a nutritious and adequate diet and an exercise routine that helps us gain muscle mass. Do you want to know more about these two basic pillars to achieve healthy weight? In the following article we will explain how to gain weight fast with a series of food tips and specific exercises for it. Read!
How to gain weight fast and gain muscle mass – tips and keys
As we have seen, there are many reasons why a person may want to gain weight; either to avoid health problems or simply to improve your physical appearance. However, many times, due to genetics, some hormonal change or problem or a certain lifestyle, this task is not easy.
Therefore, below we will give you a series of tips and keys to gain weight fast:
- Diet to gain weight fast: that trying to gain a few kilos does not mean that we have to consume products rich in sugars or unhealthy fats or take too copious meals. Although this point will be broken down later, a diet to gain weight fast consists mainly of taking healthy foods with a high calorie content that help you gain muscle mass.
- Strength exercises: if you are looking to gain weight, it is important that you avoid aerobic physical activities, since these usually favor fat loss. Instead of these practices, it is recommended that you follow a strength exercise routine that lasts a maximum of 40 minutes.
- Shakes for weight: In addition to food and exercise, you can also include protein shakes to increase muscle mass. To do this, you can buy them in a sports nutrition store or you can make them at home using natural ingredients.
Foods for Fast Weight Gain – Diet Tips
As we have advanced, to increase a few kilos it is not necessary that we resort to unhealthy edibles such as fried foods, refined sugars or unsaturated fats. Actually, you should do the opposite, because you can gain weight in a healthy way by choosing some of the following foods:
- Meats: some such as beef are an excellent option to include in our weekly menu if we want to increase muscle mass. This is because it is a food with a good supply of calories, iron and protein.
- Dairy and derivatives: one of the most suitable foods to gain weight is whole milk, as it has a high content of calories, calcium and healthy fats. You can also opt for dairy products such as cheese and natural yogurts.
- Legumes: they are a great source of carbohydrates, iron and protein, so they are suitable for gaining a few kilos. You can include legumes such as chickpeas, lentils or beans.
- Nuts: they are a highly recommended option to take them as a snack or at lunch, since they incorporate healthy fats and complex carbohydrates that will keep our energy in good condition throughout the day. You can include nuts such as walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds or sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
- Whole grains: although it may sound like a product indicated for weight loss, whole grains can increase our muscle mass if we take them before exercising or during snacks. You can try some of them like oatmeal or brown rice.
- Foods rich in healthy fats: some options such as avocados, olives, olive oil, salmon or other oily fish can be an excellent option to increase our calorie intake.
Protein shake for fast weight gain
In addition to including the above foods in your diet to gain weight, there is also a supplement in your eating plan that can help you gain weight more quickly: protein shakes. Although in any sports nutrition store you can find these powdered smoothies, it is also possible to make them at home with different natural ingredients. If you prefer this option, here we explain how to make a protein shake to gain weight fast with banana and oatmeal, two foods that will help you gain muscle mass.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oatmeal
- 2 glasses of milk
- 2 bananas
- 5 boiled eggs (2 yolks and 5 whites)
Preparation
To prepare this smoothie to gain weight fast, you will only have to add all the ingredients and the amounts that we have indicated in a blender and process them until there is a homogeneous cream without lumps. Although it is optional, you can also add a few cubes to make the smoothie cooler if you are in summer.
It is recommended that you take this shake either for a snack or after exercising, as it will help you replenish the glycogen lost during training. If you want to discover more delicious recipes, do not miss this article of Homemade smoothies to gain weight quickly.
Exercises to gain weight in a short time
Another fundamental aspect to gain weight is daily physical exercise. However, to increase muscle mass, it is important that we perform anaerobic routines or strength training, since aerobic activities favor precisely weight loss. Therefore, below we will explain a routine of strength exercises that will help you gain a few kilos in a short time:
Squats with bar
Squats accompanied by a weight bar are a very effective exercise to increase our muscle mass, especially in the legs, buttocks and abdomen.
- To perform this exercise, you will have to stand up, with your legs somewhat further away from the line of your shoulders.
- Put the bar behind the back of the neck, grabbing it tightly with both hands.
- Go down slowly by bending your knees and keeping your back straight.
- Then return to the starting position. Do 2 sets of 10 repetitions.
Banking Press
The bench press is the weight lifting lying on a bench, another exercise with which you will be able to gradually develop your muscles, especially the torso and arms.
- To do this you will have to lie on the bench in question on your back.
- Hold the weight bar to the height of the torso and raise it little by little until you stretch your arms completely.
- Finally, lower it slowly so as not to hurt you.
Perform 5-10 repetitions of this exercise. It is convenient that before doing the repetitions you perform some push-ups to get used to the weight of the bar.
Dumbbell strides
Another exercise with which you will be able to tone areas such as the legs and buttocks in addition to gaining weight are the strides with dumbbells.
- To do this exercise, stand with your back straight and your legs somewhat apart.
- Take a forward stride with your right leg while flexing your left knee.
- Raise, in turn, the dumbbells towards the chest.
- Return to the starting position and repeat the same exercise with the opposite leg.
Do 2 sets of 10-15 repetitions. If you like to work with this tool, take a look at this article on How to do exercises with dumbbells.
Rowing with bar
The horizontal paddle with bar is an indispensable if you want to develop the muscles of your body, especially those of the back.
- To do this exercise you will have to sit on the bench and put your feet on the pedals.
- Slowly stretch the bar as much as you can to work the area well.
- Perform 10 repetitions of this exercise.
