How to build muscle?

[old timey villain]

hey everyone! So my new years resolution is to put on muscle. I'm pretty thin and lanky so doing this has been tough in the past. Do any of you fitness gurus have some tips for me?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Lift weights. It worked wonders for me.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Increase your protein intake (keep your diet balanced otherwise) and lift weights.  Or swim.  Weights are the best bet.  Weights and swimming are ideal.

Oh, and remember... green veggies are your bestest friend!

[Platypus]

Do you even lift?

[afleitch]

I was the same as you. I was very skinny and I went from 125 to 170. What you need to do if is concentrate on each muscle gruop by lifting heavy for short reps; 5 x 5 x 5 or 3 sets of 10. Keep the movements simple. You should aim to spend no more than 30 minutes in the gym and work out jsut about every group; any more than that isn't worthwhile. Keep cardio to a minimum and go every second day.

Then...and this is the tough part. EAT. Eat 5 or 6 small high protein meals throughout the day, even if it ends up something as basic as tuna with a little rice. It's two thirds of the battle.

[memphis]

Then...and this is the tough part. EAT. Eat 5 or 6 small high protein meals throughout the day, even if it ends up something as basic as tuna with a little rice. It's two thirds of the battle.

Eating is the hard part? I so don't get thin people.

[tmthforu94]

Steroids.

[Torie]

Then...and this is the tough part. EAT. Eat 5 or 6 small high protein meals throughout the day, even if it ends up something as basic as tuna with a little rice. It's two thirds of the battle.

Eating is the hard part? I so don't get thin people.

It's tough to pack in 180 grams of protein a day. I can't really get there myself. I manage maybe 120 grams per day, and that is with two protein drinks. The fat comes from stuff like tortilla chips. That is the kind of thing one needs to stay away from if one has fat problems.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I'd definitely recommend swimming.  Best workout you can get.

[afleitch]

Then...and this is the tough part. EAT. Eat 5 or 6 small high protein meals throughout the day, even if it ends up something as basic as tuna with a little rice. It's two thirds of the battle.

Eating is the hard part? I so don't get thin people.

It's tough to pack in 180 grams of protein a day. I can't really get there myself. I manage maybe 120 grams per day, and that is with two protein drinks. The fat comes from stuff like tortilla chips. That is the kind of thing one needs to stay away from if one has fat problems.

It's difficult to do for me too. I ended up doing a high protein diet with fat (the GOMAD diet) and put on about 20 pounds in a month, then worked it off. It gave me a permanent 10 pound muscle mass gain which I've since built on but I wouldn't recommend it for someone starting out.

[Frodo]

Join a gym, get a personal trainer, and follow their dietary advice. 

[memphis]

Then...and this is the tough part. EAT. Eat 5 or 6 small high protein meals throughout the day, even if it ends up something as basic as tuna with a little rice. It's two thirds of the battle.

Eating is the hard part? I so don't get thin people.

It's tough to pack in 180 grams of protein a day. I can't really get there myself. I manage maybe 120 grams per day, and that is with two protein drinks. The fat comes from stuff like tortilla chips. That is the kind of thing one needs to stay away from if one has fat problems.

180 grams of protein? Yikes! That would be challenging to consume. I like steak as much as the next guy, but I don't want to eat several of them every day. I'm no dietician, but there has to be a downside to overindulging that much in any nutrient. And the supplemental powders/candy bars are nasty which I'm sure is why there is so much sugar in them.

[rejectamenta]

Well, when you're trying to put on size and gain strength, you'll be eating a crapload of everything anyway. 0.75/1g protein per pound of body weight is pretty easily attainable with 4-8 ounces of meat a day plus supplementation with milk, cheeses and whey protein.

That said, people tend to overanalyze these things before they even step foot under a barbell. The best thing you can do right now is find a program and hit it hard while adhering to an at least semi-sane diet.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

I'm planning on working with a Bullworker to build some muscle myself.

[patrick1]

As others have said, lift.  Failing that do a bunch of body weight exercises like push ups and dips etc etc.  You wouldnt gain as much mass but considering your body type you would probably get ripped pretty quickly.
Here is a site if you need a list of some exercises.
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

More info here
http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html

[Paul Kemp]

Stick to it past January. Otherwise, please don't crowd the gym.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Lift and eat. It's not as easy as it looks. You have to choke down 150-200g of lean protein (like grilled chicken, tuna, whey, lean red meat, fish, etc) a day to make a difference, along with whole grains for your carbs and plenty of green veggies. I always drink whey daily after my workouts, although I haven't worked out in over a month...

But diet is almost as important as lifting itself. You can lift all day long but if you eat crap you won't see many gains. You certainly won't be maximizing it.

[memphis]

Guess it just depends on your natural build too. I never had to go in for all the protein. Muscle comes pretty easily to me. But so does fat, so it's not all roses. Here's me back in college. Certainly not the Governator, but I put on a lot of muscle my junior year just by hitting the gym. Working out about 5 times a week, but eating total crap. Ramen noodles and goldfish and beer. Lots and lots of beer. You can see how much weight I had gained since the photo of me on the bottom wall behind me. Just a few years earlier. Sure do wish I could still grow hair like that. The ravages of age!

[Boris]

I was the same as you. I was very skinny and I went from 125 to 170. What you need to do if is concentrate on each muscle gruop by lifting heavy for short reps; 5 x 5 x 5 or 3 sets of 10. Keep the movements simple. You should aim to spend no more than 30 minutes in the gym and work out jsut about every group; any more than that isn't worthwhile. Keep cardio to a minimum and go every second day.

Then...and this is the tough part. EAT. Eat 5 or 6 small high protein meals throughout the day, even if it ends up something as basic as tuna with a little rice. It's two thirds of the battle.

You should share your daily eating schedule! I'm trying to gain weight (I'm like 5'8" 124-ish, up from  ~115 during college) but I can't quite reach the next plateau. It's super easy to get to the gym every other day, but the eating part is absolutely unbearable.

[memphis]

I was the same as you. I was very skinny and I went from 125 to 170. What you need to do if is concentrate on each muscle gruop by lifting heavy for short reps; 5 x 5 x 5 or 3 sets of 10. Keep the movements simple. You should aim to spend no more than 30 minutes in the gym and work out jsut about every group; any more than that isn't worthwhile. Keep cardio to a minimum and go every second day.

Then...and this is the tough part. EAT. Eat 5 or 6 small high protein meals throughout the day, even if it ends up something as basic as tuna with a little rice. It's two thirds of the battle.

You should share your daily eating schedule! I'm trying to gain weight (I'm like 5'8" 124-ish, up from  ~115 during college) but I can't quite reach the next plateau. It's super easy to get to the gym every other day, but the eating part is absolutely unbearable.

No love for red meat? Peanut Butter? Lentils? Some of the best foods are full of protein. Just don't forget to eat plenty of fiber too. Green veggies and whole grains are the best. Keeps everything moving right along. Is the problem that you are unmotivated to cook or is it that you sincerely do not like eating?