9 "Fat Guy" Mistakes That Keep You Small

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Let’s start putting on weight right NOW

These are the 12 lessons I wish I knew when I started trying to get bigger (click to jump right to that lesson):

How to eat to gain weight

What foods should I eat to gain weight?

How much protein do I need to gain weight?

How many carbs and fats should I eat to gain weight?

How fast can I gain weight and get bigger?

STRENGTH TRAINING

What exercises are best for weight gain?

How to get stronger and build muscle

How many days should I exercise to gain weight?

How much sleep should I get to gain weight?

Should I do cardio while trying to gain weight?

Can you build muscle without gaining fat?

Gain weight, get bigger, and supercharge your results

Rule #1) How to eat to gain weight

As we cover in our “Ultimate Skinny Guy’s Guide to Bulking Up Fast,” there’s one rule you need to know above EVERYTHING else

“If you’re not gaining weight, you’re not eating enough food”

Allow me to explain: depending on your current size and level of activity, your body burns 1200-2500+ calories every day just doing all of its daily processes:

Rebuilding muscle

We burn a lot of calories just keeping the lights turned on

Here’s the problem: because your body efficiently uses up all of the calories you consume every day, there are no calories left over to build muscle (or get stored as fat)

Want to know how many calories you burn every day?

Check out our Total Daily Energy Expenditure TDEE calculator:

Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator

Male

Female

Male/Female

Weight

Use pounds (lbs)

Your BMR is an estimate of the total calories burned a day, while in a state of rest

Lightly Active (You casually stroll through your neighborhood a few times a week)

Very Active (You are constantly moving throughout your day job and you’re on the company softball team)

Studies consistently show that people are not as active as they self-assess

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

Your TDEE is an estimate of the total calories burned during a single day, when exercise is factored in

You now know estimates of your Basal Metabolic Rate (calories you burn existing) and TDEE (calories you burn while moving throughout the day)! [2]

So, in order to get bigger, you need to eat ABOVE this TDEE number consistently

This is the NUMBER ONE mistake skinny people make trying to get bigger:

Although there is SOME variation regarding metabolism variability, it’s insignificant when compared to the effect of the more important part of the equation:

We overestimate how many calories we’re eating each day, we don’t account for the calories we burn through movement or exercise, and there aren’t enough calories left over to create a “caloric surplus”

And without that surplus, we’ll never gain weight or get bigger

MY STORY: I had been training in a gym for 6 years without gaining size

I then worked with a great trainer, who had me DOUBLE the amount of food I was eating

I put on 18 pounds in 30 days [3], and I realized I had been severely undereating for my goals:

In order to gain weight, target an additional 300-500 calories above your Total Daily Energy Expenditure[4]:

Want to gain weight even faster?

As long as you know you’ll also be gaining lots of fat, you can target 800-1000 calories above your TDEE

Question: What about meal timing?

Does it matter WHEN I eat my meals?

“Can I eat now?”

Your body will process all calories efficiently[5], so focus on total calories consumed

Eat 3 big meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Eat 6 regular-sized meals throughout the day

Skip breakfast and eat two MONSTER meals (this is what I do)

You might struggle to eat 3000 calories in 3 meals, so having 6 500-calorie meals throughout the day might make you feel less bloated and full

See the next section for tips and tricks on WHAT foods you should eat to gain weight

If you want somebody to help keep you accountable and help you actually bulk up safely and quickly, we have a pretty great online coaching program that has helped people reach their weight gain goals safely and quickly

Bulk up quickly and safely with our Coaching Program!

Rule #2) What Foods Should I Eat to Gain Weight?

If you want to build muscle, target whole foods that come from high-quality, high-calorie sources whenever possible

Sure, you could obtain 3500 calories eating Taco Bell, Twinkies, candy, and Mountain Dew However, this isn’t a good long-term solution to gaining weight and building a good physique (goodbye health)

I put on 18 pounds in 30 days by eating meatball subs from Subway, drinking whole milk, eating McDonald’s, and drinking weight gainer shakes

I certainly wasn’t healthy, and today I’m much more intelligent and knowledgeable about how to bulk up safely

HERE’S HOW TO EAT TO GAIN HEALTHY WEIGHT:

Calculate your TDEE (Total daily energy expenditure) and add 300-500 cal over your number for sustainable weight gain

Consume at least 1-15g per pound (22-33g per kg) of body weight in protein daily

Consume 25-4g per pound (5-8g per kg) of body weight in fat daily

Consume the rest of your calorie goals from healthy carbs

Eat vegetables so that your body can process all the extra food

If you are not gaining weight, add more carbs and/or fats to your meal

We’re going to start building a Balanced Plate, like so:

The most important macro we’re going to focus on is protein [6]

Studies show you’re more likely to put on the right kind of weight with a high-protein diet compared to a low-protein diet

So that’s where we’ll start

FOOD PRIORITY #1: PROTEIN

Protein can come from any number of sources, including:

Legumes (black beans, chickpeas)

Other vegetarian protein sources here

If you’re curious, from our healthy eating article, this is what a portion of protein looks like:

Also, here’s how much protein is in a serving of food:

We’ll cover below the answer to the question “How much protein should I eat?”

In order for you to gain weight, you need to consume plenty of calories, so the remainder of those calories will come from carbs and/or fats

To help you get better at eyeballing serving sizes:

Here are some images to help you learn proper portion sizes (thanks to SafeFood):

In addition to consuming carbohydrates from these sources, it’s okay to consume plenty of fruit while trying to bulk up!

You can read our full “Is fruit healthy” guide to learn more

PRIORITY #3: FAT!

Fat is a macronutrient that can help reach your surplus goals, as fat can be higher in calories

Plus, you can eat lots of it without feeling full

Saturated fats[8] can come from things like:

To help you gauge: a serving size of fat is roughly the size of your thumb!

For reference, this is a single serving of almonds (162 calories):

THIS is a serving of olive oil (60 calories):

As you can see, you can eat an extra 500 calories of “healthy fats” by eating lots of “heart-healthy” fats like nuts or adding more olive oil to your meals

If you start to eat a lot more food, your “indoor plumbing” is going to really benefit from eating some high-fiber veggies with each meal:

“BUT STEVE, I REALLY STRUGGLE TO EAT ENOUGH CALORIES FROM WHOLE FOODS EVERY DAY!“

It’s why I consume a good portion of liquid calories every day too

It’s a surefire way to make sure you hit your calorie goals

As I lay out in our massive Protein Shake Guide, creating high-calorie protein shakes to eat between meals can be the game changer:

Also, download our Skinny Guy Guide which has both lessons and a shopping list you can use to prioritize eating the right high calorie, high-quality foods!

Rule #3) How Much Protein to Eat to Gain Weight?

Let’s answer the question: “How much protein do you need every day?”

The current international Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 04g per pound of body weight (08 g per kg of body weight):[9]

In our opinion, and as pointed out by this study[10] the RDA # for protein is too low and should be higher regardless of your body composition

You just want me to know how much protein to eat, right?

If you’re of healthy weight, active, and wish to build muscle, aim for 1 g/lb (22 g/kg)

If you’re going to be strength training while getting bigger, intakes up to 150 g/lb (33 g/kg) may help you minimize fat gain [13]

Let me simplify it for you: target at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight (22 grams per kg)

Provided you’re a healthy individual with a healthy liver, you don’t need to worry about eating too much protein[14] – you should be more concerned with eating too little protein

Long story short: studies suggest you will not put on the right kind of weight without consuming enough protein!

Okay, so let’s talk portions

Here’s how much protein is in a palm-sized serving of food:

4 oz (113 g) of chicken has around 30 g of protein

4 oz (113 g) of salmon has 23 g of protein

4 oz (113 g) of steak has 28 g of protein

Let’s say you weigh 150 pounds (68 kg)

That would mean a day of eating could be:

2 servings of protein with lunch: 2 chicken breasts (60g)

2 servings of protein with dinner: 2 portions of steak (56g)

As we cover in our Ultimate Guide to Protein Shakes, a protein supplement can help you reach your protein goals for the day

Creating a high-calorie protein shake with foods like frozen fruit, oats, milk, and a scoop of protein can be huge

It’s how I hit my goals every day!

MY STORY: I am currently bulking up, and according to my online coach, I need to eat 3200 calories with 240g of protein on workout days (I weigh 172 pounds)

That much protein and calories helps me do things like this:

After fasting until noon, here’s how I get 240 g of protein daily:

LUNCH: Double chicken bowl at Chipotle for lunch (rice, chicken, guac, lettuce, cheese): 77g of protein

SNACK: 2 servings Optimum Nutrition Whey in my powerbomb shake: 70g of protein

DINNER: 8 oz of grilled chicken, 2 servings of rice, lots of broccoli: 62 g of protein

SNACK: 1 serving Optimum Nutrition Whey in my 1/2 powerbomb shake

35g of protein

Total protein intake for me: 244 grams

RECAP ON PROTEIN INTAKE: Target 1-15g per lb of bodyweight (22-33g per kg) while trying to gain weight

When in doubt, eat more

Need help figuring out your calories and macros?

Let our coaches help you build a bulk up plan

Rule #4) How Much Carbs and Fats Should I Eat to Gain Weight?

If you are trying to put on a lot of weight, then carbs and fats are your friends

They have a high-calorie count and you can eat lots of them without getting as full as some other things (like protein-rich foods)

Here are foods full of carbohydrates you can prioritize for bulking up:

Legumes and lentils

Healthy fat can be found in foods like:

Almond butter

Peanut butter

Once you know your Total Daily Energy Expenditure + 500 cal (for weight gain), and you know how many grams of protein you need to eat every day, then the remainder of your daily calories can come from carbs and fats

Target 2 portions of carbs, and 2 portions of fat in your meals

Remember, our portions look like so:

If you’re not gaining weight, increase those numbers even more

Not getting bigger = need MOAR food

What about other foods like pizza, pasta, candy soda?

Sure, you can get away with consuming less healthy things ON OCCASION (pizza, subs, etc) but avoid fueling yourself with ONLY junk food

If you’re not sure specifically what you should be eating for protein, carbs, and fats, download our “Get Bigger” Shopping List by putting your email in the box below:

Rule #5) How Fast Can I gain Weight?

Depending on your training, genetics, how skinny you are, and how much muscle you need to obtain, you can decide how much weight you want to gain each week

Everybody’s results will vary, and thoughts are mixed on how quickly we can build muscle:

Under optimal conditions, some say you can expect to gain 1 pound (5 kg) of muscle per week,

My results have shown that 2 lbs (1kg) per month is more realistic

A 2016 study[15]revealed that strength training produced a 22 lb increase (1kg) increase in lean mass in 8 weeks

Now, depending on how thin you are currently, you might WANT to gain weight even faster and put on a bit of fat

If you target 500 calories above your Calorie Expenditure every day, you’ll gain a pound a week

If you have a TDEE of 2000 calories: target 2300-2500 calories per day to gain a pound a week (05 kg per week)

If you target 1000 calories above your TDEE, you’ll gain 2 pounds per week:

If you have a TDEE of 1800 calories: target 2600-2800 calories per day to gain 2 lbs a week (1 kg per week)

If you have a TDEE of 2000 calories: target 2800-3000 calories per day to gain 2 lbs

Yes, it is possible to put on even more weight than that in a short amount of time, like when I gained 18 pounds (81kg) in 30 days

This was due to consuming 1500 cal above my TDEE, heavy barbell training, targeting lots of protein, and carrying extra water weight (from supplementing with creatine):

My advice: Rather than chasing massive weight gain over a month, you’d be much better off gaining 5-15 lbs

(25-75 kg) a week, every week, for six months…and keeping the weight on!

Track your meals every day

Weigh yourself every other day

If the scale is NOT moving: EAT MORE

If you’re ever unsure if you’ve eaten enough that day, eat more

Once you start to get a good feel for how many calories you eat each day, try to eat the same meals to keep it easy

Still convinced you can’t gain weight even after tracking things?

I too was convinced that it was my “fast metabolism,” until I learned from my personal trainer that I simply wasn’t eating enough

Let us help you build a food plan that will help you gain weight!

Rule #6) What Are the 10 Best Exercises For Weight Gain?

Up until this point, we’ve only talked about the weight gain portion

Do Steps 1-5 above, and you’ll put on plenty of weight

HOWEVER, if you’re not also training correctly, you’ll just be getting fat, and not building muscle!

That’s where strength training comes in!

If you want to bulk up correctly, you need to be strength training with heavy weights and bodyweight movements

As we lay out in our “Beginner Strength Workouts” guide, these are the BEST exercises you can do to gain weight:

Get as strong as possible with these exercises while eating enough calories and protein, and you will gain the right kind of weight!

It’s how I bulked up correctly:)

Here’s a sample workout to gain weight, though you can follow our 6-level gym workout routine too

WEIGHT GAIN MONDAY WORKOUT:

Benchpress (3 sets of 8 reps)

Pull-Ups (3 sets of 10 reps)

WEIGHT GAIN WEDNESDAY WORKOUT:

Deadlift (3 sets of 5 reps)

Overhead Press (3 sets of 8 reps)

Inverted Rows (3 sets of 8 reps)

WEIGHT GAIN FRIDAY WORKOUT:

Front Squats (3 sets of 5 reps)

Dips (3 sets of 10 reps)

Chin-Ups (3 sets of 10 reps)

Read our article on sets and reps

Read our guide on “How much weight should I lift?“

Read how to build a gym in your home

Important point: don’t worry about isolation exercises like triceps extensions, shoulder shrugs, bicep curls, or crunches

You can certainly do them, but only AFTER you’ve done your heavy lifts for the day!

All of the compound exercises listed here use every muscle in your body, and when you overload your body with calories and protein, those muscles will grow

Want more workouts to follow?

Read through our Strength Training 101 series that will answer all your questions!

Check out our Beginner’s Guide to the Gym article for some basic strategies and workouts

Want somebody to tell you EXACTLY how to exercise and how to eat?

Check out our 1-on-1 Coaching Program

Rule #7) How to Strength Train to Gain Weight

If you are going to get bigger, you need to consistently increase the difficulty with every workout

Every time you train, your muscles break down and have to rebuild themselves

You are teaching them to say “I must get bigger and stronger in case I have to do that again!”[16]

This is called “progressive overload,” and it’s the foundation of strength training

So how do you progressively overload your muscles?

Lift more weight than last time

Do more sets or reps than last time

If you did 3 sets of 5 reps of squats at 95 pounds last week, go for 3 sets of 5 reps at 100 pounds this week!

Did knee push-ups last month?

Great, try to do regular push-ups this month

Coach Jim breaks down the ins and outs of progressive overload for you in this video:

The trick with progressive overload is to continuously increase the challenge, and the best way to do that is by tracking your workouts!

Write down how you train, so that way you know exactly how to get stronger next time

In addition to the protein shakes mentioned back in Rule #3, consider a creatine supplement – it allows your muscles to store more water – which will both help you potentially lift heavier and improve your performance in the gym!

If you don’t want to build your own workout routine, or you’re not sure how and when to scale up your workouts for the best results, let us build a routine for you!

Our coaches will build a workout program for your goals, and every day you can check your coaching app and know exactly what to do:

Just a coach that tells you EXACTLY what to do every single day

Learn more about our coaching app:

Rule #8) How Many Days Per Week Should I Exercise to Gain Weight And Get Bigger?

Muscles are made in the kitchen and while sleeping, NOT in the gym

When you train, you are essentially ripping apart and breaking down your muscles

Then, during the next 48 hours, as you are eating a caloric surplus and recovering, your muscles get rebuilt bigger and stronger

For this reason, never exercise the same muscle before it’s ready

In other words, try not to exercise the same muscle on two consecutive days

Here are the best common practices for weight gain: Do a gym workout 3-4 days a week with a day off in between each (while consuming plenty of calories)

This is plenty of training to promote muscle growth and weight gain

Long story short: pick up a heavy weight in the gym 3-4 days a week for an hour

And then come home, eat, and rest

If you are interested in doing some active recovery on your off days, that’s fine too

Skinny people usually don’t need to train more, they need to eat and rest more!

Rule #9) How Much SLeep Should I get To Get Bigger?

You should get at least 6 hours of sleep to function as a human, but getting 7-8 hours of sleep will help aid in building more muscle [17]

“Inadequate sleep impairs maximal muscle strength in compound movements when performed without specific interventions designed to increase motivation”

Building muscle is hard work, your body can use all the help (and calories) it can get

Your body is doing nothing but lying there and building muscle while you’re sleeping

If you are only getting 6 hours or less, you’re not going to get all the benefits of your exercising and diet, and not giving yourself the best chance to gain weight and grow bigger

So don’t make these sleep mistakes!

We often spend quite a bit of time with our coaching clients working with them on their sleep and environmental habits!

From turning off the TV an hour earlier to even becoming a morning person, we build fun missions and challenges for our clients around stuff like this to get results

Work with our coaches to fix your sleep patterns and build the right habits for building muscle and size!

Rule #10: Should You Do Cardio While Trying to Gain Weight?

“Running might work against your efforts to gain weight and build muscle”

When you run, your body uses up calories to fuel your runs

This leaves fewer calories left over to build muscle

In addition, a 2016 study[20] showed that doing endurance training AND strength training actually created larger muscle hypertrophy in untrained subjects than just resistance training alone

If you’re somebody that runs and enjoys it, great!

If you’re trying to get bigger, here’s what I would recommend:

Find a way to increase your food intake, and still know that you might be building muscle slightly slower than if you ONLY did strength training

Cut back on running until you reach your goal weight/size, and then introduce it back into your routine

Is your SOLE focus on getting bigger?

Eat (a lot)

Sleep (a lot)

Interested in giving your heart a workout without steady cardio? :

Do higher volume strength workouts

Sets of 20 barbell squats is QUITE the cardio workout

If you’re going to run, do quick sprints or run up a hill

Want to incorporate cardio the RIGHT way into your life, along with strength training, to start gaining weight?

Our coaching program builds custom programs to help people just like you reach your goals

Want a workout program that you’ll actually follow?

Rule #11: Realize you will put on some fat, and that’s okay

With all of this eating, you will probably put on some fat along with your muscle

You might even be skinny enough that a bit of extra “cushion” on you is a good thing!

If you are trying to put on MOSTLY muscle and minimal fat gain:

Target at least 15g of protein per pound of body weight (33g per kg)

Eat a caloric surplus that is 250cal over your current TDEE

You’re trying to thread the needle of “only build muscle, don’t add fat” which is fairly advanced and challenging

As this 2017 study points out[21], “Protein overfeeding or the consumption of a high protein diet may not result in a gain in body weight or fat mass despite consuming calories that exceed one’s normal or habitual intake”

This is incredibly challenging, and you do run the risk of not eating enough to build muscle

In addition, you might build less muscle than had you consumed a larger surplus of calories

Now, what if you’re “skinny fat?”

A slight caloric deficit: 200 calories under your TDEE

LOTS of protein: 15g per pound of body weight (33g per kg)

Heavy strength training: focus on lifting REALLY heavy weights

Build muscle AND burn fat at the same time

Then, once you get to a low enough body fat percentage that you can see some abdominal muscle definition, you can get back to bulking up

Rule 12: SuperCharge Your Weight Gain Results (Build the Habit)

These are the 11 rules I’ve followed multiple times in my life whenever I have decided to gain weight

There’s a 12th rule I want to share with you too:

Build the habit of eating and exercise:

It’s important to build a system that sets you up for weight gain success

Don’t miss workouts

Don’t miss meals

So do whatever you need to do to make those things happen!

Here’s my final piece of advice: If you want permanent success, stop thinking in terms of “How fast can I gain weight?” and instead think:

Build small habits that become permanent parts of your life, and the results you’ll get will be permanent too

Now, if you’re somebody that wants even MORE guidance, and specific instructions to follow, I got you:

1) Our 1-on-1 online coaching program, work with a member of Team Nerd Fitness that gets to know you and your situation

We’ll provide expert guidance and accountability, a custom workout, and regular ongoing support:

Bulk like the Hulk!

Let us create a program that will get you results!

2) Exercising at home and need a plan to follow?

3) Sign up for our free email list, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion!

Join a few hundred thousand rebels just like you and I’ll send you a bunch of free guides too

To recap our full article, here are the “12 Rules To Gain Weight Quickly”:

Eat more food to create a caloric surplus

Eat mostly high quality, high-calorie food

Eat enough protein to promote muscle growth

Eat enough carbs and fats to reach your goals

Track your progress to make sure you are getting results

Strength training is the key to the RIGHT weight gain

Get stronger to gain weight

Strength train 3 days per week with plenty of recovery

Get at least 7-8+ hours of sleep for optimal growth

Decide if cardio belongs in your workout routine

Learn how to build muscle with minimal fat gain

Build the habit of training and eating

Learn how to do squats and deadlifts

Do lots of push-ups and pull-ups

PS: If you want to read more about this stuff, make sure you check out the following in-depth resources too:

Ultimate skinny guide’s guide to bulking up

How to build muscle: best exercises and tactics

How fast can I build muscle?

9 mistakes skinny people make getting bigger

6 gym workouts to follow for beginners

photo credit: Marina Pissarova © 123RFcom, LEGO Grocery store, I love bread, pencil, W_Minshull Hardcore Stormies Hit The Gym, Speed

It was mostly water weight, some fat, and bit of muscle, but it opened my eyes BIG TIME

Math time: 500 extra calories a day = 1 extra pound gained per week: pubmed

Pubmed: Increased meal frequency does not promote greater weight loss in subjects who were prescribed an 8-week equi-energetic energy-restricted diet

Go ahead and eat eggs!

Saturated fat: part of a healthy diet: pubmed

Pubmed: Protein for Life: Review of Optimal Protein Intake, Sustainable Dietary Sources and the Effect on Appetite in Aging Adults

Pubmed: Evidence that protein requirements have been significantly underestimated

Examinecom points out in A comprehensive look at protein here

A high protein diet (34 g/kg/d) combined with a heavy resistance training program improves body composition in healthy trained men and women–a follow-up investigation

“Examine: can eating too much protein be bad for you?”

Okay your muscles can’t think or talk

But they DO respond to stimuli by building themselves stronger

Relationship between sleep and muscle strength among Chinese university students: a cross-sectional study

Inadequate sleep and muscle strength: Implications for resistance training: study

It’s also pumping your heart and fueling your brain and other vital organs and stuff

Endurance Exercise Enhances the Effect of Strength Training on Muscle Fiber Size and Protein Expression of Akt and mTOR: study

If you’re here because you want to go from skinny to muscular, you’ve come to the right place!

I know exactly how you feel

I was once a very thin guy struggling to put on muscle!

Hell, my “before photo” below on the left below is after a decade of training and “eating a lot”

It took me 10 years of struggle to crack the “bulk up” code, so don’t beat yourself up if you’re really struggling to put on mass

We’ve helped people just like you get bigger in our Online Coaching Program: we use the same tactics and strategies I’ll discuss below!

Want to be told exactly how to eat and train to bulk up?

Click any of the links below to learn about the 9 key mistakes skinny guys make when trying to bulk up:

Setting unrealistic expectations (How fast can I grow muscle? )

Not having a solid plan (How to go from skinny to muscular)

Not doing enough (How to grow muscle)

Going too quickly and getting injured (Being safe)

Not following a sustainable strategy (Consistency)

Not making it a priority (Remember your training)

Let’s get right to it!

Mistake #1: Not Eating Enough (What to Eat to Grow Big)

If you’re not getting bigger, you are not eating enough

This one solution will account for 95% of most skinny men and women who are looking to get bigger

When I started lifting weights, I spent 5-6 days a week in the gym following a bodybuilder workout routine from various fitness magazines

Over the next 6 years, I put on maybe five pounds total, even though it felt as though I was eating a lot

Turns out, I was eating 500-1000 less calories per day than I needed to stimulate muscle growth

It wasn’t until after college that I simplified my workouts (lots of barbell lifts), doubled the amount of calories I consumed, and I was able to put on about 18 pounds in 30 days

I didn’t put the weight on a necessarily healthy or sustainable way, but afterÂ 6Â years of struggle, this experience solidified the connection between diet and getting bigger

If you don’t eat enough calories, you won’t get any bigger

SoÂ if you are not getting bigger and more buff, then you are not eating enough

If you’re trying to gain weight: when in doubt, eat

Some of my favorite techniques are in my “How to Bulk Up Fast” article

YOUR GOAL: Add 200-300 more calories per day until your stomach gets used to it, and see how the scale changes

Depending on how skinny you are, you can get away with eating junk food as long as you’re getting enough protein and calories

Liquid meals are your friend too for squeezing in extra calories every day – here’s my favorite high-calorie protein shake recipe!

Here are some high quality, high-calorie foods:

Sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, and yams

Peanut butter, almond butter

Walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts, cashews

Eat lots of high-calorie foods, get plenty of protein, and don’t forget the veggies!

I know how overwhelming this stuff can be, which is why we have a Coaching Program that kicks ass

Mistake #2: Setting Unrealistic Expectations (How Fast Can I Grow Muscle? )

People have unrealistic expectations thanks to marketing when it comes to weight loss (“Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!”)

Unsurprisingly, people also have unrealistic expectations when it comes to NATURALLY building muscle as well

This is why we get served ads like this:

“Scientists don’t want you to learn this trick to pack on 40 pounds of muscle!”

These ads are designed to sell supplements, not make you bigger or get you results

The only supplements I recommend taking: protein and creatine

We cover this extensively in our “How Do I Build Muscle Fast?” article:

Under optimal conditions, you’ll most likely be able to put on 1-2 pounds of muscle per month

Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t make tremendous strength gains – you’re just not going to build 50 pounds of muscle in 6 weeks

So start by having proper expectations: don’t try to “Put on 50 pounds” by the week or month

It’s time to think in terms of days and years to make your progress permanent:

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and muscle isn’t built in a matter of days either

It’s going to take months of sustained effort, and it’s going to take consistency and patience

If you struggle with not seeing results, and you want a Yoda in your pocket (that sounds weird…) to help you bulk up fast, our online coaching programÂ fits that exact scenario

Work with our coaches to get bigger, quickly and safely

Mistake #3: Not Having a Solid Plan (How to Go from Skinny to Muscular)

If you want to go from skinny to buff, you need a plan

A plan that is balanced, and provides you with big movements that stimulate growth all over your body

If you just wander into the gym without a strategy, you’re going to struggle to get bigger

It’s better to pick a basic plan and stick with it for months and months and months, than jump around from week to week chasing the newest shiny object

Get freaking strong at the following movements, eat enough, and you will get bigger:

What plan to follow?

No idea where to start?Â Read our free Strength 101 series, and pick a workout program from our Beginner Strength Training Workouts

Work with our coaching staff!

We’ll build a program and offer nutrition guidance so that you actually start to see results right away

Pick one of the 6 levels of workouts in ourÂ Beginner’s Gym GuideÂ article to get you comfortable and in a routine

If you’re not ready for barbell workouts, start with bodyweight training!

Other great barbell-based programs are Stronglifts 5×5, Wendler’s 5/3/1 program, and Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength program

I started with basic barbell training, then moved into more of a hybrid barbell/bodyweight program (thanks to my Online Coach)

Honestly, any of them will work – you just need to start, and stick with it for months at a time, focusing on getting stronger with each movement

You can also download our Strength 101 Guide when you sign up in the box below:

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong

Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training

How to find the right gym and train properly in one

Mistake #4: Not Doing Enough (How to Grow Muscle)

If you are trying to get bigger, you might not be doing a tough enough workout in the gym or in the park to stimulate muscle growth

No matter what, you need to be doing heavier weight, or doing more repetitions in order to challenge your body, breakdown muscle fiber, and force your body to rebuild stronger

This is called “progressive overload,” and it’s the only way you’re going to build size in the right places

Coach Jim breaks down different strategies for progressive overload in this video:

As Jim mentions above, yep, you can indeed get bigger doing just bodyweight exercises

Take one look at gymnasts – these dudes have built their muscle through years of intense bodyweight training like handstands and muscle-ups on the gymnastic rings:

However, you must be scaling these exercises constantly to make them increasingly more difficult, which many people struggle to do

Just doing more regular push-ups, bodyweight squats, and pull-ups is a good way to get conditioned, but after a certain point, it most likely won’t produce muscle growth without increasing the challenge

That’s when you need to progressively overload your muscles with a more difficult movement

I detail this during my “stay in shape while traveling” post, in which I packed on a few pounds of muscle while ONLY doing bodyweight exercises

I started by doing just pull-ups and dips

Now I’m up to doing pull-ups with 60 pounds on a weight belt, and dips with 70 pounds on a weight belt

I used to just do push-ups and pull-ups, now it’s parallette gymnastic complexes:

And muscle-ups on gymnastic rings:

You just need a solid plan that allows you to consistently push your muscles further

Looking for a plan to gymnastics mastery?Â Outside of our coaching program, our new app will show you exactly how to start training with rings

Mistake #5: Going Too Quickly and Getting Injured (Being Safe)

In the age of instant gratification, we always want more, now now now

Try to get bigger

Eat lots of food, and put on some weight

Ramp up my workouts too quickly

Sustain some sort of injury from trying to do too much

Start out with easy weight, and get a teeny tiny bit better every single day

In fact, it wasn’t until I stopped chasing fast goals and instead focused on tiny habits that I went from Steve Rogers to Captain America

Back when I started deadlifting again, I kept thinking “I can do more!

Live to train another day, and just focus on the process:

“Hit the gym 3-4 times per week, get a tiny bit stronger

Then go home and eat!”

It’s why everybody fails at diets, and why nobody can get results that stick

If you are tired of falling back to square one and want somebody to help you make sustainable, permanent progress towards bulking up, check out our coaching program!

Learn how we can help you bulk up in our Online Coaching Program!

Mistake #6: Not Following a Sustainable Strategy (Consistency)

As Coach Jim mentions in the video above (where he documents his journey on gaining 50 pounds), you need to be consistent with your workouts and nutrition

For me personally, I’ve found sustained success by doing the following:

Eating roughly the same meals every single day

Getting enough sleep by going to bed at the same time each night

Training 4 days a week for about an hour

As a result, I’ve been able to make consistent progress for the past 4 years, and my new “normal” is progress and strength improvements!

If you can’t work out six days a week for the next year, DON’T train that way!

Start with twice a week, doing a basic weight training program, and dump the extra time you would have spent training into eating more or getting more sleep

If you can train three days a week, that should be plenty to make you bigger: muscles are made in the kitchen, after all!

Remember, if you’re not getting bigger, you’re not eating enough!

Eat more

It might take you 6+ months longer than if you went all-in and did nothing but eat and lift all day every day, but you’ll actually KEEP the progress you’ve made rather than giving it all back

This was a brutal lesson I couldn’t learn until I hired an online personal trainer who helped me get my mindset right, and put the right systems in place!

Hack the Matrix and learn to bulk like the Hulk in our Online Coaching Program!

Mistake #7: Not Making It a Priority (Remember Your Training)

After telling myself “I want to get bigÂ and strong,” I realized that for much of the past decade, it wasn’t really a priority

I put work, messing around on the internet, video games, and going out and drinking ahead of my training on my list of priorities

Since 2014, I’ve made it a point to see what I could accomplish if I made getting bigger and stronger a priority in my life

Most importantly, I started taking this seriously and hired an online trainer that Iâve been working with for 5+ years

Here’s what I did to prioritize my transformation and training:

I rearranged my training schedule so work would NEVER be an excuse

I programmed my workouts into my calendar

I had my coach keep me accountable

I scheduled Saturday morning workouts so I wouldn’t go out drinking on Friday

Is this goal of going from skinny to buff truly a priority for you?Â If it’s not, you’re going to give up when you’re tired, or not hungry, or don’t want to exercise

As we talk about in our “How to Get in Shape” article, you need to have a BIG WHY: the reason you’re doing this!

I wanted to get bigger so I could be more confident when going on dates

And if you want to GET bigger permanently, you need to do things differently, consistently, and permanently

I did this journey alone for a decade before I finally got some help in staying accountable and keeping me on track

If you’re looking for somebody to keep you accountable, tell you exactly what to do in the gym, and tell you how many calories you should eat, we can help there too

Let our Coaching Program tell you exactly what to do!

Mistake #8: Sweating the Small Stuff (Keep It Simple)

“Should I target all three heads of the triceps muscle?”

“I see the big guy over there doing 8 types of bicep exercises – should I do what he’s doing?”

“Does chest day need to be bench, incline bench, decline bench, cable chest flys, dumbbell flys?”

“How many sets and reps should I do?

If you want to get bigger, focus on gettingÂ stronger in one of the few big, basic movements

Once you have a solid foundation, then we can start targeting specific isolated muscle groups as the bodybuilders do

Always start your workout with the basics of strength training (noticing a theme here? ):

Pull-ups (weighted)

Dips (weighted)

“But where’s my bicep curls, tricep extensions, ab work, etc!?!? !”

ALL of those muscles get worked incredibly well with the above exercises, so don’t worry about isolating

When you can lift heavy things or complete intense bodyweight exercises, your body needs to adapt

If you want to do things like bicep curls or triceps extensions, great

Just do them AFTER doing the big important workouts

As long as you areÂ eating enough to fuel your recovery and following the Bulk Up Like the Hulk Axioms, youâll be good to go!

(Covered in the free download when you join our email list in the box below! )

Mistake #9: Not Recovering Enough (Get Sleep)

I used to pride myself on not needing a lot of sleep

Since putting a focus on getting bigger and stronger, I’ve had to considerably up my sleep time

When you strength train, your muscles break down and need to rebuild over the next 24-48 hours

Sleep is a key part of this process

Without it, your body can’t recover, and you can’t grow

I find I am exhausted the day of really heavy max deadlifts, so I prioritize more sleep on those days!

Muscles aren’t made in the gym, they’re made while you’re resting

So make sleep a priority!Â

How I Put on 25 Pounds – My Last 18 Months

I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to pull off over the past few years, and I’m excited to see what the next 18 months bring

Photo on the left: 171 pounds

Photo on the right: 194 pounds

The best part is that it was all done in a healthy, sustainable, natural way

Since then, Iâve actually worked on leaning out too (while getting much stronger)

This was all done under the supervision of my Online Personal Trainer and Coach, Anthony

If you are somebody who wants to get bigger, and go from skinny to buff, make sure you don’t make the 9 mistakes I used to make!

And if you want results, here are 3 options we offer:

1)Â If you’re tired of the guesswork and just to be told exactly what to do, consider checking out ourÂ 1-on-1 online coaching program!Â We create custom programs and nutritional guidelines for people like you struggling to put on size

Build muscle and build confidence in our Nerd Fitness Coaching Program!

2) If you want a roadmap for home workouts, check out NF Journey

Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally)

Try your free trial right here:

3) Join the Rebellion!Â We have a free newsletter that we send out twice per week with new content helping you build muscle and level up your life

Download our free skinny guy’s guide to putting on muscle!

The Nerd Fitness “Get Bigger” Shopping List

Bulk like the Hulk with our rules for getting bigger

What are your biggest struggles when it comes to bulking up?

Have you had success as a skinny dude or lady and made great progress?

Have you struggled your whole life with being skinny and still can’t seem to crack the code?

Let me know how I can help!

PS: Check out these other articles in our “Build Muscle Fast” Series:

13 Tips for Guaranteed Weight Gain

Ultimate Skinny Guy’s Guide to Bulking Up Fast

How to Build Muscle Quickly

Strength 101: How to Get Strong

All photo sources can be found right here: [1]

Pickle Jar, Lego Chopping Bacon, fotogestoeber Â© 123RFcom, Pencil and Paper, Army Push-Ups, X-Ray, Plan B,Â Deadlifting, Ladybug, Sleeping cat,