Even skinny guys can add some bulk and muscle to their twinkish frames with a little effort and dedication.
Dear Davey,
I am one of those guys who is very thin and eats whatever his heart desires and I will not gain a pound. I do not expect to ever be “jacked” but I would like to be fit and filled out. With that being said, do you have any work out tips for people with a build and metabolism like myself?
From,
Max
Dear Max,
So you’re one of those people. I’m sure your metabolism is the envy for anyone reading this that is trying to lose some weight. You probably won’t get much sympathy here. But there are a few things that you should know!
First, nutrition is still important. Even though you can eat whatever you want without increasing your waistline, it doesn’t mean that unhealthy food options are any better for your body. I remember reading about autopsies being done on young American soldiers who had died in Iraq. Their veins looked like they belonged in 60-year-old cardiac arrest patients. In other words, nourish your body with healthy choices.
Second, it’s important to be realistic. If your nickname is “String Bean,” or “Tommy the Twink,” then you probably don’t have the genes to look like the Hulk. All of us are given different body types, and so it’s important to create expectations within the boundaries of what is possible. Instead of comparing ourselves to other people at the gym (who have a totally different set of genes) compare yourself to… yourself. You certainly can add bulk, but it will be to a different degree. It will be bulky for you, and that’s what matters.
Beyond paying special attention to your nutrition and being realistic, the recommendations for building bulk are the same for you as anyone else. You’ll need to:
- Lift weights. If you want to get creative, try P90X for a serious workout.
- Target a low number of repetitions (4-8 or 10 at most).
- Be fully fatigued on your last rep.
- Keep pushing yourself to progress to heavier levels of resistance or weights.
- Fuel your body with enough calories.
- Consume the right amount of protein.
- Don’t overtrain – get rest!
- Continue with moderate cardio. Don’t worry, it won’t burn off your muscle.
So the truth is, with a little effort and dedication, you’ll certainly be able to add some muscle to your frame. You might not look like Popeye, but you will see some fantastic results.
Hope that helps!
Love,
Davey
Max doesn’t give his age. If he is a teen or early twenties guy he will probably find that he will fill out in time, given that he follows your good advice.
I’m 23.
Hey my name is Max too and I have the same problem (I’m younger though). just sayin.
Wow… my name is Max too and I have the same problem but I’m 25. Thanx for your tip davey!
Hugs Max
Get this—my name is Max too and I also have a high metabolism! To all the slender Maxes out there, I hope you stay happy and healthy.
Thanks Davey, this was helpful. I’ve always wondered if someone could be unhealthy without being over weight.
And yes one of my nicknames happens to be String Bean! lol. ^_^
Yes – it’s called “skinny fat” and I wrote a post on it. Check it out: http://www.daveywaveyfitness.com/nutrition/are-you-skinny-fat/
Thanks! This is super helpful for me. Now I just need to find the motivation to actually put in the work.
I’d like to see the opposite of this message now, I’m a bigger guy, not huge but bigger and I never get to eat what I would enjoy so I can lose weight and I work out till I’m fatigued 6 days a week yet my progress is incredibly slow!
Thanks so much for putting this up. I’m one of those skinny guys who can’t gain weight, your tips are helpful
If you ever think of more, please post them. I’m always trying to find ways to bulk up.
As we age, our motabolism changes, so don’t expect to be skinny all your life. When I was younger, I was like you, but as I got older I began to gain weight. I don’t consider myself fat, but according to some research information, they’d consider me obese.
Your youthful body is the foundation of your adult body, so build a strong and healthy foundation, and enjoy being thin and healthy now, and in the future.
Enjoy..I’m a skinny guy but as you get older your metabolism WILL slow down and you will gain weight, and not necessarily in the right places. But with a good exercise regimen and healthy lifestyle you can sail through middle age, rather than sink.
The other thing is this–if you have more of an ectomorphic(skinny) build don’t go out of your way to transform yourself into a muscled hunk. Muscle is hard to maintain for us skinny guys–it will take a lot of fuel (nutritious foods and protein supplements) which all take fossil fuels to make. And for what? Just to look good by the pool? If you do physical labor for a living that’s a different story, but then you’d probably already have the muscles you want.
Davey is right, work with what you have and don’t compare yourself to others. One advantage skinny guys have is that they can add a little muscle and show a lot of definition –a nice combination that will also turn heads…
Great advice! I also happen to be a hard gainer. I’ve been plateauing on 150 lbs at 5’10″ and 21 years of age for months now, but at least I’m in a good shape, even if it’s not the goal I set myself when I restarted my workout program. It’s also hard for me to trim that last bit of abdominal fat (damn you, perfectionist attitude!), but that’s a whole ‘nother story.
Davey i need help gettting rid of my fat belly & get a beach body what should i do ??
Any advice for another skinny guy who happens to also run marathons? I’m 26 and have pretty much been the same weight since I was a teenager. I eat very healthily and am also a vegetarian. Being vegetarian makes getting protein more challenging, but not impossible. I definitely use a lot of quinoa, nut and soy based proteins in my diet. However, I’m currently training for another marathon, running anywhere from 20 – 45 miles a week, and there seems to be no way to keep up and maintain my muscle mass. Every year I lose weight during training and then gain it back (although only a few pounds of muscle) when I’m not training. Any tips? Or should I pretty much expect to lose that weight with so much running?
i have the same problem…
i eat alot of health food…
however, i still skinny…
i would like to have a nice body shape…
21 years old here…
‘I’m sure your metabolism is the envy for anyone reading this that is trying to lose some weight.’
HELL YEA!
i am 20 years old and feel exactly the same as u all i have had the same waist size since i was 14 and although with exercise and gym workouts i may get briefly bigger or broader from a side on view i am almost 2D, I am now just learning to accept what i am and if anyone else feels that way i suggest looking at bruce lee or following his workouts they cater to us and like others have said we are so easy to define and get toned, i would discourage protein shakes maybe it was just me but due to my metabolism they didnt really stay in my system long if u know what i mean, try parkour conditioning workouts that build core and if u work the interior the exterior grows with it if u think my advice helps give me a shout and like others have said in time we will be remininsing on this when the weight comes in all the wrong places lol x
Thanks Davey Wavey this was super helpful, I am also a skinny guy, I have always wanted to be a little muscular and not looking like a 16 yr old guy or younger, yeah I’m 23 and that’s actually what most people say about me, and it really bothers me a lot. I don’t work out nor go for a walk to the park because I really had in my mind that if I do so I would lose weight and look even thinner… Now that I have read this post I know that I must go for it and start working out. Oh I almost forgot to say, I also eat whatever is on the fridge. My nutrition is not so good at all. :/
Alright Dave, I thank you for all your support and motivation.
You’ve got great insights about How to maintain a healthy body, keep up the good work!
Hey I’m trying to gain muscle and I weight 145 tops and the problem is that I don’t know anything what so ever about weights and wat to eat and wat not to eat its driveing me crazy I wish someone could take the time and explain what to do for example how much to lift weight how much am I really suppose to work out please help?????
Davey, (.. and yes, my name really is Davey too..) I’m 28, almost 29 now, 5’9″, weigh 107lbs, and have a 24″ waist. I was in the military, at one point while deployed for 4 months I did protein shakes, big breakfast, big lunch and small dinner, and no working out for the first bit to try and bulk up. Then I did go to the gym and sure I got a lot of definition, and only got up to 128 (also my maximum weight ever). I don’t want to look like Arnold, but I’m also tired of looking like I’ve the body of a 6 year old girl. You gave some good ideas, but also very vague. “Eat right, high weight with low reps”, etc.. Been there, done that, almost bought the t-shirt. This still doesn’t work. Any extra help would be great..
Hi, I’m 15 and I’m 6’1. Most people say I’m lanky and i agree, id like to have bigger triceps and biceps and also a fuller chest. Any ideas that would help i have a high metabolism which means i don’t put on much weight but i’d still like to bulk up because compared to a lot of people i know i feel slightly scrawney…
I’m 18, eat anything and everything in sight. I’ve been stuck between 105-120 for the last 5 years. I’m 5’9″ and I workout as much as I can, but my metabolism burns everything I eat before it has a chance to become anything that I can turn into muscle. My Body fat is somewhere around 9% and I can build hardly any muscle. I can’t figure out what to do :/
heres my problem. Im 19 about to turn 20. im 5’10″ 140 lbs. i have been lifting for about a year now, nonstop. ive taken protein, creatine, ive eaten like im 300 lbs instead of eating like im 140. ive already applied all your logic yet i still cannot gain weight. creatine and mass gainers did nothing for me even when i took the proper dosage. anything advice?
I’m 18 yr old.I’m a skinny boy.what should I eat to gain some weight&then how to make a perfect body