The Weight Gain Challenge
You must have heard people saying, ‘Hey you look malnourished; why don’t you gain some weight’ or ‘Don’t you eat food?’ So, what you do now? As always, have to justify why you don’t gain weight. Believe it or not gaining weight is as hard and challenging as losing weight and most importantly gaining weight through true muscle mass and not just fat!
Tools To Identify Your Need To Gain
Basal Mass Index (BMI)
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure which indicate the ideal body weight as per height. Although this will not tell you in depth about your body composition (Fat%, Muscle mass etc.) but might help you understand how much weight you need to put on. The BMI is expressed in kg/m2. BMI is calculated as:
BMI = weight (In Kg) ÷ Height² (In Meters)
WHO has given the following BMI ranges:
| Category | BMI range (kg/m2) |
|---|---|
| Underweight | < 18.5 |
| Normal weight | 18.5 to 24.9 |
| Overweight | 25 to 29.9 |
| Obese | >30 |
❝ Generally, BMI is not used for muscle builders and athletes as it does not take into account whether the weight is carried as muscle, water or fat. Those with a higher muscle mass, such as bodybuilder, may have a higher BMI due to high lean muscle mass (Muscle mass is heavier than fat mass). ❞
Body composition analysis:
You must already be aware of this tool and its importance in assessing and monitoring weight loss, but little do you know it help in understanding if you need weight gain too! However, getting it done at least 30 mins before any exercise, without food or water otherwise it may affect the accuracy.
It helps you know your –
- Lean Muscle mass – Helps you understand how much you lack and therefore how much you need to gain.
- Fat Mass or Fat % – Helps to understand overall fat gain (Some people have a subnormal fat%)
- Skeletal mass – will tell you bone density means how strong and dense your bone is. Low bone mass density indicates poor bone health probably nutrients like Ca, Vit D, K, Zn, P, Mg deficiency
- Water weight% – It consider the age, gender and helps to calculate hydration level.
Eg: Tanita, In Body Analysis 230
By knowing where you lack, your first step towards weight gain is met because now you know what to work on to get there!
Know Your Body Type
once you have identified your body type, it will be easier to come up with a perfect methodology to meet the challenge weight gain poses!
So, let’s once and for all lay your confusion at rest and understand what the different body types and a solution to their weight gain problem are!
| Body Type | Characteristics | Diet and Exercise | Supplementation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ectomorph | Essentially underweightSkinny appearanceLean muscle massOverall fat % is also lowHigh Metabolic rateSmall delicate frame and bone structure | Caloric intake needs to be higher than the body requirementsShould eat 6-8 meals per day focussing on a high carb:protein in ratioWorkouts can be short of moderate intensity, essentially weight training focusing on big muscle groups | Whey protein blends- helps to meet daily protein needs and promote muscle growth.High calorie gainer such as Rule1 R1LBS have a Carbs: Protein ratio of 5:1, help bridge the caloric deficit while preventing the gastric load that will happen due to excessive eating to meet high caloric requirement.Casein at the bed time to prevent catabolism.Weight gain bars make for yummy high calorie snacking option! |
| Ecto-Mesomorph | Athletic appearanceHard body with defined musclesGains muscle easilyStrongGains fat easily than ectomorphs | Watch your calorie intake. Adapt an equal C:P or high P:C ratio. Include more of protein basedFood and snacksA combination of weight training and cardio/function/HIIT works bestAdvanced level athlete training | Whey protein (Blends or isolate) to build, maintain and prevent muscle.Lean mass gainers such as Procel T Mass, Rivalus Clean gainer, Scitec is great choice.Procel T Mass have a C:P ratio of 1:3. With added Creatine to helps in strength and power enhancement. |
| Meso-Endomorph | Professional athlete in competitive sport.Higher muscle mass and BMR | They need to adapt a high protein diet with moderate health fats.Training depending on the goal can be combination of cardio and weight training | Whey protein (hydrolyzed or an isolate) for meeting your daily protein requirementHigh protein gainer such as Scitec Jumbo Professional has a C:P ratio of 1:5 and can be used for gains if the individual is a professional lifetr or a body builder |
❝ once you have identified your body type, it will be easier to come up with a perfect methodology to meet the challenge weight gain poses!❞
We Say
By following a perfect Diet that suit your requirement, Training, Supplementation schedule and based on your present body composition and goals it is possible to overcome the challenges that people face in the quest of Weight gain!
