Along with improving your physique, it helps you gain strength and adds structure to your body. If you wonder what such exercises are, take a look at those we have listed here.
How Can Exercise Help You Gain Weight?
Strength and resistance exercises can promote muscle growth (3). Since muscle is denser than fat, its increase may lead to weight gain in the form of lean muscle. So, while exercise cannot add fat to your body, it may help with muscle gain. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that regular exercise can stimulate your appetite, making it easier to consume more calories and remain in a caloric surplus needed for weight gain. Consult your doctor or a registered dietitian for a customized diet and fitness plan to help you gain weight. The following section will take you through some of the exercises you can add to your workout plan. Scroll down to know more.
Effective Exercises For Weight Gain
Men and women have different body composition and distribution of muscle mass (4). Follow a training program and focus on specific exercises relevant to you after taking proper guidance from a certified trainer. Kristy Smith, Holistic Health Coach and Nutritionist, says, “A full-body workout is good for weight gain. This is because people who want to gain weight require to put on lean muscles. When you make muscles, it automatically adds weight to your body.” When you work out your muscles get toned and increase, which is called hypertrophy. To gain weight, your trainer may recommend hypertrophy exercises. Let’s now take a look at the exercises that may help you gain weight.
1. Push-Ups
Steps
Target Muscles: Chest muscles or pectorals, Shoulders or deltoid muscles, Triceps, and Core muscles.
Precautions: If you have wrist pain or poor wrist flexibility, use push-up handles to do this exercise. Do not strain your knees if you are finding it difficult to push your body off the ground.
2. Bench Press
Steps
Target Muscles: Triceps, Anterior deltoids, Traps, and Back.
3. Pull-Ups
Steps
Target Muscles: Biceps, Lats muscles (the flat muscles of your back), Forearms, Trapezius (muscles in the center of the upper back), and Deltoid muscles (the muscles in your lower back).
Precautions: Do not strain yourself if you have a neck injury or weak wrist flexibility.
4. Bench Dips
Steps
Target Muscles: Triceps
Precautions: Keep your chest puffed out and your shoulder blades pulled back. Be careful while doing this weight gain exercise if you have neck or back problems as it may strain them.
5. Squats
Steps
Target Muscles: Thigh muscles like quads, hamstrings, and outer thighs, Glutes, and Core muscles.
Precaution: Whilesquatting down, make sure your knees do not go beyond your toes as it can hurt your knees. If you are a beginner, start doing this exercise without a weight bar.
6. Lunges
Steps
Target Muscles: Glutes and buttocks, Hamstrings, Quadriceps, and Core muscles.
7. Deadlift
Steps
Target Muscles: Glute muscles, Hamstrings, and Core muscles.
Precautions: Though this exercise for weight gain is very effective, it is difficult to perform without a trainer. Avoid doing this exercise if you have any injuries.
8. Overhead Press
Steps
Target Muscles: Deltoids, Triceps, and Upper back muscles.
Precautions: Do not perform this exercise if you have a neck or shoulder injury. Along with these exercises, here are a few tips that you can follow to gain weight.
Tips To Gain Weight
2. Healthy Dietary Habits
This is another important approach to healthy weight gain. You should eat high-calorie foods to gain weight only if recommended to by your doctor. Your diet should include healthy and wholesome carbs, good-quality protein intake, healthy fats, and probiotics to enhance digestion. Kristy Smith says, “If you are a skinny person and looking for healthy ways to gain some weight, bananas are the best option. They contain carbohydrates and calories in good amounts, which can help you gain weight naturally. Other than bananas, dried fruits are also an effective and healthy way of gaining weight.” She adds, “You can eat dates, figs, raisins, prunes, and apricots. All of them contain more calories as compared to fresh fruits, which makes them a good choice for gaining weight.” Here is a diet that you can follow to gain weight in a healthy way.
3. Keep A Check On Your Lifestyle
Weight gain requires a holistic approach, not just exercise and eating healthy. Here are some things you need to keep in mind:
Be Practical: Set a realistic goal for your weight-gain journey. Sleep Quality: Focus on getting quiet and peaceful sleep for 7-8 hours. Good sleep enhances muscle rest and recovery and improves your mood. Reduce Stress: Cortisol is the main culprit behind your stress levels and low mood. Try stress management techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or deep tissue massage to relax your entire body. Stay Away From Bad Habits: Don’t indulge in unhealthy habits like drinking and smoking.
What To Avoid
Being irregular with cardio exercises. Spend at least 20 minutes on cardio exercises for your heart, brain, and lungs. Let your heart rate go up and come down slowly. A diet low in natural foods. Always include natural fruits and vegetables in your diet to get enough fiber, vitamins, and minerals, especially if you are following a weight gain diet plan. High-calorie diet that is rich in saturated and trans fats. Aerated beverages. Processed and refined foods. Over-dependence on weight gain or fitness supplements. Always go for practical and sustainable approaches.
Daysha, a YouTuber, talks about her healthy weight gain experience in her vlog. She recounts, “So I went to the gym, I ran into a personal trainer, and he started training me (i).” She further shares, “When I first started my fitness journey, I was only 87 pounds. It’s been about 30 pounds of weight gain, and of course, a mixture of muscle and fat.” Can I gain weight by walking? “Yes, you can gain weight by walking. When you regularly do exercise in the form of walking, your body tends to store glycogen to work as fuel. Stored in water, this glycogen binds itself with water as a part of the process of energizing the muscles. This water also adds a small amount of weight to your body.” says Kristy Smith. How long does it take to gain weight? Kristy says, “Well, there is no specific time. It differs from person to person. It depends on the food intake, the time of food intake, the exercise schedule, the eating habits, metabolism, etc. But if you are really trying to gain weight, then you may gain 2 to 3 kgs a month.” What is the best drink to put weight on? According to Kristy, “There are so many drinks that can help you with weight gain. They include milkshakes, protein shakes, vegetable smoothies/shakes, and fresh fruit juices.” How often should you exercise to gain weight? Weight training or resistance training at least thrice a week helps gain some weight over time. The key is to activate all the major muscles. What is the best time to perform weight gaining exercises? Studies suggest that individuals exercising in the mornings experience more weight loss than those working out in the evening (5). This finding may suggest that evenings could be ideal for performing weight gain exercises. Which exercise is best for weight gain? Squats are considered the best exercise to gain weight as they help in mass gain in the lower body. How can I gain weight in 7 days? Eat calorie- and protein-rich foods and increase the portion sizes to maintain caloric surplus. To complement the diet, do weight-gaining and compound exercises like squats, push-ups, bench presses, etc.. How long does a skinny person take to gain weight? The timeframe may not be the same for everyone. If you begin by raising your intake by 500 calories initially and keep increasing it gradually, you may take up to six months to see visible results. Can I gain weight by walking? There is currently no evidence to suggest that walking can help gain weight. However, it can provide other benefits, like lowering blood pressure and boosting mental and emotional health (6), (7). Can you gain weight in 2 days? No, it is not possible to gain weight in two days. But you may gain half a pound a week by consuming a protein-rich diet and following a regular exercise routine including weightlifting and bodybuilding.
Illustration: Exercises To Gain Weight And Muscle Mass Safely
Check out this video to learn the five best exercises to gain weight quickly! Get ready to bulk up and get stronger with these easy-to-follow exercises.
