Many people seek weight gain, either for health or simply for aesthetics. However, most of the time it can be a bit tricky for those who have a very fast metabolism, a thin frame due to genetics or other individual variations. However, getting that extra weight is not impossible, so you just have to try harder to achieve it.
Discover 4 reasons why you do not gain weight and how to correct it in order to also gain muscle mass.
4 reasons why you are not gaining weight
1. You do too much cardio
Cardio is an aerobic exercise whose main function is to help you lose weight and burn calories, and if you want to increase your body weight, it is obviously not the best exercise.
Actually, there is nothing wrong with doing a little cardio, as it not only helps you lose weight, but also reduces the risk of suffering from some diseases (such as diabetes, various types of cancer or arthritis), improves the quality of sleep and it reduces stress and anxiety, but it is important to note that this traditional cardiovascular exercise significantly and negatively affects your ability to gain weight.
Therefore, if you really want to gain weight, you should limit your cardio sessions, and if you want to maximize your muscle building , you should consider reducing this exercise almost completely until you achieve your goal.
This does not mean that you should totally eliminate cardio, because for health reasons it does not hurt to practice it a little several times a week.
2. You are training too hard or too long
The more you train your body, the more calories you burn. Therefore, it is good to create an effective exercise routine, but if you exceed your time limits, your results will not be as desired.
The exercise you do is with the goal of changing your body, but it will only be possible if you provide the right routines along with the right amount and time required. Unfortunately, spending hours in the gym or working out to complete exhaustion will send the wrong message to your body.
If you want to get to a point where the volume and intensity of your training are balanced, never spend more than 50-70 minutes on resistance training, and no more than 4-5 strength training sessions per week.
3. You are not eating enough
The first rule of thumb to gain weight is to consume more calories than you are capable of burning; However, for many this is really complicated, because some people have such a fast metabolism that they burn large amounts of calories even while at rest.
As mentioned above, even though you may have a more advanced accelerated metabolism, you can still achieve whatever goal you set for yourself, you just have to eat more calories than you usually consume.
It may also be possible that you are incorrectly calculating how much you are consuming or burning. Calculating this number is your first priority. If you're hitting this number every day for a few weeks and still aren't gaining weight, increase your calorie intake by 5% until you gain 0.3 to 0.5 kilograms per week.
On the other hand, if you are still having difficulties reaching your ideal weight, add foods rich in calories and nutrients such as nuts, nut butters, healthy oils and complete dairy products (preferably organic) to your diet. For example, eating a whole avocado every day by adding it to meals or mixing it with smoothies will add more than 300 calories.
4. You are not consuming the correct macronutrients
Remember that if you are one of those people who find it very difficult to gain weight, generally it will not only be enough to eat a lot and train, you must eat the right foods at the right times. And also, measure the calories and macronutrients that you will consume.
4.1 Distribution of macronutrients for weight gain
Nutrition researcher and coach Alan Aragon suggests the following:
- Protein (4 kcal / gram): consuming one gram of protein for every pound of target body weight is ideal. For example, if your goal is to reach 70 kg, then eat 140 grams of protein per day.
- Fat (9 kcal / gram): consume 0.3 to 0.6 grams of fat for every half kilo of target body weight and depending on your individual tolerance. If your goal is for example 70 kilos, you should eat 42 to 84 grams of fat per day, with a variety of sources such as nuts, avocados, olive oil and fatty fish.
- Carbohydrates (4 kcal / gram): the remaining calories should come from carbohydrates. If, for example, you need 2,500 kcal per day with a target weight of 70 kilos, that means 640 kcal of protein and at least 432 kcal of fat. That means you should take 1,428 kcal of carbohydrates a day.
conclusion
A careful balance between training and nutrition is key, but the amount of fuel you put into your body is the key to achieving healthy weight gain. Remember also not to overdo your exercise sessions and decrease your cardio sessions.
References
- Sapstead, G. 4 Reasons You're Not Gaining Weight (Plus Easy Fixes). For Livestrong. [Revised February 2019].
