Guys: How do I bulk up?

[SouthernYankee14]

So I'm really skinny. I'm about 6 feet tall and weigh about 130 lbs. I know I'm skinny, but please don't call me anorexic because I'm not. That pisses me off like you wouldn't believe. You can see some of my ribs, but not my entire rib cage. Anyway, I would really like to gain some weight. To be at least 140 lbs would be what most people would consider "normal" for someone my height. If I could gain up to 20 lbs and be 150 lbs, that would be great!

I'm a naturally skinny guy. I always have been, and I know I always will be. So is my family, so it's in my genes. FWIW, I recently found out I have crohn's disease, so my body doesn't absorb nutrients properly. This also explains why I'm so skinny. I'm trying to get that under control, so once I do, hopefully I can gain weight easier. And a few months ago, I was really sick (not flu sick, but hospital sick) and I lost a lot of weight because I couldn't eat. I was about 100-105 pounds. My doctor gave me meds and I quickly gained back my lost weight. It took me maybe 2 weeks to gain those 25 pounds back. But once I got back to my usual 130, I stopped gaining weight even though nothing about my diet or daily routine changed.

So what can I do to gain another 20 lbs or so? I used to be very active with sports (even then I was super skinny), but once I started college, I haven't been able to find the time. I don't ever go to the gym, but I know I need to start. But how often should I go. I don't have time to go every day. And what do I do when I go? What foods should I eat? How much? What foods should I avoid?

Thanks!

[Nomad93]

Hello there man you can start taking whey protein that is good for people who are bulking. Protein is very important eat a lot of chicken and eggs and you'll be good to go. Check out www.bodybuilding.com it had great workout plans and exercises it even shows videos and photos of people lifting, also has nutrition tips and an awesome forum. www.iifym.com is great to it tells you how much macros another words how much protein, fats, carbs and fiber you need personally it calculates it by your age, weight and body fat, and your fitness goal. It tells you how much you need per meal and it has scenarios like cutting and bulking to gauge everything for you. As for the crohns disease I heard that smoking pot can help increase your appetite and help with the stomach problems, however aloe vera is a better option. Avoid sugary, fast foods you will pack on fat not muscle

[binny91]

Eat a lot of good fats e. g olive oil, avocado peanut butter
Eat a lot of complex carbs oatmeal, whole meal bread
Eat a ton of protein eggs, chicken red meat

Avoid dirty bulking e. g cream, sugars, bad fats bacon etc

If its too expensive or inconvenient use weight gainers

Limit cardio, lift heavy weight max 6-8 reps

You'll see results in about 4 weeks practically its all about what you eat and marcos in marcos out.

I bulked from 52kg to 72kg before i cut down to 65kg where I'm happy with my body fat percentage and muscle mass.

[CourtJester]

Quick run through: Diet is key, plays 95% in muscle building. Eat plenty of protein (1.5g per bodyweight) such as chicken/eggs/beans. Also eat some good natural carbs to fuel you through workouts and if you want a lean bulk stay with brown rice/bread/beans. Workouts: tension aka full ROM/proper form is key to muscle building 6sets of 6-10 reps should suffice. Stay off machines and stick with free weights. Hit one muscle group per day (4x/week)... chest/triceps, back/biceps, shoulders, legs/lower body. 1 hour of at least 5-7 exercises. Get sufficient sleep for recovery. Voila!

[NovemberJoseph]

Find out how much calories your body burns per day and eat 300-500 more than that. Lift.

[luvme56]

Weight lifting might help!