{"id":65639,"date":"2017-01-18T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-18T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\/\/uncategorized\/the-skinny-guys-guide-training-to-add-muscle"},"modified":"2022-10-25T18:24:10","modified_gmt":"2022-10-25T23:24:10","slug":"the-skinny-guys-guide-training-to-add-muscle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/the-skinny-guys-guide-training-to-add-muscle\/","title":{"rendered":"The Skinny Guy&#8217;s Guide: Training to Add Muscle"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Attention all skinny guys: You don\u2019t have to remain that way.<\/strong> There are solutions. Stop beating your head against the wall and get busy with the right plan of action; one that will<a href=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/how-to-build-muscle\/\" data-lasso-id=\"110842\"> pack on real, solid muscle<\/a> once and for all. Today I\u2019m going to break down the common beliefs, myths, and outright falsehoods about adding muscle. Then I\u2019ll get down to brass tacks with some advice for the mass-challenged. I want to take you through a more logical approach for the natural, drug-free lifter who struggles with putting on even a single pound of muscle.<\/p>\n<p>The first thing we need to work on is your mindset. What does it mean to <a href=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/there-is-no-try-believe-in-yourself\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"70916\">call yourself<\/a> a hard gainer? <strong>Are you submitting to the label and giving up hope of progress before you\u2019ve even started?<\/strong> You may have the self-image of always being the skinny guy, for whom the task of gaining muscle is insurmountable. You look at others as genetically gifted, figuring they have the easy road when it comes to building their physiques. You feel you\u2019ve been given a bad hand in the iron game and will struggle forever.<\/p>\n<p>Your very first task is to stop cultivating this mindset and stop the vicious thought process that paints you as a helpless victim. <strong>It\u2019s time to shake off the hardgainer label,<\/strong> and start rethinking your training approach. So let\u2019s wipe the slate clean and get to work.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"bad-advice-from-the-past\">Bad Advice From the Past<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s take a look at some of the more traditional methods given for all skinny guys to follow. This isn\u2019t an exhaustive list, but it is some of the more common beliefs.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Train infrequently.<\/strong> You might have heard that you should only do two full-body workouts per week, or train only one body part per day, per week. Any more, they tell you, will only bury you under overtraining. The thought is that you are weak and fragile and shouldn\u2019t push too much or too often.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Train with low reps.<\/strong> Someone might have told you that higher reps ranges are counterproductive, and should be reserved for the more gifted lifter. Go heavy all the time, they say.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Avoid any extracurricular activity.<\/strong> Your gym bro might have said that any activity outside of the gym will only hurt your potential to build muscle. You will essentially burn up any progress you made in the gym, and put your body into a caloric downward spiral, leaving little or no energy for muscle protein synthesis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Eat as much as possible.<\/strong> Everybody knows that stuffing your gullet with as many calories as possible is the only surefire way to gain any weight at all, right? The hardgainer diet is basically a see-food plan, where you eat anything and everything in sight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The list above is what most hardgainer training gurus tout as gospel. But there is a better way, and a more effective way to approach training to add size. Now that we\u2019ve looked to the past for what not to do, let\u2019s look forward with a new attitude, an open mind and a renewed sense of purpose.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"a-dose-of-common-sense\">A Dose of Common Sense<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Think about your excuses for a moment.<\/strong> You blame your inability to add muscle on your fast metabolism. You may also blame bad genetics, the inability to gain strength, or your lack of consistency due to other life obligations.<\/p>\n<p>A fast metabolism is actually an advantage. If you constantly burn calories and stay lean, then you will have no problem being muscular without added body fat. <strong>A faster metabolism also equates to a faster protein turnover rate, <\/strong>enabling you to train more often and giving you more opportunity to grow.<\/p>\n<p>The genetics topic is one of perception. You can\u2019t do anything about your genes. So why worry about them? Instead, <strong>make a plan to work with what assets you have.<\/strong> Keep a positive attitude. Your progress is up to you.<\/p>\n<p>Do you keep a journal of sets, reps, weights, etc.? Are you consistently reviewing your progress and adjusting where necessary? Are you staying faithful to one program for a significant amount of time, instead of hopping around from plan to plan? Pick a program, work your tail off and <a href=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/do-it-and-believe-in-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"70917\">give it enough time<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-65632\" src=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/skinnyguysguidetomuscle.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/skinnyguysguidetomuscle.jpg 600w, https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/skinnyguysguidetomuscle-300x157.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-basics-of-hypertrophy\">The Basics of Hypertrophy<\/h2>\n<p>Now it\u2019s time to get to a plan of action that will put muscle on even the hardest of gainers. Below are a set of principles when building out your new training plan.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Up your frequency.<\/strong> Since you claim to have a metabolism that works against you, you will now train more frequently. This will create more opportunities for growth. A long as you support your training with proper nutrition, you can train as often as you like.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Go to failure. <\/strong>No matter what rep range you use, the key to stimulating muscle growth is to challenge the muscle so it has a reason to change\u2014in your case, to grow larger in size and increase strength.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Keep track.<\/strong> Journaling your training, especially for those who find gaining muscle challenging, is a requirement. Would you build a house without a blueprint and a close eye on the construction process?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Mix up your moves.<\/strong> Yes, compound moves are a must, but don\u2019t ignore all single-joint exercises. The key is to keep them simple and basic: <a href=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/barbell-curl\/\" data-lasso-id=\"151734\">barbell curls<\/a>, lying triceps extensions, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Stay active.<\/strong> If you play a pick-up game of hoops, it\u2019s not as if you\u2019ll somehow halt or reverse the muscle-building process. Run, hike, bike, play ball, or whatever else you truly enjoy doing. Life is too short to be a slave to the fear of not gaining muscle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"rtecenter\" id=\"the-muscle-size-for-skinny-guys-program\">The Muscle Size for Skinny Guys Program<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Now for the brass tacks.<\/strong> Below is a sample training plan to get you started down the muscle-building road. If you move ahead with it, keep a few things in mind:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Pay close attention to rest periods<\/li>\n<li>Always warm up properly<\/li>\n<li>Keep track of your workouts<\/li>\n<li>Give it plenty of time\u2014at least four weeks<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Perform each training day below once per week.<\/strong> After four weeks, either take the fifth week completely off, or shift your intensity down and train only for two nonconsecutive days.<\/p>\n<p class=\"rtecenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites\/default\/files\/attachments\/themusclesizeforskinnyguysprogram.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"70919\"><strong>Click Here to Download a PDF of the Program<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"rtecenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-65633\" style=\"height: 193px; width: 640px;\" title=\"Size for skinny guys day 1\" src=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday1.jpg\" alt=\"Size for skinny guys day 1\" width=\"600\" height=\"181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday1-300x91.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"rtecenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-65634\" style=\"height: 193px; width: 640px;\" title=\"Size for skinny guys day 2\" src=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday2.jpg\" alt=\"Size for skinny guys day 2\" width=\"600\" height=\"181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday2.jpg 600w, https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday2-300x91.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"rtecenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-65635\" style=\"height: 211px; width: 640px;\" title=\"Size for skinny guys day 3\" src=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday3.jpg\" alt=\"Size for skinny guys day 3\" width=\"600\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday3.jpg 600w, https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday3-300x99.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"rtecenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-65636\" style=\"height: 193px; width: 640px;\" title=\"Size for skinny guys day 4\" src=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday4.jpg\" alt=\"Size for skinny guys day 4\" width=\"600\" height=\"181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday4.jpg 600w, https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday4-300x91.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"rtecenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-65637\" style=\"height: 193px; width: 640px;\" title=\"Size for skinny guys day 5\" src=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday5.jpg\" alt=\"Size for skinny guys day 5\" width=\"600\" height=\"181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday5.jpg 600w, https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday5-300x91.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"rtecenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-65638\" style=\"height: 212px; width: 640px;\" title=\"Size for skinny guys day 6\" src=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday6.jpg\" alt=\"Size for skinny guys day 6\" width=\"600\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday6.jpg 600w, https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradbskinnyday6-300x100.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"rtecenter\"><strong>On the other end of the scale? There&#8217;s hope for you, too:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"rtecenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/nobody-is-doomed-to-be-fat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"70920\">Nobody Is Doomed to Be Fat<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"rtecenter\">\n<div class=\"media_embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/185747605\" width=\"640px\" height=\"360px\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Attention all skinny guys: You don\u2019t have to remain that way. There are solutions. Stop beating your head against the wall and get busy with the right plan of action; one that will pack on real, solid muscle once and for all. Today I\u2019m going to break down the common beliefs, myths, and outright falsehoods about adding muscle&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1219,"featured_media":65632,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"limit_modified_date":"","last_modified_date":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4642],"tags":[802],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Skinny Guy&#039;s Guide: Training to Add Muscle - Breaking Muscle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/the-skinny-guys-guide-training-to-add-muscle\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Skinny Guy&#039;s Guide: Training to Add Muscle - Breaking Muscle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Attention all skinny guys: You don\u2019t have to remain that way. There are solutions. Stop beating your head against the wall and get busy with the right plan of action; one that will pack on real, solid muscle once and for all. 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He now publishes through his blog, and armed with both knowledge and muscle, he has helped countless individuals domestically and abroad. Brad is a University Lecturer with a Master\u2019s degree in Kinesiology and he is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Brad is a veteran of the Air National Guard and proudly served on several deployments including Afghanistan in 2003. He served a total of 21 years. However, upon coming home from Afghanistan, Brad was diagnosed with Hodgkin\u2019s Lymphoma (2004), an immune system cancer which both his brother and father were survivors of prior. He went through nine months of chemotherapy before a full recovery and eventually found his way back to the bodybuilding stage. Brad writes for several publications on the subjects of training, nutrition, supplementation, motivation, and everything cool. 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Stop beating your head against the wall and get busy with the right plan of action; one that will pack on real, solid muscle once and for all. 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