{"id":67252,"date":"2017-05-08T07:47:57","date_gmt":"2017-05-08T07:47:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\/\/uncategorized\/the-teenagers-guide-to-building-muscle"},"modified":"2023-08-03T10:34:30","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T15:34:30","slug":"the-teenagers-guide-to-building-muscle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/the-teenagers-guide-to-building-muscle\/","title":{"rendered":"The Teenager’s Guide to Building Muscle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Being a teenager is tough. Parents forget how stressful the teen years can be, with social pressures, hectic schedules, and ever-increasing standards to live up to. Sometimes, it doesn\u2019t leave a lot of room to just have fun.<\/strong> Add in a desire to add muscle<\/a> to an otherwise frail frame, and you\u2019ll have a big mountain to climb.<\/p>\n

That climb, however, isn\u2019t impossible. I was once a skinny teen that grew up with an introverted disposition, but a desire to better myself. I started trying to build muscle at 14 years old and 128lb on a good day, and at over six feet tall, I was a walking rail. Yes, I was quite a sight.<\/p>\n

I want to share a few things I learned along the way how a skinny teen gained quality, drug-free muscle, along with some of the mistakes I would fix today. If you follow them, one day in the very near future, you\u2019ll build a physique you can be proud of through hard work, discipline, and good old-fashioned sweat.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Step 1: Don\u2019t Eat Like an Idiot<\/h2>\n

It seems like common sense to say that eating habits have a lot to do with your success, but as a teen, I didn\u2019t have a lot of common sense. I simply ate a little, trained a lot, and possessed a ton of patience. <\/strong><\/p>\n

These days, diets are the first subject of conversation. My problem was that I just didn\u2019t eat enough good food. I ate decently, but not with enough frequency, quality, or quantity. I would often skip breakfast, have a decent-sized lunch, and then a huge dinner. Not the best approach. I then started drinking homemade calorie-laden protein shakes, but looking back, I would have opted for real food instead. Point being, I was lazy, and would rather sip than chew. I eventually found the direct connection between eating correctly and progress in the gym.<\/p>\n

A simple rule of thumb is to have three square meals planned for the day, along with two smaller snacks that can bookend your training<\/strong> (pre- and post-training). As a teen, it can get confusing and frustrating to get caught up in the weeds and track every calorie. Just eat quality, nutrient-dense foods such as meats, fish, turkey, eggs, milk, chicken, cheeses, rice, pasta, potatoes, oats, fruits, vegetables, and plenty of water. Try not to think too much into it. Eat a sensible, balanced diet and monitor your weight. If you\u2019re not gaining weight on a monthly basis, up your calories a bit, and if you\u2019re gaining too much fat, cut back a little.<\/p>\n

A sample daily menu could look as simple as this. It\u2019s nothing fancy, but it will give you a solid starting point to adjust later:<\/p>\n