Most individuals we train at Pat’s Gym do not have the goal of gaining weight. Most people want to lose body fat and become stronger while maintaining their power to weight ratio. However, there are certain times when gaining mass is necessary.
We have worked with NHL players, football players and models that needed to gain mass for their sport or job. There is a fine line of gaining mass/muscle without gaining a lot of fat. We want the weight to be functional. It takes patience, discipline and a well-balanced program to suit the individual’s needs.
There are three key aspects to any weight gain program: adequate sleep, hard training and increased eating. It is not easy to gain functional weight while staying relatively lean. The training is difficult and you need to pay extra attention to diet and recovery practices.
How to train
When training for hypertrophy, one of the most successful structures is 10×10. I like to use around 50-60% of a 1RM (rep max), but you can vary in weight based on the individual. The rest period is usually 1-2 minutes depending on the movement and load. We use pull-ups, dips, bench press, bodyweight rows, strict press, dead lifts, back squats and many more large lift movements. If you are flying through this workout with relative ease, you probably need more weight. Get used to being sore from these workouts.
We have also had success with mass gain training to failure. One of my favorite workouts is heavy bench press to failure followed by pull-ups to failure. Rest two minutes and repeat five times. Again, most individuals do not want to train to failure because you will be sore for the next 48 hours and unable to perform certain movements. You will also want to make sure someone is spotting you when training to failure. Your spotter should have to peal the bar off of your chest. There is a huge difference between training until you can’t, rather than won’t.
How to eat
Eating around your workouts is extremely important. You need to go into your workouts well-fueled from carbohydrates, proteins and fats. I like to eat 2-3 hours before I do a workout, but you will have to experiment with the timing.
After your workout, eat as much as you can and start with liquid calories that are rapidly absorbed and cause an insulin response that make you hungry. Find healthy omega-3 supplements to take right after a workout. They have a ton of healthy fats and are full of calories. I really like UDO’s 3-6-9 blend.
For dinner, you can never go wrong with a big steak. It is full of protein, creatine and it just tastes good. One of my favorite post workout drinks is whole milk, organic whey protein, cream and whole ice-cream. Blend it up and enjoy.
Make sure you get a constant intake of food throughout the day. If you really want to add mass, you can’t rely on only 2-3 meals a day. Try eating every 2-3 hours. Each meal doesn’t need to be enormous but do make it constant.
Recovery
When you are training for hypertrophy, you will constantly be sore. You need to take extra steps for recovery to make sure you can continue to train on a daily basis. If you are injured, you can’t train or grow. Here are my suggestions: add a deep tissue massage once a week, use the foam roller 1-2 times a day, get 8-9 hours of sleep and take ice baths. You cannot over-recover, so more is better.
Finally, make it a lifestyle and habit. Trust the system and process. It will take time to get used to the new training and eating style. Plan ahead and find a good trainer to keep you motivated in and out of the gym.
