For some people, gaining weight or adding muscle can be just as difficult as losing weight for others.

However, simply adding certain foods to your diet can make your weight gain efforts both healthy and more effective.

Here are 18 of the best foods to help you gain weight or add muscle, the healthy way.

Drinking homemade protein smoothies can be a highly nutritious and quick way to gain weight.

Making your own smoothies is the best way since commercial versions are often full of sugar and lack nutrients. It also gives you full control over the flavor and nutrient content.

Here are just a few tasty variations you can try. You can combine each with 2 cups (470 ml) of milk or an alternative like almond milk.

• Chocolate banana nut shake: Combine 1 banana, 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of peanut or another nut butter.
• Vanilla berry shake: Combine 1 cup (237 ml) of fresh or frozen mixed berries, ice, 1 cup (237 ml) of high-protein natural yogurt and 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein.
• Chocolate hazelnut shakes: Combine 15 ounces (444 ml) of chocolate milk with 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of hazelnut butter and 1 avocado.
• Caramel apple shake: Combine 1 sliced apple, 1 cup (237 ml) of natural yogurt, 1 scoop of caramel- or vanilla-flavored whey protein and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of sugar-free caramel sauce or flavoring.
• Vanilla blueberry shake: Combine 1 cup (237 ml) of fresh or frozen blueberries, 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein, 1 cup (237 ml) of vanilla yogurt and sweetener if needed.
• Super green shake: Combine 1 cup (237 ml) of spinach, 1 avocado, 1 banana, 1 cup (237 ml) of pineapple and 1 scoop of unflavored or vanilla whey protein.

All of these smoothies provide around 400–600 calories, along with a high amount of protein and other important vitamins and minerals.

Milk has been used as a weight gainer or muscle builder for decades (1).

It provides a good balance of proteins, carbs, and fats and is a good source of calcium, as well as other vitamins and minerals (2).

For those trying to add more muscle, milk is an excellent protein source that provides both casein and whey proteins. Research has even shown it can help you add muscle when combined with weight lifting (3, 4).

Additionally, studies have found that milk, or whey and casein combined, can lead to greater mass gain than other protein sources (4, 5).

Try drinking around one or two glasses as a snack, with a meal, or before and after a workout if you are training.

Rice is a convenient, low-cost carb source to help you gain weight. Just 1 cup (165 grams) of cooked rice provides 190 calories, 43 grams of carbs and very little fat (6).

It is also fairly calorie-dense, meaning you can easily obtain a high amount of carbs and calories from a single serving. This helps you eat more food, especially if you have a poor appetite or get full quickly.

When you’re on the go or in a rush, two-minute packs of microwavable rice can be easily added to other protein sources and pre-made meals.

Another popular method is to prepare a large pot of rice for the week and combine it with some proteins and healthy fats.

However, extremely large amounts may not be wise due to their potential arsenic and phytic acid content. Arsenic can cause toxicity and phytic acid can reduce the absorption of zinc and iron (7).

Nuts and nut butter are a perfect choice if you’re looking to gain weight.

Just one small handful of almonds contains over 7 grams of protein and 18 grams of healthy fats (8).

Since they’re very calorie-dense, just two handfuls per day with a meal or as a snack can quickly add hundreds of calories.

Nut butter can also be added to a variety of snacks or dishes, such as smoothies, yogurts and much more.

However, make sure you pick 100% nut butter with no added sugar or extra oils.

Red meats are probably one of the best muscle-building foods available.

For example, steak contains around 3 grams of leucine per 6 ounces (170 grams). Leucine is the key amino acid your body needs to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and add new muscle tissue (9).

In addition to this, red meats are one of the best natural sources of dietary creatine, which is possibly the world’s best muscle-building supplement (10).

Consider choosing fattier cuts, which provide more calories than leaner meats, helping you take in extra calories and add weight.

In one study, 100 elderly women added 6 ounces (170 grams) of red meat to their diets and performed resistance training six days a week for six weeks.

The women gained mass, had an 18% increase in strength and an increase in the important muscle-building hormone IGF-1 (11).

Both lean and fatty types of meat are a great source of protein, though fatty meat provides more calories, which can help you gain weight.

Knowledge of most of the factors associated with weight gain is important. This is because it helps one know what more they need to control in their quest for a healthy body.

WhatsApp number: +971565830067 (Just send us code 10859 and we will get back to you ASAP)
Contact Us: Click here to send us your details or fill in the form below.

You can get in touch with us 24/7 and one of our experts will not only give you a free consultation but also help you pick out an appropriate male or female personal trainer to meet your needs. One-on-one personal training lessons are available in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, and RAK.

It’s generally an excuse when you say you don’t find it easy to gain muscle through exercise. We can bet anything that its the fact that you don’t eat more and recover better to gain muscles that’s making you to lazy about.

This article takes you through the do’s and don’ts to adhere to if you’re trying to gain some weight and build muscles for skinny guys.

1. Train better, and not harder because as long as your exercises are done with heavy weights they can stimulate muscle growth with just a few exercises and activate as many muscle fibers as possible.

2. Get eight hours of sleep per night because it is crucial for the growth hormone’s release, it is also good if you can take naps as well.

3. Keep a log; try to improve by adding more weight or reps because your muscle size will always follow as your strength goes up.

4. Track your calories, strength gains, take pictures and weigh yourself weekly. It will keep you motivated if you know that you’re losing your skinny look and gaining more weight with time.

5. Do not overestimate your food, since you need to gain weight, track your calories and your daily food intake to make sure you are consuming more calories than you are burning.

6. Never train hungry, feed your system with a least three solid meats prior to training, or eat the biggest of your meals after your morning workout. Would you take your car out with an empty tank? No of course not, your car will run out of fuel on the road. Same is the case with the human body; you cannot expect to take your body through a gruelling training session on an empty stomach.

7. With much food, you wouldn’t want to go from skinny to chubby, but from skinny to muscular so get into strength training. More strength needs more training so start by doing free weights, compound exercises, and squats etcetera.

8. Perform every of your workout once per week, and rest a day between and always complete all set for one exercise before moving on to the next.

Finally, if you follow these steps, in one month you should have added 15 to 20 pounds to the squats and deadlift and like 10-15 to the bench press. In addition, you should definitely have also gained three or more pounds to your weight. If you haven’t already, then you should consider adding more calories to your daily diet.

WhatsApp number: +971 565 830 067  (Just send us code 3502 and we will get back to you ASAP)
Contact Us: Click here to send us your details or fill in the form below.

You can get in touch with us 24/7 and one of our experts will not only give you a free consultation but also help you pick out an appropriate male or female personal trainer to meet your needs. One-on-one personal training lessons are available in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman and RAK.
______________________________________________________________

[contact-form-7]

Slash your intake of sugar with our smart tips.

You’re likely eating sugar throughout the day without even realizing it. Sugar is added to foods that don’t even taste all that sweet, like breads, condiments, and sauces.  A high-sugar diet boosts your odds of tooth decay, heart disease, and diabetes, not to mention weight gain. We hope our guide will help you say no to sugar intake with these 10 simple tips.

1. Carefully Read Food Labels

You’ll quickly realize just how often sugar is added to foods when you look for it on ingredients lists. Even things that you don’t think are sweet, like tomato sauce, crackers, condiments, and salad dressings can be packed with sugar. Ingredients are listed in order of how much exists in the product, so if sugar’s near the top, that’s a red flag.

2. Learn Sugar’s Aliases

When you read food labels, you’ll need to look for more than just the word “sugar.” Sugar hides under several sneaky names, including high fructose corn syrup, dried cane syrup, invert sugar, molasses, sucrose, brown rice syrup, honey, and maple syrup. These can be listed separately on ingredients lists, so many foods, even seemingly healthy ones like yogurt and cereal, may contain three or four different types of sweetener. If several sugars appear on the label, it’s an indication that the food is less healthy than you may think.

3. Buy Unsweetened

So by now you’ve learned where sugar hides, well let’s start making changes to our diet. One strategy is to buy foods labeled “no added sugar” or “unsweetened.” You’ll find unsweetened versions of these common foods in most grocery stories: non-dairy milk like almond and soy, nut butters, applesauce, oatmeal, and canned fruit.

4. Don’t Stop Eating Sugar Altogether

Similarly known as going cold turkey on sugar isn’t really realistic for most people. Essentially cutting back slowly would in long term effects be more successful. If you normally put two packets of sugar in your coffee, for instance, try one for a week, then half, and finally add only a splash of milk. For your yogurt, mix half a serving of sweetened yogurt with half a serving of plain, and eventually move on to adding natural sweetness with fresh fruit.

 5. Protein & Fat

Unhealthy carbs loaded with sugar can cause blood sugar to rise rapidly. To minimize this rapid rise and fall, pair protein, healthy fats, and fiber with your meal, all of which can slow down the release of blood sugar in your body and keep you full for longer. Fats are a key player because they help keep you fuller for longer, therefore helping to decrease your desire for sugar. Focus on fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, and heart-healthy oils like olive oil, walnut oil, and coconut oil.

6. Be Honest

When you’re reducing your sugar intake, you may be tempted to switch to artificial sugars for your sweet fix. But resist reaching for the diet soda, sugar-free candy, and packets of fake sugar in your latte. When you eat something sweet, your body expects calories and nutrition, but artificial sugars don’t give your body those things. That may be why fake sugars are associated with weight gain and not actually weight loss.

7. Up The Flavor

When you’re out remember to order an unsweetened latte and add flavor with cocoa or vanilla powder instead of throwing in cubes of sugar. Skip the flavored oatmeal and add a sweet kick with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

8. Don’t Drink It

Avoiding soda is a good idea, but that’s not the only sugar packed drink around. Even drinks that are considered healthy can contain more of the sweet stuff than you’re supposed to have in an entire day.

9. Enjoy A Dessert Now & Again

You can still indulge in an occasional sweet treat after you resolve to slash sugar. The idea is to avoid wasting your daily sugar quota on non-dessert foods like cereals, ketchup, and bread. To avoid overdoing it, set specific rules about when you may enjoy dessert: only after dinner on the weekends or at restaurants as a special treat.

10.Stick With It!

At first, cutting down on sugar can feel like an impossible task. Eventually, though, your taste buds will adjust. Super-sweet foods like ice cream and candy will start to taste too sweet. When you could have a whole slice of cake before, now a couple bites will be enough. You’ll notice the natural sweetness in fruits and vegetables and eventually they’ll taste better too.