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Last week marked 100lb of bodyweight I've gained in high school so far. 90lb of that weight was gained in 2,5 years. This is proof that you can do it without getting fat, without drugs, and with average genetics (I was once one of those guys who complained that he was a freaking 'hardgainer').

StrongLifts Member Jake: from 140lb to 240lb in 2,5y, a 100lb weight gain without drugs, without getting fat, and with average "hardgainer"-like genetics.

To gain weight, it's generally recommended to aim for 5000 calories per day. Start there (or work your way up to it) and then eat more if you're not gaining fast enough. For us naturally skinny people, our appetite usually sucks. Mine still does to this day! So here are my rules to bulk up:

1. Take in lots of liquid calories! Liquids digest faster, and they're easier to consume in large amounts. I personally start the day off by mixing milk, five raw eggs and some cocoa in a blender. 4x World Strongest Man, Jon Pall Sigmarsson, was notorious for blending eggs, tuna, milk and bananas in a massive blender. Huge calories!
2. Eat breakfast! Eating breakfast gets your appetite going, and gets you in the weight gaining 'mindset' for the day. You aren't hungry in the morning? Again, start with liquid calories, and build up the amount of food (eventually adding solid food) even if you don't feel like eating. With the increased eating along with your strength increasing, it's guaranteed that you'll at least get a bit hungry in the morning.
3. Eat often! 6 meals per day is easier than 3 giant ones. Don't sleep in too late, and eat a big healthy breakfast. Sleeping in tends to kill my motivation to train and eat, and obviously gives you less time to get in your much needed calories! I don't eat at the same times every day since I don't like forcing myself to eat. Just space your meals as best you can. Whatever lets you eat the most amount of calories consistently.
4. Have protein powder on hand! Protein powder makes for a quick and easy snack, obviously high in protein and decent calories. There is no need for sugary "weight gainers". Just buy a standard whey protein and mix with whole milk.
5. Have 3 'base' foods! Sometimes it's hard to eat the same things every day, so make sure you get enough calories by loading up on 3 calorie-dense foods. Every day I eat 15 eggs per day, 5 bananas, and drink 2 litres of milk. That alone is over 3000 calories. This way I know that as long as I eat a decent lunch, and big dinner, I'll be well over 5000 calories. For you these foods might be: pasta, ground beef, rice, etc.
6. Track your calories! Most skinny guys overestimate how much they're eating. When in doubt, underestimate! I use fitday, but see #5. I can estimate how much I'm eating even if I haven't tracked all of my calories.

To touch on preparation, the weekend is the best time to make big batches of meals. Meat stew, casserole dishes, or other large meals are great to prepare over the weekend. It's also good to go out once per week to go buy the basic foods (meat, eggs, bananas, pasta, rice, potatoes). I generally live on the “see-food” diet over the weekend, much less programmed like I am during the week.

Like strength training, the success of your weight gain comes down to consistency and hard work. I don't know how many times I've been able to eat 6000 calories per day for 2 days in a row, and then just completely drop off and eat 3000 the next day. This is basically just due to getting lazy. You must always remember to make a conscious effort to gain weight, and find a way to eat as much as you can CONSISTENTLY.

That may mean that you need to eat until you're uncomfortable several times per day. This usually results in what powerlifters refer to as 'bloat'. Don't worry, you'll come to accept and enjoy it! As Dave Tate says, “no bloat... no leverage, no strength, no confidence”. I truly adhere to this saying.

Growing thick slabs of muscle all over you body is hard work. Many calories will have to be consumed in the process. But unlike what many people wish to believe, there's no “6 weeks to a better body.” Try one or two years. Be patient, work hard, be consistent, and stick to the basics.

-StrongLifts Member Jake McMillan (18y, Canada).

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This is a post by StrongLifts Member Jake McMillan (18y, Canada) current BC record holder with his 600lb Squat and 600lb Deadlift. StrongLifts Members, follow his 700lb race Squat against SL Member Greg Prince inside the StrongLifts Community. Non-Members: the StrongLifts Community is closed to new Members. To stay up to date of future openings and join over 20,948 Members, click here.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

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I might as well call this "how I got bigger and stronger." I started StrongLifts 5x5 in March 2009 at age 22 after five years of trying hard to get fit with minimal success. At 5'9", I was 162 pounds (73kg) and unsatisfied.

I'd recently survived a mugging without property loss or injury using attitude and the threat of a pocket knife. I wondered what would have happened if I hadn't had that little blade. I'd also strained my back moving into a new apartment. I never wanted to be targeted again. I never wanted to be so weak that I couldn't move my own property around. I wanted to become Big and Strong. And I wanted to do it in a safe, healthy way using a method that would work for the rest of my life. Your reasons may be different than mine. Either way we share a common goal: getting Big and Strong. My first workout I squatted the bar and felt incredibly sore the next day--trouble walking down the stairs.

Today I'm 194lb (32lb weight gain) at 5'9", can Squat 330lb, Bench Press 265lb and Deadlift 380lb. I only say this so you know I'm not just making this up or regurgitating what I've read. This worked for me. It will work for you.

First off, eliminate from your mind all traditional ideas about diet, nutrition and exercise. Obviously what you've been doing up until today hasn't worked for you. You're not satisfied, otherwise you wouldn't be here wondering how to make changes. If you keep doing the things you've always done, you'll keep getting the same results you've always had. And we don't want that. Got it?

As a chronically weak and underweight man, I've got a few recommendations for you. How to get Big and Strong:

1) Do Stronglifts 5x5. That means barbell training. Squats three times a week. Presses. Bench Press. Deadlifts. Rows. All of those. Add to the bar every workout. Read the ebook before going to the gym. Read all of the links in it. This will take you two hours if you're diligent. Take notes. Practice form. Think about it. Learn it. Know it. Live it. Love it. Do not change it until you stall on squats three times--you'll be squatting over 200 pounds at that point. Do not add exercises. Do not worry about slow growth in your arms. They will grow with time. Believe me. Once you know what it's like to lift real heavy weights you can decide if you want to add a few extra exercises at the end of your workouts.

2) EAT MORE. Aim for 1000 calories/day over what you need to maintain your current weak, flabby frame. If you start getting fat, reduce calories then. For now, do not worry about getting fat. It's not going to happen. When I was 5'9" 162 pounds and pretty weak I started eating 5000 calories a day of whole foods and whole milk and put on muscle without gaining fat.

3) No more weak meals like oatmeal and yogurt. That's what famished yoga instructors eat. If you want to be a Big Strong Man, you have to eat like a Big Strong Man. Each meal you need one SOLID source of protein. Start having 4 eggs for breakfast every day. Seriously. Have some bacon or ham with it too. If you eat grains, make them whole grains. No little kid’s size sandwiches for lunch. You need huge chicken breast + vegetables, greens and olive oil-based salad dressing for lunch. If you have a sandwich, double or triple up that meat.

4) Eat Real Food. Read Michael Pollan's books "In Defense of Food" and "The Ominvore's Dilemma" on this topic. Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. We’re trying to become big, strong and healthy here. Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store. Real food tends to be on the outer edge of the store so that it can be easily kept cool/replaced when it gets old. Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot.

5) Get your nutrients! Eat many fruits and vegetables. One fruit and one vegetable with every meal is good. Take a multivitamin and fish oil with breakfast. I also like a B-complex pill with breakfast. Which other vitamins? I don't know. They're all probably good. Just take some. Maybe they do nothing. Maybe they do a lot. From what I can tell no one really knows. But they certainly won’t hurt. Now that you’re eating more you need to be sure to get enough nutrients. You're probably covered by eating a variety of foods, but taking a couple vitamins is good insurance.

6) Between meals eat something a strong person would eat: walnuts, hard boiled eggs, apples, whey or preferably whole milk.

7) Think of eating as a part of your training. Don't make a distinction. If at least once a week--hopefully on deadlift day--you don't have an epic struggle of you vs. the bar and you vs. the plate of food, you're not training very hard.

8) Drink a lot of water. Juice won’t do much good for you so stick to water and tea. I think beer is OK in moderation. Whole milk is awesome in excess.

9) Macro-nutrient ratios are largely irrelevant unless you're trying to get very very lean (<12%bf). You can do that, but you need to build muscle first. Think of it this way: you don't chisel the marble sculpture until you have a big block of marble to work with. It took me a long time to accept this, but it's true. The only numbers you need to be concerned about are protein and total calories. Total protein should be your goal bodyweight in pounds x 1.5.

10) Consider GOMAD. It REALLY works. It's not as hard to get down or rough on your GI track as you think it might be. If you have trouble digesting milk, try goat's milk. It's easier to digest. Need money for all that food? Cut out other crap in your life or do some odd jobs for neighbors. This could serve as further motivation to get a new, better paying job. Call grandma. Just make it happen.

11) Do not skip a workout because you're sore. Go to the gym anyway. Get warmed up and if you can execute the full range of motion, it's time to lift. I've found the urg (rowing) machine for 1km works best for warming up the whole body. Lifting will help you recover by infusing blood into your muscles. If you absolutely can't do the full range of motion, and therefore can't lift to recover, eat to recover. Leave the gym and go to an all-you-can-eat Mongolian BBQ and make it an epic struggle. Then go to the gym the next day.

12) Drink coffee pre-workout and at least 1 quart (liter) of whole milk post workout. I’ve found a little caffeine really improves my motivation and intensity. Milk is great after working out from a nutritional standpoint, and you'll be thirsty anyway. It does the body good. Again, if you have digestion issues with milk, consider goat's milk. It's sold at Whole Foods in the USA. 1 quart costs less than the 12 oz protein shakes sold at my gym.

13) Get plenty of sleep. This takes real discipline and is impossible sometimes. Trust me, I often work from 7:30 am until 6 pm or later and then go to the gym. Make 8 hours/night the goal. It wont always happen but you have to try.

This will not work if you do not do StrongLifts 5x5 consistently. So do it consistently. Add to the bar every workout. Learn good form. Learn to love lifting. Learn to crave being Big and Strong. Workout with high intensity always. No excuses. Change your life. People will notice. You will notice. You will love it.

If you want to do get Big and Strong, go all the way and do it for real. Don't miss workouts. Don't ever go halfway. Don't make excuses. Make training important to you. It should be because physical strength is one of the most important things in life. You may not realize it now, but once your squat strength goes up--and it will in short order--you'll realize how much better you feel as a strong person. I say this with all sincerity.

Good luck.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Few skinny guys understand that it's all about calories. Few skinny guys realize they're vastly overestimating how much they eat. Few "hardgainers" ever took the time to carefully keep track of every single calorie they eat for a week.

Here are some helpful guidelines. They're actually imperatives.

1. Eat More.
2. Do GOMAD.
3. Track Calories.
4. Eat Frequently.
5. Wake up Early.

Eat More - The secret to gaining weight is eating more calories than your body burns. Eat like a horse, at least 4500kcal per day.

GOMAD - Liquid calories are easier than solid calories. 1 gallon of whole milk per day accounts for an extra 2400kcal. This is the fastest way to gain up to 25lbs in only 25 days like StrongLifts Member Ben and many others did.

Eat Frequently - Gaining weight is a lot easier when you eat 6 meals per day of 750kcals each than when you eat only 3 meals per day of 1500kcals.

I'll talk about waking up early tomorrow.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Nobody wants to be a fato. If your goal is to gain weight, you want that weight to be muscle, not fat. You want to gain weight while minimizing fat gains.

But how do you gain weight without gaining fat? How can you gain muscle mass while keeping your body fat low? Can you even do that? After reading this post you'll know exactly how to gain weight without gaining fat.

Top 3 Weight Gain Mistakes That Cause Fat Gains. Let's start with 3 common mistakes you must avoid to gain weight without gaining fat.

• Eating Too Much. You won't build more muscle by going from 4000kcal to 6000kcal/day vs. from 4000kcal to 5000kcal/day. But you'll gain more fat spiking calories that much since your body won't be able to follow.
• Eating Junk food. You'll get big & strong but also fat & unhealthy. You'll build bad, hard-to-break, nutritional habits. And you can become insulin resistant which makes building muscle harder in the long run.
• Eating by Feeling. If you don't track your daily calorie intake, you'll end up eating too much calories or not enough. You won't gain weight if you don't eat enough and you'll get fat if you eat too much.

The Slow Method: Gain Weight without Fat. On the slow method you increase your calorie intake slightly based on your progress. This minimizes fat gains, but unfortunately also makes weight gain slower (~1lb/week).

Tracking & controlling everything to prevent fat gains is a lot of effort too. This combined with the slow weight gain can kill your motivation. Most people who try to build muscle while losing fat, end up getting nowhere.

If you're under-weight, gain weight using a faster method like GOMAD first. Here are some minimum weights depending on you height.

• 1m70/5′7″ at least 70kg/154lbs
• 1m75/5′9″ at least 75kg/165lbs
• 1m80/5′11″ at least 80kg/176lbs
• 1m85/6′1″ at least 85kg/187lbs
• 1m90/6′3″ at least 90kg/200lbs

Once you weigh that, you'll no longer be skinny. Then you can consider the slow method if you want to weigh even more. Here's how to gain weight without gaining fat using the slow method.

1. Eat More. To gain weight, you must eat more. But you'll gain fat if you spike your caloric intake suddenly. Avoid fat gains by adding calories moderately and tracking your daily calorie intake.

• Calculate Daily Caloric Needs. Check the cunningham equation to find out how many calories you need daily to maintain your body-weight.
• Track Calories. Going by feeling leads to eating too much food or not enough. Use FitDay to know exactly how much you're eating.
• Add 500kcal/day. If you need 4000kcal/day to maintain body-weight, start eating 4500kcal/day to gain weight.

2. Eat Every 3 Hours. You won't increase your metabolism by eating every 2-3 hours. But more frequent meals will make it easier to gain weight since you can spread your calorie intake into smaller meals.

• Eat Breakfast. Build the habit of eating breakfast and try these recipes. Batch cook your meals for the day while making breakfast.
• Eat Post Workout. Eat proteins & carbs post workout to replenish your energy stores. This can be a solid meal or a post workout shake.
• Eat 6 Meals/Day. Eat 6 smaller meals each day instead of 3 large ones. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, pre-bed and 2 snacks.

3. Eat Carbs Post Workout. Rule of thumb to gain weight without fat is to eat 1,5g starchy carbs per pound of body-weight per day (300g if you're 200lbs). Best within 4h post workout, when your body is most sensitive to insulin.

• Carbs Post Workout. Proteins & carbs directly post workout. Example: oats, milk, banana. Chocolate milk works too and tastes awesome.
• Carbs Post Post Workout. Proteins & carbs within 90mins post workout. Solid meal. Example: pasta, ground round, tomato sauce.
• Optional: Carbs on Waking Up. If you struggle to get all your starchy carbs post workout, have some on waking up too.

4. Eat Whole Foods. These foods are unprocessed and unrefined and come as close as possible to their natural state. 90% of your diet must consist of whole foods to avoid fat gains. Examples:

• Proteins: ground round, tuna cans, whole eggs, chicken breast, ...
• Fats: olive oil, fish oil, real butter, mixed nuts, avocado, ...
• Starchy Carbs: brown rice, oats, quinoa, brown pasta, ...
• Fruits & Veggies: bananas, apples, spinach, broccoli, ...

5. Avoid Junk Food & Alcohol. If you eat 6 healthy meals per day, you can have 4 junk meals per week without gaining fat (it can actually help fat loss). More will harm your progress. Limit junk food & alcohol consumption.

• Packaged Snacks. Chips, cakes, cookies, crackers, sugar coated nuts, …
• Processed Meats. Hot dogs, bologna, sausages, lunch meats, …
• Calorie Beverages. Soft drink, sweet tea, fruit juices, kool aids, ...
• Pre-made Meals. Frozen meals, cans of ravioli, pizzas, …
• Deep Fried Foods. French fries, fish sticks, fried seafood, …
• Junk Food. Ice cream, Mc Donalds, kebab, …
• Alcohol. Glass of wine with dinner is OK. Case of natural light isn't.
• And More. Bagels, margarine, sugary breakfast cereals, …

Read why healthy nutrition important.

6. Get Stronger. Without strength training, eating more will make you gain fat rather than muscle. Strength training will give your body the stimulus to build muscle and will also help you stick to your diet.

• Heavy Compounds. Do free weight exercises that work several muscles at the same time with heavy weights. Exercises like Squats & Deadlifts.
• Progressive Loading. Lifting the same weight over & over doesn't give your body a reason to grow. Increase the weight systematically.
• Correct Technique. Parallel Squats stress your body more than Partial Squats. Use proper technique for maximal results.

Check the StrongLifts 5x5 routine if you don't know where to start. It only takes 3x45mins per week. Read also the success stories.

7. Track Progress. You must eat more to gain weight. But if you eat too much, you'll also gain fat. To minimize fat gains while ensuring you're gaining weight, you must adapt your daily caloric intake based on your progress.

• Personal Stats. Weigh yourself and measure your body fat with a fat caliper weekly. Full body pictures front/back/side every 2 weeks.
• Strength Stats. They must go up over time to support the weight gain. Keep a training journal. You can do this for free in the forum.
• Adapt Caloric Intake. Gaining fat? Lower your daily calorie intake by 250kcal. Gaining weight, but not fat? Keep doing what works.

Example Weight Gain Meal Plan. Let's say you're at 4000kcal maintenance. You want to gain weight without gaining fat. So let's go with 4500kcal/day. Here's how your meal plan could look like:

• Breakfast: whole eggs, spinach, orange
• Snack: cottage cheese, apple
• Lunch: tuna, salad, olive oil
• Snack: mixed nuts, banana
• Post Workout: oats, milk, banana
• Dinner: pasta, ground round, tomato sauce
• Pre Bed: cottage cheese, berries, ground flax seeds

Read also this forum discussion on gaining weight without gaining fat.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Myths. Gaining weight is all about eating more than you're doing now. I know you think you eat a lot, but you don't. Otherwise you wouldn't be skinny. Your metabolism & genetics have nothing to do with it. Read on.

8 Reasons Why Hardgainers Can't Gain Weight. Let's start with the 8 most common mistakes hardgainers make when trying to gain weight.

1. Lack of Food. Track your daily calorie intake using fitday. You'll see that you're not eating as much as you think you are.
2. Wrong Food Choices. Foods like salad & spinach are healthy but won't make you gain weight. You need calorie dense foods like pasta & nuts.
3. Too Much Activity. A very physical job will burn much of the calories you eat. Without massive amounts of food, you'll never gain weight.
4. Training Wrong. You won't gain weight doing isolation exercises like Curls. But you will with compound exercises like Squats & Deadlifts.
5. Avoiding Fat Gains. Gaining weight without gaining fat is slow & hard. Usually it leads nowhere. Better: gain weight first, then lose the fat.
6. No Consistency. No approach will work if you miss workouts, neglect to meet your daily caloric needs and change your approach all the time.
7. Limiting Beliefs. You believe you have bad genetics, a fast metabolism and that you'll always be skinny because everyone else is in your family.
8. No Faith. You've given up all hope because everything you tried failed. You believe you'll be skinny the rest of your life.

How to Gain Weight For Hardgainers. Eat more, eat the right foods, train hard, believe you can do it and most of all be consistent. To gain weight:

• Set Goal Weight. Rule of thumb: 1kg for each cm above 1m. Check this table for example goal weights based on your height.
• GOMAD. Drink 1 US gallon (4 liters) of whole milk each day. Every single day, no matter what. Read the GOMAD guide for more info.
• Eat Every 3 Hours. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, post workout and 2 snacks. Prepare your food in advance so you don't skip meals.
• Eat +5000kcal/day. How much calories you need depends upon the individual. But 5000kcal/day will make most hardgainers gain weight.
• Use Fitday. Track everything you eat so you have accurate feedback on your daily caloric intake. Eat +5000kcal each day, no matter what.
• Get Stronger. Increase your Squat to 1.5x your body-weight for at least 1 rep. With hips going lower than knees. Check Stronglifts 5x5.
• Track Results. Take pictures front/side/back, measure body fat using a fat caliper and weigh yourself every 2 weeks. Keep a training log.
• Believe. You're not a hardgainer. You were just not eating enough and eating the wrong foods. You'll do it right this time.
• Be Consistent. Eat 5000kcal every single day and never skip workouts. Persist until you've achieved your goal weight.

For “Stubborn” Hardgainers. If you're really active, doing a very physical job or commuting to work with your bike each day for 20miles, then 5000kcal per day might not be enough for you to gain weight.

Solution: eat more. Keep using Fitday and weigh yourself every 2 weeks. If you don't gain weight with 5000kcal/day, eat 6000kcal/day. Still not gaining weight: 7000kcal/day. Still not? 8000kcal/day.

It's a lot of food, but once you're used to 5000kcal/day, 6000kcal will be easy. Same when going from 6000 to 7000kcal/day. Read Bluestreak's story: he ate 9000kcal on some days. Result: 25lbs weight gain in 25 days.

Best Foods to Gain Weight. Calorie dense foods are the best ones for weight gain. Go to NutritionData and search for calorie dense foods. Here are some of the best foods your weight gain diet should include:

• Whole Milk. Rich in proteins, saturated fats & carbs. GOMAD gets you 2400kcals/day. Whole milk is the best food to gain weight fast.
• Pasta. 250G pasta equals 1000kcal. Pasta is easier to eat than rice or oats. Although less healthy, white pasta is even easier to eat.
• Mixed Nuts. Can be expensive but 500kcal/100g, lots of protein to build muscle and easy to take with you. Peanut butter also works.
• Bananas. The only fruit that really works to gain weight is the banana. Apples come second. Go heavy on bananas.

Meal Plan for Hardgainers. 1 gallon of whole milk and 500g pasta totals for 4500kcal. Eat every 3 hours and you'll easily get 5000kcal/day. Here's an example weight gain diet. It's repetitive but simple & efficient.

• Breakfast: whole eggs, veggies, orange, green tea.
• Snack: 1 liter whole milk, mixed nuts, banana.
• Lunch: 250g pasta, tomato sauce, ground round.
• Snack: 1 liter whole milk, mixed nuts, apple.
• Post Workout: 1 liter whole milk, oats, banana.
• Dinner: 250g pasta, tomato sauce, ground round.
• Pre bed: cottage cheese, berries, ground flax seeds, 1 liter whole milk.

If you were only eating 2000kcal/day before: persist. It gets easier each day. If you really struggle: build up to it. Start with ¼ gallon whole milk the 1st week and add ¼ gallon each week. You'll be drinking 1 gallon in week 4.

Eat like that for 3 months and train hard and you'll realize that you're not a hardgainer. There's no way you won't gain weight if you do the above. Be consistent and you'll get rid of your skinny look forever.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

The Wrong Way: Low Fat & Skimmed Milk. Fat doesn't make you fat. Your body holds fat when you don't get enough. Doing GOMAD with lower fat milk won't prevent fat loss and will limit your weight gain.

• Less Calories. Low fat & skimmed milk contain less calories since they're lower in fat. You'll have to eat more to fill the gap which is hard since you're still drinking 1 gallon milk a day and this fills your stomach.
• Less Saturated Fat. Saturated fats increase testosterone levels which helps building muscle & strength. Whole milk is richest in saturated fat.

It's milk's carb content which promotes fat gain by spiking insulin. This hormone causes proteins to rush into your muscles, but also tells your body to store fat. You won't prevent fat gains by drinking low fat or skimmed milk.

The Right Way to Minimize Fat Gains. Again: you won't gain more than 2-3% body fat per month. So max 6% fat gain since you shouldn't need more than 2 months to gain weight using GOMAD. Tips to limit fat gains:

• Eat Healthy. Eat whole, unprocessed foods 90% of the time. Limit junk food intake to 10% of the time. Apply the 8 nutrition rules.
• Eat Carbs Post Workout Only. GOMAD is rich in carbs and these cause fat gains. Limit your intake of other carbs like oats, rice or pasta to post workout only. Rest of day: proteins, healthy fats, fruits, veggies & milk.
• Add Cardio. Cardio will slow down your weight gain but won't prevent it if you eat +5000kcal/day. Do long duration cardio post workout. Start with 15mins and add 1min each workout until you're at 45mins.

Expect 2-3% fat gain per month doing GOMAD. You'll reach your target weight within 1-2 months, so you won't gain more than 6% body fat. If you're skinny, you most likely don't carry much body fat, so some extra won't hurt.

But if you're the skinny + fat type, realize gaining weight without gaining fat is slow & hard. Usually it leads to nothing. It's easier to lose fat with the added muscle mass & strength from the weight gain.

Gain weight first, then lose the fat by keep getting stronger and applying the 8 nutrition rules. For a practical example of this, read Bluestreak's Story.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

The secret to GOMAD's efficiency is the combination of proteins, saturated fats, carbs & high calories. You won't find another food that gives the same combo. Here are 7 GOMAD alternatives you think will work but won't.

1. Low Fat & Skimmed Milk. You won't prevent fat gains by using low fat or skimmed milk. Whole milk gives best results and tastes better.

• Less Saturated Fat. Whole milk is richer in saturated fats which increase your testosterone levels, a muscle building hormone.
• Less Calories. You lose 400 to 1000kcal a day with lower fat milks. You'll have to eat more to get your calories, hard since milk fills your stomach.
• Won't Prevent Fat Gains. The high carb content in milk spikes insulin. This is what promotes fat gains, not its fat content.

2. Soy Milk. Doing GOMAD with soy milk because you're lactose intolerant or vegetarian or vegan won't work neither. 3 reasons:

• Less Calories. 1 gallon soy milk contains 1600kcal. 1 gallon whole milk 2400kcal. You need an extra 200g pasta per day to fill the gap.
• No Saturated Fat. Thus no increased testosterone levels which would otherwise help muscle & strength gains.
• High in Estrogen. Small quantities soy like they do in Asia: OK. 1 gallon soy milk a day: potentially dangerous. Read the whole soy story.

3. Weight Gainers. Make your own weight gainer: oats, milk, peanut butter, bananas, etc. Stay away from weight gainers from supplement companies.

• Promote Fat Gains. Weight gainers are processed foods full of sugars. They'll make you gain more fat than milk and will make you feel bloated.
• Expensive. Whole milk is cheaper than a weight gainer. Read this post which compares a weight gainer with whole milk.

4. Milk Chocolate. Tastes better than whole milk and contains more calories, so you don't have to drink as much milk. But, the higher calorie intake comes from sugars which will get you fatter than whole milk.

Milk chocolate is also more expensive and less rich in proteins, fats, vitamins & minerals. If you want to make your milk more tasty: add chocolate whey or just keep drinking milk. Your taste will adapt.

5. Plain Fat Free Yogurt. High in carbs, low in saturated fats, low in protein. Solid food is harder to digest than liquid food. Yogurt doesn't work.

6. Olive Oil. High calorie, but zero protein, zero carbs and zero saturated fat. You'll upset your stomach eating that much fat and this just isn't tasty.

7. Peanut Butter. 1 jar contains 3000kcal, less carbs than milk, lots of protein and it can be cheaper than 1 gallon of whole milk. However:

• Less Saturated Fat. 1 jar contains 50g saturated fat vs. 80g in whole milk. So less testosterone increase to help building muscle & strength.
• High Fat. Fat satiates and makes you full longer. Solid food is harder than liquid. You'll need water next to you after a dozen tablespoons.
• Toxic Food. Many people have allergies to peanuts. No problem in small quantities, but 1 jar a day can trigger allergic reactions.

Yes you can gain weight using any of the above 7 GOMAD alternatives. But you won't gain weight as fast & easily as with GOMAD. Feel free to experiment but please report your results in the forum.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

1. Not Drinking GOMAD. GOMAD stands for Gallon of Milk A Day. You won't gain 25lbs in 25 days if you only drink 1/2 or 1/4 gallon of whole milk a day. For best results, you need 1 gallon whole milk a day on top of your food intake.

If you're really skinny and struggle to get your food in, then you can build up to 1 gallon a day by starting with 1/2 or 1/4 gallon a day. Realize though that this weight gain approach is slower. Switch to GOMAD asap.

2. Not Drinking GOMAD Consistently. GOMAD doesn't work if you drink 1 gallon of whole milk 3 days out of 7. GOMAD also doesn't work if you drink 1 gallon of whole milk on your training days only.

It's what you've done at the end of the day, month, year that matters. Buy 7 gallons of whole milk each week. Drink 1 gallon a day, every day, until you've reached your goal weight. Consistency is key if you want GOMAD to work.

3. Not Drinking Whole Milk. You won't prevent fat gains by drinking fat free or skimmed or half-skimmed milk. It's the carb content in milk that causes fat gains by spiking insulin. Drink whole milk.

• Calories. Half-skimmed/skimmed/low fat milk makes you lose 400/800/1000kcal per day. You'll have to make up the difference in food, which will be hard since milk already fills your stomach.
• Saturated Fat. Whole milk tastes better since it's rich in saturated fats. These increase your testosterone levels (muscle building hormones).

4. Not Drinking Milk. Every now & then, someone on the forum comes up with an alternative to GOMAD. Thinking it will be better than the approach that has been around since years. Some alternatives that won't work:

• Soy Milk. Less calories and potentially dangerous when taken in excess — as in 1 gallon per day. Read the whole soy story.
• Peanut Butter. Solid food is harder to eat than liquid. Peanut butter also contains no saturated fats for testosterone levels.
• Weight Gainers. Full of sugars which will make you gain fat. Also more expensive than whole milk. Read this post.

It's not just about the calories. The combo protein, saturated fat & carbs is key to GOMAD. You only get this by drinking full fat whole milk.

5. Caring About Fat Gains. Because you want to gain weight without gaining fat. Or because you're skinny, used to be fat and now fear getting fat again.

People who want to gain weight without gaining fat usually get nowhere. Gain weight first. The added strength & muscle mass will make it easier to lose fat afterwards.

6. Whining. Bloating, diarrhea, acne, sleepiness, ... Yes GOMAD has side-effects. This isn't meant to be easy. Focus on the positive: your weight gain. You won't be doing GOMAD for more than 1-2 months and it gets easier every day.

7. Not Eating On Top of GOMAD. GOMAD accounts for 2400kcal. You won't gain weight if you drink GOMAD without eating on top of it.

• Eat Breakfast. Gets you calories from the first hour and sets the tone for the rest of the day. Build the habit of eating breakfast.
• Eat Every 3 Hours. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, post workout, pre-bed and 2 snacks. Prepare your food in advance so you don't miss meals.
• Use Fitday. You're skinny because you don't eat enough but think you do. Track everything using fitday. Aim for at least 5000kcal/day.

8. Not Squatting. If you don't Squat, you're not training. No matter what you're excuse is. GOMAD works best when you combine it with Squats. Lots of Squats and heavy Squats. These give your body the stimulus to build muscle.

If you don't know where to start: check StrongLifts 5x5. It takes 3x45mins per week. Make sure you're not missing workouts. GOMAD without lifting will make you gain fat, especially belly fat.

Most importantly: stop making excuses. You don't have money: find money or earn more. You tried GOMAD 1 day and it was hard: persist, it gets easier each day. You can't do it: others have done it before, so can you.

The only thing that really prevents you to get where you want, is you. Stop making excuses, follow GOMAD as laid out and make it happen.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

What follows is a list of things you might experience on GOMAD. I write "might" since much of this is individual: you won't necessarily experience everything in this post. Just know that if you do: it's normal. So stick with it.

Fat Gains. Expect 2-3% fat gain per month on GOMAD. You won't need to do GOMAD for more than 1-2 months to get your goal weight. So you'll gain 6% body fat at most. Keep these 3 points in mind:

• You're doing GOMAD because you're skinny & under-weight. Your body fat is low and you have room for some extra. Even if you're the skinny + fat type, you should ignore the fat gains for now.
• Gaining weight without fat is hard & slow. Those who try this usually get nowhere. Gain weight first, then focus on fat loss. It's easier to lose fat with the added muscle mass & strength from the weight gain.
• You'll lose most of the fat gained when you stop GOMAD. Simply apply the 8 nutrition rules and keep getting stronger. You'll lose fat without losing weight. Read Bluestreak's story.

Don't make the mistake of using low fat or half-skimmed milk. The fat gains on GOMAD come from its high carb content which spikes insulin, not from the fat content. You need the saturated fat & calories from whole milk.

Bloating. Cause: you weren't eating much before. Bloating will go away if you persist with GOMAD. Your body will adapt. 2 tips in the meanwhile:

• Spread Your Milk Intake. 1/4 gallon at breakfast, 1/4 gallon at lunch, 1/4 gallon post workout, 1/4 gallon at dinner.
• Increase Milk Intake Slowly. 1/4 gallon of whole milk a day the 1st week. 2/4 gallon the 2nd week. 3/4 gallon the 3rd week. 1 gallon in week 4. This gives your body time to adapt, but gains will be slower.

Diarrhea. Lactase breaks down the lactose in milk in your stomach. If lactase is unavailable, milk will make you sick. You'll get cramps, bloating, gas & diarrhea. This is called lactose intolerance.

If things don't improve after 1-2 weeks, take lactase pills. They're as efficient as lactaid milk, but cheaper. How much lactase you need varies. Most people need 16 pills for 1 gallon of whole milk. Take the pills with your milk.

Acne. This is caused by the increase in testosterone levels from the saturated fat content in milk. If not: you're allergic to dairy. You won't do GOMAD for more than 1-2 months so stick with it. 3 tips meanwhile:

• Eat Healthy. Eat whole, unprocessed food 90% of the time. Limit your junk food consumption. Apply the 8 nutrition rules.
• Take Fish Oil. Reduces inflammation, including skin inflammation. Eat fatty fish like salmon, mackerel or sardines and consider fish oil.
• Take Zinc. The most important skin nutrient. Most people are zinc deficient. Take a zinc supplement, at least 30mg per day.

Sleepiness. Milk is high in carbs. Carbs increase the release of serotonin. This can cause sleepiness & tiredness. Remember they told you to drink warm milk before going to bed? This is why.

Solution: spread your milk intake through the day and limit your carb intake to post workout only the rest of the day. So pasta, rice, oats, breads, ... post workout. Rest of the day veggies, fruits, proteins, healthy fats & milk.

Lowered Appetite. Milk fills your stomach. You'll struggle to eat on top of the milk the first days or weeks.

• Eat First, Milk After. If you're drinking milk with your meals, eat your meal before you drink the milk.
• Spread Your Milk Intake. Drinking 1 gallon of milk at once is harder. So spread your milk intake through the day.
• Persist. This is like building the habit of eating breakfast. The only way to get used to it, is by doing it. Drink your gallon no matter what.

Milk Cravings. After a few weeks GOMAD you'll start craving for milk. You'll also be more hungry than before. Drinking your daily gallon of whole milk will be easy, even though you're eating every 3 hours on top of it.

This is why GOMAD gives permanent gains: milk teaches you to eat more. You'll never be skinny again. Avoid fat gains by applying the 8 nutrition rules..

There's no something for nothing. GOMAD has side effects, but you should focus on the positive: your weight gain. You won't do GOMAD for the rest of your life, only for 1-2 months max. So stop whining and do it.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

To gain weight you must eat more than you're doing now. But if you're skinny and struggle to gain weight, you know that eating more can be hard. You may feel like throwing up every time you try to eat more.

Luckily there's an easy, fast & cheap way to gain weight naturally: GOMAD. Any "hard gainer" will gain weight drinking 1 US Gallon Of Milk A Day. This article will teach you how to gain weight with GOMAD.

Benefits of GOMAD. GOMAD stands for Gallon Of Milk A Day. GOMAD is a weight gain method that has been going around since years. Some benefits of drinking 1 US gallon (4 liters) of whole milk daily:

• Weight Gain. 25lbs weight gain during the 1st month is common on GOMAD. Read the GOMAD success stories, especially Bluestreak's.
• Strength Gain. The protein & fat content in whole milk helps muscle & strength gains. The weight gain also helps strength gains.
• Easy. Liquid food is easier to get in than solid food and digests faster. Milk also needs zero preparation and is easy to take with you.
• Cheap. 1 gallon whole milk contains 2400kcal, 200g carbs, 120g fat, 120g protein and lots of vitamins & minerals for a relative low price.
• Natural. Some say that GOMAD works even better than steroids with beginners who want to gain weight fast.
• Permanent Gains. GOMAD teaches you to get more calories in, the key to weight gain. You'll never be skinny again.

Why GOMAD Works. GOMAD equals 2400kcal. Eat every 3 hours and you'll get 5000kcals/day. Eating this much will make most "hard gainers" gain weight. But GOMAD is not just about its high calorie intake.

• High Protein. You need protein to build muscle & prevent muscle loss. 1 gallon of whole milk contains 120g protein. 20% whey, 80% casein.
• Saturated Fat. Increases testosterone levels, which means more muscle & strength. Don't believe the cholesterol myths: saturated fat is healthy.
• High Carb. The dextrose in whole milk spikes insulin, a muscle building hormone which tells your body to move the proteins into your muscles.

Is GOMAD Safe? Yes. Or we wouldn't feed babies milk. And even if milk wasn't safe, you won't do GOMAD the rest of your life. Once you got your goal weight - within 1-2 months - it's back to a regular diet.

• Cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol doesn't affect blood cholesterol. Your body produces more cholesterol than you can consume.
• Kidney Stones. You can find studies showing that a high dietary calcium intake decrease the risk for kidney stones. It doesn't increase it.

Should You Do GOMAD? If you're skinny or under-weight: yes. No matter what your body fat is. You should weigh at least 1kg for each cm above 1m. Anything less you'll always look skinny. Some goal weights depending on your height:

• 1m70/5"7" at least 70kg/154lbs
• 1m75/5"9" at least 75kg/165lbs
• 1m80/5"11" at least 80kg/176lbs
• 1m85/6"1" at least 85kg/187lbs
• 1m90/6"3" at least 90kg/200lbs

Note that these aren't ideal weights but minima. If you want to weigh more, go for it. Best is to aim for 10lbs/5kg more to make sure. As always: age & gender are irrelevant, GOMAD works for everyone.

If you're skinny + fat: gain weight first, then lose fat. It's easier to lose fat once you've gained weight: you've got more strength, more muscle mass, ... People who want to gain weight without gaining fat usually get nowhere.

Which Milk to Use for GOMAD. Don't waste your time with low fat, skimmed or half-skimmed milk. They're lower in saturated fats & calories and won't give the same results. Go with whole milk, it also tastes better.

• Whole Milk. Full fat milk which contains 3-4% fat. Alternative names: full cream milk or homo milk.
• 3-4% fat. Check the nutrient data on the whole milk you buy. It should contain 3-4g fat, 3g protein & 5g carbs per 100ml.
• 2400 Calories. Whole milk contains 60kcals per 100ml. This accounts for 2400kcals when you drink 1 gallon whole milk.

Pasteurized, UHT or raw? These processing methods don't matter as long as you're drinking whole milk. If you're lactose intolerant: take lactase pills. They're as efficient as lactaid milk, but cheaper.

How to Do GOMAD. GOMAD won't work if you drink 1 gallon of milk 3 days out of 7, skip workouts and neglect eating. Be consistent!

• 1 US Gallon Milk Daily. Equals 4 liters. Spread your intake. Example: 1/4 at breakfast, 1/4 at lunch, 1/4 post workout, 1/4 at dinner.
• Eat Every 3 Hours. Eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, pre-bed and post workout. Milk as snack is ok. Don't be hungry: eat your stomach full.
• Squat. Lifting weights gives your body the stimulus to build muscle. Squat a lot. Check StrongLifts 5x5 if you don't know where to start.
• Track Progress. Take pictures front/back/side, track body fat using a fat caliper and weigh yourself every 2 weeks. Keep a training log.
• Use Fitday. Unless you're very active, you'll need about 5000kcals/day to gain weight. You'll get this doing GOMAD + eating every 3 hours.

Do GOMAD until you got your goal weight. Best is to aim for 10lbs/5kg extra just to make sure. If you're consistent you won't need to do GOMAD more than 1-2 months to get your goal weight.

How to Make GOMAD Easier. If you're 110lbs/55kg GOMAD will be hard at first. You might feel bloated. Solution is similar to StrongLifts 5x5: start light and add milk progressively.

• Week 1: eat every 3 hours, apply the 8 nutrition rules.
• Week 2: eat every 3 hours + ¼ gallon whole milk a day
• Week 3: eat every 3 hours + ½ gallon whole milk a day
• Week 4: eat every 3 hours + ¾ gallon whole milk a day
• Week 5: eat every 3 hours + 1 gallon whole milk a day

This gives your body time to adapt. Drawback: weight gain is slower since it takes 4 weeks before you're drinking 1 gallon of whole milk daily.

Example GOMAD Meal Plan. Spread your milk intake through the day. If you have milk with meals: eat first, drink the milk after. Eat your stomach full on each meal and make sure you eat every 3 hours.

• Breakfast: eggs, veggies, orange, green tea.
• Snack: 1 liter milk, mixed nuts, banana
• Lunch: chicken breast, mixed veggies, peer
• Snack: 1 liter milk, mixed nuts, apple
• Post workout: 1 liter milk, oats, banana
• Dinner: ground round, pasta, tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese
• Pre bed: 1 liter milk, berries, ground flax seeds, cottage cheese

Room temperature milk isn't tasty. Buy thermoses, fill them with cold water for 5mins, then drain them and fill them with milk. Milk is 87% water so you won't need to drink that much water on top of your daily gallon of whole milk.

Once You're Done GOMAD. Stop GOMAD once you've reached your goal weight. This shouldn't take you more than 1-2 months if you're consistent. Things you can expect when stopping GOMAD:

• Fat Loss. You'll gain 2-3% fat per month on GOMAD. When you stop GOMAD: follow the 8 nutrition rules and keep getting stronger. Your body fat will decrease, but your body-weight won't change.
• Weight Loss. 1 gallon of whole milk a day means lots of carbs. Carbs bind to water. Expect weight loss when stopping GOMAD: water loss. That's why you should aim for 10lbs/5kg extra as goal weight.
• Increased Hunger. You'll be more hungry than before. This is your body telling you to eat to maintain your increased body-weight.

You can keep drinking milk if you want after stopping GOMAD. Just know that if fat loss is your goal, best is to drink milk post workout only.

Note that GOMAD is not the only way to gain weight. But it's definitely the most efficient way to make anyone gain weight fast naturally. Read:

• Bluestreak's Story: 25lbs in 25 Days
• GOMAD Success Stories

More on GOMAD. More articles about GOMAD on StrongLifts.com:

• GOMAD: First Week Experiences & Side Effects
• 8 Common GOMAD Mistakes You Must Avoid
• 7 GOMAD Alternatives You Think Will Work But Won’t
• How to Minimize Fat Gains on GOMAD (and How NOT to)

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.