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 5×5 routine if you don’t know where to start. It only takes 3×45mins 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.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

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 5×5.
• 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.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

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.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

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.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

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 5×5. It takes 3×45mins 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.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

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.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

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 5×5 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 5×5: 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)

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

Skinny guys often say they can eat anything they want without gaining weight. They think they’re blessed with a fast metabolism. They’ll say: “I make women jealous with my metabolism. I can eat junk food all day without gaining weight”.

Truth is you can eat anything you want without gaining weight because you’re not eating a lot. I know you think you do, but you’re not. Otherwise you wouldn’t be skinny. Here’s how to gain weight for skinny guys.

1. Track Calories. Skinny guys often overestimate what they eat. Read the labels, use a food scale and track your daily caloric intake using FitDay. You need at least your body-weight in lbs x 20kcal daily to gain weight.

2. Set a Goal Weight. A rule of thumb is at least 1kg for each cm above 1m (use this converter). Anything less you’ll always look skinny. There’s no upper limit, if you want to weigh more go for it. Examples of minimum goal weights:

• 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

3. Eat Every 3 Hours. You need at least your body-weight in lbs x 20 kcal to gain weight. That’s 2700kcal/day if you’re 135lbs. If you have a physical job or move a lot, you’ll need even more. Eat every 3 hours.

• Breakfast. Get calories from the first hour. Read how to build the habit of eating breakfast and try these breakfast recipes.
• Lunch & Diner. Prepare double portions while making breakfast. 1 portion for work/school, 1 portion when you get back.
• Snacks. Mixed nuts, fruits, dried fruits, yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, sandwiches, milk, protein shakes, …
• Post Workout. Physical activities burn calories. Eat post workout to get that energy back. Check this post workout shake recipe.

4. Eat Calorie Dense Foods. 100g raw rice is 380kcals. 100g raw spinach is only 25kcals. Getting your daily calorie intake is easier if you eat foods high in calories. Your best options:

• Pasta. 100g pasta is 380kcal and easier to ingest than 100g rice. Whole grain pasta is healthier, but takes longer to digest. Eat white pasta.
• Whole Milk. If you don’t bother gaining some fat, drink 1 gallon whole milk per day on top of your current food intake. I’ve seen guys gaining 60lbs/year drinking 1 gallon per milk per day while Squatting 3x/week.
• Nuts. Mixed nuts & natural peanut butter have +500kcal/100g, about 50% healthy fats and 25% protein. Use mixed nuts as snack & throw peanut butter on sandwiches for work/school.
• Olive Oil. Protects against heart diseases & cancer. Sip it like vodka (it’s not that bad, really) or use it for tomato pasta sauce. 1tbsp is 100kcal.

5. Get Stronger. You want to go from skinny to muscular, not from skinny to chubby. Get into strength training. More strength is more muscle. If you don’t know where to start, check StrongLifts 5×5. Some tips.

• Free Weights. Force you to stabilize the weight and allow for natural motions. Start light, focus on technique and add weight progressively.
• Compound Exercises. Do exercises that work your whole body. Squats, Deadlifts, Overhead Press, Bench Press, Pull-ups, Dips, Barbell Row, …
• Squat. Leg exercise stressing your whole body. When you can Squat 1.5x your body-weight for 1 rep, you’ll no longer be skinny. Squat often.
• Rest. Muscle grow when you rest, not when you workout. Don’t train daily. Sleep, drink 1 gallon water daily and eat fruits/veggies.

6. Eat Protein. You need 1g protein per pound of body-weight per day to build & maintain muscle. If you weigh 150lbs/68kg, that’s 150g protein per day. Eat whole protein with each meal. Sources of protein:

• Red Meat. Ground round, steaks, deer, buffalo, …
• Poultry. Chicken breast, whole chicken, turkey, duck, …
• Fish. Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, …
• Eggs. Eat the yolk, it’s full of vitamins.
• Dairy. Milk, cottage cheese, quark, yogurt, whey, …

7. Plan. Failing to plan is planning to fail. You don’t have time to cook 3x/day, and the food at work/school is often low quality/more expensive. Prepare your food in advance and take it with you.

• Do The Grocery. Avoid skipped meals because you don’t have food available. List everything you need for 1 week and go buy it.
• Cook in Advance. Prepare all your meals once per day: while preparing breakfast or while preparing dinner. It takes about 40mins.
• Keep it Simple. Make double portions, take leftovers with you, use cans of tuna & mixed nuts, 1 gallon milk per day, …
• Take Food with You. Food containers for work/school, mixed nuts at the movies, eat before going to town, take protein shakes to the gym, …

8. Track Progress. Success breeds success. Knowing that you’re losing your skinny look will keep you motivated. Track everything.

• Track Calories. Continue tracking your daily caloric intake using FitDay so you get a confirmation of how many calories you’re eating.
• Weigh Yourself Weekly. Gaining weight? Don’t change anything. Not gaining weight? Increase your daily caloric intake by 500kcal.
• Take Pictures. The mirror is subjective. Pictures don’t lie. Shoot pictures bi-monthly so you have objective measurements of your progress.
• Track Strength Gains. When you can Squat 1.5x your body-weight for 1 rep, you’ll no more be skinny. Use the StrongLifts 5×5 spreadsheet.

Weight Gain Diet. 3500+kcal example diet for a skinny guy who wants to weigh 180lbs/81kg. This can be too much at once if you’re only 135lbs/61kg or not enough if you’re very active. Individualize the diet based on your needs.

• Breakfast: 100g oats, 50g raisins, 1scoop whey
• Snack: 100g mixed nuts or 1 liter milk or tuna sandwich
• Lunch: 200g white pasta, bolognese sause, parmesan cheese
• Snack: 100g mixed nuts or 1 liter milk or tuna sandwich
• Post workout shake: 1.5scoops whey, 60g oats, milk, banana
• Dinner: 200g white pasta, bolognese sause, parmesan cheese
• Pre bed: cottage cheese, berries, flax seed, fish oil

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

Picture above is Mariusz Pudzianowski. Polish strongman. 31 y old, 6′1″/1m85 & 315lbs/143kg. 4 times winner of World’s Strongest Man competition. Deadlifts close to 900lbs/400kg and Squats close to 800lbs/360kg.

Mariusz tested positively for performance-enhancing drugs in 2004. But taking drugs while sitting in your couch all day doesn’t make you big & strong like him. You must work hard. Here’s how to get bigger with strength training.

1. Get Stronger. Strength training forces your body out of comfort zone. Your body reacts by growing stronger & bigger. Building muscle is one of the side effects of strength training. More strength is more muscle.

Get on StrongLifts 5×5. You’ll lose the skinny look once you can Squat 1.5x & Deadlift 2x your body-weight for at least 1 rep. Your whole body will increase in size: legs from moving the weight, but also arms from squeezing the bar hard.

2. Use Compound Exercises. Exercises that hit several muscles at the same time increase the release of growth hormone. Your routine must include Squats but also Deadlifts, Overhead Press, Bench Press, Barbell Rows & Power Cleans.

Next on the list are body-weight compound exercises like Pull-ups, Chin-ups and Dips. Any other exercise is a variation of the previous ones. Remember barbells work best: you have to stabilize the weight and you can use more weight.

3. Increase Volume. Sets x reps x weight is volume. Volume forces your body to build muscle. 25 reps per exercise for a total of 4-5 exercises per workout works best for a mix of strength and size.

If you can do more exercises in 1 workout, you’re not doing the right exercises or not training hard enough. Start doing 4-5 compound exercises for 6 sets of 4 reps or 5 sets of 5 reps or 4 sets of 6 reps.

4. Add Weight. If total reps remain equal, you can only push your body out of comfort zone over & over by adding weight. Don’t lift the same weight forever. Add weight systematically. If you stall: 1 step back, 2 step forward.

5. Eat More. If you weigh 150lbs at 6′1″ and want to weigh 200lbs, strength training won’t make you gain 50lbs. You need to eat more food. Read how to gain weight without gaining fat.

If you don’t care about gaining some fat, do the Squats & Milk program. Squat 3x per week and drink 1 gallon whole milk daily. You can gain 40-60lbs per year using this method depending on how skinny you are.

If you’re 280lbs with 30% body fat, you don’t need to eat more. You already have the size, you just need to lose fat. Continue getting stronger & eating healthy. The fat will take care of itself.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

You want to gain weight, but you want this weight to be muscle and not fat. How do you do that? Fernando asked in reply to How to Lose Fat & Build Muscle At The Same Time:

I worked hard to be at 175 lbs. I have a lot of fat to lose, my body fat is 17%. I want to build muscle but I’m afraid I’ll get fatter eating 18x of my weight kcal. If I lift weights without cardio will I be able to lose fat? My diet is the following:

• 0730 eggs, whey protein and oatmeal
• 1000 peanut butter or fruit
• 1230 chicken and salad or tuna
• 1530 nuts or turkey
• 1830 steak or chicken with salad or steamed rice and beans
• 2130 turkey or nuts or peanut butter or fruit or jerky or tuna
• Protein shake before workout and post workout

Get Stronger. More strength is more muscle. Muscle burn calories, fat doesn’t. Build muscle & you’ll burn more calories, meaning a lower body fat. Follow a strength training program that includes Squats, like StrongLifts 5×5.

Eat Enough Calories. Fat is emergency storage for your body. If you don’t eat enough, your body will hold the fat. Your body also needs food to build muscle & recover from your workouts. And you of course want to gain weight.

Start at your body-weight in lbs x 18kcal. Check the balance weekly. Gaining weight? Keep eating the same amount of calories. Not gaining weight? Add 500kcal. Repeat until you have your goal weight. Use FitDay.

Eat Clean. You will gain fat by gaining weight. However you can minimize the fat gain by eating as clean as possible. I like the 90/10 or 80/20 rule: 6 days clean food, 2-3 junk meals on Sunday. Try this.

• Protein. 1g/lbs daily: steak, chicken breast, tuna, mackerel, eggs, etc.
• Whole Grain Carbs. Avoid white carbs. Eat brown rice, pasta, oats, etc.
• Healthy Fats. Olive oil, flax seeds, fish oil, etc.

Watch out with milk. Eat most carbs post & post post workout.

Cardio. I don’t like the idea of doing cardio to burn the fat: it’s hard enough for skinny guys (girls) to gain weight in the first place. 30 mins moderate intensity cardio burns about 400kcal. You’d need 400 extra kcals to gain weight.

If you eat clean, train hard, Squat & don’t increase your calorie intake too fast, you’ll gain weight without gaining too much fat. And thus won’t need cardio.

Setting Goals. 17 % body fat isn’t “a lot of fat to lose”. 10% is a natural year round body fat for a man (15% for a woman). Losing 7% body fat is easy. Don’t worry about the fat gain as long as you don’t get over 20%.

Get stronger & eat clean food. The fat will take care of itself. More strength is more muscle, more muscle is more calories burned. Once you have your goal weight, you can lose fat if necessary. One goal at a time is easier.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.