How to Gain Weight for Skinny Guys (with Meal Plan)

Apr 28th, 2008 by Mehdi Tags: Build Muscle, Nutrition

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Gain Weight Skinny Guys
Image credit: kelco & robbymacklem

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′5″ at least 70kg/154lbs
1m75/5′7″ at least 75kg/165lbs
1m80/5′9″ 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, 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, you’ll no longer be skinny. Keep a training log in StrongLifts.com forum.

Meal Plan. 3500+kcal diet for someone 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

Tired of the way you look? You want to build muscle & lose fat while getting stronger? Click here to download my 52 pages 100% FREE eBook.

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39 Responses to “How to Gain Weight for Skinny Guys (with Meal Plan)”

on 28 Apr 2008 at 4:45 pm1Harsh

HI Mehdi,

A nice post, its in a very easy to follow format. But unfortunately I am a chubby guy looking to lose weight. It would be really useful if u wrote a similar article for fatloss
on 28 Apr 2008 at 4:56 pm2thenonhacker

“I can eat junk food all day without gaining weight” — That’s why I hate these ectomorphs. They can eat Chips Ahoy Double Fudge along with with Lay’s BBQ Potato Chips, some Oreos and Fig Newton’s and still don’t get fat.
on 28 Apr 2008 at 5:21 pm3Josh

I weigh 191 pounds and started to seriously strength train 3/1/08 I tell people I’m trying to get to 220 pounds and they say I’m crazy, my response is no, I’m a BEAST! Thanks for the incredible info keep up the good work.
on 28 Apr 2008 at 6:32 pm4Andrew

Thanks Mehdi. I’m 5′9 and weigh 145 pounds. I’ve been doing the dumbbell 5×5 program for about 3 weeks now without any noticeable loss or gain in muscle or fat, but I’ve noticed my pullups and chinups have increased massively.

I’m also able to do unguided handstand pushups for the first time ever.

I’m sure if I stay on your program (I’m switching to the Regular Stronglifts 5×5 next week), I’ll get some really nice improvements, considering I’m drinking 2 protein shakes a day and about 3-4 glasses of milk daily on top of a diet full of whole-grain carbs and lots of vegetables. I also eat a lot of salmon so I’m getting my fish oils and healthy fats.

Kudos Mehdi for such a great site. I hope to be the poster-boy for your Stronglifts program in about a year. I’ll send along pictures ;).
on 28 Apr 2008 at 6:38 pm5bigwhat62

to Harsh

you can follow the same plan for the “skinny” guys. you eat clean and you lift, you will lose the chubby. check out the forum, lots of topics in diet.

Good article Mehdi.
on 28 Apr 2008 at 7:19 pm6Andrew is getting fit

Hehehe…if only I had this problem!
on 28 Apr 2008 at 7:22 pm7Brock

Is it just the angle/pants, or are Ivan Stoitsov’s quads way over-developed? His upper body looks seriously ripped but the muscles are balanced well against each other, where his legs don’t. Is that just me?
on 28 Apr 2008 at 7:56 pm8Mike

I’ve gained about 20lbs so far after realizing I wasn’t eating enough. I started doing more squats and eating a lot more after finding this blog. Hope to gain even more weight and strength!
on 28 Apr 2008 at 7:57 pm9Vidar Hokstad

I’m 6′2, and currently around 92kg, and I add weight if I go above about 2200-2500kcal. To lose weight I need to stick around an average of 1800kcal a day when I lift weights 3 times a week. When I try losing weight, I need to write down everything I eat, because it takes next to nothing for me to wipe out a weeks losses.

On the other hand a guy I used to work with was skinny as a board, and couldn’t go more than a couple of hours without getting hungry, and in no way did he eat small portions - he’d guzzle down junk food like there was no tomorrow.

In other words, this is highly individual, and while I’m sure you’re right that some people overestimate what they’re eating, I’d be highly surprised if that was the case for all.
on 28 Apr 2008 at 8:13 pm10Young Athlete

:O I have gained 20 pounds and am only 35 pounds away from not looking sinny :P.

Nice post
on 28 Apr 2008 at 8:35 pm11hemram4u

I like this part …”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”

NO UPPER LIMIT!! That’s nice
on 29 Apr 2008 at 1:20 am12ukdude

You say when we are able to squat 1.5x our bodyweight. Does that mean 1 time, or 5×5?
on 29 Apr 2008 at 1:53 am13Mike OD - IF Life

Good article. For those looking to gain….as they say if it’s not working then you need to just:
- Eat More
- Workout Less
- Sleep
That is where you just need to focus as lifting heavy 2x a week and eating enough quality foods will put on plenty of muscle…as it grows when you are NOT working out. Most people don’t eat enough, workout 5x a week and get 4 hours of sleep and then wonder why they are not making gains. Stick to the basics, worked 100 years ago…works today.
on 29 Apr 2008 at 2:51 am14yardbird

I’ll vouch for this plan 100%. I’m 6′2″, and 18 months ago weighed 145lbs. Just learning to eat more got me to 165lbs, but having started Strong Lifts 5×5 in January, I’ve gained up to 180lbs and still have a 6pack. The key for me was consuming a huge early breakfast, keeps me hungry all day. For all you really skinny guys, don’t be surprised if you start getting into the 3-4k calories a day range. Now to get back to eating
on 29 Apr 2008 at 9:41 am15Mehdi

@Brock
Most Olympic Weight lifters have legs that are over developped in comparison to their upper-body. Jerk is explosive movement that doesn’t build lots of muscle compared to a strict press.

@ukdude
1.5x your body-weight for at least 1 rep. If you can do it for 5 reps or 5×5, even better, but it will take longer.
on 29 Apr 2008 at 12:11 pm16Jimbo

Slightly off topic but, with regards to the “eat your body weight in lbs x 20 in calories”, should an overweight person eat their body weight in lbs x 20, or their lean mass x 20? I’m about 50 lbs overweight and I don’t understand why I would have to eat that extra 1000 calories when I’m trying to lose fat and build muscle.
on 29 Apr 2008 at 12:49 pm17John

Ivan’s legs are only “overdeveloped” compared to all of the top-heavy, chicken-legged folks we all see every day at the gym and elsewhere. Far too many people simply refuse to work their legs as hard as they work their pet parts (biceps, chest, abs)–if they work legs at all. Look at any sprinter, Oly lifter, or bodybuilder and you’ll see that when the legs are properly developed, they appear to be proportionately larger than the upper body.
on 29 Apr 2008 at 6:30 pm18Radek Pilich

Jimbo: Did you forgot to read the title of this article? “How to Gain Weight for Skinny Guys” - obviously not your case. You should eat 16x of your desired bodyweight to loose fat. But don’t go all the way to the minimum if you’re 50lbs overweight. Anyway, as Mehdi recommended, you have to take a record of your diet, exercise and body measurement and evaluate this weekly to know your required caloric intake.
on 30 Apr 2008 at 3:36 pm19Dave

Good article. I’m 6′4″ @ 230 lbs and can’t seem to keep any more weight on, but I’m pretty active in addition to the gym. This bolognese sauce looks like it might be helpful. I’m definitely not getting enough calories.
on 30 Apr 2008 at 6:04 pm20Venom

Thank you very much for this great article.
on 30 Apr 2008 at 7:02 pm21joao

I’m 1,72cm/58kg/11% body fat. but I have some belly and some fat in my breast, that make me feel angry with my genetic, What can I do? I dont want to look skinny, but the main goal is remove the fat from my chest and belly.

Should I focus in my squats, or more bench press? Should I gain some weight and be patience and the fat in my chest will disappear by it self ?

Thanks for your help.
on 30 Apr 2008 at 7:04 pm22joao

BTW I have followed the 5×5 for almost 6 moths. I lost 7kg and go from a ~21% fat to 12,6%.
on 30 Apr 2008 at 7:06 pm23Mehdi

@Joao
You need to bring your weight up to 72kg. Eat more healthy foods and continue getting stronger, apply the tips in the article, the fat will take care of itself as you get stronger.
on 01 May 2008 at 10:24 am24xzebrasx

Hey, Mehdi, I’ve got two questions for ya:

1. As someone had already mentioned above - is it really necessary to eat that much? I think these things are very individual. Some guys have to eat 4-5k+ kcal/day to maintain their weight, whereas others - much bigger and stronger guys/gals - only need about 2000 kcal/day to lift and maintain muscle. I just can’t eat more than 2500 kcal/day and since I’ve got a physical job right now - I eat even less. That brings me to the other question.

2. Since I get plenty of exercise while at work - should I keep lifting 3x/week? Sometimes I do fine, but sometimes I REALLY don’t feel like stressing my body even more and dedicating my rest-time to working out. Also, I don’t have the time to eat every 3 hours. I eat at 7AM, then, say, a banana at 8AM, lunch at 12AM, then something on the way home (4PM-6PM), a snack when at home and, finally, supper. That’s not much but I really can’t eat more often. Should I make my meals B-I-G ones?
on 02 May 2008 at 5:13 pm25Mehdi

@xzebrasx
1. The scale will tell you if you need to eat more or not. Weigh yourself weekly. If you’re gaining weight, you’re doing ok. If you’re not gaining weight, you need to eat more. Caloric needs is an individual thing, so let the scale tell you whether you need more or not.

2. This more of a “how to go from skinny to muscular” guide. Unless you want to go from skinny to chubby, you’ll need some kind of trigger to build muscle. Physical job can make it hard to workout afterward, but I have several friends who lift 14.000kg per day at their work, then go to the gym for additional weight lifting. So they can do it. In the end, it comes down to what you want, and how much you really want it. There’s no something for nothing.
on 03 May 2008 at 5:06 am26Elliot Wilson

Thanks for the tips Mehdi. As a ’skinny guy’ I also find it hard to gain mass. I find it possible to put on a bit of flab, but muscle is the hard thing to add (and keep) to my frame.
on 03 May 2008 at 9:37 am27xzebrasx

Thanks, Mehdi!
on 03 May 2008 at 5:08 pm28Bruce Wee

Thanks for the great article.
I have 2 questions regarding “2. Set a Goal Weight”:
A - I think the example height you’ve given are slightly off, like, 1m70 should be 5′7″ instead of 5′5″, and so on.
B - I suppose the rule of thumb of “at least 1kg for each cm above 1m” does not apply very well to the relatively smaller asian body / bone frame.
on 03 May 2008 at 5:17 pm29Mehdi

@Bruce Wee
A. I use the metric system, used the convertor linked in the article and rounded off numbers, will not be 100% accurate, but it shouldn’t, it’s just a guideline.
B. If you’re smaller/taller than in the examples the rule will be a bit of scale, again: it’s just a guideline to give you an idea of what to aim for.
on 08 May 2008 at 6:19 am30Luis

Hi Mehdi…i like your training i already started and im so motivated…but talking you about goals, i wanna know what about when achieving my goal, how do i keep my weight, but not losing muscle or gettin skinny?? do i have to do the same exercises since i achieve o what should i do??
on 19 May 2008 at 10:43 am31Melvin

Hi Mehdi, this is great info. NEvertheless, i’ve some problems eating 1lb protein per pound of weight.
Cottage cheese, quark, milk, mixed nuts and whey are pretty expensive stuffs in Asia (btw, I’m from Malaysia). What are the best alternatives?
Also, my gym at my condo does not have those equipments for compound exercises but just machines to do:
1. Chess press
2. Incline press
3. Leg press
4. Leg curls
5. Dips
6. Some other exercises which I do not know the name for it (but all fixed to the machines)

Can these exercises be as effective as compound exercises or just waste of time to do it?

I’ve just started a diet that are able to fulfill the 20Xweight in pound about a mth ago and has gained about 2kg (but hardly able to fulfill the protein part, guess too much carbs?)
on 19 May 2008 at 12:06 pm32thenonhacker

@Melvin: “NEvertheless, i’ve some problems eating 1lb protein per pound of weight.” No, it’s not 1 lb Protein per 1 lb of Weight.

It’s 1 gram Protein per 1 lb of Weight.
on 01 Jun 2008 at 2:27 pm33lowng

hihi thanks for this great guide

i am also a guy who wants to gain weight. may i know what kind of milk is best? as u mentioned 1 gallon of milk a day. i went to the supermarket but there’re a lot of different kind. pls advise me! thanks!!
on 09 Jun 2008 at 11:41 pm34Pete M

Great guide there Mehdi, thanks a tonne! One quick question though;

I’m a little unsure on a suitable height to weight ratio. I’m 5′11 and about 172lbs - what sort of weight goal should I be aiming for?
on 19 Jun 2008 at 10:14 pm35Paul Eres

What if you’re lactose intolerant? What’s a good way to replace the milk and cheese in these suggestions?
on 27 Jun 2008 at 4:56 am36Preston

@ Paul Eres
I’m lactose intolerant as well. You can buy pills to take when you consume dairy (called “Lactaid FastAct”… you can find it in the grocery store with digestive aids), or you can buy lactose free milk (called Lactaid Milk… it’s in the grocery stores with all the other milk.) Also you could go for soymilk, though it has different nutritive qualities. But if you get soymilk, get the unsweetened stuff; the other stuff has lots of added sugars.
on 06 Jul 2008 at 8:21 am37Michael

I really want to gain weight and fat! I’m so desperate I’m 22 and only weigh 100 people always mistaken me for a 14 year old middle school student?! I’ve been like this since the day I was born any tips????
on 06 Jul 2008 at 4:52 pm38jimmymcp

I followed most of the tips on this site. 1.5g protein/lb a day, TONS of water, lots of sleep (i just go to bed earlier…partying gets old after while you got to stop sometime)+ exercise. Used to eat 2000 cal/day now I eat 3500+/- calories a day, much inbetween snacks are usually 500 cals +/-. I keep my workouts at 2-3 times per week because I notice the most gain working out less. I am one of those skinny guys and it’s not fun. But follow these rules and you will get bigger. I have gained 15lbs+/- since I got it together. I used to eat worm pills weekly because I always thought I had worms..My advice, eat as much and often as you can until your about to spew…then eat some more! Become a eating and shitting machine. Make people wonder where the food is going.
on 06 Jul 2008 at 7:54 pm39Michael

thanks a lot! I will follow your advice and will buy some worm pills just in case.

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