The 2 Most Important Keys to Gaining Weight

The 2 Most Important Keys to Gaining Weight and Size
by Shawn LeBrun
Personal Trainer



While working as a personal trainer, I spend most of my time helping people generally lose weight or get leaner for upcoming bodybuilding shows.

But I also get many emails each week from people looking to GAIN weight and size, not lose it.

Because I've learned over the years the most effective methods for losing weight and toning up, I've also realized that there are certain steps you must take for gaining quality weight and size.

You cannot just leave the process to chance, you must do certain things to get the added weight and size you want.

I thought for a while what the most important steps were to gaining size and weight and I came to the conclusion that there were 7 things you HAVE to focus on if you want to add some good size and muscle weight.

Many people make weight loss and weight gain much harder than it has to be.

The only three areas that really need to be focused on are:

1. Nutrition
2. Cardio
3. Weight training.

Of course, the tough part is learning the correct amounts and methods of each of these.

Out of the 7 things you must do to gain weight, there are two things that are probably the most important things you can do to add size.

The 2 most important things to gain weight and add size are:

1. Lift heavy weight for lower reps.

It's no secret that muscle growth is stimulated from lifting progressively heavier weight over time.

One of the quickest ways to increase the amount of weight you lift is to lessen the amount of reps and increase the amount of weight.

If weight/overload is what grows muscle, you are better off doing 6 reps with 150 pounds than you are 10 reps with 100 pounds.

Light weight for high reps will not create enough overload to the muscles to force them to respond and adapt by getting bigger.

If you're after added weight and size, I'm sure you'd like the majority of that new body weight to be muscle, not fat.

So to get big, you must lift big.

That is one of the biggest keys to gaining quality size.

2. The second most important key to adding size and weight is to make sure you are eating enough calories.

Weight loss and weight gain is calorie driven.

You will NEVER lose weight by consuming more calories than you burn off and conversely, you will not gain weight if you do not eat enough calories.

Weight loss is created by creating a calorie deficit. When that happens, your body burns the excess calories that are stored as body fat for fuel/energy.

To add size and weight, you must create a calorie surplus.

If your body requires 2000 calories a day just to maintain its current weight, you will not gain weight if you are only consuming 1800 calories.

Start taking in a little more than your maintenance amounts.

Use meal replacements or protein shakes to add some extra, quality calories.

Start eating 2200 calories a day for the first week and test your results.

If nothing happens, go to 2400 calories.

Adding calories a little at a time will allow you to find that number which will allow you to keep adding weight without taking in so many calories that you quickly start adding a lot of fat.

Adding good, quality weight takes some time, but you can speed up the process by ensuring that you are taking the necessary steps to gain weight.

Two of the most important steps are to lift heavy and to consume enough calories to be used for gaining muscle and weight.

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"7 Things You MUST Do to Add Muscle, Gain
Weight, and Increase Strength" is a step-by-step
program to help you add muscle size and gain weight.
http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/weight-gain-tips.html
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you just need money to eat...

Nice, logical, and pure.Well around here during the seasons you can grow your own food, which costs less, still beef and poltry can cost a bit.I found that periodizing certain exercises can also assist.I do it with my biceps and triceps.Good article.-Christoph

ok number one.. lifting heavy wieghts do help overload muscle but is not all you need. THer ismore to growth than the 6-10 rep range. YOu need to incomrpeate the higher reps as well the 10 -20 reps even in the ovvseason. THe lift heavy to gain and light to cut is a myth. there has to be a middel ground, both in a good training split.. use hady for compound movemets and isolation use varying reps and failer.

Trainning is the number two priority in off season bodybuilders. Eat you ass of and grow. Evey tro hours , hor and a half, maybe twice you bmr jsut eat quality calories. Supplamenting with a wight gainer to get excess calories only if you can comsume as much as you shoot for.

Sleep is improtant, you can be a party animal, sleep at least 8 hours a night. Dont worry aobut those nights when you sleep 15 hours or whatever becaue those greatly outnumber the all nighters.

Supplaments are the last step, no juice unless you have at elast 8 year of traiinign under you belt but that is still pushing it. Creatine, i have yet to take it but will start loading tomorrow. Wey is necessary but only 10% of your protine should come from wey.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by LeBrunFitness [/i]
[B]If weight/overload is what grows muscle, you are better off doing 6 reps with 150 pounds than you are 10 reps with 100 pounds.

Light weight for high reps will not create enough overload to the muscles to force them to respond and adapt by getting bigger. [/B][/QUOTE]

No, with this logic you have to max out. Do only 1-rep sets.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by cbear [/i]
[B]ok number one.. lifting heavy wieghts do help overload muscle but is not all you need. THer ismore to growth than the 6-10 rep range. YOu need to incomrpeate the higher reps as well the 10 -20 reps even in the ovvseason. THe lift heavy to gain and light to cut is a myth. there has to be a middel ground, both in a good training split.. use hady for compound movemets and isolation use varying reps and failer.

Trainning is the number two priority in off season bodybuilders. Eat you ass of and grow. Evey tro hours , hor and a half, maybe twice you bmr jsut eat quality calories. Supplamenting with a wight gainer to get excess calories only if you can comsume as much as you shoot for.

Sleep is improtant, you can be a party animal, sleep at least 8 hours a night. Dont worry aobut those nights when you sleep 15 hours or whatever becaue those greatly outnumber the all nighters.

Supplaments are the last step, no juice unless you have at elast 8 year of traiinign under you belt but that is still pushing it. Creatine, i have yet to take it but will start loading tomorrow. Wey is necessary but only 10% of your protine should come from wey. [/B][/QUOTE]

Are you missing keys on your keyboard?

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by .BrokeN. [/i]
[B]Are you missing keys on your keyboard? [/B][/QUOTE]


Bump...If you can't complete a correct sentence you shouldn't post advice. People have trouble accepting advice from someone whom has yet to graduate from middle school. lol

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by laugh n rolling [/i]
[B]No, with this logic you have to max out. Do only 1-rep sets. [/B][/QUOTE] No no no. Tell me, what will build more mass? 5 sets of 10 reps with 200 pounds? Or 10 sets of 5 reps with 250 pounds of the same exercise. The second one will. Similar intensity, higher volume, more muscle fibers worked.

I know this may not apply to everyone but when I started working out I was doing 3 sets of 8-10 on every exercise. I was getting more ripped but was not getting stronger or bigger. I than saw someone post on this board that they new this guy who was huge who only did 1 set of many exercises 3 timer per week. So I thought I would give it a try. I started out 4 weeks ago doing 1 set for isolated muscles and 2 sets for workouts that affected multiple groups. For example: Bench-2 sets 8-reps (not simultaneously), db curls 1-set 8-reps , db reverse curls 1-set 8-reps , db flies 2-sets 8-reps , standing rows 2 sets 8-reps , tricep extensions 1 set 8-reps, and so on. The only supplement i am taking is whey protien shakes twice per day.

In the 5 weeks I have been doing this workout the weight i am using has gone up dramatically. And I have gained 10 lbs lean mass.

This is how my sets started out and what they are at now.
Bench (narrow grip)
Started out at 135 now:205
db Curls
Started out at 25 now: 45
db Reverse Curls
Started out at 25 now: 45
bb Standing Rows
Started out at 55 now: 100
db tricep extensions (one armed from standing position)
Started out at 20 now: 40
db flies
Stared out at 30 now: 50

As you can see, the gains have been great and it has been a real confidence boost to finally make good gains. I hope this will help someone out.

Good advice, repped

Interesting read. Cheers

Nice post - simple and to the point.

thanks for posting this, good read.

Good advice, I know alot of people this would help.

what's with first 7 posters, all of them are 2002-03

[QUOTE=Iron Rain;1823137]No no no. Tell me, what will build more mass? 5 sets of 10 reps with 200 pounds? Or 10 sets of 5 reps with 250 pounds of the same exercise. The second one will. Similar intensity, higher volume, more muscle fibers worked.[/QUOTE]

Depends on ratio. Lifting with a 5:5 second ratio (positive:negative) will create more stimulus than a 1:1- even with less weight.

Excellent Post

Nooice stuff. Will keep in mind when I'm bulking.

LOL it's rude to try post a direct contradiction on someone's thread, specially when you massacre your own post. The OP's advice was solid and is a quite accepted and practiced method. If there's anything that's certain about bodybuilding it's that there are many seemingly contradicting theories that work! Pretty sure Kris Gethen believes in low reps for size, high reps for cutting. Ever try his DTP plan?

I agree with this article completely. Lifting lower reps with higher weight works phenomenally!! As I build my client base, (currently acquiring my personal training certification), and help random people out with stuff in the gym they always seem shocked when I tell them to lower the reps and higher the weight. Even when people are cutting I strongly suggest not to do light weight extremely high reps. I know people that will only do 20% of what they were doing for upwards of 30reps per set! Completely unnecessary! Lower the percentage to maybe 65% of what you were doing and increase the reps a little bit. This will keep your muscles rock hard and give you those awesome striations! I'm just rambling now sorry!!! But all in all this article is just great! Thank you OP for posting it!

nice tips

Welcome to have more fun game waiting for you.

Good read.

Concise, to the point, no fluff.

nice and to the point, helpful article

Nice post.

Strong bump lulz.

[QUOTE=jrpestana;1610968]Bump...If you can't complete a correct sentence you shouldn't post advice. People have trouble accepting advice from someone whom has yet to graduate from middle school. lol[/QUOTE]

Hahaha yeah it is hard to take someone seriously when they are arguing with a post and cannot type properly. Plus, I don't think bulking vs. toning strategy is a myth.

You are wright..And i think your is useful for everyone

[QUOTE=LeBrunFitness;1371939]The 2 Most Important Keys to Gaining Weight and Size


Dude are you serious with the higher weight low reps bs? Thats not gunna build muscle, its going to strengthen your joints. In order to add lbm you need to focus on your reps with moderate weight. Heavy weight is to make you stronger not bigger. I was on a bulk for three years of well pretty much powerlifting routines an I looked like a little pussy. So then I cut down from 285 to 230 an started my bulk with a bbodybuilding routine ive gained 13lbs lbm an 7lbs fat in 45 days. Lifting heavy is not the key to building muscle proper nutrition an getting the blood into the muscle is how to build lbm 8-12 rep range.

[QUOTE=ALPHAandOMEGA96;1304060711][QUOTE=LeBrunFitness;1371939]The 2 Most Important Keys to Gaining Weight and Size


Dude are you serious with the higher weight low reps bs? Thats not gunna build muscle, its going to strengthen your joints. In order to add lbm you need to focus on your reps with moderate weight. Heavy weight is to make you stronger not bigger. I was on a bulk for three years of well pretty much powerlifting routines an I looked like a little pussy. So then I cut down from 285 to 230 an started my bulk with a bbodybuilding routine ive gained 13lbs lbm an 7lbs fat in 45 days. Lifting heavy is not the key to building muscle proper nutrition an getting the blood into the muscle is how to build lbm 8-12 rep range.[/QUOTE]

Something tells me you "looked like a little bitch" because you were 14-15 years old when you started your "bulk." It says you're 18, and went on a 3 year "bulk"?

From my own personal experience, I can vouch for considerable gains in the low rep/heavy weight range. In the last 10 weeks I've gained about 18 lbs with a modified 5x5 routine coupled with a high protein diet. Not insanely high on the calorie count, but that's really just a lack of time and cash to fund a 4000+ calorie a day diet haha.

I'm not saying what's optimal or not. I'm no sports scientist. I'm just saying that you can make considerable gains with high weight and low reps. I always lift with around 80-90% of my max. I've always maintained that regardless of whether you're trying to gain or lose weight, your diet is king. Large, compound movements should be your best friend if you want to gain weight.