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How to Gain Skinny Lean Muscle

May 26, 2011 | By Brian Willett
How to Gain Skinny Lean Muscle
Photo Credit Siri Stafford/Lifesize/Getty Images

Gaining lean muscle mass can be difficult, especially if you are skinny and new to working out. As personal trainer Christian Thibaudeau explains, if you are what is called a hardgainer, your fast metabolism and inadequate diet may hold you back from gaining the lean muscle you want. Thankfully, these errors can be corrected, and even a skinny hardgainer can gain lean muscle mass with a well-designed workout program and nutrition plan.

Step 1

Consult your doctor prior to working out. If you have never performed resistance exercise before, you should have a doctor assess your health and prior injuries to see if you are healthy enough to work out. Your doctor can make recommendations for any limitations you may have. MayoClinic.com explains that if you smoke, are overweight, have glucose intolerance or experience pain during workouts, obtaining medical clearance prior to exercising is a must.

Step 2

Consume a large meal prior to exercising. As Thibaudeau explains, consuming too few calories throughout the day is a major obstacle to gaining weight in inexperienced trainees. You may wish to make a large component of your pre-workout meal protein, as a study from the May 2010 issue of "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise" found that consuming a protein-rich meal prior to exercise encouraged resting energy expenditure following workouts; increased resting energy expenditure can help keep body fat low.

Step 3

Perform a workout based around compound exercises, including squats, deadlifts and the bench press. Compound exercises recruit multiple muscles at once, which can make your workouts more efficient. Fitness professional Jeff Anderson also notes that compound exercises can prompt your body to produce more testosterone, an anabolic hormone. Research published in the June 2009 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism" indicates that testosterone can increase muscle mass and reduce body fat, promoting lean muscle gains.

Step 4

Limit your workouts to 45 minutes in duration. Do not perform resistance training more than five times weekly. Working out for too long or too often can reduce your ability to recover and gain lean muscle. Too much exercise can burn too many calories, which impedes your ability to grow.

Step 5

Eat a meal high in protein and high in carbohydrates after training. Carbohydrates and protein can help you recover after workouts and also help you reach the calorie surplus required for muscle gain. Carbohydrates are protein-sparing, which means that they provide energy so that your body can use protein for muscle, rather than fuel.

Step 6

Take a melatonin supplement to encourage sleep. Melatonin is a nonprescription sleep aid, and research from the July 1999 issue of the "European Journal of Endocrinology" indicates that melatonin use can increase levels of growth hormone, which can help you gain muscle and lose fat. Research from the March-April 2010 issue of the "Journal of Andrology" also notes that more sleep can increase your testosterone levels, so melatonin use can be particularly effective. Consult a doctor prior to using any supplements.

Tips and Warnings

  • Weight gain powders, which are high in protein and carbohydrates, may help you gain weight, as they are high in calories but less filling than real food.
  • Never exercise without supervision.

References

Article reviewed by Christine Brncik Last updated on: May 26, 2011

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