Many football players desire to gain weight in a short period of time. But gaining weight for sports must be done in a healthy manner; simply adding fat to your frame can lead to health problems and slow you down. You will have to change your diet and get plenty of exercise to gain mass, so make sure that you have the correct information before you begin.
Diet
How you construct your diet will influence the amount of weight you gain. Your diet should contain 55 to 60 percent carbohydrates, 25 to 35 percent fats and 10 to 15 percent proteins. You should eat four to six meals per day, allowing you to spread your caloric intake out. Since you rely on these calories for the energy you need to play, you will feel more energetic if you avoid crowding your meals in a short span.
Calories
Weight gain comes from increasing the number of calories you consume, so eating foods with a higher calorie density -- more calories than other foods of the same weight -- will help. Average men should eat roughly 1,800 to 2,000 calories per day. Begin by increasing your caloric intake by 250 to 500 calories per week, which can lead to you gaining 0.5 to 1 lb. per week. Higher-calorie foods should come from healthy sources; chicken, fish, fruit, vegetables and milk proteins can help you bulk up and will provide you with energy.
Meal Size
In addition to eating foods with a high calorie density, eat more at each meal. If you plan to increase your intake by 500 calories per week, eat healthy foods, but eat more of them. Your current body weight and the amount of weight you wish to gain will help you determine how many additional calories you need. Keep in mind that weight gain comes from consuming more calories than you burn.
Exercise
Your workouts should focus on compound exercises, which force you to use more than one muscle group at a time, which helps with muscle growth. These exercises include lunges, push-presses, squats and deadlifts, along with various Olympic-style lifts. Once you can easily complete eight repetitions of an exercise, increase the amount of weight you lift. As you gain muscle, you will begin to gain weight.
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