want to add weight

catoutthebag

Hi
I haven't weighed myself in a while but I'm a self conscious bloke.

Last time I did, my bmi came in as under weight. ..but close to normal weight.

Always been slim as a kid. On my feet for job. Do aerobic exercise couple times a week

But I want to add weight and find it hard to. Ideally a stone.

Don't do gym or artificial build up stuff.

So...as most say ..is it a case of just eating more and more frequently and using my dumb bells at home for bicep curls and punching them upwards over my head. For my legs I'm thinking tip toe reps and squats


Just want simple weight gain and toning up advice please.

Always been worried that weight will go to my face (sub consciously)!

I eat fruit, pasta, fruit juice, cereal and sometimes ready meal in evening as no time.

Carl31

Additonal weight comes from 2 places, muscle or fat (maybe a little bone density from either)

Assuming the weight you dont want on your face will be fat, it sounds like you want to add muscle, which will be generally done through some sort of resistance exercise. A combination of increased protein in your diet, and using your weights to train will help. With a pair of dumbells you can do a lot of different movements, your bigest muscles are your legs and butt, so train those

Pasta fruit and cereal will make you gain fat if you eat too much, as its all carbs and ultimately sugar in some form

catoutthebag

But a friend who had a trainer told me to add 500 calories a day. I read a fitness blog that said basically double your calories. I'm not eating pasta multiple times a day....maybe 3-4 times a week. Cereal is weetabix so not fatty.

How do I muscularise my legs and aarse at home?

catoutthebag

I am eating mlre fish fingers and bake beans as well as chargrill chicken breasts from coop.

justme111

Use heavy weights (chose weight as big as you can lift, deduct about 20%, it should result in you not being able to do more than about 8 repetitions). Once yoi done a set with 8 take a minute break, drop about 25% of load and do again as many reps as you can, should be about 5. Then drop load again and do another set , you should not be able to do more than a couple. Then target another muscle group in the same way. Why? - to gain weight you should target anaerobic muscle fibres as they are ones that give muscle mass since they are big as they need to store fuel available for anaerobic exercise which is precisely high load short bursts. You have to work to absolute exhaustion on each set. Easier in a gym. I do not see how it can be achieved just with dumbells, you would need to many to continuously adjust the weight as you getting exhausted and as you increase the muscle mass.

justme111

Don't forget protein food within 2 hours before and after exercise. Even milk contains protein so should not be much of an issue and you do not need a lot

catoutthebag

Thanks.

As I say, I don't want to become a big muscly meat head type....so I feel I don't need to go to the gym and do the intensity you outlined. I just want a stone on and tone up more. I have a pair of dumbell with 3 pairs of loads.

I don't mind taking a pair off as you suggest. .but what if I rep with just the heavier sets.

Ie as friend with trainer was told - it's about the reps rather than loads - can someone clarify?

catoutthebag

I drink a cup of hot coco at bed so.thats fine

stephen77

catoutthebag wrote: »

Thanks.

As I say, I don't want to become a big muscly meat head type....so I feel I don't need to go to the gym and do the intensity you outlined. I just want a stone on and tone up more. I have a pair of dumbell with 3 pairs of loads.

I don't mind taking a pair off as you suggest. .but what if I rep with just the heavier sets.

Ie as friend with trainer was told - it's about the reps rather than loads - can someone clarify?

With weights.
Once you get to your desired weight.
Do not push it any harder and your body will have no reason to grow bigger.
Just do a maintenance program.
I.e. if you bench press 50kg for 8 reps. Do not tray for 50kg for 9 reps. Just stop when you get to 8.

justme111

I don't think op is in danger of exceeding his target weight . A stone in muscle mass is a lot.
Op , repetitions more important than weight opinion may have referred to the rule you have to do as many reps as you possibly can which I agree with.
If you just do reps with your maximum weight you will not be able to many sets , it will be over in a flash. If you use lower weight and do 3 sets it should be fine , may be not as effective as the routine I described but there are different theories and in any case it will be far better than doing nothing.

catoutthebag

Thanks for clearing.

So I've been using just one pair of weights on my dumbell. I can do 10 have a rest while holding and then do another 10. Then I struggle to do another 5 after that.

Today
I want to add a second pair on as suggested. And do til exhaustion?

Then when it gets easier, add a 3rd pair (but think that's a way off as I guess I couldn't do more than 2 or 3 reps currently.)

So if and when I get to that 3rd pair and it gets easier. ..for maintenance I could just do as many reps as possible (if j get to that stage), rather than get more equipment or dare I say, visit a gym. *shudder*. In conjunction with sit ups, press ups etc. I'd be happy with half to one stone added and my physique less scrawny (currently have a slim but defined / slightly toned looking teenager physique )