If your goal is to gain weight, what is the best way to go about it? I am going to provide you with a clear cut, easy to follow proven technique of not only just gaining weight, but putting on dense muscle weight.

This is a temporary free program for you to try for at least 30 days. During these days, you will workout to build muscle a certain way, and follow a simple carb cycling plan to help you put on muscle and gain weight....quality weight. 

Step 1

Mental Prep

• My view on gaining weight as a fitness model is to make sure it is as much muscle as possible and NOT fat. :-). I think it's better to gain only 5 lbs of quality muscle then to bulk on 10 or more lbs on muscle and fat. Step 1 is to cut out almost all cardio and maximum is to walk 1 mile after workouts to minimize fat gain without burning alot of calories.

• This is also good for improved circulation and delivering all these carbs into your muscles. Next you will need to drink at least a gallon of water every day. If this is not done, you're going to have a tough time gaining weight and building new quality muscle.

Step 2

Training Split

• There are several ways to train to gain weight and build new muscle. My view of it is to stay in the rep range for hypotrophy, BUT to minimize extra fat buildup, I still prefer to weight train 5 days a week. This will keep your metabolism up and prevent fat gain while still training to get bigger.

• Here's an example of how I workout to gain weight. Mostly all machines and cables are thrown out the window during this 30 days or more and I stick to mostly nothing but free weights(dumbells and barbells) with some machines allowed as a finisher as opposed to the usual machines and cables used during anytime of the workout. Everything bumps up a notch on compound movements and not isolation to allow for yourself to fully answer the question, "How Do I Gain Weight?". This is how you do it from a fitness models perspective.

• Remember: I still like volume and keeping heartrate up so my workouts do not change as much as if you're just going for pure size and strength.This is to gain muscle weight while minimizing fat so most of the changes are in your diet.
• Here's a typical week for me when trying to put on new, quality muscle.

Monday

Legs,Traps,Calves( All SuperSets) If you are unsure of a super set, it's my staple of training that I believe to be the best for losing the fat and using intensity. I take short breaks and one set is a legs workout right into a trap workout.

Exercise 1

• Barbell Squats + Front Shrugs

• 4 sets of 10. 10 reps of squats so that the 10th one is your last and you are pooped. Then 10-20 seconds break to take a swig of water and right into 10 reps of front shrugs for set 1. Repeat for 4 sets.

Exercise 2

• Hack Squats + 45 Lb Plate Shrugs(One arm at a time)

• 4 sets of 10. Since the 45 lb plate might be light for 10, remember to keep your arm straight and do 10 slow squeezing at the top reps. You could do more reps with this, but just really squeeze and make it harder still for 10 reps each arm.

• Hack squats are technically a machine but you can go heavy for 10 reps and really let yourself go all the way down to fry your quads after barbell squats. After each hack squat set of 10, go directly into the 45 lb plate shrugs for 4 sets of 10 for everything.

Exercise 3

• Dumbell bench step ups + reverse dumbell  shrugs

• Step up onto a bench for 10 reps each side and super set with side grip shrgs with the same dumbelles for another 10. Do 4 sets.

• * Remember to go slow and keep your balance. Put the dumbells behind you and do reverse shrugs for this one.

Exercise 4

• Leg Extensions + Hamstring Curls

• Legs are harder usually to get ripped so I do use machines still with them to finish them off completely.
  

• 4 sets of 10 of perfect slow reps of leg extensions supersetted with 4 sets of 10 of good formed laying hamstring curls.

Exercise 5

• Smith Machine Calf Raises

• 2 sets of toes forward, 1 set of toes pointed inward, 1 set of toes pointed outward all for 10 reps with 10-20 second break in between.

 Tuesday

Back, Biceps, Lower Abs

Exercise 1

• Deadlifts + Laying Straight Legged Leg Raises 4 sets of 10 each.

Exercise 2

• Dumbelle One Arm Rows + Dumbelle Hammer Curls Standing 4 sets of 10 each super setted.

Exercise 3

• Pull Ups + Knee Raises 4 sets of 10 supersetted.( Use the assisted pull up to finish off if fatigued and use the padded elbow rests for knee raises to give your grip a break if need be, but still supersetted).

Exercise 4

• Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown + Behind Head Bicep Curls( use great form 4 sets of 10 supersetted).

Exercise 5

• Barbell Curls With Just The Bar 4 sets of 10 to finish it off.

Wednesday

Chest, Triceps, Calves

Exercise 1

• Incline Barbell Presses( 2 sets of 10 shoulder width or normal grip, 2 sets of close grip)

Exercise 2

• Flat Bench Dumbell Presses( 3 sets of normal width presses, 1 set of hammer fist presses close grip)

Exercise 3

• Cable Crossovers + tricep pushdowns 1 arm at a time( 4 sets of 10) final set of pushdowns is reverse grip***

Exercise 4

• Seated Calf Raises(2 sets toes forward, 1 set toes inward, 1 set toes outward) 4 sets of 10. + 4 sets of 10 pushups(wide,narrow,medium,extra wide)
  

Thursday

Legs, Upper Abs

I prefer to do legs twice because they are half your body and take more to fully kick their ass. Only difference is I do different excercises and call it an "intangible" day.

Exercise 1

• Lunges + Reverse Lunges For Hams( Do 4 sets of 5 steps with each leg forward) In place do 4 sets of reverse lunges 5 steps each leg in place.

Exercise 2

• Donkey Kicks Machine For Glutes for 4 Sets of 10.
  

Exercise 3

• Inner Thigh Machine + Outer Thigh Machine 4 sets 25. I go light on these just to bring out hidden lines and sculpt it without wanting to tear something or get bigger in the thighs. Just intangible stabolizor muscles to work on and get involved.

Exercise 4

• Leg Extensions + Leg Curls( 4 sets of 20 supersetted)

Exercise 5

• Situps + Elbow planks( 4 sets of 15) and elbow plans 4 sets of 30 second pause holds where it burns like hell.

Friday

Shoulders, Rear Delts, Obliques

Exercise 1

• Dumbell Shoulder Presses + Medicine Ball Oblique Twists 4 sets of 10 supersetted( oblique twists is 10 to each side, done slow and stretched as far as I can go).

Execise 2

• Dumbell Lateral Raises + Rear Delt Raises( Standing straight up and rear delt raises are done seated and hunched over). You'll need lighter dumbells to reach 10 reps for those. 4 sets of 10 each.

Exercise 3

• Hammer Strength or Machine Military Presses supersetted 4 sets of 10.

Exercise 4

• Machine Reverse Pev Fly For Rear Deltoids 4 sets of 10.

Exercise 5

• Side Planks For Obliques 4 sets of 10 each side.

Saturday

• 60 minutes of fast walking for cardio Or OFF

Sunday

• OFF Completely

Now that you can view an example training split of mine to gain weight. It's still alot of volume but in the 10 rep ranges so the weight stays heavy. You can change this around and cut an exercise or 2 out of each workout, just remember to go heavy and hard in each set. Make sure 10 is your last rep. I prefer more volume, others may not. 

Now it's time for Step 3, your diet. This is where changes are made drastically to be able to gain weight with training volume still high so you build muscle while minimizing fat gain. Carbs are gonna get crazy here.

Step 3

Diet

Typically, my diet is to stay as lean as possible and keeping carbs low most of the time(under 100 grams of carbs daily). I use caffeina & b vitamins to fuel my workouts from the lack of energy from lower carbs.

BUT, when you are trying to gain weight and minimize fat,  I recommend a simple yet effective carb cycling program.

Monday through Thursday

Low Carb Days

• Carbs in grams are HALF of your bodyweight in grams. I am usually 180 or so, so 90 grams of carbs for me these days.

• Complex carbs only allowed(brown rice, oatmeal, ezekial bread 4:9,sweet potato, etc) and simple starchy carbs allowed only after workouts. You want your carbs to get in during breakfast and after workouts only.

Friday Through Sunday

HIGH carb days

• Now it's on. This is when you shock your muscle growth by driving lots of carbs into your system to turn on weight gain and muscle building.

• For these 3 days, you will get in 4 grams of carbs per lb you way. So weighing 180, I am eating 720 grams of carbs a day at least. Sometimes I will push it to 1000 if I am feeling hungry. Just made it at least 4 grams per lb and you'll be fine.

• To minimize fat, keep the majority of the carbs complex and around breakfast and after your workout.1 of these 3 days can be a cheat day and you can eat whatever you want all day. I prefer donuts, toaster strudels, pizza, etc. Sounds bad right. Well you just need the carbs one of those days.

 Step 4(Optional)

 Supplement Sidekick To Get Your Calories And Carbs In to Gain Weight

• Some days, you may even find it tough to eat that much carbs. This is when supplements come into play. I use a weight gainer for my after workout shake and get 100-200 grams of carbs in time right after working out alone.

• This make the rest of the day easier to get in 4 grams per lb you weigh.

• I provided for you below some supplements to pick up to help you gain weight easier and get those calories in.

• REMEMBER TO DRINK a GALLON OF WATER DAILY AND AN ADDED BONUS IS TO USE 5 GRAMS OF CREATINE BEFORE AND AFTER EVERY WORKOUT.

• Here Is My Gain Weight Supplement Pick To Get Those Carbs & Calories In On Those High Carb Days Below. I like Mass-Peak just cause it's tough to find over 100 grams of carbs in one shake, and it tastes good of course haha. It better having all those calories right.

Thanks For Reading, Now Go Get Bigger

Chuck Ryan Strogish

NYC Model

How Do I Gain Weight?

Email Chuck

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