CONSUME MASS QUANTITIES

Although seemingly obvious, most persons trying to gain weight simply do not eat enough. To facilitate desirable weight-gain (a.k.a. lean mass) you should eat about  25-30 calories per pound of your current body weight every day.  This recommendation should provide enough energy to pack on some real muscle without increasing your body fat percentage substantially. One of the easiest ways to do this is to eat several small calorie-dense meals and snacks.  Start off with 4 meals and 3 snacks/day and increase this to 5 meals and 4 snacks daily, if necessary.

DRINK LIKE A FISH

Drink 1 liter of fluid for every 1,000 calories of food you eat each day.  Based on the recommendations in tip #1, a 125 lb. Individual would need to drink at least 3.1-3.7 liters of fluids each day (125 lb. x 25-30 calories/lb. x 1 liter fluid/1,000 calories consumed).  It is also important to remember to replace of the fluids that you lose during exercise.  A good rule of thumb is to drink about 8 oz. every 20 minutes during your workout.  Since your goal is to gain weight, choose liquids that provide considerable energy over calorie-free beverages like water, tea or coffee.  Best bets include sports drinks (Gatorade, Poweraide, Carb-Xcelerator, etc.), whole milk, fruit juices (esp. cranberry, grape and apple), Protein shakes and cream soups.

DRIVE PAST THE DRIVE-THRU

Even if you can stomach the grease (read-fat, saturated fat and cholesterol) and sugar with anthropometric impunity, you're not providing your body with the raw materials it needs to build bulk in the right places.  Do your health and appearance a favor by doubling, or tripling, the portion sizes of foods that are most conducive to your goal.  Some examples include: bananas-170 calories(1 large), Cranberry or Apple juice-160 calories (8 oz.), Granola cereal-780 calories (1 large bowl), split pea or bean soup-150 calories (1 medium bowl), baked beans-260 (1 Medium bowl), peanut butter-200 calories (2 Tbs.), nuts & seeds-200 calories (1 oz.).

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS

Though the plight of the ectomorph (a term used to describe persons with a propensity to be very thin) appears to be unrelated to that of the endomorph (a body type that is generally characterized by rounded features, short stature, large skeletal frame, considerable strength and a inclination to gain weight), upon closer examination we find that the problem is one and the same-difficulty manipulating energy balance.  For the endomorph, it is important to create a situation where the body uses more energy that it takes in each day (negative energy balance).  This is achieved with careful caloric intake monitoring and increased physical activity.
     The ectomorph must also manipulate the energy balance, but in a different manner.  To increase in size, the ectomorph must consume more calories than he/she needs to get through the day without undesired weight-loss (positive energy balance).  Once again, this can be achieved by carefully monitoring what (and more importantly how much ) you eat and how many calories you expend during each workout. Most successful dieters jot down everything, at least initially, that they eat so that they can monitor their progress throughout the day.  The ectomorph could also benefit from this strategy to ensure that calories in > calories out. Progress Chart

EDUCATE YOURSELF

You can learn a lot about healthy eating without ever reading a nutrition book or attending a nutrition course; just visit the grocery store.  The Nutrition Facts panel, located on the back/side of nearly everyone of the over 100,000 items generally found in any given supermarket, gives you all of the information that you really need to know, namely-calories, fat, carbohydrate and protein.  Use this newfound information in conjunction with the recommendations that I have made above for best (i.e. fastest and lasting) results. Calories Chart

SUPPLEMENT SAVVY

Of all of the mega-touted supplements on the market, only two are of any use to the individual trying to gain some lean mass; They are creatine and weight-gainer shakes.  Though these two supplements work through completely different mechanisms, the end result (weight-gain) is the same. To get the most out of creatine, ingest 20 grams (4 (5g) servings)/day with a sugary, non-acidic, decaffeinated beverage such as grape or apple juice for 5-7 days. Upon completion of the "loading phase", continue to consume 1-2 (5g) servings daily (with a sugary, non-acidic, decaffeinated beverage) to maintain creatine saturation in the muscle tissue.  Discontinue using creatine for a couple of weeks and re-load, if at some point you notice that your results with this supplement start to decline. To maximize your success with a weight-gainer, supplement your normal daily food intake with 1-3 servings/day.  If your cannot bring yourself to drink one large serving at one sitting, split the recommended serving size into 2, or more, smaller servings.  In addition, if you only consume one serving per day, make sure to do so immediately before going to sleep so that your body has the materials that it needs to grow during this unavoidable period of catabolism. Supplement Glossary

Product Recommendations

N-Large

3 capsules provide: 1500 mg Inosine, 75 mg Ferulic acid, 1200 mg BCAA, 500 mg Cytochrome C, 1000 mg Calcium & Potassium Aspartate help boosts the efficiency of oxygen usage in muscle cells, decrease lactic acid build-up for less burning and cramping with faster recuperation.