Gain 20 Pounds of Muscle - 5 Skinny Guy Workout Tips on How to Gain 20 Pounds of Muscle in 6 Months
So you want to gain 20 pounds of muscle fast? Whatever your reason, gaining 20 pounds of muscle within 6 months is totally achievable as long as you follow the right plan and stick to it.
5 Things You Must Do To Gain 20 Pounds of Muscle Fast
The five most important things you must do in order to gain 20 pounds of muscle fast just happen to be the main reasons why most skinny guys fail to achieve significant muscle growth no matter how hard they try.
These five things are:
Muscle Gain Diet = Eat Loads
Simply put, you need to eat a lot and consume vast amounts of quality calories in order to gain 20 pounds of muscle quickly. For instance the average male is supposed to consume between 2,000-2,500 calories per day...however, if you are looking to gain pounds of muscle you should be increasing this to around 3,500 spread over 6 meals.
Protein intake should increase also - a rule of thumb is 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of bodyweight...i.e. if you weight 150 pounds you should consume around 150 grams of protein.
Heavy Weights and Lower Reps
What does it matter if you can 30 reps on a low weight? I mean, that's all well and good, but it's never going to get you BIG.
This is a common mistake among skinny guys trying to gain 20 pounds of lean muscle mass, since they think that the numbers are really important.
The best way to train and build muscle quickly is to up the load and perform high-quality repetitions and small numbers of sets.
I try to aim for around 3 sets of between 8-12 reps...this is known as high-intensity low-volume training.
Workout LESS Often
Going down the gym all day every day is simply not necessary to gain 20 pounds of muscle. In fact if you're doing that, then it's probably a major reason why you're not seeing the gains that you would like.
To gain 20 pounds of muscle in 6 months you only need to workout 3 times per week, for around 45 minutes-1 hour per session.
The key to success is the intensity with which you workout. You'll also need a rest day between workouts to allow your muscles to recover and grow - working out every day only stunts your muscles' growth and can cause injury.
Sleep More To Gain Muscle Mass
The most underestimated element in any bodybuilding routine is the role of sleep, and good-quality sleep at that.
It has been proven that when in a deep sleep (i.e. once you've got passed the REM stage of sleep), our bodies produce a natural growth hormone which is essential to muscle repair and growth. By not getting adequate sleep you are simply undoing all your hard work in the gym and hampering your body's attempt to grow and gain muscle.
So, to gain 20 pounds of muscle make sure you allocate around 8 hours per night of quality sleep - and avoid any caffeine or exercise right before bedtime. Eating a banana has been known to aid sleep, although not in all cases.
Isolation Training Won't Help You Gain Muscle Fast
You've probably heard people talking about isolation exercises...i.e. Monday is arms day, Tuesday is chest day, Wednesday is legs day, Thursday is back day, etc, etc.
This type of routine may be fine if you're already big, but it's no good for a skinny guy looking to gain 20 pounds of muscle, after all...you'd only be working out each body part ONCE per week...and that's never gonna get you BIG.
As mentioned earlier, your workout routine should be performed 3 times per week and should consist of compound exercises that work your whole body, and produce bigger, stronger and more functional muscles.
Stick to the "big basic" exercises which work multiple muscle groups (Squats, Deadlifts, Chest Press, Woodchoppers, Bicep Curls, and Bent Over Rows).
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