Trainer Tip of the Week – The Key to Proper Weight Gain

If your goal is to gain weight, let me be the first to congratulate you.  You are the envy of everyone, but hated by all those people as well!  On a more serious note, I know there are some whose goal is to gain weight, and just like everyone else, you want your goal to be met.  The keys that I have found for proper weight gain, is you should be on a quality resistance training program, and most importantly, you must take in more calories than your body demands for you take in to maintain your weight.  In other words, you have to EAT.  Sound too easy?  Maybe, but that is what it takes.  I can’t tell you how many people I have met who are spending a lot of money on supplements, working hard in the gym, but aren’t seeing the results they want.  The culprit?  Not taking in enough calories.  I try to keep things simple, so I always say that if you want to get bigger, you have to eat bigger.  It takes 3,500 calories to gain 1 pound. So let’s say someone needs 2,000 calories on a daily basis to maintain their weight, and their goal is to gain 1/2 pound a week.  That person would need to take in 2,250 calories on a daily basis to see their weight increase by 1/2 a pound.  On a side note, I recommend not trying to increase your weight by more than 1/2 a pound a week.  Any more than that, you risk adding unwanted fat.  Also, you want to be putting in quality calories in your body.  Don’t take your weight gain goal as an excuse to have that extra slice of pie, or those couple of extra drinks.

Are you seeing the results you want in your workout program?  If not, you can reach me at 806-789-2529, or at brianvaligura@gmail.com