How to bulk up / gain weight

Hello,

I'm a 23-year-old guy, standing about 6'1" and weighing roughly 155 lbs. Honestly, it’s pretty frustrating because I feel like I eat quite a bit, though I suppose I don't really pay much attention to my timing or consistency. Regardless, I just can't seem to move past this 155 lb mark. I guess I was wondering if anyone else here deals with something similar? I'd love some advice on how to gain weight in a healthy way and actually build some muscle mass. I have started working out lately, and I've been trying to avoid cardio exercises for now.

Stick to the Starting Strength program and just eat big. Once the gyms finally reopen, you'll be ready. Until then, just hit some bodyweight stuff like pushups, but don't go at it every single day. Take a day or two off to recover, and yeah, just keep eating.

James Price83 said:Hey,

I'm a guy, 23 years old, standing 6'1" and weighing about 154 lbs—which is honestly driving me nuts because I feel like I eat a ton, and I don't even track my meals or anything. But regardless, I just can't seem to budge past that 154 mark. Anyone else here deal with this kind of thing? Looking for some solid advice on how to bulk up healthy and actually pack on some muscle. I've started hitting the gym, specifically avoiding cardio for now.

What does "a lot" even mean? Give us a breakdown of what you ate yesterday. A ton of people think they’re eating massive amounts when, in reality, they’re barely scratching the surface. And what's your actual training routine look like? Back in the day, I was sitting at 152 lbs at 6'5", and today I'm pushing nearly 200 lbs—so yeah, I think I know a thing or two about this...

A buddy of mine—vegan, by the way, standing about 5'11" and weighing barely 130 lbs—actually had the nerve to tell me I'm just genetically predisposed to being skinny. Claims my diet isn't even part of the equation. As if! You have no idea how much I actually consume. For lunch today, I had two apples and two bananas, and honestly, I was so stuffed I could barely function...

Start lifting heavier weights and up your caloric intake across the board, specifically your protein. Might be worth picking up some powder, too. Won't hurt anything.

lonewolf2 said:What does "a lot" even mean? Just list everything you ate yesterday. I think a lot of people claim they eat plenty when they actually don't. What’s your training routine like? I used to be 152 lbs at 6'5", and now I'm pushing 200 lbs, so I suppose I have some idea of what I'm talking about...

I usually have three big meals a day, plus whatever snacks happen to be lying around during the day or evening—mostly fruit or sweets since I don't smoke. It's honestly kind of frustrating; I'll have one day where I eat way more than usual, maybe even two cookies before bed, but then the next day I'll try to watch what I eat and nothing happens. Not even a single pound. I know most people would kill for that kind of metabolism 😵

Could you walk me through your diet? Gaining 46 pounds is pretty impressive. Did you use protein supplements, or was it all just whole foods?

As for working out, I've actually never stepped foot in a gym. I've always just done my exercises at home. Right now, I'm mostly following a home Workout app, focusing mainly on bodyweight movements.

I’m not against doing a home Workout, but if I were you, I’d just join a gym and really go at it with strength training. Look up Starting Strength.

I know a ton of guys who did exactly that and ended up putting on like 25 lbs of muscle after six months of lifting heavy.

Jack Moore90 said:I have nothing against working out at home, but if I were in your shoes, I’d sign up for a gym membership and really commit to some heavy strength training. Just Google Starting Strength.

I know quite a few people who have some pretty questionable ideas about fitness, so I'll circle back to this once I've had a moment to process. I’ve managed to pack on about 26 pounds of muscle after six months of sticking to a strength training program.

I honestly have no idea how some of you manage to drop weight so unintentionally; it’s a phenomenon I’ve simply never experienced in my own life.😁

Yeah, I end up losing a few pounds unintentionally too. If I just close my eyes and try to ignore the muscle fibers, the blood, the sweat, and the tears. 😬

James Price83 said:I eat three big meals a day, basically just whatever is easy to grab during the day and evening. Since I don't smoke, it's mostly sweets and fruit. It’s frustrating because if I eat a bit more than usual one day—like having two cookies in the evening—and then try to watch what I eat the next day, nothing changes. I know most people would dream of 😵
being able to do that.
Could you describe your diet while you were gaining those 21 kg? That’s pretty impressive. Did you use protein supplements or just stick to whole foods?

As for training, I've never actually been to a gym; I've always just worked out at home. Right now, I'm using a home Workout app, mostly doing bodyweight exercises.

Try tracking your calories for the next 10 days. I'd bet you aren't eating larger portions than recommended every single day. Sugar itself won't make you gain much weight; it's really about your total daily calorie intake over a long period.
The main thing is consistency. Try eating 500 calories above your maintenance every day for the next month and let us know if you see results.

That's how I used to think too. It was just genetics; I've always been thin, I eat a ton, and I can seriously eat a huge amount. I love sweets and never really cared about the scale...
Then I started tracking my intake, joined a gym, and realized my eating was all over the place. One day I'll hit 2,000 calories, the next maybe 1,500, then 1,000, then 2,200. I was doing it all subconsciously, so by the end of the week, I was always back to zero. My weight hasn't fluctuated more than about 6 or 7 pounds over the last few weeks.

The only time I actually gained weight was when I went back to the gym for a second time. I made sure to eat above my maintenance every single day, so my muscles grew, and the weight came with them. I jumped from 125 lbs to 136 lbs in just two months. However, I realized that wasn't for me. Eating that much every day long-term just doesn't suit my lifestyle. I've always had my own rhythm without strict rules, and weighing myself and counting calories every day just wore me out.

Gaining or losing weight without all the extra fluff is, 95% of the time, just a matter of calorie deficit or surplus.
No genetics, no magic, no magic wands involved...

David Barrett85 said:I don't get how you guys lose weight without even trying. It’s never happened to me.😁

When the season hits, those guys are out there grinding every single day. Six months straight, no breaks, just non-stop. 😬

A few years back, I dropped from 200 lbs down to about 167. 😁

David Barrett85 said:I honestly have no clue how you guys manage to drop weight without even trying. It’s never happened to me.😁

+1

I don't have those issues. We could talk about the reverse phenomena, though. 😁

Jack Moore90 said:Once the season rolls around, those guys are grinding every single day, six months straight without a break. 😬

A few years back, I managed to drop from about 200 lbs down to 167 lbs. 😁

Look, I can work as hard as any athlete out there, but if I push myself that much, my appetite is going to skyrocket to compensate for all those burned calories. I have a pretty intuitive sense of when I'm actually in a deficit versus when I'm just overeating, so I find this whole idea of losing 33 pounds seemingly overnight a bit hard to wrap my head around.

David Barrett85 said:I honestly have no clue how you guys manage to drop pounds without even trying; I mean, it’s just never happened to me, you know?😁

It’s just pure stress, honestly. Some people turn to food the second things get heavy, while others completely forget that eating is even an option. You get so locked inside your own head, obsessing over every little problem, that you don't even notice your stomach growling away until like 4 or 5 in the afternoon. Then suddenly you're like, "Oh, I guess I should eat now," but by that point, just the smell of food makes your stomach ache, and whatever you actually manage to swallow just comes right back up, haha. It becomes this weird cycle where you don't even realize you've dropped weight until the stress finally lifts and you start eating normally again, and then you're right back where you started.🤣🤣
You know how it goes when you’ve got enough going on with someone else’s life that everything else just falls to the wayside, right? Like, when you're so caught up in what's happening with your friends that food is the absolute last thing on your mind, so you just end up grabbing whatever random thing is in front of you every day and calling it a meal? 🤣
I mean, if you're a smoker, you basically just spend the whole day stuck in this endless loop, right? You grab a cigarette and a coffee loaded with sugar and milk, and that instant sugar rush hits your bloodstream so hard it kills any hunger for a few hours, only for the cycle to reset and leave you craving that next smoke and sweet coffee all over again... isn't that just how it goes?
Hey, I've got plenty of methods if you're looking, so what do you need? 😁

My appetite has always been pretty relentless. I remember being on vacation once—staying at this big resort with those massive all-you-can-eat buffets—and I managed to put on 10 pounds in just a week. It wasn't even a struggle; I wasn't even binging, just eating hearty, full meals.
I still get the feeling that when people say "a huge amount" of food, they aren't all talking about the same thing... When someone tells me what they eat, I can usually tell if they’re eating enough or just overdoing it—I don't even need to track anything. But then again, not everyone has that internal compass, so you might want to try tracking calories and see how it goes...

ironharbor45 said:Look, not everyone has that intuition, so maybe just try tracking calories and see how it goes...

And activity levels, too.

You need both numbers to actually know what's happening.

mellowraven8 said:+1

I don't personally run into those issues. However, we could certainly have an interesting discussion regarding the inverse phenomena. 😁

Fibra's up by forty... I’m practically screaming at my bedsheets wondering what on earth is actually going on.🤣

I’m almost envious of those who don't have to eat an entire buffet just to gain half a pound.

I'm pulling in 6,000 calories a day and I'm still three pounds underweight for my height.

Not to mention how effortlessly the weight seems to slide right off me.

Same here, honestly.

Austin Clark59 said:I’m actually jealous of anyone who doesn't have to eat an entire damn cow just to put on half a kilo.

I’m hitting 6,000 calories a day and I'm still three kilos under my ideal weight.

And don't even get me started on how ridiculously easy it is for me to lose weight.

Jack Moore90 said:Same here.

With digestive systems as inefficient and wasteful as yours, neither of you would last long under natural selection during a famine.

You're lucky Walmart, 7-Eleven, and Target are everywhere.😁

Austin Clark59 said:I’m actually jealous of people who don't have to eat massive amounts of junk just to put on half a pound.

I’m pulling in 6,000 calories a day, yet I’m still sitting at about 30 pounds under my target weight.

And don't even get me started on how unnervingly fast the weight just falls off me. It's almost too easy.

It’s the exact opposite for me.
If I slip up for even three or four days, the fat immediately starts settling right on my hips and gut. 🙂
Man, what I wouldn't give to be able to just binge without consequence...
Honestly, if I really put my mind to it, I could probably pack on 20 pounds in a single month. 😁