OH MY I'm withering away, its over... its over...
 

lol

OK I'm 22 years old, never weighed over 120lbs in my life, am quite active person and eat quite healthy. I recently got into biking about 2 years ago, right now I'm doing a 4 month workterm (part of a co-op computer science degree), so I'm biking 30kms each day (on a 30lb MTB with 2" slicks, so a good workout). I'm sorta one of those skinny Asian boys who doesn't seem to put on any weight.

I weighed around 118-119 so I had high hopes of breaking 120. This week I weighed myself (somethign I haven't done in a long time) and now I'm 115. I just started to get some weights into my workout, just for like 25 mins, twice a week.

So yeah I'm trying to gain some weight, I'd appreciate any comments/info on some of the following ideas:

1-diet, eat like a horse (well I already eat a ton for my size). Basically eat food than the energy I require (quite a bit considering I'm doing like 1.5hrs of cardio everyday when I bike..)

2-diet, eat fattier foods. I'm a little skeptical, thin people can get clogged arteries too (i think). Just because I metabolise (sp?) carbs, etc very well doesnt' mean I break down choelestral (sp?) very well..

3-weight training. Simply do more weights, human muscles SHOULD gain mass, even if you're burning up a ton of calories on the bike

4-shut up and let your body clock go. Maybe its just not my time to gain weight, I've tried weights and stuff in the past, my body weight has always been under 120 nonetheless. Perhaps I just need to be patient until my metabolism slows down. Or IF my metabolism slows down I should say, lol

Um yah those are the main thoughts I have on the issue. Just feel kinda weird (and a bit self conscious at times) to weigh so little for my age. But yah, dont' want to see my weight go to 110 or something :| I love cycling but at the same time don't want to become a stick. Oh wait, I am a stick, oh ok I don't want to become a skinnier stick than the skinny stick I am. hahahaha

Any comments? Empathizers? lol
-xan-

Yes I empathize, I drop way too much weight biking and am NOT in anyway overweight.
Eat way less carb-Protein, fruit, veg- eat protein like lifters do, cans of tuna in water and LOTS of it.
Perhaps look into branch chain amino complexes developed for weight gain for lifters.
Chocolate flav-dessicated pancreas of casein milkshake anyone! (some are egg).

I am interested to hear from folks with solid advice as to this, I was to pose a similar question but didn't.

Jef.

You may be the first human to live to be 200 years old.

article here

-mark

I am 6'2" and 147 lbs as of this AM. I ride 20 + miles every day in addition to being on a decent diet for the last 18 months. I used to weigh near 200. I am so tired of people asking why I am so thin. BTW, I am 35 years old. ( I look like i did in high school.)

Xanatos, im one of those skinny asians that nevr gains any weight as well! Right now im 5' 4" and I weigh 125lbs. If you find any secrets to gaining weight then please share!!!

BTW my friend used to be skinny and then he started to play football in high school and got pretty big(5' 11" 190). He swears by weight lifting. I lift weights right now and im getting stronger, but I don't seem to be gaining much weight...

I was told\ read 5-7 lbs of muscle tissue per year in weight training is average.
3 years-18lbs of muscle would make you the HULK!
-thats like 2190 cans of tuna. :p

Eat, eat, eat, eat. And then eat some more :)
Try include as much protein as possible. And eat.



EAT!!

Xanatos,
I was always considered skinny. So at age 38 I started to get myself into shape. I put on nearly 15 lbs in the last two years. I concentrated on lots of protein, especially chicken, tuna and beef. For breakfast, I usually had 4 - 5 egg whites, 5 days a week. I lifted weights two to three times a week, but only 30 minute sessions. Basically, just eat lots of protein and lift weights. I think I could have gained more weight, but I really liked my cardio workouts (running 20 - 25 mile per week). BTW, in high school, I was 5'9", 125#. Now I'm 5'11", 175#.

I'm 6"2' , 41 and weigh 240...
Definately not one of those "skinny Asian boys".
I would loan you some extra if I could.

On the flip side, I find that I worry a lot less about how much my accessories weigh than most people :)

Wow lotsa replies thanks! Surprised by the number of people who can relate :P

But yeah should cyclists be that surprised? Some of us are doing like 1.5hrs of fairly intensive cardio everyday.

I'm not sure if eating is the solution, as a sort of test, I tried pigging out like nuts for a week (I was at a conference, buffet style every meal). But umm yeh no noticable difference whatsoever (other than a whole lotta time spent on the can, but that's another story, lol)

That being said, I suppose you need to eat enough protein to allow for building muscle mass, so I guess high protein is the way to go. It seems to be that when trying to get a lot more protein one has to be careful about all the animal fat, cholestrol, etc.

For now my short term plan is to try to do weights more regularly. Its hard because it seems like I make no progress. Also weighing under 120lbs you have to start at pretty low weights too, lol.


LOL wow "nonobese" is such a nicer adjective than "skinny". Heh imagine the new fangled bikes that'll be developed when in my 150's :P

Ranger, forum*rider, yeah you face similar situation eh? Maybe we just need to suck it up and know that comes with doing a lot of cycling? bah. lol.

Haha maybe I'm an instant gratification kinda guy, but 5-7lbs a YEAR seems depressing! LOL. So even if I'm working out hardcore, I should expect half a pound a month? I wouldn't even notice that much of a change (depending on how full my stomach/bladder is would already drown out that half pound).

Heh yeah I tried this. Its hard to do while still eating healthy though, I don't want clogged arteries and stuff. hmm

Boomer, were you able to put on this weight still while biking a lot?

HAHA I'd loan some off of you if I could. I actually get a similar statement from a lot of people. Do you bike a lot everyday Joat? Do you find that regardless of the amount of cardio that you day aroun 240?

I bike at least 15 miles a day weather permitting. Even in high school with around 3% body fat, I weighed in at 210. Very dense bones, large frame. I'm not actually that much overweight now. but still more than I want. If nothing else, the gut compresses the lungs and heart when I grip the horns for aerodynamic times. Enjoy your weight and health. Unless you constantly feel run down or crappy, who cares how much you weigh? It's all about how good you feel.
Cheers

If you really want to be 'bigger', pick better parents next time around. =)

If you are focused on gaining muscle mass then you need to set your weight training as a priority. I have lifted for 25 years now and find the "Body for Life" book to be about as good a guide as there is. In addition to what the book, or for that matter most other guides will suggest, try waking yourself up in the middle of the night and consuming a protein shake. That in addition to 6 meals a day.

You are correct that 'skinny' folks get clogged arteries just like us normal size folks. But that said, the amount of dietary fat you should be consuming when measured against your totaly daily caloric intake will still be well within acceptable levels. IE, dont worry about it. By that I mean, use whole milk for your protein shakes (and yes, you need them, chewing 5kcal a day is virtually impossible to maintain). Be liberal with olive oil in your cooking. Make sure to measure your cholesterol and BP, but seriously, at your weight you don’t need to spend much energy worrying about 3 or 4 grams of fat in a meal. As a side note, ingesting more dietary fat will slow your digestive system some.

As for the gym, I find the workout in the Body for Life book to be a great program. It is simple, easy to follow, and realistically based. Please don’t follow some new-age-funkadelic system. There are about 9 basic exercises that will fulfill 99% of peoples needs. The 1% are folks who are competing and have a special need for a target muscle. Intensity in the gym is far more important then the amount of weight you are lifting and the Body for Life plan explains it as well as it can be.

Supplementation wise, Creatine is your friend. It is the only supplement I have used that unequivocally works. I found that it helped with my cycling power, albeit it, at the expense of more muscle weight (of which I already have too much). Depending on your budget and zealousness, HMB (aids in reducing protein breakdown, IE keeps more protein in your body, protects muscle mass), CLA and Essential Fatty Acids, these are dietary fats that your body needs for proper function that can be lacking in many diets. For optimum performance I found they helped me some. I have studied the health consequences of these and have not found anything adverse. The only negative to endurance athletes and creatine is they complained of the added muscle weight. =)

Now for a reality check. You are probably not going to gain more then 6 or 7 real pounds of muscle in a year.[I'll be happy to be proven wrong ;) ] I have seen lots of guys in your same shoes and they face the problem of backing off in the gym and losing very rapidly many of their gains. Also, what you probably consider a ‘big meal’ may well be what I call a snack; prepare to eat like you never have before. This is where supplemental meals come into play. You can drink a 600 kcal shake 3x a day and really boost up your protein and total calories for the day.

Hope this helps, sorry for going on and on.

Xanatos,
I've only begun cycling about a month ago so I don't how it affects my weight. Previously, my cardio consist only of running, which I think burns more calories that cycling. But because of bad knees, I'm now running a lot less, but making up for it with cycling and the punching bag. Yeah, I think any cardio workout countered against the weight gain, but I felt that keeping the most important muscle in the body (the heart) in good shape took a priority. BTW, I forgot to mention in my previous post that I had a protein shake daily to supplement dietary protein intake. Take note, most protein shakes taste terrible. Find one that you like and you'll look forward to that shake everyday.

Hi,
don't fight Mother Nature. Even if you took steroids, the moment you stop you'll go back to the way you are now. You have a healthy body and a smart mind. Each is the greatest gift one can have, and you have two.

don't worry about it. of all the effort i have put into gaining weight, i have discovered that i would lose it instantly any time i got a cold or something. the only way i could put on weight was to lift heavy weights, eat as much as i could, and avoid cardio exercise (not good if you're a cyclist). and even that would net me only 7-10 pounds. it just wasn't worth it to me in the end - i was spending way too much money on food to support an artifical weight.

Hey thanks for the replies everyone.

Yeah I think a bit part of it is simply just accepting that bodies are different. Too bad society seems to promote barbie/ken figures so much, lol. Perhaps any weight I did put on would be "artificial" in that once I started biking hard I'd lose it again.

Oh well, maybe as my body clock will allow me to gain some weight, heh I'm 22 but a lot of guys seem to put on the mass around mid 20s.

I'm kinda happy with my Ken and a half look...

Xanatos, I concur with Teamawes advice, and would like to add to it. You "weight challenged" fellas with the screaming metabolisms have to become LAZY. I mean forget about cardio work and stay off the bike (the horror...the horror), and watch the boob tube. Eat lots and lots of whatever you crave and lay down on the couch after you blast your muscles in the weight room. Keep your weight sessions short but very intense for no more than a half an hour. Completely exhaust your upper body one day, then do your lower body the next, then absolutely nothing the third (and maybe the forth depending how fast you recover). Try to use enough weight to where you need a spotter. I imagine you'll never match Gov Arnold in size, but a Bruce Lee type body should be quite attainable by you. Good luck!

Or maybe even a Tom Arnold

Looks like we need a "Weight Gain" club, lol

I'd say not to worry about being skinny. Keep it up, and the ladies will be all over you when you're older. There are ways to look bigger and more fit without gaining weight, too.

I took up rock climbing about two and a half years ago. I was 140 pounds to start. After about two years, my friend John came back from California and said "Whoa. You look like you've been packing some pounds." As it turns out, I'm down at around 135 now. The difference is the reshaping that comes with climbing exercise. Upper body strength and definition, back muscles like crazy, and pretty strong abs. I ended up lighter than before while looking more fit. Not only looking, mind you, but being more fit.

Something like that might well do you good.

stephen (6'1" 135 of hardcore)

Don't worry too much. Just eat more healthy foods like as much fat as you can stand , but mostly from fatty fish and nuts. A lot of protein too, but since you're an ectomorph, you can do with a lot of carbs too.. which doesn't mean that you should pig out on the high glycemic carbs.
And yes, by all means, lift weights.. I love lifting weights even more than cycling, at least, cycling as a means of exercise bores me endless. Cycling as a way to see more of the world (holidays) and meet other people (organised weekend rides) is really a lot of fun.

Yvana