Newsgroups: sci.med.nutrition

In sci.med.nutrition / dcborean@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (David Borean):
> > Seth Reichelson writes:
> >
> >    does anybody know of a healthy way of gaining weight
> >

>Yeah.. Try going to a Gym and working out.. Worked for me, plus you don't have
>any problems with excess fat or anything.
>Plus you feel better ; physically and mentally..

Agreed, on almost all points.  When I don't "lift," I feel sluggish,
slow, etc.  But, just going to the gym doesn't mean you'll gain
weight.  A lot of people go to the gym to *lose* weight.  I'd guess
that most do.  So, how do you gain weight -- healthy weight?

Yes, go to the gym.  But, you'll need to determine what kind of
workouts you need to do. Aerorbics won't put on pounds.  45 minutes
on the stair machine won't gain weight.

To put *on* weight, you'll have to bulk up -- build muscle mass.  That
means you'll have to lift weights (I'd recommend free-weights instead
of machines), and you'll have to *eat* to provide the muscles with 
protein and energy, and calories.

So, *specifically*, what do you do?  My favorite magazine for such
advice is "Ironman."  The other magazines are owned by Weider,
and they'll tell you how to have "sexual energy" or how to praise
"Joe above all else."  Ironman gives you a pragmatic view (I'm not
"into" the magazine, and I don't have any connections with it; I 
just think it's the best of the muscle mags).  So, refer to the
magazine articles, in general.  They can tell you more than notes
can.

For me, I gain "healthy" weight by working out 2 or 3 times a week
(yes, that's it, not 5 days a week, not twice a day, etc).  My
workouts are heavy, for me.  "Heavy" means to lift a weight
for perhaps 12 to 20 times while warming up.  Then, when
the joints and muscles are warm, increase the weight until you
can lift it only 4 to 6 repetitions.  That "tells" your muscles
to adapt to heavy load, and they break down (read that, "hurt")
and rebuild.  The process of rebuilding increases mass.   Low
"reps" build mass.  Stay with 4-6 reps max to build bulk.   That
seems to be what you're looking for.  

Why not work out a lot then, to build mass?  The proces of
lifting heave breaks down muscle fibers, and their reaction
to that is to rebuild, larger, to accomodate.  BUT, they have
to have TIME to rebuild, and if you work out too often, they
don't have time to recover, and you don't grow.  And, you don't
feel very good.

One, *MOST* important item is to work your legs on "squats."
Do as heavy a squat exercise as you can.   (There's several
studies that note that exercises which move a body mass through
motion -- such as a squat or a lunge -- increase growth hormone.
As opposed to a benchpress, which moves no body mass through space.
The body apparantly reacts to the stress of moving itself against
resistance by secreting growth hormone and testosterone; elemental
to mass development).  So, burden your body with heavy mass movements.
They stimulate growth.  (Of course, they reek havok on your knees, etc.,
so "Buyer beware".  Nothing's perfect).

After a heavy workout, EAT.  Calories -- low fat calories, at that --
are essential to growth.  Eat carbos and protein (minimum 1gm/lb of 
body weight per day).  Avoid fats.  So, that means don't guzzle a
cup of olive oil, just because it has calories.  Don't chew down
a half-dozen candy bars either.  But, you know this.  Eat chicken and
rice and pasta, among others.  There are supplements you'll want to take,
and all of the "weight gainers" are low-cal and high calorie/carbohydrate.

What's the bottem line?  Lift heavy, eat a lot of high protein, low-fat
foods.  Take in a lot of calories, and sleep a lot (this sounds simplistic,
but sleep is important to the recovery period; you'll be lifting heavy
weights, and they take a toll on your body).  If you exercise a few times
a week, heavy, and eat perhaps 2000 calories more per day, than you
normally do (use supplements), then you'll gain good weight.  

It all takes time.  Don't listen to the muscle mags when they say you'll
"Gain 10 lbs in a month" on some workout regime.  That's hype.
It takes time.  Stick to it.

Regards, and best wishes,

Dean