An Easy 10 Pounds

If you're looking to bulk up a little so you don't fit into that xtra-shmedium sized shirt come beach season, its really a lot easier than you may think. I know this is normally the time to "slim down" for the beach, but if you're an off-season athlete, you should have bigger picture goals to get stronger and more muscular if it will help you become a better player. The process isn't easy, but the things you should be doing in the gym and in your kitchen certainly isn't rocket science.

Like I said, eating to gain weight is easy, because there's not a lot to think about. The hard part is most of the time people think they're eating more than they are. It's similar to when people are trying to lose weight and they think they're eating less than they actually are.

Here is a typical conversation with a skinny athlete in college:

Skinny athlete - "Coach, I eat a lot, I just can't gain weight."
Me - "Do you eat breakfast?"
Skinny athlete - "No. I have class at 8am."
Me - "What time does the dining hall open?" (I know it opens at 7:30, because that's when I'm there),
Skinny athlete - "7:30," he says with his head down.
Me - "Then I'll see you then."

I actually had a "breakfast club" while I was an assistant men's basketball coach. Unfortunately, it didn't last very long and it resulted in players not putting on weight, getting stronger and not seeing improvements in their game. Commitment is the name of the game in college. If you want to be good, you gotta do the things that are going to make you better on a consistent basis. Its just like strength training.

So here is what you need to do to put on an easy 10 pounds:
- drink milk - One of my favorite strength coach's, Mark Rippetoe, has a program called GOMAD, which is an acronym for Gallon Of Milk A Day. Sounds daunting, but it works. If you aren't already drinking milk on a regular basis, start with 2 large glasses at every meal. The milk helps specifically because of the calories and protein.
- eat 6 times a day - 3 full meals and at least 3 snacks in between meals. This is non-negotiable if your looking to put on some size. By the way, if you aren't eating a full breakfast, you're really not that committed to changing your body. Wake up a little earlier and eat as many eggs as you can with something else, like pancakes, waffles, french toast, sausage, bacon or a combination of them all. Lunch is not a ham sandwich. Its 3 ham sandwich's with cheese and mayo, an apple and a bag of chips with two glasses of milk. Dinner is as much as you can pile in of what mom or dad makes. If you're in college, the dining hall is perfect for weight gain. If you're on your own, hamburger helper is perfect. Snacks can be anything really, just find a way to get them in and don't miss one.
- compound movements - with all these extra calories you will be consuming, you have to hit the big lifts that I've stressed in other blog posts like squats, deadlifts, bench press, push press, pull ups and rows. Do them often. If you need a program, check out Rippetoe's Starting Strength. Just make sure you have good form on all of the exercises and are using a full range of motion. Doing quarter squats will probably still help you put on size, but you will be laughed at when you show somebody how strong you are in the quarter squat. Go down all the way.

So what makes me qualified to speak on weight gain? Well I was a "hard-gainer" all through high school. I graduated at 6'1'', 160lbs. I think back on what my diet looked like and its no wonder I couldn't put on any weight. Then I got to college and gained 10 pounds a year for 3 years. That isn't a lot, but with the amount of basketball I was playing, its not bad. Then during my year off from school I got up to 215, lost it during the next two years so I could play around 190-195 my senior year, and during my two plus years in VA I got up to 240 (thank you Averett dining hall). Not to mention I followed the type of diet I described above for the last 3 months while in VA in an attempt to gain as much strength and weight as I could and put on 20 lbs. So believe me when I say it works if you're committed to it.

I will also say that 10 pounds added all over your body is a lot less than you think. I remember wanting to get to 180 while I was in college. When I got there, I wanted to get to 190, then 200, then 210 and so on, just to see what my body would look and feel like at that weight. So chances are you will want to continue to gain until you have reached a good level of strength and size.

Now get eating!

Post questions and comments on Facebook and if you decide to man up and put on some weight, keep everybody posted on your progress!!