Need to gain weight!

Question
Hi, I'm 14, 5 feet and 4 inches. My current weight is 75 pounds. My doctor says I need to gain weight, which I know is true. I play tons of sports and am very athletic. When I gain a few pounds I burn them right off. I'm not sure what to do. My friends say I should cut back on the sports, although I wish there was another way then just that. Thanks!

Answer
Eliza-

You need to do one of two things. Cut back on the activity OR give as much or more attention to cramming food in your mouth as you do your sports. The great thing is if you eat like its your job you will actually see your sport performance rise.

One thing yiou cant do is eat more and then do more. they will cancel one another out. the more you do the more you need to eat so its your choice. Your 14 you need to be in a calorie surplus. Your starting to be in the most pivotal part of your growing years from now until your 20 or so.

Eat likes its your job, Dont NOT go by hunger. Someone like you needs to simply eat if at any point you are not full eat more and get full. Go for dense foods. Things that are calorie dense and are easily/quickly digested. Simple carbs Like cereal, white bread, cookies etc and also high fat things butter, full fat milk, whip cream, coconut oil, olive oil, peanut butter and bagels washed down with more milk, nuts pizza, humburgers and fries anything that will get you more and more calories. As small and active as you are the weight you gain will mostly be lean muscular weight.

If you want an easy place to start then buy a jar of natural peanut butter and on TOP of what you eat now add a 1/2 a jar a day and a couple glasses of whole milk. that will be a good 1200+ calories. Try that for a month and see where you are. if thats has you gaining stay there until you not once your not add more food or more milk. What ever will have you getting the calories you need.

You as well as everyone should base your training on heavy resistance training, heavy of course being a relative term to the individual. Based in BIG compound moves with free weights not machines in order to build muscle and burn some body fat. You need to be very brief and intense with training sessions no more then 60 minutes get in hit it hard and get out and rest and recover. Growth, strength, weight gain, progress happen out of the gym during recovery not in it.

Base your training on squats, Deadlift, bench press, over head press, chins and rows, and power cleans these are the moves that use the most muscle at once. Train like an athlete, seek performance not pain. Pain is not an indicator of a good workout, progress it Pain happens it should not be a goal. Its better to make progress and have NO pain.  Aim not to go to failure. Failure happens dont seek it. Aim to kick the weights butt not them kicking yours, Aim to make progress make something that was hard easy. Start slow and ramp. Learn proper form. Get stronger and you will get bigger

I would do one press, one pull and one leg move a day really giving the moves the attention they deserve. Start with 2-3 days a week and then add on a session or two of cardio. Base your training on the resistance activity and DO a few big exercises to completion then 1 ton of small ones half witted.

For more info you should join our free discussion forum, you will get lots of great advice and discussion there www.teamstaley.com start a training log. We can help with training, diet and then give advice on supplementation. We have another young high level sprinter from Ireland on the site as well by the name of Alan

Phil
www.staleytraining.com

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