Why can't I build muscle?

Hi,

Here are five important rules to help you with your quest to bulk up!

1. Eat consistently. Every day, have three hearty meals plus one to three additional snacks. Do NOT skip meals! You’ll miss out on important calories that you need to accomplish your goals.

2. Eat larger than normal portions. Instead of having one sandwich for lunch, have two. Eat three potatoes at dinner, instead of only two. Have a taller glass of milk, bigger bowl of cereal, larger piece of fruit.

3. Select higher calorie foods. Read food labels to determine which foods have more calories than an equally enjoyable counterpart. For example, cran-apple juice has more calories than does orange juice (170 vs 110 calories/8 ounces); granola has more calories than Cheerios (700 vs 100 calories/cup); corn more than green beans (140 vs 40 calories/cup).

4. Drink lots of juice and milk. Beverages are a simple way to increase your caloric intake. Instead of drinking water, quench your thirst with calorie-containing fluids.

5. Do strengthening exercises (weight lifting, push-ups) to stimulate muscular development so that you bulk-up instead of fatten up. Some underweight people are afraid exercise will result in weight loss rather than weight gain. If that’s your case, remember that exercise tends to stimulate the appetite; you’ll want to eat more. (Yes, exercise may temporarily ‘kill’ your appetite right after a hard workout, but within a few hours, you’ll get hungry.) Exercise also increases thirst; you’ll easily be able to drink extra juices.

Good luck!