How To Gain Weight in a Healthy Way for skinny Guys.

Most people are on the other end of the scale, desperately trying to lose weight.

But for people who struggle to maintain a healthy weight or are trying to gain weight, it can be a real challenge. Reasons for needing to gain weight include health issues, lack of appetite, fueling sports, building muscle, or just trying to overcome skinny genes.

Here are five “good gain” rules I share with my beloved readers:

1. Don’t let more than four hours go by without eating :

Your body needs a continuous supply of energy since it’s like an engine that’s always turned on (your heart is always beating, blood is circulating, your brain and muscles are working). When you skip meals, you deprive your body of the fuel it needs to keep going. The result is a dip into your energy piggy bank, which unfortunately includes muscle mass.

The best way to prevent your body from losing any important tissue is to eat regular meals, spaced about three to five hours apart. If you’re trying to gain new muscle tissue, meal timing is especially critical. Sometimes my clients tell me they “eat all the time” but when they actually start keeping a food journal they realize just how erratic their patterns are. Consistency is key.

2. Eat several foods at once:

Always aim for at least three food groups. Instead of just a banana or handful of nuts, top a few slices of whole grain toast with almond butter and banana slices, along with a glass of organic skim milk or a milk substitute (soy, hemp, etc.). A wider varied provides your body with a broader spectrum of nutrients to work with throughout the day.

3. Eat healthy, but dense foods:

The best way to rack up extra nutrition without having to eat huge quantities of food or resort to junk is to choose nutrient-rich foods that pack a lot of carbohydrates, protein or fat into a small serving. Dried fruit is a great example. With the water removed, the portion shrinks by about 75 percent, so a cup of grapes turns into a quarter cup of raisins. Just be sure to look for dried fruits with no added sugar or preservatives. For another nourishing, power-packed snack, fold rolled oats, dark chocolate chips and minced dried fruit into almond butter – spoon out portions about the diameter of a quarter, roll them into little balls, wrap in wax and paper, and snack on them throughout the day.

4. Drink your food :

Liquids aren't as filling as solid food, so when you’re trying to gain weight, they can add nutrition without making you feel stuffed or bloated. Good choices include 100 percent fruit juice, organic skim milk or milk alternatives (such as organic soy, or hemp), and smoothies. Smoothies are ideal (over milkshakes) because you can bolster them with all kinds of good stuff, like wheat germ, nut butter, carrot juice, and protein powder.

5. Eat right before bed :

A lot of our healing, repair and regeneration takes place while we sleep. It’s like rush hour for building muscle and lean tissue, so eating a healthy snack right before bed ensures a fresh supply of nutrients that are available to “go to work” inside the body. A great option that won't leave you feeling stuffed might be a small bowl of pasta salad made with 100 percent whole-grain pasta (wheat or a gluten-free alternative), vinaigrette made with extra-virgin olive oil, chopped or shredded veggies, and a lean protein such as beans, chopped chicken breast or an organic crumbled cheese.

Each of these strategies adds up to the right 'what, why, how much, and when' to build a healthier body.  Have you or anyone close to you ever struggled to gain weight? Please share your thoughts .

How to Make the Perfect Workout Routine Calendar.

The biggest advantage of a workout calendar is the system of accountability it provides. When I trained for my first marathon, I lived by that calendar and felt proud each time I crossed off a workout day. Writing out your workout plan strengthens your commitment and helps you stay on task. Making a workout calendar is easy. No special tools are required. Whether you use the computer or pen and paper, your calendar is a fitness tool that can help your exercise plan go farther.

•Start by Identifying Your Goals

When you know what you are trying to accomplish, deciding how to develop your workout calendar is easier. For example, if your goal is to meet the American Heart Association’s recommendation of 150 minutes each week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of exercise, you can use your calendar to divide those minutes up in a way that fits realistically into your schedule. Write out and review your calendar at the beginning of each month.

•Start with an End Date in Mind

Another strategy for making a workout calendar is to develop it with an eye toward a fitness event. Used in this way, the workout calendar can help you train well to cross that finish line. How far out you need to plan will depend on the type of event and your level of fitness. For example, beginners might want to make a workout calendar that includes two months of training in preparation for a 5k. You can also use this plan for a big event such as a wedding or class reunion.


Just as you mark your exercise days, include rest days. Scheduling these days will be important for building muscle, avoiding injury and fatigue. Again depending on your age and fitness level, you want to build in at least one rest day each week. Alternatively, you can plan cross training days. If you run four days each week, considering adding a day or two of exercise that gives your joints a rest. Yoga, swimming and the elliptical machine are good options that will help you continue to burn calories.

However you keep you calendar, be sure that it is visible. Paper calendar might be posted in your office or on the refrigerator. Calendars posted on electronic devices should include an alert feature so you don’t miss your fitness appointment. Also, be sure to share your workout calendar with family for added support and accountability. Your fitness commitment to yourself is more important in today’s environment than ever before. We are all sitting more, eating less healthfully and managing stress poorly. Exercise is an important tool for combating those and many more challenges. When you write it down, you are more likely to make it happen.

what is the difference in running shoes and cross trainers.

Athletic shoes come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. When you head to your favorite sporting goods store, the myriad of choices can be very overwhelming. A lot of exercisers have their favorite brand athletic shoe. You know, the brand they seem to buy every time one pair wears out? They may have never even worn another brand, but just love the company or the look of their favorite brand’s newest, or vintage, athletic shoe.

The differences in athletic shoes spans a much broader area than simply the look or brand. For instance, if you are considered a “pronator” with your feet, or you tend to walk or run more on the inside of your feet or you have a low arch and flat foot, you need athletic shoes built up in the arch to counteract and balance your stride. Conversely, if you walk or run with a “supination” in your gait, you need shoes with a lower arch, due to the natural high arch in your foot. Too much arch in a shoe would cause excessive supination of your foot and ankle and exacerbate any negative stride issues. So it’s clear just from those two examples that the differences in athletic shoes require your close attention next time you go shopping for new kicks.

Perhaps you’ve heard, seen, or even tried on one of the newest phenomena in athletic shoes where the shoe itself is actually designed to mimic a barefoot stride. The thinking behind the design stems from the idea that the body and the feet were built to run in a more flat way with “zero drop”. This means the heel is not much higher than the toe. Traditional athletic shoes have a much higher heel, so when you walk, or more particularly run, you land on your heel first and push off your toes. The newer zero drop shoes are designed to have your feet land more on the arch or ball of your foot. It’s recommended that you build up to running in this style and don’t just jump right in.

Next time you head to your favorite store for new athletic shoes, try on different brands. Talk to the sales associates about what shoes would best work for your foot style. Also pay close attention to the type of training you’re going to do. If you are going hiking, you obviously don’t need basketball shoes. The traction of the hiking boots provides all the grip you need. Basketball shoes and hiking boots are miles apart, and most know the differences between them and they know when to use them.

However, smaller differences exist between running shoes and cross-training shoes, for instance. Running shoes are traditionally built for a land on the heel and a push off the toe (except for the new zero drop technology). They are designed for running which happens in a straight movement. Cross trainers are designed more for lateral, jumping, and agility-style exercises. They are more flexible in certain areas and could have adverse effects if uses solely for running. The differences are not large enough to tell from the naked eye. You need to talk to a knowledgeable salesperson and try different types of athletic shoes.

Familiarize yourself with these concepts and really think about your training style and stride next time your shop for athletic shoes.

The Most Common Health Conditions in the US.

Every year the CDC (Centre for Disease Control & Prevention) reports on the most common ailments prevalent in the Unites States. This yearly report focuses on the health conditions that limit an individual’s capability.  Here’s looking at the current most common health conditions in the US.

  1- Asthma & Allergies:

On top of the list of “activity limiting’ health conditions for children are Asthma and Allergies. Both of these are the result of abnormal immune responses to substances that normally people would be able to tolerate. If not treated properly, it could even result in death.

2-  Arthritis:

Arthritis and other such health conditions that affect the bones and joints is the most common activity limiting health condition among adults between the ages 18-65. There are many ways that instigate the onset of arthritis and one of them involves your own immune system, reacting to the cells in your joints as foreign substances.

3- Hyper tension, High Cholesterol and Diabetes :

Hypertension along with High cholesterol and Diabetes make up the three most common health conditions found in adults between the ages of 45 -74. All of them increase a person’s risk of vascular and heart diseases. These conditions can be prevented or controlled by maintaining a proper, healthy diet. This is also true for most of the other most common health conditions mentioned in this article.

4- Lower Back Pain, Headaches & Migraines.

The most common health conditions for adults over the age of 18 are headaches, back aches and migraines. These don’t normally respond to medication alone as they tend to be chronic in nature. A good, natural, healthy diet is the first step to healing. This is true for almost every health condition that you can think of. Except for the ones that involve the GI tract, in which case, food obviously is not the best way to go about a healing process.

The most important aspect of staying healthy, involves a natural healthy diet. Understanding your health condition is the next step. Put the both together and not only will you be adding years to your life,you will also be living those years to their fullest.

How To Beat Your Belly and Get Flatter Faster.

The pesky belly fat you and the rest of America deal with is never more pesky than smack-dab in the middle of Summer when you want to wear a swimsuit. Most people gain fat in their belly (the worst place to gain weight), and the reasons are different for everyone, but most have one thing in common: they eat too much and don’t exercise enough.

Excess adipose, or fat, tissue loves to store in the belly, and there are ways you can beat your belly and get flatter faster. Keep in mind you didn’t grow your belly overnight, and it won’t deplete overnight, but if you follow a good plan, you can get a flatter tummy faster than you would otherwise.

Here are some steps to beat your belly:

1- Boost Your Metabolism.

Your unique metabolism is nothing more than the rate at which your body burns calories. If you have a slow metabolism, you won’t burn calories as fast as someone with a faster metabolism. Some quick tips for boosting your metabolism include eating more of the right types of foods (think “grazing throughout the day”, not “starving yourself”), drinking a lot of ice cold water, and moving more (take the stairs, park farther away).

2- Target Your Abs.

Specifically targeting your abdominals with strengthening exercises helps replace and burn belly fat with lean muscle. Aim for a combination of exercises and perform 100-300 repetitions PER DAY. If you can be disciplined enough to get these reps in, the results will speak for themselves. Do a mixture of crunches, reverse crunches, planks, and side planks to target all areas of the abs. Break them down into 5 sets of 20 or 10 sets of 25 throughout the day, and before you know it, you’ve formed a great habit of targeting your abs.

3- Eat Better.

Portion control is another self-discipline that needs to be adopted. “Push-Aways” are a great exercise. More specifically: “Push-Aways From The Table”. Avoid foods high in fat and foods in excess amount, and your belly will respond. Belly fat is nothing more than stored fat, so if you eat less and exercise more, the energy required to exercise will target the fat and give you a flatter tummy.


If you did just those 3 things, you’d be miles ahead of the curve toward beating your belly. The only way you are going to get flatter faster is by starting. It’s never too late to start, and if you fall off the wagon, get back on! It’s a battle to beat your belly, and you can win! You just have to get started, keep moving, and enjoy the results.

Whey protein: how to use it to build muscle and bulk up fast.

Build muscle faster and more efficiently by taking whey protein

Taking whey protein will help you build muscle. Read on to find out how.

•The problem

You’re recently started weight training, but you’re struggling to put on muscle.

•The solution

Start taking whey protein. Consuming protein after exercise compensates for the increased breakdown of protein in the body that occurs during training, while also providing it with the stimulus for muscle growth. Whey protein is ideal for post-workout recovery because it’s easily digested and has a high concentration of essential amino acids.

Some people don’t see the effects of using whey protein. The main reason for this is simply that they’re not taking it properly. First, the protein will be most effective in the 15-20 minutes after working out because this is the time that muscles are craving protein to repair the tiny tissue tears that occur while exercising. It will still be effective if consumed later, but the longer after that initial window it’s taken, the more the protein's effect will be diminished.

Second, it is important that the right amount of whey protein is being used. Too much whey protein can result in weight gain and is therefore counter-intuitive, while not enough won't be effective enough to make a tangible difference. Aim to take 1.4-1.7g per kg of your body weight a day in no more than three servings. Using whey protein as a milk substitute with breakfast cereals is a good way to start your day, for example.

•The science

A study published in the Journal Of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition found that subjects who consumed whey protein after training experienced improved blood flow to their forearm muscles, enhancing the delivery of muscle-building nutrients such as oxygen and hormones. It is also generally understood that the anabolic effects of weight training are increased through the consumption of whey protein because amino acids are rapidly driven to skeletal muscle tissue. This helps your muscles get larger and stronger in less time than if you weren’t taking whey protein.

Best Superset Shoulder Workout for Men.

Most men who aspire to improve their physiques want to build big, powerful shoulders. Well-developed shoulders convey strength, and help create the classic bodybuilder "V" shape. The weightlifting concept of supersets can help take your shoulder development to the next level, or help you break through any plateaus you may have encountered along the way.

• Definition:

Supersetting is a weight-training concept in which you perform one exercise, immediately followed by another without rest in between. Typically, a superset consists of two exercises, but you can add more if your fitness level allows. You can do a superset on opposing muscle groups like chest and back, on complimentary groups like biceps and back, or do different exercises for the same muscle group.

•Rear Deltoids :

Your rear deltoids are also known as posterior deltoids. For a rear-deltoid superset, pair two exercises together that work the back part of your shoulder, such as bent over dumbbell laterals and reverse flys or cable raises. Whichever exercises you choose, keep your elbows bent and pull the weight back with the rear deltoid muscles at the top of the movement. Rowing exercises with a straight bar that enables you to keep your elbows high are also a good choice.

•Side Deltoids:

The side or lateral deltoids help give you width in your upper-body physique. A side-shoulder superset will consist of cable or dumbbell side lateral raises, paired with an exercise like external rotations. Side lateral raises are performed with palms down by lifting the weights straight up to the sides. For an external rotation, lie on your side holding a dumbbell in your top hand, and position your elbow near your ribs so the dumbbell hangs in front of your midsection. Keep your elbow in place and rotate your forearm up, using your side deltoid to lift the weight. Perform the exercise on both sides.

• Front Deltoids:

Heavier exercises like overhead and Military presses are designed to strengthen the front, or anterior, deltoids muscles. You can do shoulder presses effectively with either dumbbells or a barbell. For a front-shoulder superset, it’s wise to pair your heavy presses with a different movement such as shrugs or upright rows. Use dumbbells for shrugs, and lift your shoulders straight up toward your ears. You can use dumbbells or a barbell for upright rows, just keep your hands close together and pull the weight straight under your chin.

•Considerations

Experiment with your shoulder-superset workouts to discover which combination of exercises and how many sets are best for you. Start with just one superset for each part of the shoulder and increase the number of sets as needed. Try to work up to three supersets for each part of your shoulder, per workout. Avoid doing any other shoulder work for at least two days between superset workouts, and scale back to singular sets if you experience any lingering discomfort in your shoulders. Work the rear and side deltoids first, to get your shoulders warmed and ready for heavier pressing movements.