Body Building Tips For Skinny Guys: 5 Rules For Building Muscle Mass

By Alex Bell

If you have a super fast metabolism, are underweight, have a ectomorph body type, and if you've been training hard to build muscle mass but none of what you've tried worked, you're likely to be what's called a "hardgainer".

I know what it's like. I too have an ectomorph body type and I used to be underweight, until I discovered what truly worked when it comes to building muscle mass.

Here I will share with you the same bodybuilding tips for skinny guys that I learned from Vince DelMonte, author of "No Nonsense Muscle Building" program. These are the same bodybuilding tips that I used to transform myself from a scrawny 139-lb weakling to a robust 197-lb muscle man with 9% body fat.

The first thing you must understand is that people like us need to play by a different set of rules. If you'd been having very little success it might be because you've been following a bodybuilding workout program meant for the genetically gifted who can practically grow muscles just by coughing.

These are 5 Bodybuilding tips or rules that hard gainers need to follow:

Building Muscles Mass Rule #1: Eat Huge servings of Wholesome Meals 6 times a day.

Your diet is one of the biggest factors (the others being your lifestyle and weight training program) that will determine your bodybuilding success, so make sure you get this right.

Most hardgainers are actually underweight because they are "under eating". You need to catch up with your super fast metabolism by eating more. It's really just common sense: feed your muscles enough and it will grow, but if you're undernourished you will not build muscles and get bigger.

Ideally, you should be consuming foods like:

1. Organic Fruits and Vegetables

2. Complex carbohydrates like yams, brown rice and whole grains

3. Nuts and seeds

4. Legumes and sprouted grains

5. Lean meats, egg whites, seafood

If you over eat by choosing low quality, bad foods you'll just gain excess body fat so don't make the mistake of loading up with junk foods, or foods high in bad fats, refined carbohydrates and refined sugar.

Building Muscle Mass Rule #2: Conserve Your Energy.

You need all the calories you can get and put them to work towards your muscle growth, so avoid high volume work and go for high load work instead. You shouldn't be spending over an hour at the gym.

Doing more than 20 sets per session is a no-no. Stick to 12 sets or less per gym session, but lift heavy weights and keep progressing by lifting heavier and heavier loads.

You may still opt to do Cardiovascular exercises to keep your heart fit and healthy, but the key is to not overdo it. Stick to cardio workouts with low-moderate intensity (and duration).

Building Muscle Mass Rule #3: Do Compound Exercises more than Isolated Exercises.

Unlike isolated exercises, compound exercises engage the biggest muscle groups, enabling you to train many muscles in less time. So focus your routine doing compound exercises like lunges, deadlifts, rows, squats, etc.

If you change one thing in your weight training program let it be this. Do more compound exercises and see the results for yourself.

Building Muscle Mass Rule #4: Ensure you Train Using the Right Form

Getting your technique right ensures that all your hard work are not wasted. Remember that both quality and quantity counts.

Ensuring you have the proper technique isn't just about preventing injuries but also about reaping maximum gains.

It's wise to get a mentor or a personal trainer to make sure you know what you're doing. If you prefer, there are body building DVDs you can watch. Vince DelMonte's Natural Bodybuilding DVDs are perfect for this purpose.

Get in the habit of maintaining correct form throughout each set. If you're just starting out, practice on lighter weights first and keep lifting heavier weights as you get stronger. Remember to lift less if you lose proper form at any point during the set.

Building Muscle Mass Rule #5: Get Adequate Rest

Remember that your muscles grow NOT during your workouts but during rest - so ensure you get adequate rest.

Skinny guys like us need even more rest so make sure you abide by this rule or you'll just compromise yourself and end up not gaining the maximum benefits from your hard work!

Get adequate sleep. Avoid staying up late - in fact, try to get in bed before midnight. Studies have shown that we get a higher quality of rest if we retire before midnight. So ditch the frequent all-nighters and minimize late night outs.

Conclusion

So to recap, here are the rules you must follow:

* Achieve calorie surplus from clean foods so that your muscles can be fed and nourished. Consume about 6 meals a day, with generous portions.

* Train hard by doing Compound exercises.

* Your weight training sessions must be low volume (12 sets max) but high intensity (heavy weights).

* Perform all exercises with the correct technique.

* Get enough rest: sleep early, and sleep plenty.

Practice these tips over a few months with determination and commitment and you will get from scrawny to brawny in no time at all - guaranteed! - 17273

About the Author:

A. Bell is a qualified personal trainer specializing on helping hardgainers gain muscles quickly, without drugs or harmful supplements. You can read A. Bell's No Nonsense Muscle Building Review here. You can get more Natural Bodybuilding tips, free videos, articles, and workout guides at http://www.bodybuildingworkoutguidereviews.info