Way back in June 2006, Robb Wolf and I collaborated on a mass gain training and nutrition program. That issue quickly became one of our most popular and has remained so since. After a couple years of reader feedback and consideration on all sorts of related items, I’ve decided an update was in order.

The Nutrition

The nutrition component of the program requires only a quick note regarding macronutrient composition. PM readers are of course familiar with our long-standing preference for diets comprised of as little carbohydrate as will sustain an individual’s chosen activities. Accordingly, our recommendation adhered to this and achieved caloric surplus through elevated protein and fat exclusively. Since, more research and experimentation has suggested that in some cases individuals will find it nearly impossible to gain any considerable weight without the effects of insulin brought about by the consumption of carbohydrate.

The fundamental principle of bodyweight—and the one that is so frequently neglected—is the First Law of Thermodynamics: Neither matter nor energy can be created or destroyed. The two can be converted, but there is never any net change in the total quantity. What this means in terms of bodyweight is that weight cannot be reduced without a deficit of energy, and weight cannot be increased without a surplus of energy. No amount of heavy back squatting will make a skinny kid huge if said skinny kid refuses to eat more energy and material than his body is using simply to survive—as remarkable as the human body is, it cannot create muscle tissue from thin air. Likewise, no amount of physical activity will cause a reduction in bodyweight if the individual is consuming more food energy than is being used in a given period of time. These things seem obvious, but they’re ignored to an exasperating degree. When evaluating a bodyweight plan, always return to and rely on this fundamental principle to guide your decisions.

The above said, it’s unfortunately not such a simple equation—human metabolism manages to be remarkably complex. The first consideration is the second law of thermodynamics—entropy. Entropy is the transfer of a percentage of the energy during a chemical reaction to the realm outside the reaction—commonly this transfer is referred to as a “loss”, but because, according to the first law, energy cannot be lost, it is simply being relocated, usually in the form of heat. Macronutrients ultimately provide different net calories because of the variation the efficiency of their metabolism. For example, protein has fewer usable calories per gram than carbohydrate because the greater number of chemical reactions required to use protein as energy result in a lower net amount of energy with the increased entropy. This of course does not alter the fact that a calorie is a calorie—it only forces us to consider calories in terms of net instead of gross. And it certainly does not change the fact that an individual cannot gain weight without a net calorie surplus, or lose weight without a net calorie deficit.

However, to complicate things further, it turns out that the basic energy balance equation that’s relied on for most bodyweight recommendations is widely misinterpreted:

Change in energy stores = Energy intake – Energy expenditure

This is nearly invariably understood to mean that the change in bodyweight is entirely a product of the relationship between calories consumed and calories expended. In other words, it’s assumed that by increasing energy intake, bodyweight must increase, and by reducing energy intake, bodyweight must decrease, because the equation has to remain balanced or the universe will fall apart—the calories in and calories out are the cause of bodyweight status.

However, real-world evidence demonstrates clearly that this is not in fact the case. Instead, the body apparently has a fairly well-established bodyweight set point that it attempts to maintain—changes in energy intake will cause the body to make changes in its energy expenditure in order to maintain that set point. For example, if an individual increases his calorie consumption, the body will find ways to expend more energy through largely unnoticed movement and internal heat-producing activity. This is precisely why dieting of the basic calorie-reduction form fails so much—the dieter’s body simply reduces its energy expenditure to match intake.

All this said, pursuit of bodyweight changes is not hopeless, just more complicated. In the case of weight gain, it appears that the body can only increase its energy expenditure so much—this simply means that calorie surpluses will often need to be even greater than expected to exceed the body’s ability to compensate. After existing at a greater bodyweight for a period of time, the set point seems to be adjusted upwards, making further gains easier. In regards to weight loss, the issue appears to be one largely of macronutrient composition and its effect on metabolic status. That is, management of insulin coupled with less dramatic calorie reduction seems to be far more productive than extreme calorie restriction. Again, with time at a new bodyweight, the set point seems to be readjusted. In all cases, slower changes are more effective than attempts at rapid ones.

While in theory gaining weight is no more complex than either maintaining or losing it, in practice it invariably proves difficult for a variety of reasons. Foremost of those reasons is that the discipline required by the pursuit of functional mass surpasses that of even aggressive weight loss. Nearly all will be quick to argue that the deprivation alone of weight loss eclipses weight gain in difficulty; these individuals have never attempted to gain large amounts of quality weight and have no basis for comparison, and consequently may be dismissed.

The fundamental principle of weight gain is merely the opposite of weight loss: create a surplus of energy and material while attempting to prevent compensatory metabolic adjustment by the body to maintain its set point bodyweight. In cases of aggressive weight gain, simply consuming the necessary quantity of food is uncomfortable at best and seemingly impossible at worst. Contributing to the difficulty is the great importance of food quality and macronutrient composition. A great enough calorie surplus of any composition will produce at least some weight gain—but the role of additional weight is to provide additional functional capacity, and body fat is incapable of contributing in any direct or significant manner to strength and power. The difficulty lies in encouraging the body not to simply increase its mass, but to do so through the hypertrophy of the functional components of muscle and connective tissue—this demands the control of food quality and macronutrient composition.

As is the case with weight loss, the longer the period of time over which weight is gained, the better the quality of the added mass can be controlled. There are limits to the rate at which the body’s lean mass can grow, and reaching far beyond these limits will result in greater gains in body fat relative to muscle mass.

For gradual weight gain, the process is in essence no different than gradual weight loss, the difference being only that the daily calories will be incrementally increased instead of decreased. Accurate record keeping is equally important—the same ease of self-delusion during weight loss applies to weight gain. Protein intake can be adjusted up to around 1.5-2 grams per pound of bodyweight per day. How well this higher protein intake accelerates muscle gain seems to vary among individuals, but it has certainly never hurt. Vegetable and fruit consumption should be maintained, and fat intake can be adjusted to account for the necessary caloric increase after any increases in protein are considered.

For more aggressive weight gain, the rules must be changed somewhat. The rule standing high above all is eat more. More than you ate before, more than what you want to eat, more than what you think you can eat. Quality and macronutrient composition are irrelevant until quantity has been taken care of. This is by no means intended to dissuade attempts to maintain quality and composition, but to more forcefully underscore the importance of a large and consistent calorie surplus. In other words, if the only options are eating fast food and eating nothing, the choice must be fast food, and more than is appealing. Always remember—if you’re not uncomfortable, you’re not eating enough, and if you’re hungry, you’re failing miserably.

With gradual weight gain, the body is allowed time to adjust to progressively larger quantities of food; with rapid weight gain, there is no such luxury. In order to mitigate this problem, foods with the greatest possible caloric density will become necessities. Fats will be instrumental considering that a given quantity has over twice the calorie content of the same quantity of either protein or carbohydrate. Nut butters, olive oil, and coconut milk are relatively easily stomached but extraordinarily calorie-dense. For those who eat dairy, whole milk can replace its reduced-fat counterparts. In the same vein is supplemental protein, which will provide an extremely helpful service considering the physical difficulty of eating enormous quantities of meat.

Fitting in another meal in the middle of the night has been a successful tactic for many. Typically this meal is in the form of a shake consisting of supplemental protein, nut butter or coconut milk, and possibly fruit. This can obviously increase the number of quality calories in a 24-hour period, and will consequently be successful if eating the rest of the day is in order. However, the quality and quantity of sleep, particularly during times of weight gain, is of great importance. Because of this, the recommendation is to prepare a shake and place it in the refrigerator. If you wake naturally during the night, drink the shake. If not, you can drink it the next morning. Intentionally disrupting sleep is potentially more detrimental than night feedings are beneficial. If you’re the kind of individual who can be awakened, drink a shake, and fall immediately back to sleep, this may not be an issue. But for some, a five-minute task can result in multiple hours of lost sleep.

Macronutrient composition in cases of aggressive weight gain does not necessarily need to be modified any further from the relative increases in protein intake described for gradual weight gain. Some have suggested as much as 3 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day and swear by its efficacy. However, real world practice of this for already large individuals is remarkably difficult and the effect is questionable. It can certainly be experimented with to gauge individual response; just be sure to continue consuming large amounts of fat and eating as much vegetable and fruit matter as possible to prevent any sickness from too high a percentage of calories from protein.

Just as with weight loss, individuals will respond very differently during weight gain. That is, with a given calorie surplus, athletes will gain different amounts of weight. Again—if no weight is being gained, not enough is being eaten. Individuals with extreme difficulty gaining weight will generally find that an increase in carbohydrate intake will help through the effects of insulin on the metabolism. This is not an invitation to put away a bag of Oreos each night—as always, higher quality food will translate into higher quality gains. Grains should remain limited as much as possible and yams, sweet potatoes and other tubers and starchy vegetables relied on as the primary dense carbohydrate sources. Milk can also be a source of carbohydrate in these cases.

Milk is commonly endorsed among old school strength coaches and athletes as the ultimate weight gaining food. There is no question that milk offers a generally easily consumed and inexpensive source of potentially enormous amounts of protein and calories, and consequently can help encourage rapid weight gain. Whether or not milk actually produces gains in muscle mass any better than the equivalent totals of quality protein, fat and carbohydrate is not as clear.

Recommendations tend to be between one half and one gallon of whole milk each day—this would supply approximately 1300-2600 calories. It’s not surprising weight gain would be the result of this practice when supplementing continued whole food consumption.

For those unconcerned by potential but generally minor health drawbacks of dairy consumption, this is certainly worth evaluating. Even for those who normally wouldn’t consume dairy, this can be considered temporary—adequate gains in weight will probably be achieved in several months, after which time, a return to a healthier diet to maintain the new weight will be possible. Lactose intolerance can be managed with inexpensive lactase supplements.

Raw milk is another option that will itself supply some of the needed lactase enzymes, as well as some colostrum, both of which will reduce the cost of supplementation for these two items. Whole milk with 100% of the lactose removed is also available.

The Training

The following program of course intends to help the athlete gain functional weight. For this it uses greater volume per session in the core exercises, but a lower frequency and overall lower volume to allow the greatest possible recovery. Instead of somewhat higher reps such as 5s and 6s, we’re instead using 2s and 3s but with a greater number of sets to achieve the wanted volume while encouraging as much as possible myofibrillar hypertrophy.

The loading will be increased 2-3% per week (or less, according to each athlete’s gains) for 4 weeks, then backed off for a week, the increases resumed for 2-3 more weeks as tolerated (starting at the weight used the week prior to the back-off), and the cycle finished with a taper week to allow 1RM testing of any exercises the athlete wishes.

Notation

Exercises are followed by the prescribed loading, reps and sets in that order. For example, Snatch – 75% x 2 x 5 would indicate snatching 75% of the athlete’s 1RM for 2 reps for 5 sets. If a loading prescription is absent, the sets and reps will be in the reverse order. For example, Box jumps – 4 x 5 would indicate 4 sets of 5 reps.
The prescription heavy single indicates that the athlete should take the weight up to the heaviest he or she can manage for a single rep without any misses, unless due to obvious technical mistakes. Max would indicate instead a genuine attempt at a 1RM, with an allowance for as many as 3 attempts to achieve it.

Core Training

Trunk stabilization training should be performed 4-5 days per week. This training should include isometric stabilization, trunk flexion, lateral trunk flexion, and rotation work. Each of these categories of movement require training with both heavier loads for stabilization and lighter loads with greater volume for stamina. Core training can be included on every training day provided the type of work is sufficiently varied among sessions. That is, it’s generally best to alternate heavy and light emphasis training to provide recovery time for each. Additionally, more taxing core training is best performed during heavy lifting sessions to allow recovery and prevent reduced trunk stability in the next heavy session.

Monday

Weeks 1-4
Back Squat – 75% x 3 x 10
Clean & Jerk – heavy single
Push Press – 75% x 5 x 5

Back-off Week
Back Squat – 85% of last week x 3 x 6
Clean & Jerk – 85% of last week x 1 x 1
Push press – 85% of last week x 5 x 3

Last Week
Back Squat – 85% x 1 x 2
Clean & Jerk – 75% x 1 x 3
Push Press – 85% x 1 x 2

Tuesday

Weeks 1-4
Power Snatch – 60% (of snatch) x 2 x 3
Power Clean & Jerk – 60% (of CJ) x 2 x 3
Pull-ups – 3 x max

Back-off Week
Power Snatch – 60% (of snatch) x 1 x 3
Power Clean & jerk – 60% (of CJ) x 1 x 3
Pull-ups – 3 x 85% of last week’s reps

Last Week
Snatch – 75% x 1 x 3
Bench Press – 75% x 2 x 2

Wednesday

Weeks 1-4
Deadlift – 80% x 3 x 3
Bench Press – 75% x 5 x 5
Pull-ups – 3 x 75% of Tuesday

Back-off Week
Deadlift – 85% of last week x 3 x 1
Bench Press – 85% of last week x 5 x 3
Pull-ups – 3 x 75% of Tuesday

Last Week
Power Snatch – 60% x 1 x 3
Power Clean & Jerk – 60% x 1 x 3

Thursday
rest

Friday

Weeks 1-4
Front Squat – 75% x 3 x 5
Snatch – heavy single
Press – 75% x 3 x 5

Back-off Week
Front Squat – 85% of last week x 3 x 3
Snatch – 85% of last week x 1 x 1
Press – 85% of last week x 3 x 3

Last Week
Rest

Saturday

Weeks 1-4
2-position Snatch – 60% x 4 sets
2-position Clean – 60% x 4 sets
Push jerk + Jerk – 60% (of jerk) x 4 sets
Pull-ups – 3 x max

Back-off Week
2-position Snatch – 60% x 2 sets
2-position Clean – 60% x 2 sets
Push jerk + Jerk – 60% (of jerk) x 2 sets
Pull-ups – 3 x 85% of last week’s reps

Last Week
Test 1RMs

Sunday
Rest