If you're trying to bulk up because you're too lean, or you're trying to gain muscle, it's important to make sure your body is ready for gaining weight in the healthiest possible way. Just because you "look skinny" doesn't mean you have a BMI that's optimal for weight gain, and you might be doing yourself an unhealthy disservice by trying to gain before you get into shape. While it's best to visit a nutritionist first, you can measure your BMI yourself with the following calculation::


Your weight in kg (or weight in pounds divided by about 2.2), divided by
Your height in meters squared
If your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, you're at a low-normal body weight, which means you can safely gain weight, with the proper nutrition and guidance., Muscle can only be built when you create a calorie surplus, then work out in targeted ways to promote muscle growth in your body. The difference between gaining muscle and gaining fat requires that you calculate how many calories you'll need to eat to gain muscle effectively, and making sure you eat the right kinds of foods. To calculate the amount of calories you'll need:


Multiply your bodyweight in pounds by 20. This is the amount of calories you'll need to eat on days that you work out, to gain muscle.
 If you want to build muscle and gain weight, it's absolutely essential that you take in enough protein to promote muscle growth. Without the proper amount of protein, you can do damage to your muscles by over-exerting them. To find out how much lean protein you'll need, multiply your bodyweight in pounds by about 1.5 to find out the number of grams of protein you'll need to consume in a day.


Make friends with chicken and peanut butter. Lean in fat, but high in protein, these are easy-to-eat and widely available ways of making sure that you get enough protein in your diet.
 An extremely common way of bulking up and gaining muscle mass after workouts is to use a protein supplement to stimulate muscle growth. Protein whey powders are widely available, which allow you to mix up smoothies to get added nutrients, vitamins, and added protein into one easy-to-drink concoction.


Protein shakes are notoriously not very tasty, so it's helpful to incorporate whey powder into smoothies including yoghurt, bananas, strawberries, and other tasty fruits, so you're not just slugging down what amounts to protein wallpaper paste. If it tastes better, you'll be much more likely to use it.
 You should be eating about twice your weight (lbs.) in carbohydrates (grams) on days that you work out, and those carbs should consist primarily of low-glycemic carbohydrates. That means whole grains, like rolled oats, and fresh fruits, and sweet potatoes. Avoid refined wheat flour., Athletes who build muscle typically eat more monosaturated and saturated fats, which increase testosterone levels, in turn helping muscle growth. You should typically be eating about half your body weight (pounds) in good fats during your work out days.


One of the best ways to do this is drinking milk. It's easy to take down, even if you're not feeling hungry, and an excellent way to get more fat into your diet. Drink a glass of milk three times a day when you work out.
 All this calorie intake will just translate into fat unless you're lifting and workout out vigorously along with your calorie surplus. Make sure you develop a healthy work-out routine tailored to your interests and goals for muscle gain.


Typically, on days that you'll work out, you'll add a hefty pre- and post-workout meal to your regular three-meal-a-day regimen. To eat the proper number of calories on your off-days, simply skip these meals.
 If you're going to be increasing the amount of lean protein and carbs that you eat in a day, it's also very important that you take a fiber supplement to keep your gastro-intestinal tract functioning regularly. Gaining weight effectively can be somewhat uncomfortable without one.
Calculate your body-mass index (BMI) first.
Calculate the necessary caloric intake for building muscle.
Calculate your protein needs.
Drink whey protein shakes between meals.
Eat low-glycemic slow-digesting carbohydrates.
Stimulate testosterone production by eating fat.
Develop your lifting or training regimen.
Take a fiber supplement.
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