How Men With a High Metabolism Can Gain Weight

A high metabolism can be a curse for any man looking to gain weight and build muscle. Most men with fast metabolisms will be classified as ectomorphs, notes strength coach Craig Ballantyne. This can be a blessing when trying to lose weight, as you burn calories at a quicker rate, but it makes weight gain much more difficult. It is possible to gain muscle and body weight, but you need to address several training, dietary and lifestyle factors.

Eat Big

The adage "To get big, you must eat big" applies more to skinny guys and ectomorphs than anyone else. In "Scrawny to Brawny," nutritionist and coach John Berardi writes than most skinny men simply don't eat enough to gain weight. Berardi suggests eating five to six times per day and eating a whole meal each time, rather than picking at snacks. These meals should each contain a protein source, a serving of nutrient-dense carbs such as beans, brown rice, whole-grain bread and pasta or oats, along with vegetables and a healthy fat, such as peanut butter or avocado.

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Count Your Calories

You also need to make sure you consume enough calories. To work out roughly how many calories you'd burn each day if you were to do nothing and lead a sedentary lifestyle, the Personal Trainer Today website recommends multiplying your body weight in pounds by 11. For weight gain, you need to add another 1,000 to 1,500 calories to this to factor in your daily activity, plus another 500 calories on every day you train with weights. As an example, a 150-pound man would need 2,650 to 3,150 calories on a rest day and 3,150 to 3,650 on a workout day.

Hit the Weights

Weight training is an integral part of any weight-gain program. Increasing calories and gaining weight without lifting will result in fat gain rather than muscle gain. Personal trainer James Chan recommends performing three total-body workouts each week. These should be based around compound moves, like the back squat, deadlift, overhead press and pull-up. Perform four or five exercises every workout, performing three sets of five to 10 repetitions for each.

Cut Your Cardio

Getting in enough calories to support your weight training and encourage weight gain can be a battle for any guy with a fast metabolism. Adding in high amounts of cardiovascular work only makes this harder, as you have to eat even more to replace the calories burned in your cardio session. Weights should be your priority in the gym, and strength coach and powerlifter Steve Shaw advises keeping your cardio to no more than three 20- to 30-minute sessions each week.

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