For most people being underweight sucks. If you’re not one of them then that’s awesome, because the underweight mentality is more psychological than anything else, but all the same, if you feel self conscious or simply inadequate because of how big you are, then improving your physicality will contribute to self confidence.
Plus, it has the added advantage of preparing you for achieving dreams in other areas of your life – the river runs deep as they say.
- Specify your desired weight. You need to know what you’re aiming for. Putting on “more” weight is an endless cycle that boggles the mind and prevents most skinny guys (including myself) from ever getting started. Instead, calculate your not skinny weight and repeatedly revisit that goal and set a specific date for which you wish to achieve it by.
- Set a clear plan. Get out a pen and paper (no fancy computer software necessary) and write a list of the things you need to do to get to where you want to be. This might include buying some weights, or a particular book, or even what food you need to buy at a supermarket. A magical thing happens when a plan is set like this: the process no longer seems scary. You can completely map out what you need to do, and if you trust the source of your weight gain education it’s just a matter of going through the motions are you’re fueled by your certainty. You’re essentially designing your future when you plan.
- Break down goals. Big goals are both scary and more often than not, too vague to be truly actionable. For example, if you need to eat 2500 calories per day don’t just tell yourself to “eat 2500 calories per day” – that’s too big to tackle. Instead, break that calorie count into 5-6 meals, and then just set your goals as to eating those specific meals. In terms of training, instead of focusing on “training” as a big goal, identify the exact amount of reps and sets of what exercises you need to do and instill these habits progressively. Small goals are easier to tackle. Think small.
- Craft your environment. Don’t rely on will power to gain weight. It always lets you down when you need it most. Start thinking rather about how to shape your circumstances, your environment, to shape the results you desire. Place small snacks (like bags of mixed nuts) around your house for example as a way to eat more, or remove any distractions from the room where you keep your weights (or if you go to a gym, go at the time of the day where it’s the most quiet, giving you free access to the equipment you want).
- Do the simple, effective tasks. Don’t over complicate what needs to be done. Any training or meal plan that can’t be described simply is not worth participating in. Time tested exercises like pull ups and squats, and heavy sources of calories like steak and eggs are the classics that you should conform too. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise – master the basics and that will be all you need. Plus, when your focused is directed at these basics you’ll also be harnessing the power of the 80:20 principle by embracing the 20% of the activities/actions that provide you with 80% of the results. This is massively time saving.
- Balance the pain and progress motivators. There are two powerful motivation tools: pain and progress. Use pain by thinking about what will happen if you remain underweight – all the negative offsets of your inaction. Don’t overwhelm yourself with these feelings, just use them as a kick in the butt. Progress is the much more positive motivator which stems from taking small action steps and then feeding off the joy of becoming ever closer to your goal, in this case your desired weight.
- Be persistent. Don’t give up with your overall goal of being a healthy weight. Sure, at times you’ll have to drop an ineffective training method or meal plan that doesn’t work for you (only after a reasonable period of dedication and tracking though of course) but those things are merely tools in your bigger weight gaining purpose. Remember that purpose and stick with your desires. Success takes time. Give it time.
