Gaining mass is beyond simple, all you need is a decent program, lots of food and dedication. If you break it down this is one of the simplest things anyone can accomplish. This mass gain guide is generally for people looking to gain around 20+ lbs, more or less ectomorph's (like myself) trying to get to the point where they look like a normal human being and don‘t feel self-conscious for merely doing such a thing as taking their shirt off. This could also go for people of a different nature, but this is what I created my program and guide for. Now, my program you don’t necessarily have to use, it’s just the basis of what you need to be doing.
Program
Monday
3x6-8 Squat 3x6-8 Bent Over Row 3x6-8 Calf Press 1x15 Pull Ups Abs
3x6-8 Leg Press 3x6-8 Military Press 2x20 Wrist Curls 1x15 Chin Ups Abs
Progression
Pick a starting weight in which you can complete each set with no slowing towards the end of your last reps. Now following the Progression Table below, increase the weight each week by a given increment until you can't get the FIFTH rep on the last set. Once this happens, keep the weight the same for each week until you can accomplish doing so, then increase.
Progression Table
Squat - 15-20lbs for 3-4 weeks, then slowing to 10. Deadlift - 15-20lbs for 3-4 weeks, then slowing to 10. Leg Press - 20lbs for 3-4 weeks, then slowing to 10. Military Press - 5lbs Bench Press - 5-10lbs Bent Over Row - 5-10lbs Barbell Curls - 5-10lbs Chin Ups/Pull Ups - Once you can get a set of 15 unweighted, add 5lbs until you can accomplish this again and so forth. Dips - Once you can get 2 sets of 10 unweighted, add 5lbs until you can do so again and so forth. Calf Press - 10lbs Wrist Curls - 5lbs
Deload Week
Every 6 weeks at 60% intensity.
All you need to gain mass in the beginning stages are compound exercises. This program gives you all the compounds you need, and the few isolation's to truly work your full body for maximum mass.
Diet
This is where it’s simple, but takes more dedication than actually lifting in my opinion. First, go here: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ and calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). Now take this number and multiply it by 1.2, this is your daily caloric intake required to maintain your current bodyweight.
Next, go here: http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/users/myplate/ and create an account. This is a calorie counter, and will become one of your best friends throughout your journey and drastically help you be able to strictly adhere to your diet and calorie needs. Once you create an account, go to “calorie goal” at the top of the page. It gives you a few options to adjust your recommended caloric intake for what you want to accomplish. My caloric intake to maintain my bodyweight is around 2100, so I set my Goal to 1.5lbs a week and it gives me a recommend amount of 3,159 a day. This is one of the better calorie counters out there, very clean layout and has any food you can possibly imagine.
Dedication
It basically speaks for itself. Hit your calorie needs every week, or even exceed them. Don’t miss a day of workouts, even if you’re tired for WHICHEVER reason you can think of and you should be well on your way. That’s really all it is, simple as can be.
Other than that you don’t really need to know much but a few tips I’ll give you. One is milk. Drink it, and LOTS of it. I wouldn’t recommend drinking a gallon a day as some do because of the fat you could gain, but a half gallon a day gives you an easy 800-1,000 calories of your required daily intake. Also, make sure to get a good post-workout weight gainer. This is drastically important, in my opinion, for the recovery process and will work wonders as compared to if you didn‘t eat something within an hour of working out. I wouldn’t recommend drinking more than one of these a day, though, and believe the rest should come from food but that‘s just me.
So there it is, all you need to know to gain mass. Lift hard, eat right, sleep right and good luck!
