Skinny Guys

Precision Nutrition is launching another iteration of their Scrawy to Brawny coaching program. The article that leads it off, though, might be good for more than just scrawny guys looking to put on muscle.

6 Scrawny Mistakes

Pretty much the message inherent in all of these is the same - consistency.

Eat consistently - eat big for skinny guys, eat correctly for folks wanting to lean out.

Exercise consistently - pick one program and stick with it, consistently.

Measure consistently - measure your progress and ensure it's always going in the right direction.

Listen consistently - find a mentor, and do what he or she does.

This is the "slow and steady wins the race" approach - find things that work, slowly add them to your daily or weekly routine, and do them over and over until you reach your goal. Any size person with any goal, this is the way you do it.

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Scrawny to Brawny program

I debated back and forth on posting this - it does seem kind of a free add for a service. But it's an fairly unusual service at that, and it fits a niche I often write for - skinny guys trying to get big. I can sympathize, and if I had the money and didn't have the MMA training schedule and coaching I have now, I'd seriously consider it. So I figured this does fit within the normal scope of this blog. That said...

The folks over at Precision Nutrition have launched the Scrawny to Brawny Coaching Program.

The name should seem familiar - it's the title of a book co-authored by John Berardi of the same name. I even mention it in my "best routine" blog post.

What's interesting to me, and what makes me think this will be a big success for them, is the rarity of this kind of program. We can all name a half-dozen contests, shows, and for-pay diet services aimed at people losing weight. But one at people gaining weight? Putting muscle on a skinny guy by teaching him to lift right and eat right?

Interesting. It hits a niche market that just hasn't been hit much. And let's face it, it's not such a niche. Are any skinny guys really in the gym for anything besides building muscle? Are they really that rare? Learn how to lift, learn how to eat, and you're on the road to success. Compared to an in-person coaching program and in-person nutritionist visits, it's not that pricey either. I'm not plugging it, just saying. If you're skinny or just want to see how the other side obsesses on size, take a look.

Eat your leftovers

Today is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

If you're wondering what to do what those leftovers...eat them!

To encourage that, I'm posting four links about bulking up a skinny guy.

If you're looking for a book on the subject, I've previously reviewed Scrawny to Brawny. It's a dead-on solid plan for training and packing in the food to get bigger and stronger.

The Cure for Skinny

This article is a roundtable with Joe DeFranco (author of Westside for Skinny Bastards), Vince DelMonte, and Craig Weller.

You'll notice most of the advice in this article is about one thing - eating. Getting in enough food, followed closely by making sure it's quality food, is the most important thing for a skinny guy trying to be a non-skinny guy. You've got Craig's "Do 20 pushups every hour and eat a [protein bar]." You've got Vince's comment about getting bigger being an "all-out war in the gym and the kitchen" for a skinny guy. You've got Joe's "Hour of Power" - twice a week eating everything you can without puking.

Next we've got 37 Tips and Tales from Dave Tate.

Yes, he's saying eat piles of Chinese food and pizza soaked in oil. Yes, that's probably kind of nuts. But it shows you the extremes you'll need to go to in order to gain size sometimes. It's also a good counter-example - if you're eating a huge amount of low-quality high-calorie foods, you're certain to gain some kind of weight, whether you are training intensely or not. And if you're not eating lots of excess calories, don't worry too much about getting "too bulky." Even for big strong guys training day-in day-out, it's a hard thing to do. It's not going to happen by accident.

Finally, a quick video on post-workout shakes by Justin Harris.

"Get some food in ya."