Are you struggling to put on weight? This post covers how to gain weight for teenage guys. We’ll set achievable goals and cover the best foods to eat and avoid, what to drink (and what not to), the best exercises, and resting tips.
You’ll learn how to stay disciplined and consistent throughout your weight-gaining journey.
Goal Setting
Setting a specific goal helps you track and manage your progress, and this gives you direction, now let’s look at the 3 best exercises for goal setting if you want to gain weight as a teenager.
How Much Weight You Want To Gain – This is the first step, identifying a number and aiming for that helps you to track your progress, improve and reach your goal easily.
Time Period – You don’t increase 15-20 kg in one week ( it may be possible ) but you need realistic goals.
why? because having a high goal can be challenging to complete and you will most likely end up failing, so give yourself a safe time period if you want to gain 5 kg – give yourself 2 weeks.
Make a System – Having a realistic system and a plan on how you will increase weight as a teenage guy will help you to do that easily.
Set a plan on how you will work out, what will you eat, what will you avoid eating, and how will you take a rest.
James Clear in his book atomic habits mentioned the importance of systems – so in this case that would be saying “Monday, Thursday, and Friday I will work out at 6 pm “’ instead of saying ‘’ exercise to gain muscle’’ Follow a clear system.
Click Here – To Find The Ultimate Guide To Improve Your Life As a Teenage Guys
Food
Different Food Group / What to eat
| Protein | Carbohydrate-Rich foods | Healthy Fats | Diary Products | High-Calorie Foods |
| Lean Meat | Rice | Nuts | Milk | Nuts |
| Fish | Quinoa | Seeds | Cheese | Seeds |
| Eggs | Whole Wheat Bread | Avacados | Yogurt | Dried Fruits |
| Dairy Products | Fruits | Fatty Fish | Heavy Cream | Granola |
| Chicken | Vegetables | Avocados | Butter | Nut Butter |
What To Avoid
Avoid eating Chips, candy, soda, and other sugary or salty snacks. Cut down on junk foods like fries, pizza, and burgers ( i know it’s tasty and fun to eat ) but that will not help you to build a healthy weight.
Healthy Snacks To Gain Weight For Teenage Guys
Eating healthy snacks throughout the day will keep you energetic and gives your body proteins and other needed elements. here is a list of healthy snacks you can eat to gain weight as a teenage guy
- Granola bars
- Almonds
- Peanuts
- Cashews
- Fruits and Vegetables
- Smoothies
- Greek Yogurt
- Dried Fruits
Daily Diet Plan
Having a daily diet plan is important if you want to build weight as a teenager, as this helps you to avoid eating unnecessarily or even eating what won’t benefit you ( see the whole point is to eat the right things).
I’ll give you a rough idea of your daily diet plan. but you can make a few changes to this.
Breakfast: • 2-3 whole eggs cooked in olive oil • 2 slices of whole grain toast with almond butter • 1 cup of Greek yogurt with mixed berries
Morning snack: • Apple, Banana, or Pear • 1 ounce of mixed nuts
Lunch: • Grilled chicken breast with sweet potato and steamed broccoli • 1 slice of whole grain bread • 1 cup of milk
Afternoon snack: • Smoothie made with 1 cup of frozen berries, 1 banana, 1 scoop of protein powder, and 1 cup of almond milk
Dinner: • Baked salmon / Steak with quinoa and mixed vegetables • 1 slice of whole grain bread • 1 cup of low-fat milk
Evening snack: • 1 ounce of mixed nuts • 1 cup of cottage cheese with sliced fruit
Remember this is just a rough idea, you don’t need to follow this exact same thing to gain weight, make a few changes, and add things you like.
Hydrate
hydration is the one main part you need to take care of if you want to add weight as a teenage guy, let’s take a look at the things you should drink and avoid drinking.
What to drink
Milk – Let’s start with milk, this is a good place to start I would recommend at least drinking 2 glasses every day.
Any type of milk can work, almond milk, chocolate milk whatever you like drink it.
Protein Shakes – You knew this was coming, there is no better drink for weight gain than protein drinks, pick any flavor you like and make some great protein drinks.
Fruit Juices – Now here I will not recommend juices that come in packed bottles or plastic which you buy from stores.
We are talking about 100% pure which you make at home. that will help you to gain weight, especially flavors like a banana.
Smoothies – Smoothies are another great drink to gain weight for teenage guys, you can find a lot of recipes on youtube or google, find out what flavors you like and drink them.
Water – this is the most important drink you need, drink a minimum of 2 liters of water every day, now don’t drink all at once.
What not to drink
- Sodas like Pepsi and 7up
- Energy drinks
- Fruit Drinks
- Sports Drinks
These drinks will have a negative effect on your weight gain so avoid drinking any of the drinks mentioned.
Workout and Rest
Working out is the best way to increase your weight. let’s take a look at some of the best weight gain exercises for teenage guys.
- Squats: Squats are one of the most effective exercises for building leg muscles, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
- Deadlifts: Deadlifts target the entire body, including the back, legs, and core. This exercise is great for building overall strength and muscle mass.
- Bench press: The bench press is a classic exercise that primarily works the chest muscles and engages the shoulders and triceps. This exercise is great for building upper body strength.
- Pull-ups: Pull-ups are challenging exercises that target the back, shoulders, and arms.
- Overhead press: The overhead press works the shoulders, upper back, and triceps. This exercise is great for building upper body strength and improving posture.
- Push-ups – Targets shoulders, chest, and arms. Hard but effective to gain weight.
Importance of sleep – Tips and Tricks
Getting enough and proper rest is essential for gaining weight as a teenage guy, let’s look at some of the best ways to improve your sleep to get the maximum benefit of your rest time.
Sleep At a Consistent Time – Make a clear plan to get to bed every day at the same time, this does not mean you should sleep at 9 pm every day, it’s okay even if you sleep at 12 pm. but sleep regularly at that time.
Sleep in a cold room – Let your room cool down a bit before you sleep, this can improve your sleep quality and gets you in deeper sleep, which makes you feel well-rested.
Avoid Using Mobile or Laptops Before Bed – blue light from these devices has many harmful impacts, so stop using them before bed.
Instead, read a book, write down your thoughts, or take a bath before bed. ( Click Here To Find Out The 40 Best Hobbies For Teenage Guys)
Get Enough Sleep Hours – getting proper 7-9 hours of sleep, puts you in a well-rested and energetic position, this can benefit you the next day, so get enough sleep every single day.
To Calculate How Many Hours Of Sleep You Need – Click Here
How To Gain Weight For Teenage Guys – Overcoming Obstacle.
There are certain obstacles to gaining weight as a teenager and here’s how you can overcome that
High Metabolism – It is when you eat a lot but you remain skinny ( this is me ), So what we people should do is increase the intake of meals.
Everyone takes 3 meals a day, so the guys with high metabolism should increase that to 6-7 meals, the goal is never to leave your stomach empty.
Lack of Appetite – Just like high metabolism, lack of appetite also can be managed easily by eating small meals throughout the day, you also need to intake a lot of proteins, and high in calorie foods. ( check the table mentioned above )
Busy Schedule – The solution to this is to plan meal preps, plan what will you eat, and prepare meals ahead to save time, also carry around healthy snacks with you throughout the day and eat them often.
Medical Conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as hyperthyroidism or diabetes can also cause teenage guys not to gain weight in this case please consult a medical professional.
Consistency
Being consistent in eating, sleeping, or working out to gain weight for teenage guys is the hardest thing to do but with simple tips you can make your process easy.
Start Small – Nobody wants to join a gym the first day and work out for 2-3 straight hours, it’s hard instead start small if you are joining a gym start by going for 30 minutes but be consistent with that.
Track Your Progress – it’s easy to get lost in the process of gaining weight so you need to track your progress, this will help you to find areas you are good at and areas you need to improve.
Take Actions – It’s easy to say ‘’ im busy, lazy, or tired’’ But even if you are busy taking small actions can huge impact, so even if it is by eating 1 banana or doing 1 pushup, start by taking action.
Make a System – I have mentioned this early, having a clear system helps you to tackle your goals. instead of saying I will eat protein, start by buying proteins and keep them in the kitchen where you can see them, this makes it easy for you to get going.
Conclusion
That’s everything you need to know about how to gain weight for teenage guys, gaining weight as a teenage guy can be challenging, but with the right approach, it’s achievable.
Stay disciplined, consistent, and patient throughout your journey, and seek guidance from healthcare professionals or nutritionists if needed.
With dedication and effort, you can transform your body and feel confident. Good luck!
