Reader Mail: Working Out to Gain Weight

For those of you who don't know my background, I'm a trainer and a writer for various print and online strength and bodybuilding magazines. Every so often I get reader mail from Asian lifters who talk about Asian genetics being the limiting factor. Genetics be damned! Here's one reader question and my response:



"I am Asian, and I was skinny for a very long time until last year when I put on a lot of fat. My height is 5'7" and I weigh 160 lbs. with a 33 inch waist. I have been on this diet for more than 2 weeks now, but I'm not gaining any weight at all:



Meal 1 (6:30 AM)

-one and a half scoops of whey protein concentrate

-2 cups of milk

-1 banana



Meal 2 (7:30 AM)

-1 serve of oatmeal



Meal 3 (10:30 AM)

-Whole grain Rice Cakes w/ peanut butter

-one and a half scoops of whey protein concentrate



Meal 4 (12 Noon)

-150 grams Chicken breast grilled

-4 slices of whole grain bread

-Avocado



Meal 5 (3:30 PM)

-7 egg whites 1 egg york

-2 cups of milk

-one scoop of ice cream

-mixed berries

-2 slices of whole grain toasts w/ butter/peanut butter



Exercise (4 pm - 5:30pm)



Meal 6 (6:30 PM)

-1 cup of brown rice or whole meal pasta or sweet potato

-mixed vegetables

-1 griled steak or chicken breast or turkey breast or salmon



Meal 7

-One tub of Cottage cheese



Exercise (9:30 PM-10:30 PM)



Meal 8 (10:45 PM)

-2 scoops of whey concentrate



"I don't always follow strictly, but most the time I strive to eat as planned. I generally weight train once a week all upper body exercises, and in the afternoon every weekday i usually do breakdancing. It's sorta aerobics, lots of head spins and other power moves from 4 pm to 5:30 pm.



"Every night at 9:30 that's when I get home. I do my daily exercises which consist of 2 sets of pullups to failure (about 8 reps), 2 sets of handstand pushups(about 25 reps) to failure and 2 sets of decline situps (about 100 reps) to failure.



"Should I drop breakdancing and evening exerices and join a gym? Is there nothing bad with my diet? Honestly I never thought I would put on much muscle, mostly because I am Asian. But when I see you I think,'Umm... maybe I still can?'



"Anyways, thank you very much. I look forward to your advice!!"



- S. Zhang





My Answer: Wow, Zhang, I'm surprised you don't puke during your breakdancing sessions from all the food you eat. At 5'7" with a 33 inch waist, I would definitely agree that you have put on a lot of fat. The problem is you're eating A LOT, but you're not strength training enough to put on muscle. 2 sets of pull-ups, handstand pushup and decline sit-ups doesn't do jack shit for gaining muscle. You don't have to stop breakdancing if that's what you love doing, but either join a gym or buy a 300 lb free weight set with an adjustable bench and squat rack.



As a breakdancer, you favor body weight exercises. But with the exception of pull-ups, most bodyweight exercises won't induce enough hypertrophy in your muscles for you to gain size. Keep the breakdancing, but when you hit the gym, do some powerlifting moves in addition to your pull-ups: deadlifts, bench press, squats. Follow a 5x5 program for all the exercises, including your pull-ups.