3 Reasons Why You’re Not Putting on Weight

Anyone who has tried getting bigger and stronger has more than likely had to deal with the frustrating experience of not putting on any weight for weeks, even months. The good news is that there are three BIG reasons why this usually happens, and all of them are within your control.

Anyone who has tried getting bigger and/or stronger has probably had to deal with the frustrating experience of not putting on any weight for weeks, even months. The good news is that there are three BIG reasons why this usually happens, and all of them are within your control.

You’re Not Eating Enough
Weight gain comes down to one simple thing: eating more calories than you burn. 

If you find that the scale hasn’t budged in a few weeks, you probably need to start eating more food. If you always feel stuffed, try including more calorie-dense foods in your diet:Nuts and seedsNut butterSalad dressingsWhole eggsDried fruitsFatty fish and red meatFull-fat dairy products

You’re Not Training Optimally
Training for muscle and strength is a nuanced topic, and there are many variables to consider. But, so long as you cover the below criteria, you should be okay:Train all of your musclesTrain in a variety of repetition ranges (5 to 12; 12 to 15; 15 to 25)Focus on getting stronger over timeGive your muscles enough time to recover (at least 72 hours before training them again)

3. You’re Doing Too Much Cardio
   Regardless if you are doing 1 and 2 accordingly, you won’t be able to put on weight if you are doing too much cardio, move around a lot throughout the day, or even have an incredibly high Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT).

It’s essential to be objective and look at your daily life. If you’re doing too much cardio, cut back to no more than 30-60 minutes per week. If you tend to move around a lot during the day, try limiting that a bit. If that’s not possible, increase your caloric intake further to make up for it.