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How to Put on Weight With a Low BMI

BMI, or Body Mass Index, is a simple method of determining body fat levels based on dividing body weight by height. While it is a poor choice when dealing with athletes who tend to have high levels of lean muscle, which skews the equation, it is a sound method for determining if someone is underweight.

The easiest method of "fixing" a low BMI is to simply gain lean-body mass, or muscles. If you eat more than you are currently eating and lift heavy weights, your BMI will increase in a positive manner.

Things You'll Need

  • Gallon of milk per day
  • weightlifting equipment
  • multivitamin
  • creatine monohydrate
  • L-Glutamine
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Instructions

  1. Eat Big to Be Big

    • 1

      Eat more. It takes a significant caloric surplus to gain weight, especially for those with naturally low BMIs. These individuals tend to have abnormally high metabolic rates and an excess of energy that manifests as "nervous" energy, in the form of fidgeting and constant movement bursts. You need to increase your caloric intake between 500 and 1500 calories per day or more.

    • 2

      Drink one gallon of whole milk each day. The GOMAD method, or "Gallon Of Milk A Day," is a time-proven method to quickly increase body weight.

    • 3

      Start GOMAD by increasing your milk consumption by adding one or two cups of milk per day. Gradually increase the amount to a gallon of day over the course of two to three weeks.

    • 4

      Consider supplements. Supplementation of the GOMAD diet is not really necessary, according to Coach Mark Rippetoe, author of "Starting Strength, Basic Barbell Training," but can be beneficial.

    • 5

      Take a multivitamin each day and a creatine monohydrate supplement. Creatine is the most researched diet aid in history. There is no published research that illustrates negative side effects. It's all anecdotal evidence that generally refers to lifters who were under-hydrated.
      "I also recommend L-Glutamine, the amino acid," says Coach Troy West, CSCS, owner of Empower Fitness in Portland, Oregon. "L-Glutamine has been shown to reduce, and even prevent, post-exercise soreness. It's an easy way to keep motivated about lifting."

    Lifting Heavy Stuff Makes Your Muscles Bigger.

    • 6

      Lift heavy weights. Lifting heavy weights will make you stronger. Strength training ensures that the caloric surplus created by the GOMAD diet is utilized for muscle synthesis instead of being stored as body fat.

    • 7

      Lift three times per week, using a whole-body strengthening routine built around barbell squats, bench presses and deadlifts or power cleans. These compound-movement, multi-joint exercises promote maximum muscle gain by activating more muscles per exercise than simpler, machine-based exercises.

    • 8

      Start out with a weight that is only moderately challenging, and add five pounds to each exercise, each training session. This method allows you to make rapid gains without over-working yourself to a point of diminishing returns.

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