What Is the Fastest Way to Gain 10 Pounds?

People try to gain weight for various reasons: They may be too thin or want to add muscle mass. They might be high school or college athletes wanting to gain weight during the off-season. Whatever your reason, it's not hard to put on 10 pounds, especially if you use a combination of weight training, diet and supplementation.

Body Types

• There are three basic types of bodies: Ectomorphs, mesomorphs and endomorphs. Ectomorphs are thinner, have smaller frames and usually have trouble gaining weight. Mesomorphs have a more athletic build and have an easier time. Endomorphs have a heavier build and gain weight the easiest.

Weight Training & Exercise

• The best way to gain body weight is through weight training or exercise. Muscle weighs more by volume than fat. Plus, most people are not interested in gaining just fat. The best way to gain 10 pounds of muscle is to focus on the larger muscle groups. Do extra sets of squats, bench presses and upper back exercises. Do at least 16 sets for each of these body parts and 10 to 12 sets for other areas. Work every muscle group.

  Working out less frequently is better when building mass. Train only three or four days per week. The rest of the time, focus on consuming more calories. Muscles grow when they are at rest. If you are not in a weight-training program, push-ups and squats will help build muscle.

Diet

• You need to consume 3,500 calories per day above your required body-weight maintenance level to gain a pound. So to gain 10 pounds, you will need a total of 35,000 calories more than your normal intake in a given time period. Try to get your added calories by adding more meals to your diet, rather than eating a lot more calories per meal.

  Eat foods high in protein to help build muscles. Aim for 1 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Foods that are high in protein include beef, chicken, turkey, tuna, egg whites and nuts. Also, eat plenty of complex carbohydrates, such as rice, potatoes, yams and bread. An occasional pizza can boost your calories if you do not mind adding a little fat. Gaining some fat is inevitable with quicker weight-gain diets.

Supplements

• Supplements such as protein shakes and creatine can help weight gain. Creatine is an amino acid that can increase the amount of water retention in your muscles. It has been used effectively to help people gain muscle. There are also weight-gaine products that can help increase your daily caloric intake.

Water

• Drinking a lot of water can help you gain weight. Like your entire body's composition, muscle is about 70 percent water.