How to Gain Weight As a Teen

Teens wishing to gain weight should concentrate on building muscle mass and being healthy, not just increasing their size. Although supplements can help you reach your goal, they should not be relied on as a primary way of building your physique. Healthy weight gain is a process that takes work, not simply eating large amounts of high fat foods--such as fast food or sweets--which contain empty calories.

Things You'll Need

• Exercise equipment or gym membership
• Supplements (optional)

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Instructions

• 1

  Evaluate your current diet and exercise routine; make a plan. Take a couple of weeks to write down everything you eat before and after school, as well as at home. Add up the calories. Plan on adding anywhere from 300 to 500 extra calories to your diet. This might mean eating bigger meals or adding in some high-calorie snacks in between meals.

• 2

  Prepare yourself mentally and physically. This isn't going to be an easy fix; it will take time and willpower. Make a commitment, and then be a man of your word. Tell your schoolmates about your plan; ask them to either join you or encourage you. Start doing some stretching and easy lifting as well, to prepare your body for the journey ahead.

• 3

  Create a diet plan. Just eating any old calories won't get you the results you want. You want muscle, not fat, and what you eat will determine which you gain. Your diet should include a few hundred extra calories while you're working out, and those calories should be chosen carefully.

• 4

  Decide if you want to add supplements to your diet. They truly are optional; although they may enhance your efforts, you don't need them in order to achieve results. If you do choose to use supplements, start out with a basic multivitamin for teens and add in some whey protein or flaxseed oil for extra calories and energy.

• 5

  Start working out. Don't overdo it the first time around, or you'll be sorry the next day. Start small with a few exercises proven to build muscle, such as bicep curls and bench presses. Although you don't have to do it all on one day, you do need to ensure that you are working out your entire body. Make a plan to work on arms one day, legs the next, and abs on the following day..