Any "skinny chickstrying to gain?

heya! yeah i remember the day when another lady commented to me 'yeah like you eat' i was like where did that come from??im 5'1 but pretty tiny too ...they tease me at work smetimes with 'ano' lol but seriously, its great being naturally thin but i totally understand, i want to put some sexy muscle on too i do beat you though- im 49 kilos lol i think the main thing is to get enough nutrients and to hit the weights, i struggle with eating the amounts needed so sometimes its like sabotaging my workouts in a way because i know i won't get max muscle growth without eating enough of the right stuff. maybe it just comes down to being very organised about nutrition and workouts... just my thoughts on it anyway .... and lol no im not posting pics on here

Hi girls! I'm new here - 165cm and 56kg - have been naturally skinny (and weak) all my life but I'm taking up weight training to become stronger (and hopefully pack some muscle on).

I've been eating 6 clean meals a day and training hard every 2nd day. The number of full pushups I can do just went to 5 (from 1) - I told you I was a weakling!!

Anyone here tried stronglifts? thinking of starting it this week.

Stronglifts is fine.
Just remember progressive resistance over a set period if time then have a break and resume.

thanks shrek!!

Hey Katie- good luck!

My sister was just here from OS. She exercises regularly but I was shocked to discover that she couldn't do a push up either- not even a knee push-up.

Make sure you ignore all of your female friends who try to distract you by saying you will bulk up and look like a man. They are just misinformed and trying to sabotage your success.

I'm stoked - I can do 8 full pushups now when 2 weeks ago I could only do 1. lol. I know it might be weak for some, but it's very, very good for me!!

Stronglifts is going well, am looking to set up a home gym so that I can do my lifts at home. I'm not fussed about what other girls think, but I do have a bit of a complex working out in a gym with my measly weights (eg. chest press 15kg and struggling!)

Look around at the other females at your gym. Most of them are struggling with 2kg- that's if they are even near the weights.

That is well done, katie. My girlfriend had some shoulder troubles, being brainwashed by the Army I suggested pushups. She could do 10. I said, "do 5 - every day before breakfast, and every day before you go to bed - then next week do 6, next week do 7, and so on. After a year you'll do more than 50." I think she got up to 40 before she was bored

That's not advice, you obviously know what you're doing, that's just an example of what can be done if you keep at it.

Women can gain a lot of muscle and get very strong, provided they try. As bree said, most don't. Which is a pity. I'd like to see some women on the free weights side of the gym, it'd drop the Macho Ego Factor down a few points. This forum could do with the same - BeanGrower didn't log in again, probably found the place a bit of a sausagefest.

Katie so Cazy! thats a good 2 week gain! well done.

Thanks all.

The next thing to work on (that will help me to gain) is my diet. I'm doing the weight training, and my diet could be better. Sure I'm squeezing in 6 meals a day, each with protein, but at times I find myself slipping into the typical girl mentality of looking for the low fat foods... and have just realised that a lot of food I eat is low in fat (cottage cheese, lean cuts of beef).

Trying to get my fat intake up through avocados, nuts, salmon fish etc.

I'm seriously considering starting a modified version of the GOMAD diet. For those of you who haven't heard about it, it's drinking a Gallon Of Milk A Day. Now a Gallon is a crazy amount (4.5L) so I might modify it and shoot for 1L at first. I'd rather have slow and steady progress.

This will be interesting! can't wait to track the results - have read a lot of reviews on the stronglifts forums and it looks like it works. I have never been in my life over 60kg so I might stop when I get there - hopefully I'll be heaps stronger than what I am now (chin-ups here I come!!)

Katie, if you start a training diary thread, saying exactly what you're aiming for, then perhaps some of the experienced people can advise you on diet, too. Diet's one of the most difficult things for a person new to building their muscle mass - our appetite talks a while to adjust, and sometimes we don't realise just how much we have to eat to make up for all the crazy things we're doing to our bodies

Yep, I'll be starting an online training diary soon - but after my ankle heals, because I'm currently taking 1 week off. I keep a paper one for food and exercise as well.

Just been reading over my paper diary. I've been eating 6 square meals a day (with 3 free meals per week, where I eat whatever I want). Last meal of the day is c.c + yoghurt + muesli. Haven't been trying very hard with increasing my milk intake - generally take in about 500mL in 1 day.

And how's my weight? It's moved up 1 kg in 6 weeks, I'm now 57kg. Hardly statistically significant, I'd say! My BMI has nudged from being in the 20's to being in the 21's now (just).

The thing is, I'm not fussed about how slowly I'm putting on muscle because I'm learning take the slow and steady approach to things. My gym weights have been going up consistently, same for max pushups and plank times.

All I know is, I'm stronger than I have ever been before (and I thought I used to be pretty fit because I'd been rockclimbing for 3 years! I just wasn't very strong).

Anyway, I can't remember what the point of my post was, so I'd better stop before I keep waffling on!

I have a friend who put on 1kg every two months and said, "that's nothing!" Now a few years later he is 20kg overweight

You're gaining muscle and that's what matters. 1kg in 6 weeks, well in two years that's 16kg, if 3/4 of that is muscle you'll be pretty buff. Two years seems like ages, but it comes quicker than you expect.

When you're injured is the perfect time to start a training diary. In the first place, you have more spare time, and secondly, it's a chance to reassess your goals and methods, get some feedback on them, too. I mean, you may have to train around your weakened ankle for a little while, or train it harder to strengthen it, or whatever your physio is recommending. So that's a good time to start a diary.

It's also useful to people reading, since we all have injuries occasionally. We can learn something. And it's a good example to any women lurking on the forums

So now you are an "acceptable" weight according to BMI
How tall are you, 166cm?

165 cm.

Kyle, that's a good point, I'll start my training diary today!