How to build muscle for skinny guys: the ultimate guide

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a skinny guy that struggles mightily to gain any sort of weight. Having a fast metabolism and a low appetite is a pain in the butt, as this is the most contributing factor to how fast or slow you gain weight. Because of this it can really be a challenge figuring out how to build muscle.

Trust me I’ve been through your struggle. I’ve been skinny the majority of my life. Everyone would say how much of a blessing it is to not gain weight, but I’m sure you know as well as I do that this is almost a curse.

Before I started taking fitness seriously, I weighed in at around 140 pounds. Also just for reference I am 6ft 1, so I was a pretty skinny dude. I would eat absolutely anything to try and gain any sort of weight, fat or muscle and had no idea how to build muscle the right way.

I thought all I needed to do was workout and eat protein and the weight would naturally come. Boy was I wrong.

I am now sitting at around 180 pounds and in the best shape of my life. Almost all of my weight gain has been muscle gain with minimal fat gain. Use myself as an example, IT IS POSSIBLE. For credibility purposes, here is a quick comparison picture to show the progress I’ve made in the last few years:

As you can see I used to be in horrible shape. The picture on the left, I was depressed, barely had any appetite and would rarely reach 1000 calories in a day. Fast forward to now I’ve never felt better, mentally and physically. Going to the gym used to be an extra job for me, now I look forward to getting a nice juicy pump every day.

I’ve done hours and hours of research, trying to find the best way to gain muscle without putting on fat. With personal experience I’ve been able to create the perfect system for skinny guys. I’m going to give you all my best tips and advice on how to build muscle foy skinny guys and shut all the “noodle arm” comments up.

1. Take your “before pics”

People don’t realize how important this step really can be for your weight gain journey. This is the first thing you should do before anything else, which is why it’s number 1 on how to build muscle for skinny guys.

Seriously, stop reading this for a second and go take pictures in the mirror, every angle you can think of.

Okay now that we got that out of the way let me tell you why this is necessary. First of all, it will be hard to see a difference in your appearance when you’re looking at yourself every day. Just like in the picture above, if I never took pictures before my fitness journey I honesty wouldn’t have noticed any sort of progress. Change does not happen overnight, and if someone tries selling you a program that claims they can, they’re lying.

You WILL reach a point where you become frustrated with no progress after a month or two. This is when you will pull up your “before pics” and notice that you really have been making gains.

Trust me, this absolutely crucial to keep your motivation in the gym.

2. Eat, eat, then eat some more.

If you’re one of those skinny guys that eats all the time and cannot gain weight, you’re not eating enough. Yes I mean it. To transform from skinny to muscular you’re going to have to force some calories in you.

From a bulking perspective you want to consume more calories than you burn. For example, if you’re eating 2500 calories a day to maintain, start eating 3000 calories. You will be in a 500 calorie surplus and these extra calories will be crucial for muscle gain.

This was by far the hardest step for me, mostly due to the fact that I didn’t have the biggest appetite. What helped me was to split my calories throughout the day instead of trying to cram it all in one sitting. Stock up on some protein bars, peanuts, etc. and eat on the go.

Liquid calories will also be your best friend. If you’re too full to finish a full meal, try to make some healthy and calorie dense protein shakes. Personally I would eat throughout the day, then before I went to sleep I would whip up a shake and chug the whole thing. Easiest calories you’ll ever consume!

3. Consume enough protein

I know some of you read the last step and thought you could get away with eating Hot Cheetos and Pancakes all day. Unless you don’t mind some fat gain along with muscle gain, avoid doing this.

Protein intake is crucial for muscle development. When you work out, your muscles will create microscopic tears and be repaired by protein fibers, thus creating muscle gain.

The biggest protein cheat code for me was eating eggs and protein bars. I would boil 4-5 eggs every morning and easily finish them without feeling bloated. Another great option is Greek yogurt, which is easy on the stomach.

Protein powder is also a fantastic option to reach your protein intake. This is one of the best and most researched supplements you can take, and it’s almost a requirement if you’re a skinny guy trying to gain some weight. If you want some options on some tasty and healthy protein powders, then check out my recent article Top protein powder for 2024 where I break down the top options on the market today.

Most would recommend around 100 grams of protein a day to be sufficient, but depending on your BMI this could vary from person to person.

In summary, if you’re eating junk food all day you’re just consuming empty calories with no benefit. Make sure everything you eat has some sort of protein source and the gains will follow along.

4. Find a workout program you enjoy.

It can be intimidating looking at all the different programs you can do. Arnold split, Push-Pull-Legs (PPL), Upper and Lower body, etc. So how do you know which one to go along with?

If you’re a beginner I highly recommend choosing the PPL split. This is a split that I still personally use today and recommend for anyone starting out. Here is a quick breakdown of how it works:

As the above picture states, pretty much all pushing and pulling movements are performed on separate days with legs to finish off the split. This will hit every muscle group in the body without a doubt. As a busy guy myself this is a perfect split, as it requires you to go to the gym at least 3 days a week. Feel free to incorporate more days, but just be aware to not overwork yourself and include some rest days.

If you’re a more experienced lifter and starting to reach a plateau, you can experience with other splits. Some more advanced lifters like to separate the arms for its own day. Others will work chest/back on the same day.

Depending on your goals I would go with the PPL split and branch out from there. Just don’t overthink it, consistency is the most important factor when you want to build muscle.

5. Push yourself, work until failure

Working out and going to the gym is one thing. Hitting your sets hard with intensity is another. The absolute biggest mistake people make when working out is hitting a set and stopping when it gets hard.

I cannot tell you the amount of times I see folks in the gym do 10-15 reps easily with no struggle. Unless you’re going to the gym for the vibes and don’t care about making progress, then you should be pushing yourself harder.

A lot of programs will tell you to hit something like 8-10 reps for a working set. The misconception with this is that people will think this means to find a weight that you can comfortably achieve 12 reps and call it a set. Absolutely not. By the time you get to your final rep you should barely be able to finish it out and struggle to lift the weight.

When you start to feel your muscles burn, these are the reps that will ultimately grow your muscles. For example, if I’m hitting a set of tricep pushdowns I aim for at least 8 reps, but all 8 of these reps are difficult. Most of the time I’ll even hit partial reps whenever I can’t complete a full rep. This will force your muscles to adjust to the weight you are lifting, and your body will in turn grow in order to be able to lift this weight. If you ever wondered how to build muscle in the fastest way possible, this is the key.

In summary, make sure you go into any workout with full intensity and push yourself hard. Going until failure doesn’t have to be achieved on every set, but just be sure to push yourself. It’s not going to be a good feeling, but you know, “no pain no gain.”

Conclusion

Before we wrap things up, I just want to set some realistic expectations. Social media these days has set some pretty absurd standards. Don’t expect to look like The Rock after a month or two. Keep in mind that there are plenty of influencers that are on performance enhancing drugs and are able to achieve unrealistic physiques.

Don’t compare yourself to others, this is a marathon not a race. When you see the big guy in the gym, just remember he didn’t always look like that. Go at your own pace and you will fall in love with the journey.

And also be sure to give yourself some recovery days. Going every single day can actually be counter-productive to your gains. Listen to your body. If you’re still sore from a previous push day then either take the day off or hit another muscle group that is fully recovered. And make sure you’re consistently getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night, as this is where the growth happens.

If you’re looking for another way to recover faster, you should look into incorporating ice baths. There are so many benefits and would be a great addition to your routine.

Now that you have all the tools you need on how to build muscle, you can finally begin the journey of becoming a new man. The strong man, husband, father you’ve always wanted to be. Don’t be intimated by others. Take a leap of faith, put on some headphones with your favorite playlist and get into the gym! If you made it this far I just want to say I greatly appreciate you for reading, and if you would love more articles like this be sure to subscribe to this blog below.