Many young men take up weight training because they are underweight. Individuals who have been underweight most of their lives usually have high metabolic rates, i.e., they burn calories at a rapid rate, making it difficult to add mass to their frames. Having such high BMR’s, these individuals are especially prone to overtraining. In such cases, the individual should train very hard with moderately heavy weights for a few sets per bodypart, and no more than three days a week. An underweight bodybuilder who wants to gain muscle and isn’t worried about adding a little fat must increase his caloric intake by as much as 500 calories a day above his daily maintenance needs. If he were to discover (using the method previously described) that his daily maintenance need is 5500 calories, he should up his daily intake by 500, making a total of 6000 calories a day.
The following diet plan is merely a sample since we all possess different maintenance needs. Make the necessary individual modifications to suit your case.
Breakfast:
1⁄2 cup orange juice 1 cup oatmeal
1 cup low-fat milk 1 slice toast
1 tabl. Butter
Total Calories: 675
Lunch:
4 pieces fried chicken, French
fries or baked potato with butter, green salad w/bleu cheese dress.
- 1 scoop ice cream
or a cup of sherbert - 2 granola cookies
1 cup low-fat milk Total Calories: 1500
Dinner:
1 cup cream of mushroom soup 1 beef, sirloin (6 oz.)
1 dinner roll and butter
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 slice of pie with beverage
Snack:
1 peanut butter sandwich 1 banana
1 cup grape juice
Total Calories: 485
Snack:
1 cup dried fruit 11⁄2 cups milk
Total Calories: 600
Snack:
1 cup mixed nuts without salt 1 cup cocoa
Total Calories: 1050
Total Calories: 1650
Daily Total Calories: Approximately 6000