How To Build Muscle As A Skinny Guy

Are you trying to build muscle as a skinny guy and are currently struggling with putting on muscle no matter what you try?

My name is Andrew and I help entrepreneurial men in their 20's and 30's build athletic physiques and functional strength with calisthenics.

And today I am going to be breaking down how to build muscle as a skinny guy

I feel like I'm qualified to speak on this because at one point I was somewhat of a skinny guy. 

Now admittedly I was never super skinny. 

I always had a muscular frame, but I was clearly a lot skinnier when I first started my calisthenics journey back in 2020 than where I'm at now.

Prior to this photo in 2020 I had actually had 10 years of on/off experience working out and was still skinny

But clearly something changed in my next 4 years of training to take me from where I was to where I'm at now.

That's what I am going to be talking about with you today, so let's jump right in

Most skinny guys fall into one of a few traps: they're either eating too much, too little, or the wrong kinds of foods.

For me, eating too little was never a problem because I've always had a big appetite. But I know that for many guys out there, this is an issue.

Where I went wrong was eating too much of the wrong things and not tracking what I was consuming.

I've been conscious of eating healthy since I was around 16, cutting out a lot of bad things like soda and fast food. 

However, I still went through periods where I would eat things like pizza, Chinese food, fried foods, and other unhealthy options that lacked nutrition during the first 10 years of my fitness journey.

Even though I thought I was eating "healthy," I was still indulging in junk food sometimes. Thankfully, I had a high metabolism, so I never got fat, but my idea of "healthy" was skewed.

When I got into calisthenics, I became serious about everything, including my nutrition. For the past four years, I've been on point and haven't fallen off.

The key points for a skinny guy to dial in their nutrition are: making sure you eat enough calories, get enough protein, and consume nutrient-dense foods.

For calories, you want to focus on being in a caloric surplus, ideally around 500 calories above your maintenance level. If you don't know your maintenance, a rough estimate is to multiply your body weight by 15. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs, your maintenance would be around 2,250 calories. Add 500 to that, and you'll have a good ballpark figure of how much to eat if you're focused on gaining size.

When it comes to protein, there's a lot of debate. Some recommend as little as 0.8g per pound of body weight, while others suggest up to 1.5g per pound. While evidence shows you can build muscle with less than one gram per pound, for simplicity's sake, 1g per pound is plenty for building muscle. Anything more than that isn't necessary and can be hard to achieve, especially if you have a low appetite.

Lastly, you want to make sure you eat nutrient-dense foods. Many skinny guys fall into the trap of eating excess calories through junk food. This isn't necessary or healthy. Your body will look, feel, and perform better when you feed it healthy, nutrient-dense foods. If you have a low appetite and struggle to get enough calories without resorting to unhealthy, calorie-dense foods, I recommend incorporating healthy fats into your diet from sources like nuts, nut butters, olive oil, coconut oil, and even organic butter.

Fats are the most calorically dense macronutrient, and it's easy to snack on some cashews or add a few extra tablespoons of butter or olive oil to your meals to get those calories in, rather than eating a bunch of cookies or pizza. Your body will thank you for eating healthier, I promise.

Another reason why I couldn't build muscle—and why many other skinny guys can't—is that they just aren't training properly.

Before 2020, when I got into calisthenics, I did not train properly at all. 

My fitness journey started at 14, and back then, I just wanted abs so girls would like me. 

All I had was a 15lb dumbbell and a little space in the back of a camper.

I knew nothing about training, and the only things I really trained were my abs and arms. 

When I did start using more weights in my later teen years, I didn't know anything about how to train for muscle growth or how to target all the muscles in my body.

Because of this, I was very out of balance and only had some definition in my abs and arms. 

Many skinny guys are in a similar boat: they don't know how to train properly for muscle growth, don't know how to target all the important muscle groups, and don't know how to program a balanced routine.

If you aren't training properly, you'll end up putting a lot of effort into the wrong things, ultimately wasting time and not getting anywhere with your training. Then, you'll start watching videos like this on YouTube to find answers.

So, let's break down the common mistakes you are probably making in the gym right now that are killing your progress:

No Plan: If you go into the gym with no plan, you'll end up randomly doing whatever you feel like each day, with no structure or guidance to help you develop a well-rounded physique. This is what I did for a while, and it got me absolutely nowhere. I suggest either buying a program, subscribing to an app, or, if you can afford it, hiring a personal coach. The quickest way is to work directly with someone on your journey, but plans and apps can help you as well.

Not Training for Hypertrophy: Hypertrophy is necessary for muscle growth, so if you stop when it starts to burn or don't push your muscles to their limits, you won't provide sufficient stimulus to make the muscles grow. There are various techniques to help you achieve hypertrophy, like using a weight that challenges you in the 10-12 rep range, using drop sets, supersets, controlling the eccentric phase of your workouts, doing static holds to increase time under tension, and progressive overload. Understanding and incorporating these different methods of training into your routine is essential for building muscle as a skinny guy.

Wasting Time with Cardio: Cardio is great for heart health, endurance, weight loss, and stamina, but it won't help you build muscle or gain weight. As a skinny guy, you don't need to worry about burning more calories with cardio; you need to ensure you're getting enough protein and calories to promote muscle growth. That's not to say you shouldn't do cardio—just do it for the right reasons. Understand that it can be counterproductive to building muscle because it will cause you to burn more calories, spend more time training, and exert more energy without helping you achieve hypertrophy.

Overtraining: Maybe you actually love to train—so much so that you're training so often that you don't even have time to heal and grow. Many guys fall into this trap because they enjoy the feeling of training so much that they push themselves too far too often and never give their bodies the appropriate time to heal and build new muscle tissue. I get it; the gym can be addicting, especially when you first start. But overtraining is real. If you're in the gym all the time, constantly pushing yourself, and still not seeing the results you want—or worse, seeing your performance decline—you may be overtraining. Personally, I train five days a week and recommend no less than three days per week.

If you aren't getting enough good-quality sleep, you may be wasting your time in the gym altogether.

You see, sleep is when your body heals from the damage you inflict in the gym, and without proper healing, your muscle growth will be hindered.

Not only that, but you'll progressively see your performance decrease and experience a variety of negative health impacts.

Let's break down the positives of getting good sleep and the negatives of getting bad sleep:

Muscle Recovery: Sleep is when the body repairs itself and regenerates muscle tissue. Growth hormone, which is essential for muscle growth, is also released during sleep. Without sufficient sleep, this process is hindered, leading to slower recovery and an increased risk of injury.

Energy Levels: Without adequate sleep, you won't have enough energy to tackle your workout with your best efforts. This will make workouts feel more strenuous and reduce your overall performance. Aim for at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night for optimal performance.

Hormonal Balance: Sleep plays a crucial role in regulating hormones like cortisol and insulin. Cortisol is a stress hormone, and high levels of cortisol can lead to muscle breakdown and fat retention. Good sleep helps keep cortisol levels in check and maintains insulin sensitivity, which is vital for your metabolism and muscle building.

Tips for Getting Better Quality Sleep

Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps regulate your body's internal clock and circadian rhythm.

Limit Exposure to Screens: Reducing exposure to blue light from phones, tablets, and computers at least an hour before bed can help with sleep. Blue light can interfere with the production of melatonin and negatively impact your sleep.

Optimize Your Sleep Environment: Ideally, your bedroom should be cool, dark, and quiet. Consider using blackout curtains, earplugs, or a white noise machine if needed. Personally, I use blackout curtains and earplugs when necessary and try to keep my home at a reasonably cool temperature.

Avoid Eating or Drinking Right Before Bed: Try not to eat too close to bedtime, as this keeps your digestive system working even when you're trying to sleep, which can negatively impact your sleep quality. Admittedly, I don't always follow this tip, to be honest, haha.

Consider Taking Sleep Aids: If you're struggling with sleep, consider using sleep aids. I used to take one that I really liked because it didn't make me feel drowsy or sluggish. If you're going to take one, I suggest choosing an all-natural and organic option. And, of course, be sure to consult your medical professional before taking any kind of sleep aids or medicines.

If you enjoyed this post and want to watch the video version, head on over to my Youtube channel