weight traing

Strength training combined with a solid diet high in nutrient-rich carbs (green leafy vegetables), a variety of protein sources (fish, meat, tofu, etc.), and medium fats (good fats!) should do the trick, but don't expect miracles in a short period of time.

I'll add some info about effective and efficient strength training, in case you want a good jump-off point without getting bombarded with too much information.

First of all, don't fall into the trap of thinking "more is better". A program focussing on a couple sets of each of some "big" exercises, followed by lots of rest, is the best way to go for adding muscle mass. There is no need to split the body up into parts. A full-body routine will build a lot of muscle and will save you time.

Big exercises:

Lower Body - Squat, Deadlift
Upper Body pushing - Dips, Overhead Press
Upper Body pulling - Chin-ups, Row
Traps - Shrugs (Deadlifts also work traps)

You can substitute Bench press for dips and pull-downs for chin-ups, but no need to do both.

Small exercises (to be avoided until you have substantial muscle mass!): tricep kickbacks, pushdowns, preacher curls, leg extensions, and so on.

In general, "big" = multi-joint; ie. exercises where more than one joint is employed (bench press: shoulder and elbow; squat: hip, knee), "small" = single-joint.

A sample program:

Pick a push, a pull, a lower body exercise and shrugs, and you have:

Full Body Workout:
(warmup sets not included; the work sets below should be a challenging weight for you)


Chinup - 2x8
Dip - 2x8
Shrug - 2x10
Squat - 2x10


Do this 3 times a week, slowly increasing the weight each week. When the weight gets heavy for you, drop to twice a week. You should finish each workout in about 30-45 minutes. This program could last you a year or more without any changes.

Perform the exercises in a controlled manner. Don't ever let gravity take over when lowering the weight (or your body in chins/dips). Have someone knowledgeable help you with your form, especially squats. Start light and take your time adding weight, but do progress over time.