Too skinny

[GolfAlphaCharlie]

Hi everyone

I desperately want to join the Royal Marines but I'm worried than I'm too skinny and wouldn't be able to hack it. At 23 I'm 5'11 and only weigh 9st
I actually eat loads (always over the recommended fat/calorie daily intake) and I'm fairly fit yet I can't put on weight. I've been told I'm just genetically designed to be this way, my dad and grandad were the same when they were younger. The most frustrating part is I need to start running more if I want to get fit enough for the marines, but obviously this won't exactly help with gaining weight!
Anyone have any bright ideas/magic cures?!


Ps. I've also been using weight gain milkshakes but they don't seem to be making much difference.

[psv22]

I had the same trouble!

You can get bigger, you just have to eat the right foods and when you train at the gym do mostly 'compund lifts,' excersises that move two or more joints in the same movement so bench press, squats, dead lifts ect.

Also, to build muscle you need to stick to higher wieghts and less reps, e.g 3-5 sets of 6-8 reps. I go three times a week

The protien shakes will work, you just have to train right and still eat a lot.

If you take too much protein in one hit though, any excess protien not used in muscle repair is turned into fat! So maybe have a few smaller doses through out the day.

Your right, more cardio will make it harder to gain weight, but it can be done, I should imigine you are an 'ecotomprph' or hard gainer like me. I am 6 foot 1 and used to weigh 10 1/2 stone, I am now just under 12 stone.

But obviously dont get too big because its more to carry when running.

Good luck, any other questions give me a shout.

[GolfAlphaCharlie]

Cheers for the advice mate, much appreciated.

I think the 'higher weights, less reps' part is somewhere im going wrong at the moment so will have to sort that out. I do sometimes use protein shakes as meal replacements as well so I'll have to make sure I still eat proper meals.

Hopefully I'll be packing on the pounds soon enough!

[psv22]

Yeah, you just have to keep at.

It will take time, it took me about 4-5 months to put on about a stone, but I was still running quite hard.

You could try doing less endurance work and more high intensity training, like fartlek or interval trainig or hill reps for your running instead of longer runs this might help you put on weight quicker, but obvioulsy need the endurance element at some point for the forces!

You defo need to eat aswell as the protein shake. It does all depend on what your taking though, I am just on whey protien, some shakes have shed losds of calories in.

All this worked for me anyway, I trained for 8 mounths or so and had little or no results because I wasn't training properly or taking on enough protien and carbs. There is a general rule that you should take 1 gram of protien for every KG of lean body mass per day, again this worked for me, but it will be harder for you if you are an 'ectomorph' as they say.

Look on line theres loads of stuff there and ask at your local gym.
good luck

[Paddysprat]

Hi GAC

I had the same same problem for many years. I weighed in at 9st 7lb from the age of 15 right up until 2 years ago at age 30 when I was trying for the police.

I went to see a personal trainer for advice and he gave me a diet sheet and training plan to follow.

The training plan involved both a 40 min run, a small amount of weight training with a lot of work on core strength. All the time keeping your heart rate above a certain amount of beats a minute. There are better qualified people on the site who could offer advise on this though.

The diet I followed was:

Breakfast = 1x Coffee no sugar, toast with jam, cerial e.g. Weetabix with fresh fruit and pumpkin seeds, and a pint of water.

lunch = Pasta based

Dinner = Chicken or Tuna based meal

I would then drink 1 protien drink half an hour before training then 1 as soon as I finished the session.

Within 2 months I had gained 1 stone and a further 7lb's after another month. Today I weigh in at 11 stone which is ideal for my 5' 11'' frame and age. My motabalism is now slowing down and no doubt I'll be fighting to keep the weight off but the right diet and exercise was the correct approach.

[ParaToBe]

Why do you want to put weight on? There isn't much point really is there? The weight you put on you are going to loose in training anyway (if you make it) you need to be stronger and fitter not heavier.

[daz89]

Why do you want to put weight on? There isn't much point really is there? The weight you put on you are going to loose in training anyway (if you make it) you need to be stronger and fitter not heavier.

Maybe because you have to be a minimium weight to start training?

[Paddysprat]

Why do you want to put weight on? There isn't much point really is there? The weight you put on you are going to loose in training anyway (if you make it) you need to be stronger and fitter not heavier.

Sorry to say that your body mass index (BMI) is a factor when being considered by the powers that be. To much over your BMI and there are issues and to much under your BMI there are issues. I was refered for 6 months due to my weight (although 6 months later I got in with the same weight????).

Secondly, being under weight can affect your endurance levels as you have nothing to burn. At 9st 7lb I had a 0% body fat count which isn't a good thing when training.

Having something to burn will help when you're being beasted and beasted and beasted more. As it happens the only other time I put weight on was during my time at Pirbright. I managed to get to 10st by week 5 of basic due to the 3 meals a day and constant exercise. Soon went back down to 9st 7lb after I PVR'd.

[ParaToBe]

I thought that the minimum weight thing only apllied if you were stupidly under weight 9 and half stone isn't that bad, but obviously i was wrong =)

[Paddysprat]

I'm talking 16 years ago so things may have changed since then. Scrap the 6 month referal I believe it was actually 6 weeks for the weight problem but 6 months for the heart murmer.

However, I do know the police are incredibly keen on the whole BMI thing.

[tomdoubleu]

If your BMI is ok and you can do the bodywieght exersices like press ups/sit ups and pull ups along witht he run, ull be fine

[themattmeister]

All sorts of body shapes join and pass, let them decide if you're too skinny. You don't need fat stores to crack training.

[Paddysprat]

The main difficulty is not your body but your mind.
You only gain perseverence by persevering. you only gain endurance by enduring. The human spirit is capable of far more than you can imagine.
I'd rather be a skinny f@#k than a fat bastard !
Good luck and may the Force be with you !
Daniel
Bordeaux,France

As much as I agree with what you have said, I would still very much advise trying to get the body weight up so that there is something to burn. As it goes the physical side of the Army wasn't what did for me and I cracked on with it. However, I would have found it much easier and some what enjoyable if I had something to burn.

When you're 9st 7lb and you're being beasted up a dry ski slope, while attempting to carry a 16st Scots Guard + kit, after already having done PT for what feels like hours. That extra muscle and energy would go along way to making life a little more bearable.

As a PTI I would be interested in seeing Sandy the Guv's views on this.

[Pilgrim Norway]

No problem .....

Pause - eat 16st Scots Guard + his kit - pause - continue uphill run

No problem .....

Anyway - you'll make it in eventually - relax

[Paddysprat]

Well I think we both agree with each other then Daniel

As for what you say about the unassuming guys, I would again agree. Just look at Frank Collins (RIP) or some of the lads on the SAMA82 remembrance page. Some of the most unassuming charactors you're likley to see.