Providing your body with materials it needs to build muscle is only one piece of puzzle. A weight training program designed to give body a reason to add some muscle will be very important to achieving your goals. Your workout routines should concentrate on compound weight lifting exercises (those that involve multiple muscle groups like squat or bench press) with weights that allow you to do 6 to 12 reps per set. Higher rep ranges will tone your muscles but may not sufficiently signal body into muscle growth. Try to either increase amount of weight lifted or reps completed with each workout.

Don't go overboard with your workouts. Two or three one-hour workouts per week done with intensity should do trick. Too often those that have trouble gaining weight (hardgainers) spend too much time in gym. This can be counterproductive in two ways. First, it means you are burning off a lot of calories that could otherwise be used to build muscle and, second, you can over-train your muscles by working them too hard, basically making them unresponsive.

If you are looking for some company in your quest to gain weight, venture into bodybuilding community. There you will find many people also seeking ways to put on lean muscle mass. You will also find many products marketed to help you gain weight. Be very cautious when looking at these products. Gaining weight may not be as in demand as losing weight but it is still big business and there are a lot of companies out there looking to take your money. While some of these products can help, others aren't necessary.

With a little motivation, a weight gain diet and a solid weight training program in place you will have all you need to achieve your gain weight goals. Better yet, you will never again have to ask that question that gets all those funny looks aimed back at you.

Foods high in protein include chicken, egg whites, lean beef, beans and skim milk.

It is recommended that your daily diet consists of 50% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 20% protein. If you exercise regularly you may want to increase your carbohydrates and protein intake while slightly decreasing your fats.

To improve your nutrition you should try to consume five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, drink eight glasses of water (more if you are consuming a lot of proteins and complex carbohydrates), eliminate junk food and unnecessary fat like in whole milk, and consume only lean meats. If you want to maximize your work outs while eliminating unnecessary muscle breakdown, it is recommended that you consume a nutritional supplement before and after workouts to restore glycogen and creatine levels, decrease muscle tissue catabolism, and encourage muscle tissue growth.

1. Marion, Joel. Active Nutrition. http://www.eas.com/nutrition/articles.asp?cmsID=1038