More often, we are used to people looking for ways to lose weight.Â
However, gaining weight is also a goal for some people, particularly those that want to improve their aesthetic and do not currently have stubborn weight.Â
Even as you aim to gain weight, be cautious not to add stubborn belly fat.
Read on to discover how you can gain weight without gaining belly fat.
Here are some things that you can do to gain weight without belly fat;
1) Do strength training
One of the ways to gain weight without belly fat is by building your muscles. Unlike fat, muscle occupies less room in your body and will help in toning your body.
Instead of looking skinny fat, you can look awesomely good with muscles and a ripped midsection.
Strength training can involve lifting weights in the gym. You can start by lifting smaller weights and increasing them progressively over time.
While at it, you can be targeting all your muscles, each at a time. If you are a beginner, you can use the guidance of a personal trainer.
The other way to build your muscles is by doing resistance training using your body weight. You can do squats, pushups, pullups, among others.
Strength training at least three times every week will help you gain weight without belly fat. You can watch this video to learn more about this.Â
2) Do aerobicsÂ
Usually, when some people want to gain weight, they decrease their activity level and increase their calories to avoid losing weight further.
However, this might not work for you, particularly if you are used to gaining more weight in some areas than other parts of your body.
If you are prone to gaining weight around your belly, you might want to increase your metabolism through aerobic exercises.
These include swimming, jogging, cycling, running, among other sporting activities. These kinds of activities will raise your metabolism, and your body will burn excessive fats.
It is wise to do aerobics along with weight training. One hundred fifty minutes per week doing aerobics will come in handy to help you gain weight without belly fat.
3) Do compound exercises
Compound exercises are also ideal for gaining weight without belly fat. These are exercises that target a lot of muscle groups at ago.
Exercises such as squats, deadlifts, pushups, and rows target many muscle groups, including the core.
The key to getting the best results is by doing progressive overload. You can start by using your body mass and then start adding weights. You can also focus on increasing the intensity.Â
Compound exercises not only build muscles over time but also your endurance.
Doing three to 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions of compound exercises at least three times per week would be ideal.
4) Consume enough protein
If you want to increase weight without fat accumulating around your belly, your protein intake needs to increase.
Remember, you will be doing a lot of resistance training to build muscles. Proteins are needed to build and repair muscles.Â
Muscles are made of protein, and if you do not consume enough, extra calories in your body will be converted into fats. Therefore, embrace high protein diets to build more muscles.
You can find enough proteins in dairy products, nuts, meats, dairy products, and eggs.Â
Experts advise that to gain weight, you can consume about 1 gram of protein per pound of the weight of your body.Â
If you are struggling to get the recommended amount of proteins from your food, you can take protein supplements. You can find plenty of them here.Â
5) Eat the right foods
Even as you aim to gain weight, you must embrace healthy feeding habits. Proteins and vegetables would be ideal as they have essential nutrients.
Reduce the consumption of foods that could lead to the accumulation of fats around your belly. These include fried foods, sodas, energy drinks, cakes, and pizza, among others.Â
Also, avoid taking large portions of meals in one sitting. You might get full for an extended period and not be in a position to consume other types of nutrients that your body requires.Â
Split meals into 3 to 5 times per day and eat smaller portions. This also aids in digestion.Â
6) Get enough sleep
A proper diet and exercise are great for gaining weight without belly fat. However, recovery is also essential.
You need to rest and get enough sleep to repair your muscles. Getting about 6 to 8 hours of sleep is ideal. Also, do not overdo your workouts.
Getting enough sleep also helps you to maintain a consistent workout and diet schedule. If you do not sleep enough, you might be sluggish and tired often.Â
You might also develop poor feeding habits like late-night snacking.Â
7) Seek the guidance of a professionalÂ
If you are a beginner, it would be wise to seek the guidance of an expert in this field. There is so much information about weight gain, and it can be confusing.
To ensure that you are on the right path, engage a professional. They have been in the field for a long time, and they know what you need to do to gain weight without belly fat.
A background search on a personal trainer will also help you know if they are qualified to guide you.
If you have any underlying medical conditions, contact your doctor. Gaining weight might make your situation worse than it is currently.
ConclusionÂ
Based on the analysis above, you can see that to gain weight without belly fat, you must embrace a proper workout routine and healthy feeding habits.
Focus more on building your muscles through resistance training and increasing your protein intake.Â
Most importantly, be consistent. You will not realize your desired results immediately. It takes effort, commitment, and time to gain more weight and build a flat tummy. Otherwise, enjoy the process.