Best Exercises For Skinny Guys Who Want To Gain Weight

If you're a skinny guy looking to gain weight and get jacked, you need to start lifting weights. But which exercises should you pick to get the most bang for your buck? How do you incorporate these exercises in a workout plan? In this article, I'll give you a list of the top exercises you need to start making serious gains in the gym as well as how to fit them into a smart workout plan.

Before we get into the specific exercises that will get you jacked, there are two main concepts you need to understand first. These concepts are 1. compound movements and 2. progressive overload.

1. Compound Movements

What they are: Compound movements require more than one joint to perform the exercise. A pull-up is an example of a compound movement because it requires 2 joints to perform the exercise—the shoulders and the elbows. Contrast this with bicep curls which only require one joint to perform the exercise—the elbows (single joint exercises are also called "isolation exercises"). So to summarize, compound movements = multi-joint exercises.

Why they matter: The beauty of compound movements is that they recruit more muscle fibers than isolation movements. More muscle fibers being used = more muscle stimulation = more growth. In the example above, pull-ups recruit muscle fibers from your entire back, rear delts, and biceps which will lead to more muscle stimulation than if you did bicep curls alone. 

I'm not saying to never do isolation exercises like bicep curls, but as a skinny guy, you need to prioritize compound exercises in your workout routine if you want to grow as fast as possible. The typical guidance is to do all your compound exercises at the beginning of your workout when you're fresh and have lots of energy, and then finish with isolation exercises, as they don't require as much energy to perform.

2. Progressive Overload

What it is: Progressive overload is just a fancy way of saying "doing more than last time." The most common way of progressively overloading an exercise is to do one of the following:

• Add more reps to the exercise
• Add more weight to the exercise
  

The most common way to ensure you're progressively overloading your exercises over time is to follow a double progression scheme where you're increasing the reps until a certain amount, then you increase the weight. Here's an example for the bench press:

• Session 1: 115 pounds for 3 sets of 8 reps
• Session 2: 115 pounds for 3 sets of 9 reps
• Session 3: 115 pounds for 3 sets of 10 reps
• Session 4: 115 pounds for 3 sets of 11 reps
• Session 5: 115 pounds for 3 sets of 12 reps
• Session 6: 120 pounds for 3 sets of 8 reps (increased weight from 115 to 120 lbs, reset to 8 reps)
• Session 7: 120 pounds for 3 sets of 9 reps
• and so on...

Why it matters: If you don't challenge yourself from session to session, your muscles won't have the stimulus they need to grow. They will only grow if you give them the signal to grow, and that signal comes from increased load on the muscle. When you do more reps or weight than you did last time, your body says "oh crap, this is hard, I need to build more muscle so I can be ready for this next time!"

But don't expect to always follow the example above perfectly from session to session. Sometimes you won't be able to increase reps or weight for every set—sometimes you'll only be able to add a rep to one of your sets, and that's okay. The important thing is that you're progressing over time.

However, if you look back over a period of 3-4 weeks and your bench press hasn't improved even though you're giving 100% in the gym, that can mean you're lacking in the area of recovery. If you're a skinny guy, that usually means you're not getting enough calories and protein in your diet. That's why we created MAX GAINER, a weight gain supplement that makes it easy for skinny guys to get the calories and protein they need to get jacked. Click here to get 20% off your first order.

Exercise List

Here are the top exercises that will take you from skinny to jacked. This is not an exhaustive list, as there are many exercises and variations out there that can work, but these are the tried-and-true exercises that have stood the test of time and are proven to be effective for building muscle, even for skinny guys. After going through this list, be sure to check out our article The Best Workout Plans For Skinny Guys which will tell you how to fit these exercises into a program so that you can get jacked as efficiently as possible.

Flat bench press (barbell or dumbbell)

The flat bench press works the chest, triceps and anterior (front) head of the deltoids. It's one of the best compound exercises you can do for the upper body and is easy to progressively overload. Make sure you do a warm-up set with 50% of your working weight and then another warm-up set with 75% of your working weight before going into your 3 working sets.

Incline bench press (barbell or dumbbell)

The incline bench press is similar to the flat bench press in that it works the chest, triceps, and anterior head of the deltoids, but it biases the upper part of the pecs which can be a stubborn body part for many guys. Very few things have the impact that a well developed upper chest has in terms of an aesthetic physique.

Cable row

Cable rows work a large part of your upper back, rear delts, and a little bit of your biceps. They are responsible for giving your physique a "thick" look when viewed from the side. Be sure to really squeeze your shoulder blades together when you contract your back and keep your core tight in order to get the most out of this exercise.

Lat pulldown

Lat pulldowns also work a large part of your back, especially your lats as the name suggests. Your rear delts and biceps are also active in this movement, but not as much as the lats. Your lats are responsible for providing width to your physique when viewed from the front or back. If you want that classic "V-taper," you'll need to include this exercise in your routine.

Squat

The barbell squat is considered the king of lower body exercises, working virtually every muscle in your legs. They can be physically taxing but are worth the gains. Just be sure to use a squat rack for safety, and get a spotter if you need extra support. Keep your spine in a "neutral" position—this means keeping it tight and not letting your lower back round-out. Be mindful of your mobility and don't squat deeper than is comfortable—you don't want to injure your spine. Going down until your thighs are parallel to the floor is enough to make serious gains.

Leg press

The leg press is another great movement that is similar to the squat, but takes back stability out of the equation which can allow you to push more weight. The leg press biases the quads more than the squat, which is great, but they don't work the glutes or other stabilizer muscles as much as the squat. They are NOT a 1-for-1 replacement for the squat like some people mistakenly believe, but they do deserve a spot in your routine as an excellent quad builder.

Romanian Deadlift ("RDL")

RDLs are a great posterior chain builder (hamstrings, glutes, and lower back). The key is to get the bar as low as you can WITHOUT rounding your lower back. That means keeping your spine in a "neutral" position—the same as when squatting. For most people, that will be lowering the bar to just around the knees, give or take a few inches depending on your flexibility. If you feel sharp lower back or hip pain, you're probably going too low. (The guy in this video is super flexible—don't feel like you have to go that low.)

Hamstring curl (lying or seated)

Hamstring curls work the hamstrings, including a muscle called the biceps femoris that is not activated when doing RDLs. Recent data has shown that seated hamstring curls produce a little more muscle growth than lying hamstring curls, but the difference is not monumental. Do what is comfortable for you or use whichever your gym provides.

Leg extensions

Leg extensions are a great way to isolate the quads. They also work a muscle in the quads called the rectus femoris that is not activated when doing squats or leg press. They also contribute to good knee health when done properly. If you want your legs to look great in shorts, do these.

Calf raises (standing or seated)

Calf raises help to build up your calves. Be sure to train them heavy just like you would any other muscle group, like chest or back. People used to think that you needed to do light weight with 25+ reps per set in order for them to grow since your calves are made up of type-2 (endurance) muscle fibers. However, studies show that progressively overloading them with heavy weight in a normal rep range of 8-12 reps makes them grow best.

Bicep curl

There are tons of variations of the bicep curl, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. The important thing is that you're doing a variation that feels comfortable and that you can progressively overload with more weight over time. Concentration curls like the ones shown in the video above are a great way to build up your biceps. You can do variations of bicep curls with dumbbells, cables, barbells, and even machines. The important thing is that you're progressively overloading your biceps over time.

Tricep pushdown

Tricep pushdowns are important to include in your routine because even though the triceps get worked during the flat and incline bench press, those exercises don't target the long head of triceps which is responsible for a large portion of your upper arm's size. The long head of the triceps is only worked when extending your elbow, like in a cable tricep pushdown. If you want big arms, don't neglect these.

Lateral raise (dumbbell or cable)

Lateral raises are pretty much the only exercise that target the medial (side) head of the deltoids. If you never train your side delts, you will look narrow from the front or back even if you have huge pecs, arms, etc. Lateral raises are vitally important if you want to have that "V-taper" look. I recommend programming them into your workout routine at least 2x per week as they recover quickly and can disproportionately affect the way your physique looks. Even a centimeter of growth on your side delts can make a massive difference in the way you look.

Honorable Mentions

Deadlift

The conventional deadlift is not in the main list because it is primarily considered a strength building exercise rather than a hypertrophy—or muscle building—exercise. You can definitely build muscle with them, but the stimulus-to-fatigue ratio is poor, as deadlifts can zap your energy pretty quickly, especially when moving considerable amounts of weight. If your energy is drained, you won't have enough gas in the tank for your other exercises. For that reason, the conventional deadlift gets an honorable mention.

Shoulder press

The shoulder press (AKA overhead press AKA military press) is a great exercise for developing the anterior (front) head of the deltoids along with some other small stabilizer muscles in your upper body. However, the anterior head of the deltoids get worked heavily when you perform the flat and incline bench press, thus making the shoulder press redundant. The effort that you would have spent on shoulder press is better spent elsewhere.

Bulgarian split squat

Similar to the conventional deadlift, the stimulus-to-fatigue ratio of the Bulgarian split squat is pretty poor. In other words, it takes a lot of energy out of you compared to the muscle growth stimulus you get in return. These are amazing if you're an athlete trying to work on your balance and unilateral explosiveness, but there are better options for growing your legs that won't leave you feeling exhausted afterwards if you're just a skinny guy who wants to build muscle as quickly as possible.

Pull-ups/chin-ups

Pull-ups and chin-ups are actually amazing exercises for building muscle size and strength, but the only reason they get an honorable mention instead of going in the main list is because they are difficult to perform for beginners (and even some intermediates), and it's harder to know if you're progressively overloading them, as the resistance is directly tied to your body weight which can fluctuate from week to week. You could progressively overload them with a weight belt or a dumbbell between your legs, but the lat pulldown is just more convenient, easier to set up, and takes your body weight out of the equation which makes your progress easier to track.

Hammer curls

Hammer curls work the brachialis (a muscle under your biceps) and brachioradialis (a muscle in your forearm). There's nothing wrong with doing these, but if you're strapped for time or are running out of energy and have to choose between one or the other, the bicep curl is going to give you more bang for your buck. The standard bicep curl will still work the brachialis and brachioradialis (although to a lesser degree than with hammer curls), but will target the biceps much better than hammer curls. So if you only have room in your program for one other the other, choose the standard bicep curl.

Next Steps

Now that you know which exercises to include in your workout routine, you're probably wondering "how do I put these exercises into a weekly plan?" This is exactly what we'll be covering in the next article—go check it out here: The Best Workout Plans For Skinny Guys