How ?

Tom,

Take it easy on the weight gain.  Firstly in the 300 you can gain on the light air swings/doenwinds what you lose on the heavy air roundabouts/downwind.

Also you are only 18 - and that means you may not have starterd to build proper muscle mass yet.  If you take me as an example at 18 and a few months I weighed 10.5 stone (67kg) and was 5 11".  I did a course involving intense physical activity for 4 weeks (ie no fat gained at all) and at the end weighed 74kg.  By another 6 months later (and having over increased my beer consumption!) I was 85kg.

So it may just happen for you - as long as you stay reasonably fit and keep the right food intake.

 

Matt

If you are doing heavy weights, don't over do it, otherwise you'll never put the muscle on.  Aim for a few days rest between big weight session, so go for 3 session a week.  Also, aim for 3 minutes rest between sets, so you can fully recover.  If this takes to long, then do some super sets, which is training one muscle group, then immediatley training another whilst the first recovers.  For example, bicep curls or preacher curls, followed by tricep dips.  This way you can finish the session far quicker.

I'm aiming to post some fitness routines etc on my blog, so if you have any questions, post a comment and I'll get back to you.

(by the way, I've got a degree in sports science so I'm not just making stuff up.)

www.visser49erracing.wordpress.com

im about 5,10 and currently weigh in anywhere between 67 and 68.5kg normally depending on what/when iv eaten etc.

im 18 so should be able to build muscle easiely. thing is i get stronger but with no real change in weight/muscle size.

i dont suppose anyone has any gym routines etc which they would share with me (hiking singlehander orientated preferred but anything will do to start with). im thinking of trying 4sessions a week, mon, wed, thurs, fri/sat. dropping the wednesday session once summer sailing starts up again.

comments/ critisms (excuse sp) welcome

how long did it take you to gain those 5.5kg???

for me to go from about 67ish up to 77/78 would take a stupidly long length of time. plus if you stop going to the gym you turn it all into fat

tell me, how does one do about putting weight on WITHOUT spending a fortune on protein shakes and when i only have so much free time?

In the jump from the 29er to 49er, I had to gain a fair few kilos.  I was sitting at around 77kg, and I've built up to 82.5kg.  Basically, gym is the only way to do it healthily, without pressurising your joints etc by carrying excess weight as fat and not having the muscle to push it around.  If you hit the gym, and you're over the age of 18, you should be taking in a lot of calories and protein.  Aim for around 100g of protein each day (check with your doctor).  A good measure is that 1 tin of tuna is around 20 g of protein, and is a great way to up your intake.  Also, use protein drinks etc to ensure you provide your muscles with the building blocks to gain weight.

Secondly, if you are taking on a heavy weights program, get a full gym induction and program written for you, aiming to build the large muscles groups (Chest, shoulders and legs), and always train both sides of the body.  (I.e. front then back) to ensure and equal distribution of muscle and no irregularities or imbalances.

Finally, don't forget to warm up before hand and stretch when you are done, to prevent injury and remain flexible.  Oh, and take in protein before and immediatley after the session!