I want to make one thing crystal (Carrington) clear. Building muscle mass takes time and effort. You are not going to find a quick fix, so stop looking. Some fitness experts will tell you to start lifting weights and walk away.
I have found that some people need a little more guidance, particularly if they have already tried that and nothing worked. Your body frame might have been made that way. You may not be one who is meant to look like a muscle stud, and that is okay. However, there are things you can do to add a little weight to your frame so that you do not look skinny.
Eat more calories each day
I am not talking about cakes, pies, cookies, and salty snacks. Those are bad because all you will do is pile on excess fat and pounds. You need to start eating healthier foods.
Start with healthy carbs and fat. Now, you might see some muscle mass appear, but you will find( more than anything) that everything is being stored as fat. You need to start a surplus of healthy carbs and fats. Talk to a fitness expert about the foods they suggest you try. The idea is to build muscle, not fat, and there is a difference.
Working out
This topic is when I start to lose people. They start rolling their eyes. They start to think, “Oh, God, do I have to work out?” Not everyone is a fitness freak. Do you want to see results? You will need to start training, even if it is just a little bit.
Compound exercises and leg pulls will help. You will begin to see your body go into muscle hypertrophy if you do it long enough. That is just your body’s way of getting used to the new regiment. You will need to do it frequently. You cannot just do ten minutes of training one day, and then, pick it up three months later.
You have to get your body used to the new program. That means you need to do leg and arm training at least a few times a week. Otherwise, your body is just going to go back to the way it was.
The waiting game
Sometimes all you can do is wait. I know that might be what some of you want to hear, but it is true. As I mentioned, this is not going to happen overnight. It takes longer when you have a skinny frame. It will happen. Give it time.
You also have to be realistic in your expectations. Naturally skinny people are not going to become muscle studs. That is not the way your body is designed. Believe it or not, some muscle studs are not as happy with their large muscle mass as you might think.
Your body will work itself out as long as you are content with who you are.