Years Skinny

Years Skinny

Raising Kids

Big Kids

Child Development

Physical Development

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Back when her daughter Emily was 2, Laura Bennardo couldn’t help feeling self-conscious when the two of them hit their local pool in Cleveland. But it wasn’t her own body that had her pining for a cover-up. “Emily looked so gaunt in a swimsuit. You could count every rib,” says Bennardo, who worried that onlookers would think she didn’t feed her daughter. “I offered her plenty of foods. Emily just wasn’t interested. Even at 4 and 5 years old, she’d take one bite and be finished.” At 3 feet, 8 inches, the first-grader is now taller than most of her peers at school. Yet at 36 pounds, she weighs little more than a toddler.

Emily’s diminutive size places her in the first percentile on the body- mass-index chart that pediatricians use to determine healthy weight. Approximately 99 percent of girls her age outweigh her, which means that by medical standards she is officially underweight (as are all kids who fall below the fifth percentile). However, experts say it’s best not to fixate solely on numbers. “Steady, continual growth is what really matters,” says Neville Golden, M.D., a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) committee on nutrition.

He adds that the true causes for concern are drops in weight and height percentile or a failure to gain weight during a period of height growth. Now 7, Emily has been in the same height and weight percentile since she was 1—but otherwise, she’s growing and developing just fine. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for all skinny kids.

Babies grow a lot during their first 12 months, gaining as much as 15 pounds. Between ages 1 and 5, children put on about 5 pounds per year. After that, weight gain slows, with most kids steadily picking up a couple of pounds each year until puberty.

A kid’s appetite can taper off during weight-gain plateaus. “The appetite center in the brain controls how much a child chooses to eat,” says Nancy Krebs, M.D., a pediatric- nutrition specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, in Aurora.

And young kids are pretty good at regulating how much food they need—unless other factors interfere.

Some drugs, like those prescribed for ADHD, can squelch appetite. When children with ADHD take extended-release medications in the morning, their appetite-suppressing effects are in full swing at lunchtime. To help your child avoid this, talk

to his doctor about switching to an immediate-release medicine or scheduling medication vacations when school isn’t in session. Other health problems, such as a faulty thyroid, reflux, and eating disorders, can impede weight gain too. Then there’s the culprit parents know all too well: finicky eating.

While preschoolers are notoriously particular about their food , 4-year-old Brody Bork takes the habit to the extreme. “His diet is entirely chicken nuggets, fish sticks, and pureed fruits,” says his mom, Kasey, of Hinckley, Minnesota.”

Children with eating habits similar to Brody’s may be at risk of not getting the calories, vitamins, and minerals they need to fuel their developing brain and body. As a result, they may be more prone to colds, lack energy, have difficulty focusing in school, and be short-tempered. Certain nutritional deficiencies are worse than others, with iron topping the list: “Not getting enough can lead to anemia and fatigue, and has been linked to poor attention and difficult behavior in children,” says Dr. Krebs. Tied for second: zinc, calcium, and vitamin D, which are all essential for normal growth and bone health, as well as minimizing the risk of osteoporosis in adulthood, adds Dr. Golden. A blood test can determine whether your child has vitamin deficiencies and may need supplements.

Low body mass in children can also delay puberty. If your daughter is below the 15th percentile for body weight and hasn’t started showing signs of puberty or menstruating by age 15, consult your pediatrician.

There’s usually no need to “fatten up” a skinny kid who is otherwise growing at a steady pace and meeting developmental milestones. But if you’re worried about your child’s nutrient intake or simply want to foster better eating habits, these expert tips can help.

Forget the food fights. “It’s a parent’s job to regularly offer nutritious meals and snacks. It’s up to the child to decide whether to eat,” says Angela Lemond, R.D.N., a registered dietitian in Plano, Texas.

Limit junk. Considering increasing your kid’s calorie intake by offering milkshakes and fries? Don’t. Hooking her on sweets and salty snacks can up her risk for health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure. “The nutritional value of foods still matters for skinny kids—perhaps even more so because they eat so little,” says Lemond, who also is a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Don’t want to put your child to bed with an empty belly? Serve one food that you know she likes with every meal. If your picky child already eats unhealthy fare exclusively, try to wean her off it by serving wholesome versions (think: mac ’n’ cheese with whole-wheat noodles).

Seek out high-calorie, nutrient-dense foods. Choose full-fat dairy products over low-fat ones; put butter, cheese, or sauces on vegetables, pasta, and meat; offer foods rich in healthy fats like nuts and avocados; and serve creamy soups rather than broth-based ones.

Dine as a family. Even if your child pushes food around her plate the whole time, she should sit at the table. With any luck, she’ll eventually want to try eating what you are enjoying. Limit distractions at mealtimes too—no TV or devices.

Stick to a snack schedule. “Serve snacks at the same time each day,” suggests Lemond. While it may be tempting to give snacks any time your child asks, it’s best to let her appetite build up for meals.

Cut back on liquids. Offer whole milk or water at meals and monitor what your kid drinks in between. Skip juice, which can be filling.

Encourage exercise. In addition to helping your child work up a bigger appetite, movement can strengthen bones, build muscle, aid heart health, foster better sleep, and boost brainpower.

Talk to your doctor. If your child complains of headaches, fatigue, or light-headedness, or if you’re simply concerned about your child’s weight, speak with your doctor. He may refer you to a specialist to help rule out a health problem. You may also want to consult a nutritionist about how to introduce a greater variety of foods and increase the calories and nutrients in the dishes your kid already regularly eats.

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Let's clear this up right away: you are not a "hardgainer." Please stop using the term; it's so self-defeating. And let's face it, if you call yourself a hardgainer it's pretty fair to say you've given up on yourself. At the very least you've already assumed that's it going to be ridiculously hard for you to put on any appreciable size. Bullshit.
Sure, some of us didn't exactly hit the genetic lottery, but to get all Tony Robbins on you for a second, a lot of achieving your goals starts with your mindset.
If you truly believe you can get bigger, chances are you'll figure out ways to do it.
So let's stop with the excuses and go over why you're still small.
After working with dozens of guys who have difficulty putting on size, I've found a consistent theme: they train way too much.
Now, I don't mean they're overtraining. What I'm talking about are the guys who have a metabolism comparable to a hummingbird hooked on trailer park meth who are still trying to "burn calories" by doing way too much work in the gym.
We've all seen the skinny kid at Gold's doing 57 sets of 12 different exercises. (Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a little.) But if you think I'm too off base, here's the leg day one of my new clients was following before he hired me:
I can't even imagine running myself into the ground like that!
If you've got more than five exercises on your agenda on any given day, chances are you're either making poor exercise selections, or simply not working hard enough on the given lifts .
If you start each leg workout with two big, compound exercises (like squats and RDL's or deadlifts and good mornings) for three to four sets and actually work your ass off, chances are you won't be able to do six to eight more exercises after it.
I remember reading an article by bodybuilding legend Robbie Robinson when I was growing up. Regardless of what you think about bodybuilders, I always got the impression that he was one of the "good guys." I clearly remember Robbie saying that your goal should be to stimulate the muscle, not destroy it.
And I'm not just harping on the wannabe meat-heads. There are some guys who not only do too much in the weight room, they do too much cardio as well. Apparently they think they can't get through life without ripped abs. So when you factor in:
It's no wonder they're not putting on any size.
We already know that skinny guys love to do a ton of volume, but I haven't pointed out that most of it's really "junk volume" on easy exercises.
I know Dave Tate often states he'd rather have someone work balls-out on biceps curls instead of going half-assed on a set of chin-ups, and that's a great point to make. You have to not only pick the right exercises, but work your ass off on them as well.
Following the Dan John rule (a modification of Pareto's Principle), the first exercise you do everyday is going to net you eighty percent of your gains.
Training legs? Start with a heavy squat or deadlift variation.
Upper body? If it's a push, make sure it's either a bench or military press variation. If it's a pull, a heavy rowing exercise or pull-up variation are really the only acceptable options.
You can whine all you want about not getting bigger, but it's not going to happen if you continue to waste your time on junk exercises or devote an entire training day to getting jacked guns.
Big exercises first. Finishing touches later.
If you're serious about putting on some size, I'd like you to take the following oath:
"I (state your name) do solemnly swear to eat at least five meals per day. If I can't eat a whole food meal, I'll supplement with protein powder instead. I will become as dedicated to my eating plan as I am with my training. If I fail to carry out these rules, may my lifeless, skinny body be consumed by wild animals in the hopes that they can gain the muscle I couldn't."
Even if you think you eat enough but still can't gain muscle, chances are good that you're doing fine for a few days but then reverting back to your normal eating patterns. It's just like Joe Public who wants to lose fat. He may eat well and train hard for a few days, but eventually he becomes inconsistent and complacent and goes back to watching Nutrisystem ads and slurping full-sugar Coke.
It's just damn hard to get enough calories if you're only eating three times per day. You have to get serious (and consistent) about your eating if you want to pack on the size.
Granted, I understand the boys at Biotest are hard at work at proving their much-vaunted "3rd Law," the one that states the peri-workout nutrition is what really matters and if you take care of your nutritional needs for the approximate 3.5 hour window before and after your training, you're pretty much set for the day.
I'm open to that idea, but until I see what they've got cooking, I'm gonna recommend that you eat. You don't need to drink three gallons of milk per day, but you do have to pick up the damn fork and apply the Vulcan death grip.
I've written approximately 90 articles for T Nation and rarely do I mention supplements.
But I'm going to come right out and say it: you must use high-quality supplements if you want to reach your full potential.
Creatine is an obvious choice when it comes to packing on the mass. So is a protein powder like Metabolic Drive® Protein that you can slam throughout the day.
The next step is to dial in your nutrition around your workout. Here's what I recommend. (Other coaches may have different methods, but all agree on the importance of total workout nutrition.)
Half an hour before your workout, have a high-carb and protein meal, preferably something like Plazma™ , that will supply your body with energy, cause an insulin spike, and prime your body to start transporting nutrients.
Halfway through your workout, consume some high-quality amino acids to fuel your muscles and supply them with nutrients to encourage growth.
After your workout, have another protein and carbohydrate-rich meal.
Now, it works best if you get all three. But if you're one of those guys who's prone to over thinking, you have to make sure you do something. So stop lollygagging around, pick a meal (or preferably all three) and nail it.
I see tons of people who come in my gym that are too unstable at one or more joints. It doesn't sound like a big deal until you realize they simply won't get the size or strength gains they're capable of because something is out of whack.
My good friend Justin Ware used to have tons of shoulder issues and never saw the size gains in his chest and upper back that he desired. After a thorough evaluation, it was clear that he was very unstable through his shoulders and upper back. To improve this, we gave him a steady diet of basic scapular stabilization work, and then started re-building a strength base to his upper back.
The result? In his "corrective" program, he added two inches on his chest and upper back simply by turning the right muscles on and getting them stronger!
What's better, he's now pain free as well.
Your body is smarter than you are. If you lack stability at any major joint (knee, hip, shoulder, low back, etc.) your body isn't going to allow you to continue getting bigger or stronger. In most cases, you're going to injure yourself. This joint instability also leads to prolonged plateaus where you just don't seem to make any progress.
Most guys assume that if their bench isn't going up or they aren't putting size on their chest, they need to focus and specialize on the bench press. In fact, the opposite is more often true.
They probably lack the necessary upper back stability and strength, and as a result their body puts on the brakes. If they were to take two to three months and really focus on their upper back strength and stability they'd be pretty friggin' amazed at what happens with their bench total and chest size.
The same thing can be said for the guy who spends all his time on his quads instead of bringing up his glutes and hamstrings. Or the guy who stalls out on his squat because his core isn't strong enough to support the weight. Quite simply, the weak links in your chain will always hold you back from building your ultimate physique.
It's not just for the anatomy geeks anymore. Structural balance between muscles and joints is often the limiting factor.
To combat this, I'll often take one to two months every year and re-build the foundation of my clients and athletes to ensure they're ready to progress forward. This includes dedicated time with a focus on stability, connective tissue strength, and building work capacity.
If you really want to water it down but prep yourself for serious growth, you can spend a month or so every year where you specialize on the backside of your body (upper and lower back, glutes, and hamstrings).
It's not the sexiest program you'll ever write, but if you're unstable and you bring those weak areas up to speed, the next program you embark on may just be your most successful to date.
So there you have my top five reasons you're still too damn skinny. But I'm sure there are others out there, and I'd love to hear them. Why do you think most people aren't as muscular as they want to be? Let us know in the discussion!
Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level
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Eat less and exercise more. It's as simple as that! The goal is to burn more calories than you consume in a given day.

One pound equals 3,500 calories, meaning you will have to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume in order to lose one pound. [1]
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Research source

Reduce your caloric intake by cutting portion sizes. Be sure to read the labels on everything you eat so that you can keep track of your calories. [2]
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Expert Source

Danny Gordon Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.

Eat small meals and snacks throughout the day. This will keep your metabolism fast and prevent your body from storing extra fat.
Do aerobic exercises like running, hiking , swimming and biking . These will help speed up your metabolism and burn calories.
Remember that exercise burns calories, but cannot alone make you lose weight . You will absolutely have to eat less in order to lose weight. [3]
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Research source

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Stop eating two hours before you go to sleep. Your metabolism slows down dramatically while you sleep, so it will take longer for the food to digest. Plus, eating early on in the day will give you the energy you need to go about your daily activities.

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Don't skip meals. Skipping meals will force your body into starvation mode,
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