While it is true that skinny guys cannot bulk up as easily as guys with naturally larger builds, it is certainly possible for thin men to increase their bulk and muscle.

It all comes down to diet and exercise.

To make sure you are eating the right foods to help you bulk up, you need to know how to calculate your macros and calories.

What are calories and macros?

The amount of energy contained in food or drink is measured in calories. By eating more calories than you use up, your body puts on excess fat.

Macronutrients are also found in foods. They consist of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.

Those macros provide your body with calories. Macros are found in various foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy products.

You can easily calculate macros for muscle gain to make sure you eat the right foods in the right quantities for bulking up.

Consuming the Right Amount of Macros

To bulk up, you need to build muscle while maintaining a healthy body fat percentage. So, you need to keep tabs on the amount of protein you consume each day in relation to the other macros of carbohydrates and fats.

Protein is the most important macro for building muscle. You should include protein in every meal you eat.

How to Calculate Your Calories and Macros

There are some helpful online tools to help you calculate your optimum daily calorie and macro intake.

First off, you need to find your basal metabolic rate. That means knowing the minimum number of calories your specific body needs to function.

Typically, thin guys should aim for around 3,500 calories per day. To find your own basal metabolic rate, first, work out your Total Daily Energy Expenditure and then add up to 20%. You will then know what size your meals should be.

Next, you need to calculate your ideal macro split. That means finding out what foods are best to eat for your specific needs.

Generally, the ideal macronutrient split to help increase lean mass is carbs to proteins to fats in the ratio of 50/30/20.

So, for example, chicken containing protein could make up 50% of your meal, carbs like brown rice could account for 30%, and healthy fats like avocados could make up 20% of your meal.

Your Diet Needs to Go Hand-in-hand with Regular Strength Training

Your diet is only half of the picture when it comes to bulking up. If you want to put muscle on your bones and increase your size, you need to strength train consistently.

Not only do you need to exercise regularly. You also need to ensure you strength train in the right way.

As a skinny guy, you need to start off with manageable weights and gradually increase the weight you lift over time. It is good to push yourself, but do not do so too much or it could lead to severe injuries.

You also need to ensure you do not target the same muscle groups every day. Even if you are most interested in bulking up your arms, for instance, it is crucial all of your muscles get used. So, do bench days every other day and split up other workouts.

Also, it is important to make sure you take appropriate time out to rest and recover, as that is just as important for muscle growth as your workouts and diet.

It is a good idea to get the assistance of a personal trainer at the gym, so you can be sure you are strength training in the best way suited to your body and consuming the right number of macros.

As long as you stay in control of your diet, and regularly work out, you can start bulking up in no time.