As a skinny person, it’s tempting to go on a rapid weight gain program. So can you gain 10 pounds in just 2 weeks? And is it even healthy?
It is possible to gain 10lbs of total body weight in 2 weeks. The average person will need to consume around 4,500 total calories per day for 14 consecutive days. Whilst achievable with good meal planning, this type of rapid bulking is also extremely difficult and unhealthy.
But if you’re still interested, then you can keep reading to find out how to do it.
Disclaimer: whilst I have never tried to gain so much weight in such a short period of time, I do have extensive experience with bulking and transforming my own body as an ex-skinny guy. This post explains how I would go about trying to gain 10lbs in 2 weeks.
Key Takeaways:
- Gaining 10lbs in 2 weeks is possible but extremely difficult (especially if you’ve never bulked before).
- It requires you to consume ~4,500 total calories per day for 14 days.
- Include calorie-dense foods in your diet to reach high-calorie targets.
- Most of the weight gained will be from fat.
How Fast Can You Gain 10 Pounds?
It is possible to gain 10lbs in as little as 2 weeks. However, it requires a lot of food to be eaten which many people find difficult. Therefore, a more realistic timeframe to gain this amount of weight is between 1 to 2 months.
Gaining 10lbs in 2 weeks is considered to be an extremely rapid rate of weight gain.
Whilst it’s possible, most people will struggle to eat the number of surplus calories required to put on this much weight in such a short timeframe.
This is why 2 months is a more realistic target for beginners (and even this is still considered to be relatively fast).
With that being said, it is still possible to gain 10 additional pounds in just a couple of weeks if you are able to eat enough calories (see next).
Why It Is Possible To Gain 10 Pounds In 2 Weeks
3,500 surplus calories are needed to gain 1lb of additional body weight. 35,000 surplus calories are therefore required to gain 10lbs.
Over a 14 day period, this equates to consuming 2,500 surplus calories per day.
And factoring in ~2000 daily maintenance calories (the energy required to sustain your current body weight) for the average person, this means a total of ~4,500 total calories need to be eaten every day.
Eating 4,500 calories in a day is by no means an easy task. It’s considered to be an extreme form of bulking and is certainly not healthy.
However, it is possible.
How To Gain 10 Pounds In 2 Weeks
High-calorie foods are ideal for gaining 10 pounds in 2 weeks:
| Recommended Foods To Gain Weight | Typical Calories Per 100g | Healthy Or Unhealthy? |
|---|---|---|
| Fatty red meats | 300 cal | Unhealthy |
| Oily fish | 200 cal | Healthy |
| Chicken thigh | 180 cal | Unhealthy |
| Nuts and seeds | 500-600 cal | Healthy |
| Nut butter | 580 cal | Healthy |
| Honey | 310 cal | Healthy in moderation |
| Beans | 330 cal | Healthy |
| Vegetable oils | 900 cal | Healthy |
| Butter | 700 cal | Unhealthy |
| Cheeses | 400 cal | Unhealthy |
| Whole grains (uncooked) | 320 cal | Healthy |
| Weight gainer shakes (per serving) | 1000 cal | Healthy in moderation |
All these foods are rich in nutrients and energy. But some are healthier than others.
Healthy calorie-dense foods include complex carbohydrates like whole-wheat pasta, brown bread, brown rice, and oats.
Mono-/poly-unsaturated fats such as those found in nuts, olive oil, and omega-3 oily fish like salmon and tuna are also generally healthy.
Unhealthy calorie-dense foods include refined carbs, sugar, confectionery, and the saturated fats you find in fatty meat, butter, and junk foods.
These high-energy foods will all make it easier to reach your 4,500 calorie target with the least amount of bloating possible.
Example meal plan to get 4,500 calories and gain 10lbs in 2 weeks:
- Breakfast- homemade weight gainer shake (1000 cal).
- Lunch 1- junk food meal of choice (1000 cal).
- Lunch 2- cheesy tuna pasta bake (1000 cal).
- Dinner- fatty ribeye steak with rice and veg (1000 cal).
- Inter-meal snacks- candy, confectionery, and fruit (500 cal).
Maximum Weight You Can Gain In 2 Weeks
Putting on 10lbs is pretty much near the maximum amount of weight that the average person can put on in just 2 weeks.
As mentioned before, eating the 4,500 daily calories required to gain 10lbs in 14 days is not easy.
In fact, most beginners will fail especially if it’s their first time going on a bulk.
Most people can comfortably eat 500 surplus calories. 1000 surplus calories become more difficult. And anything over 1500 calories is extremely difficult.
How Much Muscle Vs Fat You Can Gain In 2 Weeks
The majority of your 10lbs gained in 2 weeks will be from excess body fat.
You can expect around 1lb of muscle gain (max) if you combine your bulk with a good workout program.
Unlike fat gain, muscle gain is a much slower process. And the fastest your muscles can grow is around 2lbs per month.
Thus, gaining 10lbs of body fat in 2 weeks is a feasible goal. But building 10lbs of lean mass will take much longer (1-3 months minimum).
Conclusion
It is possible to gain 10 pounds in 2 weeks.
Most people will have to eat ~4,500 total daily calories for 14 days. The exact number of calories required to put on 10lbs in 2 weeks will vary depending on your daily maintenance calories.
Disclaimer: This is by no means easy or healthy. But it is possible with good meal planning.
You may also be interested in the downloadable Kalibre Blueprint PDF which details exactly how I gained 40lbs of lean muscle (it’s 100% free!). It details the exact exercises and nutrition (with printables) I used to go from skinny to ripped!
