For many years, sports have always been one of the important things that you can do in life. And taking part in one can have many benefits for both your mind and body. Playing any kind of sport that you enjoy can help in improving your mood and concentration, reducing stress, and boosting self-confidence. And when it comes to choosing a sport, skinny guys, in particular, find it quite challenging. That’s because they’re afraid that it’s going to make them even skinnier or that they won’t do well based on their skinny build. With that being said, what are the best sports for skinny guys?
Skinny guys need to choose sports that they can both enjoy and will help them build their muscles at the same time. The best sports that fit these criteria are swimming, cycling, basketball, tennis, rock climbing, and some form of martial arts.
In this article, we’ll talk about the best sports for skinny guys, their benefits, and why you should consider playing them.
Table of Contents
The Best Sports For Skinny Guys
Before getting into the list of the best sports for skinny guys, you need to keep in mind one important principle. No matter your body shape, in order to exceed and dominate in any sport, you first need to enjoy it. If your main goal is to build muscles while playing a sport, then this list below is perfect for you, however, if you just want to enjoy yourself and have fun, then pick any sports that you like as long as you’re happy and comfortable.
With that being said, here are the best sports for skinny guys, as well as their benefits:
Swimming
When I think about a sport that I can enjoy while building my muscles at the same time, the first thing that comes into my mind is swimming. And this is exactly the leverage that this amazing sport has over all others, it’s pretty much a full-body workout instead of just focusing on the legs or the upper body. And it has been proven many times that swimming can actually build muscle mass. When you think about it, muscle growth all comes down to putting them under tension and resistance and one of the best natural forms of resistance is water. Any movement that you do while swimming will put your muscles under tension which will then promote growth.
Read more: Is Swimming Good For Ectomorphs.
Cycling
Cycling is one of my favorite sports that anyone can do. Whether you’re skinny or overweight, young or old, everyone can enjoy its benefits. According to research done by Acta Physiologica Hungarica, cycle training promotes muscle hypertrophy in all age groups which results from the positive changes in muscle protein net balance. In simpler terms, if performed on a regular basis, cycling can build your muscle mass, especially the leg ones. You just need to keep in mind that it’s a sport that consumes a lot of energy, so you need to compensate for the calories burned by eating more than your body needs in order to reach a calorie surplus that will help you in gaining weight.
Read more: Should Skinny Guys Do Cycling.
Basketball
If you’re skinny and tall at the same time, then basketball is the perfect sport for you and you’ll be able to easily dominate your opponents. And one of the best things about this sport is that when you join a basketball club or team, you’ll have regular weight-lifting sessions which gonna make you build muscle mass all while staying motivated by your teammates. And even without these weight-lifting sessions, basketball by itself helps you gain muscles since it’s a pretty intense sport that involves jumping, shooting the ball, and running so it’s pretty much a full-body workout.
Tennis
Tennis is also one of the greatest sports if you’re skinny, tall, and want to build muscles. According to research done by Sports Health, tennis players displayed significantly better upper-body strength and muscle growth compared to other non-players, and this is due to the high-intensity interval training nature of tennis. And if you’re tall and skinny, you’re gonna have a much bigger advantage in terms of serve and volley and other tactical factors of the game since you’ll have a longer reach. And besides building muscle mass, tennis can also improve your aerobic and anaerobic fitness and stamina.
Rock Climbing
This may sound a little bit challenging at first, but trust me, as soon as you get the hang of it, you’ll discover one of the most fun sports out there. Rock climbing is slowly rising in popularity due to its many benefits. And it’s perfect for skinny guys that are looking to build muscle mass while doing something fun. According to research done by the Iranian Journal of Public Health, rock climbing has been proven to significantly increase physical fitness. These improvements include handgrip strength, vertical jump, push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups. That sounds to me like the most efficient sport for skinny guys.
Martial Arts
Learning some form of martial arts is one of the most useful skills that you can have. Not only will it help you build muscle mass and gain weight, but it’s also a good survival skill that can be used in many real-life situations. So as a skinny guy, you should also consider this option. These forms of martial arts include Muay Thai, MMA, Karate, boxing, Brazilian ju-jitsu, and so on. They’re also a great way to build confidence and increase flexibility.
Conclusion:
As you can tell from reading this article, playing some form of sports is one of the best ways for skinny guys to gain weight and build muscles, especially if you’re not too keen on weight-lifting or resistance training in general. And skinny guys have a lot of options to choose from to achieve this goal. Whether it’s swimming, cycling, basketball, tennis, rock climbing, or martial arts, they’ll all help you in transforming your body and living a healthier life.