Ade Rai is Indonesia's most famous bodybuilder and a passionate advocate of good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. As a big man with a lot to say, he enjoys going against stereotypes.

Every second week he will be offering professional advice through this column.

Hi, Ade.

I have a very important question I want to ask you. I am 22 years old, 170 centimeters and 53 kilograms.

I've been trying to gain more weight, but everything I've tried doesn't seem to work.

It's very difficult for me to put on weight. I've been to the doctor, taken jamu (herbal medicine) and Chinese herbal medicine but nothing seems to work.

I want to put on eight to 10 kilograms. Do you know an easy, quick and inexpensive way to gain weight?

I do a 30-minute workout every day, consisting of weight lifting, push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups at home. I really need your help. Thank you very much.

Nathan - Jakarta.

Hi Nathan,

Thank you for writing in with your question. Allow me to go straight to the point.

First of all, you need to understand the only good or healthy way to put weight on is through muscle gain. You cannot gain muscle by taking herbal substances or prescription medicine from a doctor. I understand you are trying to stimulate your appetite so your body absorbs more calories. But it's only one small part of the equation.

The other part is a sound and regimented resistance-training program. Resistance-training as we all know is the only activity that will trigger a muscle gain chain of reaction. Because it directly works your skeletal muscles - with proper nutrition and recovery measures - you will gain the weight you have been seeking.

I can see you have started with a good resistance-training program consisting of calisthenics (using your bodyweight as the resistance for your workouts). I am assuming you saw results for the first three months you were at it and now everything seems to have stopped. This is actually good news for you, because what your body is trying to tell you is that it has outgrown the resistance you have built. Now your body has adapted to your bodyweight, you need to raise the bar by working out with heavier weights.

You can do this by buying a heavier weight-set or workout with a backpack full of books. In three months, you could easily increase your new resistance level. Another solution is to join a gym near where you live, study, or work, which will provide you with almost unlimited opportunities to outgrow your old self. An added bonus is most gyms have knowledgeable instructors or personal trainers that can give you practical tips.

As a regimented resistance-training program will naturally stimulate your appetite, you need to be careful with your food intake. Make sure you make the right food choices. They will need to be adequate in complex carbohydrates and fiber to fuel your brain and workouts, and supply ample amounts of protein to rebuild the tissues and cells in your body.

Let fat come only from your protein sources, and if you feel the need to add more fat, just make sure it comes from healthy sources like extra virgin olive oil, nuts, or essential fatty acid supplements. A simple rule of thumb is to have at every meal a carbohydrate intake the size of your fist, and a protein one the size of your palm, three to four times a day.

Your should then focus on how best to recuperate from your workout. Make sure you get a good balance of quality and quantity of sleep. To establish a good sleeping pattern, try getting up and going to bed at the same time every day.

Caffeinated food or beverages have been shown to disrupt rest time due to their stimulatory nature on the nervous system. Please remember to prioritize rest and recuperating time as well ask your workout and nutritional plan, as your body grows when you rest, not when you are working out in the gym. Your resting time is the only opportunity for your body to process all the food it has ingested.

Now that you have a list of things to do, may I also remind you of the things to avoid? If you are a smoker, please drop the habit, as cigarettes contain 3,000 poisons that not only damage your cells and DNA, but also disturb your appetite and the quality of your recovery.

There you go, Nathan. Hope you get good results from all these tips and please update me with your progress.

Hi Ade Rai,

I have heard you run seminars about healthy lifestyle for various corporations, and fitness training sessions for instructors and personal trainers. Could you please tell me more about those activities?

Ruben - Jakarta

Hi Ruben,

Thank you for your interest. You have heard correctly, companies often ask me to run health seminars or host talk shows. The leaders of those companies are well aware their employees' health directly affects the company's long-term productivity and sustainability. By sending their employees to seminars or talk shows, they hope to reduce absenteeism in their corporations and increase their employees' productivity. This is the type of seminar or talk show I usually give for three hours, where I provide attendees with various health and fitness tips that are practical and easy to apply.

Through the RAI Institute, a fitness academy that I founded with my partner Halim Tsiang, we train and certify anyone in the fitness industry who wants to increase the value of their service.

Trainers, gym owners and gym members aside, we have also had beginners and gym members attending the fitness training. They feel the training gives them valuable knowledge to train on their own, hence saving on personal training costs in the long run. The next training session will be in May. Due to popular demand, we are opening evening classes.

For more information, please email rai_institute@yahoo.com.

That's all the space I have for today. Thank you very much for your kind words and questions. Please keep sending them through to ask_aderai@yahoo.com. I appreciate you taking time to write.

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