Advice for hardgainers

Hardgainer is the term for a person who gains mass heavily. Sometimes you just don't gain mass at any cost or, and I think this is a much more common case, you don't gain mass because you're not using the right tools.

So let's go over some tips to help you out of toilet spider status. Let's start with the uncomfortable truth.

As soon as you expect to move your weight up, I expect you to squat down, perform mostly multi-joint exercises, and try to get your strength up. It's the only way to go if you want to look better than the skeleton in the biology cabinet. Nobody said it was gonna be fun.

Now, as to why it might not be working like it should:

1. Think about your week.

Especially if you're over 6'4" in height, the problem may be the frequency of workouts you can sustain. It's possible that you can't yet recover at your usual volume schedule. You may be unnecessarily living in the thrall of a seven-day week, but people with long bones would need more of a ten-day week.

Simply go to a 1+2 plan (one day of exercise, two days off). Especially if you're doing squats with higher reps and other multi-joint exercises three times a week, this may be too often for recovery.

2. Learn to quit

One of the least accepted aspects of being a hardgainer is loading up on other activities. If you want to gain weight, you simply can't play football or run marathons as often and intensely. It's best to quit altogether. Learn to walk slowly, learn to take a nap after lunch when you can.

3. Take it easy occasionally

Very few people can listen to this advice. I have a problem with it myself. At the beginning of it all, the advice was, lose weight to gain weight. See how it grows. I've seen that advice work a few times.

It's possible that you're unable to transition into growth after a long exhausting effort to gain mass. You already have some muscle, but you can't get any further. Try something unthinkable for a month or two this summer. Run long distances or cycle a lot, don't go to the gym and try to lose weight! I'm sure once you swap activities for the gym again, your progress will be incredible.

4. Creatine

Learn to use creatine for three weeks every two months. This doesn't mean overfeeding yourself with it under the bodybuilding rule of "if a little is good, then a lot is great". Just follow the instructions. Creatine will help you add more to the barbell, and your body weight goes behind the weight of the barbell.

5. Plan

You need to know what to do on any given day. Stick to your plan. Many times I've seen the "shoulders and biceps today I guess, what do you say" system. This doesn't work. If you have to do X reps of squats with Y weight, do them and write it down. The biggest thing that will help you the most is a workout written down before you step into the gym.

6. Don't change your plan every week

If you already have a plan, try to make the most of it. Stick to it. Don't change your plan just because you just read some new fascinating guide on bodybuilding.com or maybe in a magazine. Only after a longer period of time, say after 2-3 months, you will know how the plan works. By changing frequently you deprive yourself of progress and knowledge of what works for you.

7. Stay warm

I mean while working out at the gym. This is old advice, but it applies. Muscles benefit from heat. Even Arnold thrived more around California than the Arctic Circle. If you let your muscles cool down, you're asking for injury, you're definitely reducing your performance, and if you exercise explicitly in the cold, you're forcing your body to expend extra energy to warm up instead of perform.

8. In a crisis, add protein

If you're not growing, add building substances. It doesn't have to be in the form of supplements. Protein is meat, eggs and even a blended protein drink. Don't expect to grow at 0.5g of protein per kg of weight. Your zone starts at 2g per kg of weight. Remember too that 100g of meat is not 100g of protein! Carbs should be about twice the amount of protein.

9. Even a break is beneficial

You are able to go into training with supernatural enthusiasm for 3 months straight and gain maybe 5kg in that time. But I can't imagine you'll continue like this for maybe 3 years. Sometimes you need to shift down a gear, plan your next attack and recharge your enthusiasm for training. You grow the most if you're shaking for training. Then all you have to do is follow the previous rules.

Lots of progress.