The Hardgainer Solution Part 2: Nutrition and Rest
In this article, a follow up to the first article focused on helping hardgainers pack on muscle mass fast, we?re going to bring the formula full circle and give you everything you need to start building size and strength with the quickness.
In part 1 I gave you a specific training protocol that implemented big, heavy, compound lifts to stimulate the maximum cross sectional area of muscle fibers and kick your growth hormones into overdrive.
All of that is great. But, if your body is lacking in the nutrition and rest it needs to add muscle to your body, it will all be in vain.
Last week I had a skinny hardgainer at my gym timidly walk over and ask me why wasn?t gaining any size. I had watched him training and it left much to be desired, but when a person isn?t getting any bigger, the problem isn?t their training regimen. It?s their diet.
If you?re eating enough quality calories your body will grow, period.
Of course, if you?re not weight training most of it will be added to your physique in the form of fat, but that isn?t our concern right now. Our concern is combining muscle blasting weight training with a diet that will force muscle growth of grand proportions.
I asked the young man that approached me what he was eating on a daily basis, to which he responded, ?Oh, I eat all the time, so my diet can?t be the problem.?
?Is that so?? I asked with my left eyebrow raised in obvious skepticism. I then implored him to be more specific with what he was eating and found that he was consuming about 3,000 calories per day, consisting of mostly fast food, potato chips, sodas and other junk foods.
?First?, I said. ?Stop eating that junk and give your body something to work with.?
?What do you mean?? He inquired.
?Put simply, the food you?re feeding your body has very little nutritional value and is loaded with preservatives and other additives that are raising your estrogen levels and hindering your ability to build muscle.?
?Oh.? He said. ?I never thought of it like that before.?
I gave him a few additional tips and the conversation ended shortly thereafter. But before he left, I gave him the following quick grocery list:
- Steak or Beef
- Chicken Breasts (skinless)
- White Fish and Salmon
- Whole Milk
- Whey Protein Powder and/or Powdered Egg Whites
- Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
- White Rice
- Whole Grain Bread
- Broccoli
- Bananas
- Apples
- Oranges
I also was sure to give him one last piece of advice?
?If you ever find yourself not adding weight after a full week, eat more. I don?t care how much you think you were eating. If your body isn?t growing, it needs more nutrition.?
The Hardgainer Metabolism
More often than not, the biggest reason a hardgainer isn?t putting on size is that they aren?t eating enough calories. They have a lightning fast metabolism and feel like they already eat a ton.
At the end of the day, though, if you aren?t growing, you need more calories.
If you find yourself struggling to eat enough throughout the day, you can:
- Get yourself a weight gain supplement powder
- Add olive oil to your meals, mix it with your protein drinks, or drink it straight ? olive oil is pure fat and calorically dense (one tablespoon contains 120 calories)
- Eat more peanut butter (plain or on whole wheat bread)
Again, I don?t care how much you think you?re eating. If you aren?t seeing the needle on the scale move to the right after a week, you need more nutrition.
Hopefully you?re clear on how you need to be feeding your body to start growing.
Before we wrap up, there is one other often-overlooked aspect of gaining muscle we need to cover?
Resting Your Body
In part 1 I gave you a 3 workout weekly training plan to follow. You may be used to seeing five and six workouts per week with other training plans, but you have to trust me when I tell you that more is not always better.
For steroid users, five or six training sessions per week will work great. However, for the drug-free weight lifter this is too much, as it doesn?t allow for enough recovery time.
Remember, our muscles don?t grow while we are training them, but during times of rest. In fact, the time when muscle growth occurs most rapidly is during deep sleep when our body goes to work repairing strained muscle fibers, making them larger to prevent them from becoming strained when placed under similar loads in the future.
This is also why it?s important to make sure you?re getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night. Skimping on sleep takes away from the time your body has to focus on building up your muscles.
In other words, getting less than 8 hours of sleep per night is going to hinder your muscle growth. If you can swing it, 10 hours of straight sleep (or 8 hours of sleep with a nap during the day) is ideal.
It?s Time to Grow!
Struggling with being skinny, having very little muscle mass, not getting noticed by the ladies, and lacking self-confidence isn?t any fun. If this describes you, I want you to know that I feel for you.
That is why I?ve written this simple, yet effective, 2 part series to give you the plan of attack to show your genetics who?s the boss and kick your muscle gains into high gear.
If you?ve been lifting weights and having zero size gains to show for it, it?s because you weren?t implementing the aspects I?ve covered in these 2 articles.
Put these instructions to use and you will consistently grow larger ? I guarantee it!
Source: http://www.myhealthandfitness.net.au/the-hardgainer-solution-part-2/
Medal Count 2012 Olympics victoria beckham London 2012 rhythmic gymnastics Meteor Shower August 2012 paul ryan jessie j jessie j
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