Hard Gainer

To put it simply a hardgainer is anyone who has difficulty gaining weight either through diet or exercise. This is a very generic definition I found in Wikipedia that could fit anyone. If you lift weight and have trouble putting in muscle mass then, according to a lot of authors, you are a hard gainer. This definition does not take into account diet, training intensity, recovery time, dedication, and a whole slew of other factors that could inhibit your muscle growth.

Here is my definition of a real hard-gainer. This is someone who is dedicated to their weightlifting goals. They are consuming a proper muscle building diet, following a sensible weightlifting routine, and making time for rest to allow proper recovery. Even with all these fundamental in place they still make minimal gains in seize after 6-8 weeks of training. Hard gainers are often naturally week and ectomorphic (naturally skinny and small boned). This person is often high strung with a lot of nervous energy. Out of every 100 bodybuilders 10-15% will be moderate hard gainers, while about 5% will be full blown hard gainers.

If you are a hard gainer, don't worry, there is hope. Many bodybuilders started out as hard gainers, but with the aide of a proper muscle building program they became huge. If You are Looking for a muscle building program for hard gainers CLICK HERE TO START BUILDING MUSCLE MASS TODAY

If you are a hardgainer, here are 4 basic strategies to follow so you can gain quality muscle mass.

Training for hard gainers
The first thing you should look at is your training frequency. Hard gainers need to train each muscle group only once a week. this will give your body adequate time to recover so your body is ready for the next workout. A good workout to follow would be a 3 day split that works the whole body three days a week.

Use basic movements
Use compound exercises as the backbone of your workouts. Pick two exercises for larger muscle groups like chest, back, and legs. Use one exercise for smaller muscle groups like biceps and calves. For example if you were working chest/triceps, you might perform: flat bench, incline dumbbell press, and triceps extension.

Keep you total sets down
To help avoid overtraining don't do more than 3 sets per exercise. For your first set you'll want to start off with a moderately heavy weight for 12 reps. On your second set add more weight and shoot for 10 reps. Finally, on your third set, add more weight again(if your able too) and force out 6-8 reps. All the while keeping good form.

Hard gainer diet
You need to pay strict attention to your diet, and take in a lot of calories. Eat as often as possible, every 2 hours. Preferably 8 meals a day if your able to. Take advantage of weight gainers, they are excellent meal replacements for hard gainers. Track your caloric intake and adjust as needed.