Gain Weight with a Fast Metabolism - Hardgainer program

Are you finding it nearly impossible to gain weight due to fast metabolism? If you’re anything like I was, you perhaps think that because of your “skinny genes”, gaining weight is not possible, period. I had the same mind set, but only until i was introduced to a simple and effective way to pack on pounds for skinny guys like myself. I wont delay any further, here are a few simple tips that helped me on my journey to gain weight with fast metabolism.

Proper caloric intake: Due to a fast metabolism, we burn through calories than we are actually eating. Without eating the correct number of calories, you hard work and effort will make no difference. With a fast metabolism, you should be eating about 20-22 times your body weight in calories. Any amount less than that will simply get burned and any amount more will just end up in the wrong places. Just think, the types of foods you eat will show in your appearance.

Keep a workout log: If you are in the gym doing the same routines, with the same amount of stress (weight), your body will no longer feel the need to grow because it has adapted. You see, your body creates muscle after exhausting activity by repairing the muscle and making it bigger and stronger. My point is, it is crucial that you add strain every session and push your body to where it HAS to create new muscle.

Additional Reps
Add weight without decreasing reps
Rest less between sets
Add an extra set

Anabolism: Anabolism is the state your body is in when it’s growing and catabolism is the state in which your body does the opposite. Following a tough workout session, your body will start to feed off of your muscle tissue in order to create more fuel. This is a catabolic state where cortisol is released and creates muscle wastage, at this point you should focus on getting your body back into a growing state. Now most of you may know the importance of protein intake following your workout, but more important is the consumption of simple carbohydrates. Now I understand that in most cases these types of carbs are bad, immediately following a workout they can yield incredible muscle gains. "Why?" You ask, because they are fast acting and spike your insulin sending your body into anabolism.

Increasing testosterone levels: Testosterone is easily the most important hormone when it comes to building muscle. keeping your testosterone levels up will allow you to produce steroid like results. In order to get the best results, follow these steps to increase testosterone:

- Sleep 8 hours a night and if possible, sneak a nap into your day.
-Focus on big workouts that target more than one muscle group.
-Train your legs as much as you currently do your upper body.
-Raise your consumption of celery, bananas, and avocados.

Rest: Contrary to popular belief, our bodies do not create muscle in the gym while we lift heavy weights. You see, while lifting weights we are simply breaking down the muscle. Restoring and rebuilding muscle fibers takes place while we rest and most of all while we sleep. If your are someone who is in the gym lifting weights 5 days a week, your body is not resting long enough to rebuild new muscle. 3 to 4 days per week of exhausting weight lifting is more than enough. Not only will rest allow your muscles to grow, but it will allow you to be fully recovered for your next gym session.

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Fast Metabolism Weight Gain Tips

Is fast metabolism not allowing you to gain weight? I had the same problem, that was up until I made just a few changes in my workout and diet plan that would assure that I would gain weight fast. I know how hard it can be for beginners who are trying to pack on pounds of muscle and find it nearly impossible to move the scale. But With 5 simple fast metabolism weight gain tips, I am going to show you how to pack on pounds of solid muscle in a matter of weeks. Are you ready to gain muscle mass rapidly? Follow these simple steps I put together for you to gain weight fast and efficiently without adding fat.

Fast metabolism weight gain tip #1
Proper nutrition – Without the right amount of the proper types of food, all your efforts are worthless. Our bodies as hardgainers need at least 20-24 times the amount of our body weight in calories daily. Anything less will not be enough for our specific body type to increase muscle size. Any more would be too much and would leave our body no choice but to store the extra calories as fat. Follow this get weight fast formula and gain 3-5 pounds a week.

Fast metabolism weight gain tip #2
Keeping track of progress – If you are performing the same workouts with the same amount of weight continuously, your body will find no reason to create bigger and stronger muscle. Your body creates muscle after strenuous activity in order to prepare itself for that kind of strain next time around. If we aren’t putting enough strain on our muscles they simply will not grow. The goal is to outperform your last performance each time you walk in the gym. Some ways to make sure you are lifting enough to grow are:

- Keep the same weight and add repetitions
- Increasing the weight without sacrificing repetition amounts
- Instead of resting 30 seconds between sets, rest 20, 15, etc.
- Keep the same weight, same repetitions, and add an extra set

Fast metabolism weight gain tip #3
Proper post workout nutrition-

Fast metabolism weight gain tip #4
Increasing testosterone levels – Testosterone is the mother of all muscle building hormones. If you can manage to keep your testosterone levels high (naturally) you can easily yield steroid like results. If you are really trying to maximize results in order to pack on pounds and get weight fast, here are a few tricks to increasing testosterone naturally:

- Sleep 7-9 hours of sleep a night and if possible, sneak a nap into your day.
- Heavy compound workouts such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, pull ups, etc.
- Train legs equal to upper body
- Increase your intake of avocados, oysters, celery, bananas, and almonds.

Things to avoid:
1. Alcohol consumption
2. Pain killers
3. Stress levels
4. Soy products

Fast metabolism weight gain tip #5

Proper rest – Contrary to popular belief, our bodies do not create muscle in the gym while we lift heavy weights. In fact, while lifting we are actually breaking down the muscle. Our muscles are created during times of rest. If you are working out 5 days a week or more, you aren’t giving your body enough time to repair and grow. I recommend working out 3-4 days a week or every other day. This gives your body enough time to repair and grow and also lets your body rest enough to give 100 percent during its next gym performance.

Packing on pounds of muscle to gain weight fast!
These few changes in your current workout and diet plan will yield amazing results almost instantly. You can expect to gain 3-5 pounds of solid mass a week with absolutely no supplements. If you found this article helpful, you might also enjoy:

Hardgainer workout routine

Top 5 Focal Points for Massive Gains for Skinny Guys

The only supplement a skinny guy needs to gain muscle mass

Gain Weight with Fast Metabolism

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Continuous Growth Through Anabolism

If you found this article in hopes to obtain knowledge on how to get big fast, it is crucial that you are familiar with anabolism. Being in an anabolic state means to be in a state in which your body is growing. Also, it is vital that you understand what it means to be in a catabolic state. Catabolism is the exact opposite of anabolism; in this state, your body is suffering from muscle depletion.. The focal point when trying to put on muscle mass is to avoid catabolism at all cost.. With that being said, are you ready to learn what it takes to put on muscle mass?

Your usable and stored energy are both exhausted from a strenuous workout.. When this occurs, your body is sent to catabolism and your muscle tissue and protein are sarificed in order to make more energy.. Taking in simple carbohydrates directly after your workout is the only way to avoid this catabolic effect.. This will increase insulin levels and push your body back into anabolism.

Following a clean diet with complex carbohydrates and good proteins will allow quality carbs and amino acids in the bloodstream. This will provide the energy and nutrients your body needs in order to repair and grow throughout the day. Keeping a high metabolism and insuring you are fueling your body with the proper amount of nutrients is crucial, you should consume ever 2.5 hours to maximize your workouts.

It is important to eat a small meal before bed in order to keep your body anabolic while its in recovery mode. If you do in fact fail to do so, you will be sent into a catabolic state/starvation mode where your muscle tissue will go to waste.. Now, this does not by any means imply that you should eat a full on meal right before bed.

What should I eat before bed?

1. 25-30 grams of whey protein with milk.

2. Small amount of complex carbs.

3. A tablespoon of peanut butter or flaxseed oil.

The casein in the milk will help slow down the release of the nutrients (including the whey). The complex carbs will adjust the blood sugar. I would recommend a small bowl of oatmeal or slice of wheat/whole grain bread. Last, the natural fats will slow down the digestive process and keep the nutrients in your system longer,

Anabolism, this is how to get big fast. If you can keep an anabolic state and stay away from catabolism, your results will come rapidly. Remember, if you are not anabolic, you are not growing.

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Hardgainer Routine - 3 Day Split to Gain Muscle Mass

If you're searching for a great hardgainer routine for building muscle size, then I've got a great one for you. There are lots of programs around, particularly with the net, that it can be super easy to get baffled about what works, who to listen to, what number of sets to do, how many reps, how long to rest, the list goes on and on. This system has worked magic for hundreds and probably thousands of weight trainers and bodybuilders alike in both building muscle and gaining strength. No matter how long and how fast bodybuilding will grow, the 5x5 system will ALWAYS be a proven method to stack on gains like nothing else.

Here is the entire hardgainer routine for building mass you can follow:

Mon/Wed/Fri

1) Heavy Barbell Squats
2) Bench Press
3) T-Bar Rows or Bent Over Barbell Rows
4) Barbell Or Dumbbell Shoulder Press
5) Stiff-legged Deadlifts
6) Barbell Curls

Get started doing every one of the following workouts 3 days per week, and when you feel the weight getting heavier and tougher to control, you can switch to 2 times a week with 2 to 3 days in-between workouts for more recovery time. These are the backbone of muscle building exercises, and simply because the program looks straightforward does not mean it will be easy, but most importantly, it's going to produce RESULTS.

Stay on this hardgainer routine for two to three months make sure you're continually adding weight and becoming steadily stronger, your muscle mass will follow.

So to recap what we've learned in this Hardgainer Routine, muscle growth can be achieved through proper diet, having the right type of exercise program, and the right mindset!

To learn more about how to bulk up safely, naturally and effectively, visit:

http://www.muscle-building-for-skinny-guys.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_G_Cooper

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Inability to Build Muscle - Learn How to Build Quality Muscle Fast in 4 Simple Steps (HardGainer)

Do you honestly believe that you have an inability to build muscle? Well, think again because by following the correct techniques and nutritional habits consistently even the ectomorphic hard gainer can gain muscle fast. In this article we will cover 4 simple steps that have worked for thousands of people like you to give them the physique of their dreams.

- Inability To Build Muscle Tips:

#1) You are what you eat - The only way to pack on solid, quality muscle to your skinny frame is to eat every 2 - 3 hours which will probably equate to 5 - 7 times per day. As your body can only assimilate so much protein and nutrients in one sitting this is the way for you to eat. Aim to consume 20% fats, 40% protein and 40% carbohydrate for your daily intake. Because of convenience its ok to eat over half of your meals as whole foods and the rest can be replacement shakes and bars. Plan your meals and cook the foods in advance as "if you fail to prepare then you prepare to fail."

#2) Workout 3 - 4 times every week - Your inability to build muscle could be that you are over training your body. This is one of the biggest mistakes made in gyms everywhere. You must give your muscle tissue time to rest and recuperate as this is when it grows. Give each muscle group a minimum of 72 hours before you train it again and an ideal way to do this is a split routine. One that's really effective is to do 2 upper body workouts and 2 lower body workouts per week.

#3) Stretching for growth - Did you know that stretching your muscles actually makes them grow faster? I bet half the guys in your gym never take the time to stretch and they wonder why they can't build muscle fast. The winning formula here is to stretch for half the time you take to lift your weights. i.e: if you are training 4 hours per week you must stretch for at least another 2. Take the time to do this and you'll see amazing results.

#4) Quality supplementation - Don't waste your money on cheap supplements as you pay for what you get. Quality supplementation will boost your muscle growth so go for a quality, recognised brand that's been around for at least 5 years. The ones you should never go without are top quality multi vitamin/mineral, powdered protein powder and creatine, and some fish oil capsules. They will give you the daily nutritional requirements for your health, strength, recovery, muscle mass and body composition.

- Inability To Build Muscle Conclusion:

Even for the ectomorphic hard gainer you can follow the guidelines above with discipline and consistency to pack on solid muscle quickly. Also aim to get 7 - 8 hours of sleep every night as muscle tissue repairs itself while you are sleeping.

Building solid, quality muscle fast is easy when you know how.

Get a hot looking strong body. Train, eat, rest and learn here: build muscle fast

http://www.fastmusclebuilding.info

Barry Cross has 30 years experience in bodybuilding/health/fitness/wellness and the weight loss arena.

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Top 5 Focal Points for Massive Gains for Skinny Guys

1. Proper Nutrition
Without proper nutrition you will NEVER put on mass, period. Its takes about 20-24 times your bodyweight in calories in order to pack on pounds. Any less won’t be enough and any more will be too much for our body to break down. To find out exactly how many calories you should consume daily, check out this “weight gain formula”.

It is very important to know how much you are consuming, but more important is WHAT you are consuming. Anyone can consume 4000 calories if you include junk in your diet; the challenge is getting those calories from complex carbohydrates, natural fats, and high quality protein sources.

Here is a list of sources for good calories

carbohydrates
Wheat bread

Wheat pasta
Oatmeal

Whole wheat

Brown rice

Vegetables

Protein

Egg whites

Chicken breast

Tuna

Cottage Cheese

Turkey meat

Beans

Fats

Peanut butter

Olive oil

Avocados

Nuts

2. Progressive overload
If you are not outperforming your last workout session, YOU WILL NOT GROW. The key to continuous muscle growth is simple; make your body work a little harder than last time to make sure you’re putting your muscles through enough strain. An easy way to make sure you are outperforming your last workout is, keep a workout log.

In this log you should record the type of exercise performed, the amount of weight used, the amount of repetitions, volume, and intensity.

The volume is simply the amount of weight used multiplied by the repetitions.

The intensity should be increased by taking shorter breaks between sets than your last workout.

3. Making compound workouts the focal point
Compound exercises are multi-joint movements that work several muscles or muscle groups at one time. Using more than one muscle group will allow you to lift heavier and break down more muscle fibers which in turn will help your body produce more “muscle building hormones” such as GH and testosterone. Other great benefits to compound exercises are…

- Allows you to lift heavier and increase strength much faster
- Corrects muscle imbalance
- Increases muscle conditioning
- Time efficiency

Compound exercises

Squats

deadlifts

Bench Press

Bent over rows

Dips

Chin ups/Pull ups

Military press

4. Keeping your body in a growing state

- Keep your body in a anabolic state
- Increase testosterone production
- Produce Growth Hormone naturally

5. Proper rest and recovery
One major point that people fail to understand is that, muscle is not being created while you are in the gym lifting those heavy weights. While you are working out, you are actually just breaking down the muscle. The ONLY WAY for those muscles to repair and grow is to REST.

How many of you are in the gym 5-6 days a week and are frustrated because you are getting zero results?

Our bodies grow the most while we sleep. This is why it is extremely important that you get 8-9 hours of quality sleep every single night. Aside from sleep, our bodies grow on the days we restrain from heavy physical activity. With that being said, take a few days off, there is no reason to be in the gym performing high intensity training more than 4 days a week.

You may also be interested in:

Get weight fast

Gain weight with fast metabolism

How to get Big Fast

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Truth About Post Workout Nutrition Exposed!

Your post workout shake/meal should consist of:

0.3 x (Your body weight) = Simple carbohydrates in Grams

0.2 x (Your body weight) = Protein in Grams

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Get your FREE copy of "Bony To Brawny"

I am very excited to share that my "Skinny guy's secret to explosive muscle gains revealed" ebook titled "Bony To Brawny" is just about done and will be releasing to the public within the next week or so.

What is "Bony to Brawny" ?

This book is a muscle building program that contains the secret to all my muscle building success with gaining 40+ pounds of solid muscle in less than 6 months. It is the same program that my clients pay hundreds of dollars for and the same program that will take you from bony to brawny and change your life forever.

The book contains:

--Me putting an end to all the bodybuilding lies and misconceptions that we have fallen a victim to.

--A full out nutrition plan specifically targeted to those "hardgainers" or naturally small guys that feel like it is imposable to gain weight.

--The secret to producing steroid like results without any supplements or scary side effects.

--A workout plan that you can follow endlessly without suffering from the dreaded "plateau effect".

--and much much more.

Get your free copy of "Bony to Brawny"

For a very limited time only, I will be giving away FREE copies of my ebook "Bony to Brawny". In order to receive your free copy, all i require is that you email subscribe (at the top left of the page) to this blog. Once the book is released, anyone who has an active subscription to MuscleMonsters will receive a FREE copy of "Bony to Brawny" via email on the day it releases.

*This offer ends immediately following the release date of "Bony to Brawny".

If you have reached this offer after its experation, visit www.BonyToBrawny.com so that you too can be on your way to explosive muscle gains.

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The only supplement a skinny guy needs to gain muscle mass

When it comes to gaining muscle mass the fastest way possible, you have to make sure you are eating enough calories to keep your body in a muscle building state. To help you keep your body anabolic, you only need one supplement to help you gain the muscle mass you want. It's called a protein drink.

Protein drinks are by far the most valuable supplement and the only supplement you really need to take to pack on muscle. You can take other supplements, but protein is the king of supplements.

There are all types of protein supplement drink powders, but as a skinny guy you want to buy the type that has the extra muscle building calories in the mix. These are called muscle gain or weight gain powders. Usually you can find these at your local vitamin shop.

Here's the key when it comes to using protein shakes. Take them before and after workouts. These are the best times to fill your system with protein. The abundance of protein in you system will ensure your muscles are enabled to repair and heal into larger muscle cells. Once you understand this, you will have a major advantage over other skinny guys in the gym.

Here's the big secret to gaining muscle mass quicker. Drink protein shakes everyday to keep your body in an anabolic muscle building state. This is how you slowly get rid of your skinny body.

One last thing. Use your protein supplement as a supplement to your normal protein foods. It's the combination of good protein foods and protein shakes that will give you the best muscle building results.

Skinny Guys who can't build muscle or gain weight no matter how hard you try, download a FREE Muscle Report at my site http://www.skinnyguyworkout.info/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=S_Mack

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Full body or split routines? How about NEITHER! (Hardgainer workout schedule for rapid muscle growth)

One of the biggest mistake us hardgainers make when trying to add muscle to our frame, is that we follow routines created for bodybuilders or other weight lifters who have a different type of genes. There has always been an argument about what kind of workout is better for hardgainers: is it full body routines or split? They both have their pros and cons as seen here, but here is my main concern with both; full body routines in my opinion do not allow you to put enough stress on each individual muscle group without spending 2 hours in the gym (which is a horrible idea and very counterproductive) and the issue with split routines is if you break down individual body parts, its almost impossible to target each muscle group more than once a week (which is definitely not enough).

The Hardgainer solution for accelerated muscle gains

What I have started doing is breaking down my workouts into two weeks instead of one. In those two weeks I will be able to target each individual muscle group a sufficient amount of times without over training. Instead of working my entire body 3 days a week or each individual body part once a week, I am able to meet right in the middle and still have enough time to let my muscles recover and grow.

Here is a brief example of what a workout routine looks like for me. With this schedule I am able to target each muscle group enough times to force my muscles into rapid growth without having to over train or spend more than 45 minutes in the gym. Not to mention, I am only working out 3-4 days a week and it is more than enough.


Monday- Chest, Arms, Shoulders

Chest- 3 Variations-3 sets each- 10, 8, 6 reps
Biceps- 2 Variations – 3 sets each – 10, 8, 6 reps
Triceps-2 Variations – 3 sets each – 10, 8, 6 reps
Shoulders – 2 Variations – 3 sets each – 10, 8, 6 reps

Tuesday- Off

Weds- Legs, abs

Legs- 3 Variations – 3 sets each – 10, 8, 6 reps
Squats, Stiff legged dead lifts, leg press
Abs – 2 Variations – 4 sets each – F, F, F, F

Thursday- Off

Friday- Back, Arms, Traps

Back- 3 variations – 3 sets each – 10, 8, 6 reps
Biceps – 2 variations – 3 sets each – 10, 8, 6 reps
Triceps – 2 variations – 3 sets each – 10, 8, 6 reps
Traps - 2 variations – 3 sets each – 10, 8, 6 reps

Saturday- Off

Sunday- Legs, abs

Legs- 3 Variations – 3 sets each- 10, 8, 6 reps
Squats, leg press, Hamstring curls
Abs- 2 Variations – 4 sets each – F, F, F, F reps

Monday- Off

Tuesday-Chest, Shoulders, Traps

Chest- 3 variations- 3 sets each- 10, 8, 6 reps
Shoulders- 2 variations- 3 sets each- 10, 8, 6 reps
Traps- 3 variations – 3 sets each- 10, 8, 6 reps

Weds- Off

Thursday- Back, Arms, abs

Back- 3 variations- 3 sets each- 10, 8, 6 reps
Biceps – 2 variations – 3 sets each – 10, 8, 6 reps
Triceps – 2 variations – 3 sets each – 10, 8, 6 reps
Abs- 2 variations- 4 sets each – F, F, F, F reps

Friday-Legs

Legs- 3 variations – 4 sets each- 10, 8, 7, 6 reps
Squats, leg press, quad raises

Saturday-Off

Sunday-Off

F=Till Failure (For ab days)

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Post workout protein may be going to waste - Post workout nutrition truth

I’m sure you are all pretty familiar with consuming protein 15-30 minutes following your workout in order to revitalize your body and allow it to build muscle. What you might not be familiar with is the fact that without post workout carbohydrates, that protein might just be going to waste.

Although the process may be slightly complicated, I will do my best to simplify it a bit. You see, after a hard workout your body is in need of glucose (usable energy) and glycogen (stored energy) due to the fact that the strenuous activity has caused you to use it all up. Once this happens, your body produces cortisol which is a hormone that eats up your muscle tissue and protein to create glucose when your body is in need of usable energy. If your body simply consumed protein following your workout, chances are that most of the protein will be sacrificed in order to create glucose.

This is why it is extremely important to consume carbohydrates with your post workout protein shake. If there are carbohydrates present, your body will no longer need to feed off of the protein. In fact, instead of producing cortisol, your body will increase insulin levels and send your body into an anabolic state. This anabolic state will promote muscle growth and steer you away from the catabolic state in which cortisol eats up your muscle tissue.

“Anabolic processes tend toward "building up" organs and tissues. These processes produce growth and differentiation of cells and increase in body size, a process that involves synthesis of complex molecules. Examples of anabolic processes include the growth and mineralization of bone and increases in muscle mass.”

Related articles:

How to get big fast

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Eat before bed for quick muscle gains

If you are looking for quick muscle gains, you will have to ditch all the myths and nonsense you may have heard about muscle building and opt for a strategy that is based purely on science. Did you know that one of the worst things that you can do when you are looking for quick muscle gains is to go to bed on an empty stomach.

When you sleep, your body and muscles recover from the day's activity and your workout, and you need nutrients to accomplish that. If you go to bed without these essential nutrients, you will only be selling your muscles short and not see any quick muscle gains.

Think about it. If you sleep for eight hours (as you should) on an empty stomach, you are forcing your body to starve for this entire duration. If you want to see quick muscle gains, you have to do everything you can to prevent this induced starvation from occurring.

I'm not saying that you should feast on a five-course meal just before you go to bed. Doing so will only result in poor sleep and indigestion. What we're talking about here is a small snack, eaten half an hour before your bedtime, which will help your body, especially your muscles, to be primed with adequate nutrients. The idea is to keep your body in an anabolic state for as long as possible so that you can experience quick muscle gains even in your sleep.

With pre-bedtime nutrition, your goal is to provide your body with all the necessary nutrients that can be released gradually while you are asleep to promote quick muscle gains. Keeping your body in this anabolic state for a couple of hours every night helps to ensure that less muscle is broken down, promoting quick muscle gains.

This meal should contain carbohydrates, fats, and amino acids and also be "timed-released." To achieve this, the meal should consist of slow release carbs, unsaturated fats, and a slow release protein.

One of the best sources of protein is whey protein (25-35 grams) mixed in 400-500 ml of milk. Milk contains casein that helps to slow down the release of all the nutrients, including whey protein. The protein will take about four hours to get digested by your body, and during this period, you will experience anabolic growth that will result in quick muscle gains.

For solid protein, consider cottage cheese, which is naturally high in casein and in glutamine.

You should also consume a small portion of a complex, slow release sugar before you hit the sack. This could be in the form of a small container of yogurt, a small bowl of oatmeal, or a slice of whole grain bread. All of these will slowly enter your system and will regulate your blood sugar levels, keeping your glycogen stores up for as long as possible.

By adding some fat to your pre-bedtime snack, you naturally slow down the digestive process. This is precisely what you want out of your digestive system while you are asleep.

Consume some flaxseed oil and olive oil (tablespoon amounts) to slow down the digestive process and promote quick muscle gains by keeping your body in an anabolic state.

All natural peanut butter is another good way to obtain a dosage of healthy fat before bedtime. Mix one to two teaspoons into a protein shake.

To find out more about how you can achieve quick muscle gains by proper bedtime nutrition, visit the following website…

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Get even more free muscle building advice from this article: How To Gain Muscle Fast: Get Back To Basics.

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Article Source: UnArchived Articles

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Hardgainer diet plan - Go from scrawny to brawny in weeks!

Hardgainers often have trouble putting on mass because we always feel like we are eating enough. Fact is, if you calculate your actual daily caloric intake, I can guarantee you are nowhere near the amount needed to grow. Just to give you guys an idea of how much you should be eating daily, I created this hardgainer diet plan. I say “plan” but in reality it is just an example of what one of your days should look like in order to gain mass as a hardgainer.

Hardgainer diet plan

Meal #1 – 8am

1 serving of Weight gainer mix w/ milk, oatmeal, and one scoop of peanut butter

Or

1 serving whey protein w/ milk
Oatmeal (2 packets)
3 Hard boiled eggs

Meal #2 – 10am

Peanut butter sandwich on wheat

Or

Turkey breast sandwich w/ lettuce and tomatoes on wheat
1 banana

Meal #3 – 12:30pm

1 grilled chicken breast or fish fillet (preferably salmon or tilapia)
1 cup vegetables
1 cup brown rice

Meal #4 – 3:30pm (Pre-Workout)

Peanut butter sandwich on wheat
Fruit cup, banana, or small fruit bowl

Or

Small grilled chicken salad
Fruit cup or small fruit bowl

Meal #5 – 6pm (post workout)

Whey protein shake
Oatmeal (2 packets)

Meal #6 – 8:30pm

1 grilled chicken breast or fish fillet (preferably salmon or tilapia)
1 cup brown rice
1 cup vegetables

Or

Ground turkey meat
Whole grain pasta
1 cup vegetables

Hardgainer diet plan conclusion

For those of you hardgainers trying to bulk up, nutrition is the most important step to gaining muscle mass. Eat big and be big, you will not grow without the proper amount of calories.

Following this hardgainer diet plan will allow you to pack on about 5 pounds per week with the proper workouts and rest. I have no problem with you replacing some of the meals or snacks with foods you prefer, as long as the nutritional value is similar. For a beginner it may be a little difficult to consume this many calories in a day, I recommend building up slowly. Eat a little more everyday; eventually your body will become hungry more often on its own. At this point, consuming 3000 calories plus will seem more natural.

Full body workout to build mass for hardgainers

Here is a great full body compound workout routine to build mass that will work great with your new hardgainer diet plan.

Related Articles:

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Top 10 protein sources for hardgainers

Gain weight fast - top mass building foods

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Your Protein Bar May Be Killing You!

As a hardgainer, i find it nearly imposable to reach the amount of calories needed for me to gain size without some sort of protein mix. Also, because i am so busy, i occasionally find myself resorting to high calorie protein bars to secure i meet my goal for the day.

Unfortunately, after watching this video today I realise i should be a little more cautious about what kind of ingredients i am putting in my body.

Please comment, i would love to hear your opinions.

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Full body workout to build mass for hardgainers

In my “full body vs split routines” article I explained how full body workouts are more beneficial when it comes to gaining mass. If you are a regular reader of the site you may have noticed I lean more toward compound workouts when compared to isolation exercises for packing on muscle. With that being said, my obvious recommendation for a great mass building workout for hardgainers would be a full body/compound exercise filled routine.

This is actually one of my personal routines, I have gotten such great results from this particular workout that I decided I would be doing you guys a serious injustice by not sharing it.

How to perform the routine
Each exercise listed will be performed in sets of four. Each set should consist of 5-10 repetitions; if you are able to perform more than 10 repetitions you are going too light. Anytime you can not perform at least 5 repetitions, you are going too heavy. Simply raise or lower the weight accordingly. You will rest 30-45 seconds between each set and about 1 minute between exercises. This routine should only be done 3-4 days a week with at least 24 hours of rest in between.

Exercise #1

Flat bench press x 4 (Chest & Triceps)
The flat bench press can be substituted with an incline bench press or declined bench press and performed with either the basic barbell or dumbbells. I recommend mixing it up a bit to make sure you are targeting all the areas of the chest and triceps.

Exercise #2
Pull ups/ Dips x 4 (Back, Biceps, Chest, & Triceps)
Exercise number two will be performed in a “superset” fashion. This workout will not only consist of two of the most effective bodyweight compound exercises but will be used to transition from the chest and triceps to the back and biceps.

Exercise #3

Bent over rolls x 4 (Back & Biceps)

Bent over rows can be performed with a standard barbell or easy curl bar. Be sure to perform them with both overhand grip and underhand grip for best results.

Exercise #4
Military shoulder press x 4 (Shoulders & Traps)
Like the bent over rows, the military press can be done with a standard barbell or an easy curl bar. Also, the military press can be performed in a seated position or standing. Personally the difference is not big enough to risk injury so I stick to the seated variation of this exercise.

Exercise #5

Squats OR Deadlifts

For the 5th and final workout you can alternate. One day you can perform squats as the last exercise and on others you can go with deadlifts. There are several variations of squats you can perform.

Remember, as effective as this workout routine is, best results come with proper nutrition. Please feel free to ask any questions via the comment box below.

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Best weight gainer for hardgainers - Smart Gainer Muscle Blend

Lately I have been extremely busy (hints why I have not been writing as much) and it seems a little more difficult then usual to allow myself the amount of calories I aim for on a daily basis. Although I am eating every chance I get and am making sure to blend extra calories into my shakes, I still manage to fall a little short.

That was until about a week ago when I walked into a local supplement shop here in Florida. I think I may have stumbled across the absolute greatest weight gainer for hardgainers.

In my experience with protein powders I have noticed that every one you try is missing something. Whether the servings are too large, its taste horrible, too much sugar, and the list goes on. That was at least till I came across “smart gainer”.

If you are a hardgainer and you are on a mission to pack on pounds of muscle mass, I absolutely recommend “smart gainer”.

What makes Smart Gainer to special?

-51 grams of protein
-Small servings (2 scoops)
-Low sugar (7 grams)
-850 calories per serving (with milk)
-Contains creatine
-Contains glutamine
-Tastes great!
-28 servings

What more can you ask for as a hardgainer? With one scoop in the morning blended with fruits and/or oatmeal and two scoops post workout, you are already at almost 1500 calories for the day. Think about how much easier this makes it on us hardgainers when trying to consume 3000 calories plus. Most of the protein powders we are used too either do not have enough calories or have the right amount of calories but the sugar is too high. Even when you do come across a protein powder that has low sugar and high calories, you find that the serving amounts are enormous. Best case scenario, you find a protein powder with high calories, low sugar, and small servings, but it taste like garbage! With Smart Gainer you get high calories (good calories), only 7 grams of sugar, small servings, and it tastes absolutely amazing. I am the type that drinks my shakes with water; this stuff even with just some water will taste awesome.

I started taking Smart Gainer for about a week now and I love it. I highly recommend this to anyone trying to pack on pounds of muscle. Especially if you are busy and find it difficult to consume enough calories on a daily basis due to time restraints.

BodyBuilding.com Rates Smart Gainer Muscle Blend a 9.3/10

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Hardgainer Workout - 3 Simple Tips to Crush Your Skinny Genes and Gain Massive Muscle

It is not very rare for ectomorpic individuals also known as "hardgainers" to get frustrated and discouraged when they begin trying to build muscle and gain weight. Having an ectomorphic body type means that our body requires a completely different set of rules and techniques when working out. The main reason for this is due to the fact that our muscles are much more sensitive to strain and tend to breakdown much more quickly, as well as taking an extended amount of time to heal.

In order for an ectomorphic workout to be effective, we need to take into consideration the way our body and muscles function and handle different types of strain and intensity. The following are 3 quick and easy tips to remember that will help you to start gaining the muscle mass you are working so hard for.

Rest more Lift Less

It is absolutely crucial that you spend more time out of the gym resting and recovering that time in the gym lifting weights. It has been shown in a number of studies that an ectomorph's body responds better to workout sessions that last no longer than 1 hour, 3-5 times per week.

Compound Exercises are Key

This is another very important thing to keep in mind, since we only have about an hour to workout, it is crucial that we hit as many muscle fibers within the targeted muscle groups as possible. Remember that the more muscle fibers that are worked the better the results. Compound exercises are exercises that hit more than one muscle group at a time and therefore work the most muscle fibers in less time. It is for this reason that you need to stick with compound movement exercises such as:

-Bench Press

-Squats

-Clean and Press

-Skull Crushers

-Barbell Curl

-Military Press

-Dips

-Deadlifts

Longer Time under Tension = More Muscle Gains

With an ectomorphic body type, you should be focusing on lifting with a tempo that allows your muscles to be under tension for a longer period of time. Most people lift with a tempo of 2 seconds to lower 0 rest and then 1 second to push or pull the weight to the starting position. However studies have shown that increasing the time under tension especially in the isometric phase works more muscle fibers. So instead of a 1,0,2 ratio increasing it to a 1,0,4 ratio would work out way more muscle fibers which means more muscle growth. Other methods that would help would be to include things like:

-Supersets

-Half Reps

-Assisted Reps

If you are serious about overcoming your genetics and building that impressive muscular body your after it is absolutely crucial that you follow these tips and that you are consistent in your workouts and eating habits. If you are tired of being skinny and want to see big changes fast I recommend getting a copy of No Hype, No B.S Muscle Building. You can get a FREE copy of it here - Ectomorph Muscle Guide also feel free to visit my Natural Muscle Building Blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_B_Davies

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How much protein do i need daily? (Hardgainers)

If you look at the weight gain formula for hardgainers, you should have been able to calculate how much protein your body needs daily in order to build muscle mass.

If only it were just that simple huh? You see, there is a little bit more to packing on muscle than just calculating how much of what kinds of calories you need daily.

According to this formula I have put together, if you are a hardgainer and weigh 155 pounds then you should be consuming about 3720 calories a day. Out of those calories, 30 percent of them should be protein. This means that 1116 calories a day should come from protein. Now, that breaks down to about 279 grams of protein in a day. Does that seem simple enough? Well, if only it was just that simple.

Here is where more people make their mistake. They just consume food throughout the day without breaking it down into time frames; instead they just count the calories and make sure they are taking in the correct amounts of each type of calorie. What they fail to look at is how much protein their body can actually use. So, how much grams of protein can your body actually use? The answer to that is 50 grams per every 3 hours.

So, our body can only use about 50 grams of protein per every three hours and most people are only awake for about 16 hours per day….so 279 grams of protein is impossible to consume, right? Not exactly, remember as a hardgainer you should not only be working out with big compound exercises that will use up a lot of the calories you consume throughout the day but your metabolism also naturally will burn through these calories at a fast rate. With that being said, just because your body can only use 50 grams of protein per every three hours doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consume a little more then that. Remember, you have to make up for the calories from proteins that are being used as energy at the gym, with basic daily activities, and having fast metabolism.

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Lose weight NOW not next year!

Let me apologize now for what you are about to read. Excuse me if I seem a little aggravated or upset, I am just tired of hearing and seeing people make so many excuses about why they can not maintain a healthy lifestyle. This article was not intended to criticize or put anyone down, in fact, it is just the opposite. I have created this post to help people understand that weight loss or living healthy in general is not as hard as some of us make it seem. Here are a few things I have noticed that we MUST change in order to meet our goals. I am hoping that once you finish reading that you will not make these changes a “new year’s resolution”.

Put away the scale and pull out the measuring tape

Why is everyone so obsessed with their weight? Instead of saying “I want to lose 10 pounds”, why don’t we say “I want to knock 4 inches off my waist “? The thing with focusing on weight loss is that we are often disappointed when we step on the scale. This causes us to give up because we feel like what we are doing is not working. Fact is, it probably is working and the reason for not losing weight is because you are adding muscle. You may weigh the same, more, or just a little less but your measurements may have changed for the better. You see, it is possible that you stepped on the scale hoping you had dropped about 5 pounds and got disappointed when you ended up gaining a pound. What you didn’t realize is that you lost 2 inches on your waist.

I’ll give you a very simple and straight forward example. Take two males who both are 6 feet and weigh 200 pounds. Male number one is 20 percent body fat and male number two is 13 percent body fat. Now, they are both the exact same height and the exact same weight but male number two looks significantly thinner and fitter than male number one. It really is just that simple, if we want to stay focused and positive about our progress then I recommend we put away the scale and pull out the measuring tape.

Why wait? Start now!

Why is it that every time someone is going to start a “diet”, they say “I’m going to start on Monday”? I hate hearing that from people who are interested in starting something new. It’s Wednesday, why not just start today? What is the reason that you want to continue the same routine that has you unhappy with yourself for another week?

This “I’m going to start on Monday” is just an excuse that is followed by eating more junk for the days between now and Monday. Have you ever heard someone that smoked cigarettes say “I’m going to quit after this pack” and they end up smoking double the amount they are used to that day? Then the excuse is “I’m quitting after this pack so I have to get in as much as I can now” or something to that effect. People, junk food, like cigarettes is an addiction. By over loading on these unhealthy foods for the next week before you “quit” is just going to push your goals back drastically. Make the decision that you want to lose weight, eat healthier, or whatever it may be but start NOW.

Don’t make a good workout the excuse for eating junk

Today I was on my personal facebook page and saw a status update from a friend of mine and I could not believe what I was reading.

“On my way to workout…see you guys at the bar later”

Need I say more?

Let’s say that this person was in the gym working hard and managed to burn 1000 calories. After that he ends up at the bar and consumes 4 beers adding up to 440 calories. Not to mention his post workout meal and anything in between his post workout meal and his 4 beers. I can guarantee those 1000 calories burned were taken right back in.

Is working out and eating unhealthy better or the same as not working out and eating unhealthy? Obviously it is better to workout over not working out, but what kind of progress do you expect to see if you are filling your body with empty carbs and thinking it is OK because u just worked out?

100% is better than 70%

What is the deal with the person who fills the fridge with slim fast shakes and chooses the elevator over the steps? I applaud you for taking initiative and changing your eating habits. Changing bad eating habits is a huge step for someone who has goals to live a healthy lifestyle.

My question is, why stop there? The hardest part has already been done, if you can eat better, you can live better. Now give yourself that extra push and take the steps instead of the elevator (considering how far up or down you are going of course) or even simply walking over to your co worker to deliver paperwork over emailing it while sitting three offices away.

STOP making excuses

Remember readers, an excuse is just that…an excuse. Yes legitimate reasons to procrastinate exist, but for the most part I feel that it is us building these obstacle courses for ourselves.

“I don’t have time to go to the gym”

“I can’t afford a gym membership”

Here is a very effective home workout routine that can be done in just minutes without any type of equipment.

Also, check out this body weight cardio routine by Vince DelMonte that can be performed from home with no equipment.

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Top 10 protein sources for hardgainers

Although the amount of protein we take in daily plays a huge roll in building muscle mass, we also have to pay a lot of attention to the quality of the protein. If you look over the weight gain formula for hardgainers you can calculate the amount of protein your body needs in order to gain muscle mass.

Now that you know how much protein you should be consuming daily, let’s go over what the best sources are. I have also put together a small list of snacks you can eat throughout the day that contain good proteins and other calories needed for gaining muscle mass.

Top 10 protein sources

Here is my list of the top 10 sources of quality protein. The amounts of grams listed are calculated per serving.

1. Egg whites (6 grams)
2. Chicken Breast (25 grams)
3. Tuna (18 grams)
4. Peanut Butter (8 grams)
5. Ground turkey meat (26 grams)
6. Yogurt (14 grams)
7. Salmon (15 grams)
8. nonfat milk (8 grams)
9. Beans (8 grams)
10. Cottage cheese (28 grams)

Hardgainer snacks for muscle mass

1. Peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread
2. Tuna sandwich with tomatoes on wheat bread
3. Grilled chicken breast salad with almonds
4. Ground turkey with wheat pasta
5. Grilled salmon salad

These are a few great snacks to add to your daily caloric intake. Each one contains quality protein with a great source of complex carbohydrates. As a hardgainer who is eating 5-6 meals a day, it may be difficult to avoid eating the same types of snacks or “in between meals” everyday. With that being said, I hope I have broadened your healthy meal list.

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