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…

Grab Your Free Gift: Discover the true secrets to gain more muscle with Sean Nalewanyj's famous 8-part mass building tips course.

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

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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.

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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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3 Important muscle building rules for guys and girls (Hardgainers)

Why can't us skinny guys ever gain weight? There may be many reasons for why us skinny guys cannot gain weight. Obviously if your mom and dad were skinny at your age you probably will be too. This is the genetics explanation, or if your parents were not very skinny at your age then your weight can be blamed on a fast metabolism. The rules I am about to explain are the same no matter what program you go into.

1. Watch for misleading information - the reason most muscle building programs don't work.

Before you look into finding a program you can follow to help gain weight, I would look at a couple of things. Foremost, look at the actual trainer promoting the program, and look at his background or how he/she got started. If he/she was fat and lost weight to gain muscle, obviously their programs diet and exercise regimens will be backwards for you and not work.

2. When you actually work out.

The biggest thing most skinny guys and girls will do when they are desperate to gain weight they will workout long and hard everyday, or think they have to work out longer than people who are already bigger. This is exactly the opposite of what you should be doing! The more skinny you are, the LESS you should be working out, and the more REST you need! The goal of going to the gym is to stimulate muscle growth, this happens in a very short time period and muscle is build while you are resting!

3. Intensity is key.

While you work out, you should be focused on getting in your reps and getting out fast. After being in the gym for a few hours your body begins to suppress hormones that actually build up muscle. Also keep each body part limited to 2 different excises. Workouts that work on different angles of your arms or legs are designed to only help maintain the weak parts of your body after your body's muscles have grown and matured. While doing all this you should not be in the gym longer than 1 hour!

Is there something I can do? Contrary to popular belief, gaining weight is much harder to do in my opinion than to lose weight. Being naturally thin makes building a impressive body takes incredible persistence and determination! For other information crucial to your success of gaining weight can be found here at http://www.FastMuscle.info

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

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Skinny to muscle with 3 simple steps

As a hardgainer myself, I know that there is nothing more stressful than putting in time at the gym and getting little to no results. The first thing we (hardgainers) need to realize is that our bodies do not create muscle as fast as most. Also, our metabolism is so fast that it makes it incredibly hard to gain weight. With that being said, it is obvious we have to take a different approach when trying to put on muscle mass or gain weight. You see, the average person only requires about 12 times their body weight in calories to pack on mass, us hardgainers require double the amount.

If you are struggling with gaining weight, let me give you 3 simple steps you can follow to pack on pounds of muscle.

Gain weight fast step 1- Hardgainer diet
There are two different approaches we can take to put on mass. The first and more common one for hardgainers is the “6 meal a day plan”. This plan requires you to consume 24 times your body weight in calories (your weight multiplied by 24 = daily caloric intake). You can break each meal down however you would like as long as you’re reaching the proper amount of calories. Calories should be broken down into 50 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein, and 20 percent fats.

The second approach is the “4 meal a day plan”. This plan is created for hardgainers in order to slow down the body’s metabolism. Instead of keeping the metabolism working by consuming food all day (6 meal a day plan), it makes the metabolism work less and eventually causes it to slow down. With the ”4 meal a day plan” you can consume 20 times your body weight in calories instead of 24. It basically just breaks down into 4 large meals as appose to 6 smaller meals. The percentage of each calorie type should be the same as the “6 meal a day plan”.

1st approach
-6 meals a day
-24 x Body weight= Daily calories
-50 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, 20 percent fat

2nd approach
-4 meals a day
-20 x Body weight = Daily calories
-50 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, 20 percent fat

Gain weight fast step 2-Proper workouts
While most weight lifters get by with working out specific muscle groups and performing isolation exercises, hardgainers do not have the luxury. Although muscle group and isolation workouts can be effective, compound and full body workouts are more beneficial to our body type. Compound exercises are workouts that target more then one muscle group per exercise. These exercises are known for their ability to build overall muscle mass and are essential when packing on pounds for skinny guys.

Focus on these top mass building workouts
-Squats
-Deadlifts
-Bench press
-Chin ups/pull ups
-Dips
-Military press
-Bent over rows

Gain weight fast step 3-Rest
Being skinny and seeing little results can easily cause anyone to put in extra time in the gym. In this case, more is not better. Proper rest is crucial for smaller guys, without rest, we will not grow. Working out about 4 days a week should be perfect when trying to gain weight for skinny hardgainers. Because our metabolism is so fast, we naturally burn through calories at a high speed. If we are working out 5-6 days a week we are not resting the muscle enough for it to grow and we are burning extra calories. I recommend working out every other day for best results. Not only is resting the muscle in between workouts important, but without proper sleep we can not maximize muscle growth. Our body actually does most of its “muscle building” while we are in deep sleep. On top of resting every other day, try to get at least 8 hours of high quality sleep every night.

From skinny to muscle
Take a different approach and notice incredible size gains in no time. Eat the proper amount, do the right workouts, and get the proper amount of rest. These 3 steps are the key to gaining muscle mass for hardgainers.

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Break your plateau & enjoy newbie gains again!

Hitting a plateau is inevitable when weight training to build muscle mass. A plateau happens when your body has adapted so much to your fitness program that it (the body) requires little to no change in order to perform it (the program). The fact that you got great results from your initial program makes it hard to change it. Most people figure that if it worked to pack on those 15 pounds of muscle, there is no reason to tweak it. This is very common and often the reason for frustrated weight lifters who can not seem to pack on any more muscle.

Change your program!
You are either doing full body workouts or you are doing individual muscle groups. Regardless of what kind of program you are on, eventually your body will adapt and cause a plateau. This has a simple solution, just change the program. You see, your body builds muscle naturally in response to strenuous activity. Once your body has grown enough to the point where your program is not strenuous, it sees no reason to grow. By changing your routine and shocking the muscle with new workouts, the body will find the activity strenuous again causing it to build muscle.

A few tips to avoid hitting a plateau due to your workout program
-Switch to full body (If on individual muscle groups)
-Switch to individual muscle groups (If on full body)
-Focus on more strenuous compound workouts
-Increase intensity by implementing supersets
-Switch from machines to free weights
-Increase the amount of weight you use (5-8 reps is ideal)

Change your caloric intake!
Eating the correct amount of calories is crucial when packing on mass. Another huge mistake people make is that they never increase their caloric intake.

Let’s just say for example you weigh 150 pounds and you are eating 3500 calories a day and have increased to 160 pounds. 3500 calories will more then likely only be sufficient enough to maintain the weight. The heavier you are and the more packed with muscle your body is, the more calories your body will require in order to grow. It really is as simple as that.

Here is a guide of how to calculate your caloric intake according to your weight

Breaking that plateau
Remember people, change is good. Change your program, increase your calories, and enjoy those incredible “newbie gains” once again. I know sometimes change is frightening and sometimes we can be a little hard headed, but a plateau could easily break down your momentum and cause heavy stress or even cause you to quit. Give these simple tips a shot and notice great results again!

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Working out can help you land a better job

Look better, feel better, be better Self confidence could be the difference between achieving goals and hiding behind the fear of failure. Confident people are much more likely to succeed in this game we call life. Although there are numerous factors that will determine your confidence levels, I think that working out could possibly be the key to a new and better you.

-Physical Appearance
-Energy
-Posture
-Accomplishing positive goals

Physical appearance
People who are out of shape are more likely to feel insecure and less energetic. As shallow as it may seem, confidence in us humans is usually driven by how attractive we feel. People who are not physically fit tend to feel less attractive than those of us who live a healthier lifestyle. Being insecure about your physical appearance can very well cause you to be less social and less likely to be the best candidate for the job.

Energy
Not only do you feel great about how you look, you feel even better about…well…the way you feel. Feeling good about your physical appearance is a great step to building confidence, but feeling energized from working out will help others around you feel your confidence. Having energy will allow you to add a little “pep in your step”. People can usually tell how confident others are by the way they walk and their posture. Having no energy will cause you to walk slowly, drag your feet, and slump your shoulders. With the energy you will build from transitioning to a healthier lifestyle, you will naturally walk faster. Making yourself look and feel more important is a huge confidence booster.

Posture
The way you carry yourself has a lot to do with how you feel and how others will assume you feel. For example, if you are walking around with your shoulders slumped and your head down, it is safe to say there is little to no confidence present. If you are walking fast with your head up and making eye contact with others, it gives off the vibe of importance and empowerment. What a lot of people don’t realize is, working out is a great way to improve posture. Not only will you naturally achieve better posture from the extra energy, but certain workouts will actually target sections of your body that have a lot to do with your posture.

A big part of your posture comes from your posterior chain. Activating the gluteus maximus or buttocks will benefit the posterior chain which in turn will create better posture. Here are a few exercises you can add to your routine to build better posture.

-Supine bridges
-Hip flexor stretch
-Kneeling squats and
-Mule kicks

Accomplishing something positive
When working out, we all have something we call “fitness goals”. A big part of being confident is having that “I can do it” attitude. Setting fitness goals and accomplishing those goals will allow you to feel on top of the world. Accomplishing these fitness goals will have you feeling confident and unstoppable. Knowing that you can do anything that you put your mind too will make you feel more valuable to employers. The bigger the goals you achieve, the bigger the confidence boost. Believe me people, there is no feeling like reaching goals (personal or fitness) that you have set.

Working out can land you a better job
Self confidence is the key to great success, and working out and living a healthier lifestyle is the key to self confidence. With just a few hours a week in the gym or at home exercising, you can make a world of a difference in yourself and your over all life. Look better, feel better, be better.

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Fitness Q and A for the dedicated (Questions)

I am pretty good at answering emails and comments, but recently I have decided that I would take it a step further to interact with my readers. This is a new section I am starting and will be doing every once in a while. I call it, “Fitness Q and A for the dedicated”. It works like this, I add the post labeled “Fitness Q and A for the dedicated” and you, the readers, ask away. I will take questions via email for 14 days from the day of the post, at the end of the 14 days I will post the questions along with answers. For the most part, the questions will all be answered in the same post. The more complicated questions that need a larger explanation will be answered in the form of its own article. For those interested in participating, please email your question to MuscleMonsters@gmail.com along with your name and the city and state in which you live. Make sure to title the subject "Fitness Q and A".

Note: Comments are welcome but will not be included in the “Fitness Q and A for the dedicated (Answers)” section.

I look forward to a lot of questions; no question that is fitness related will go unanswered. Please subscribe to be alerted of the answers being posted.

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The weight gain formula for hardgainers

If you are a regular reader of the site, you have more than likely noticed my opinion on what formula to use when determining the amount of calories you should consume in order to pack on size. The formula is based on weight lifters who perform high intensity workouts 3-5 days a week.

Your body weight multiplied by 24

For example: 155 x 24 = 3720 calories per day

Now, this does not mean; consume 3720 calories a day and workout 3-5 days to become a bodybuilding masterpiece. There is actually a specific breakdown of what types of calories should be taken daily.

Calorie type breakdown
50 percent carbohydrates
30 percent protein
20 percent fat

For example: Based on a 3720 calorie diet

1860 calories from carbohydrates
1116 calories from protein and
654 calories from fat
Total: 3720

So now you know the breakdown of how many calories and what kinds of calories you should be consuming daily in order to put on mass. If only it where that easy right? That is just the basics; you must also know what kinds of foods provide the right types of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. As a hardgainer, we have the ability to cheat a little by eating a fair amount of simple carbs and unnatural fats. For the most part though, when taking in carbs for the day, focus mainly on the complex ones. These carbs are much healthier and give your more time to use them up as energy before they are stored as fat. It is also very important that we eat the correct types of fats. Believe it or not, fats are very necessary when building muscle mass. The problem is, most people consume the wrong types of fats. Focus your attention on the natural fats when consuming your 20 percent for the day.

Complex carbohydrates
Wheat bread
Wheat pasta
Oatmeal
Whole wheat
Brown rice
Vegetables

Natural fats
Peanut butter
Olive oil
Avocados
Nuts

You now understand the “weight gain formula”, the types of calories, and where to get the calories from. So now we can simplify this whole thing once we learn the calories per gram formula. I have noticed that more then anything, people who look at the nutritional facts of their foods, mainly look at grams. With the”weight gain formula”, we can determine how many grams of protein and how many grams of fat we will need for the day.

Example: Based on a 3720 calorie diet, we will consume 1116 calories of protein.

OK? So how many grams of protein should I consume daily?

1 gram of protein equals 4 calories

1116 calories of protein equal 279 grams of protein

Example: Based on a 3720 calorie diet, we will consume 654 calories from fat

OK? So how many grams of fat should I consume daily?

1 gram of fat equals 9 calories

654 calories of fat equal 72.6 grams of fat

Calories per gram formula
1 gram of protein equals 4 calories
1 gram of fat equals 9 calories
1 gram of carbohydrates equal 4 calories

There you have it, as complicated as it may seem, calculating your food intake for the day is quite easy. As you gain weight from following this, I recommend recalculating your daily intake every 3-5 pounds. Remember, as a hardgainer, the main struggle is weight gain. The main focus point when gaining weight is proper food consumption. With that being said, it is very important that you are aware of how to calculate the proper amounts of foods to take in daily.

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Gain weight fast - top mass building foods

Having a large muscular body is a lot of hardgainers dream, what most hardgainers fail to understand is that building mass is not all about just lifting weights. In fact, the trick to gaining weight fast is proper diet and nutrition. Without eating the right foods, your goal to getting huge becomes nothing more then just a dream. The fact is hardgainer or not, you are not going to pack on pounds of lean muscle without eating the right foods. If you are interested in trying to gain weight fast, I suggest you revolve your diet around this list of mass building foods.

Gain weight fast item one – Chicken breast
This part of the chicken is great for bulking up. It is very high in fiber and contains almost half of your daily requirement of protein in less than a 4 ounce serving. A great alternative to chicken breast is turkey meat. Turkey meat is also high in fiber, protein, and it is very low in fat.

Gain weight fast item two – Whey
Whey could arguably take the number one spot on this list. It is not only a fantastic source of high quality protein, but it also carries high levels of amino acids that aid in strength increase and muscle development.

Gain weight fast item three – Red meat
Like the items listed above, red meat is also another great source of protein like. What you may not know about red meat is that it contains creatine. Creatine is an excellent source of energy to help you through your workouts. Not only does red meat contain great protein and a powerful source of energy, but it is also rich in vitamin B.

Gain weight fast item four – Egg whites
Egg whites should always be a part of your daily diet. Like any top muscle mass building foods, they contain high quality protein. What makes this item so important is surprisingly not the fact that it is a great source of protein. More importantly, egg whites are rich in vitamins and minerals that will your entire body can benefit from. Another thing about eggs that make them so valuable to mass building is this; egg whites contain high levels of quality amino acids.

Gain weight fast item five – Peanut butter
The biggest misconception when weight training is that high amounts of fats are bad. Here is the deal, there are bad fats, and there are natural fats. Believe it or not, 20 percent of our daily caloric intake should be natural fats. Peanut butter is a great source of natural fats that will help you gain muscle mass. Not only is it a great source to boosting your caloric intake, but it is also a very good source of protein.

Build your body
You see, there are a set of mass building workouts that will boost your muscle development, but these top mass building workouts are nothing without a proper diet. Follow the list of compound workouts I put together along with this list of mass building foods and get the muscular body you have always dreamed of. The only thing stopping you now is yourself.

Related articles

Top 5 reasons your not getting bigger

The truth the building mass for hardgainers

Get big and stay lean (the right way)

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Top 5 reasons why you aren't getting bigger

Are you stuck and unable to put on any more mass? As much as that sounds like a cheesy late night infomercial, the fact is, you answered yes. There could be one reason you aren’t gaining more mass or there could be one hundred reasons you aren’t gaining more mass. What I can’t do is take every reader one by one and explain to them what there individual issue is. What I will do is explain the top 5 reasons why you can’t seem to pack on any more size. You see, if you have been stuck at the same size for as long as you can remember or even just a couple of months, more then likely you are making one or more of the mistakes am listing. If this is the case, consider yourself lucky because it could be a very quick fix and you will be back on the weight gain road once again.

1. Not eating enough
I know, you gained the weight you have by eating the amount you are eating now. That is the problem, you were 140 pounds eating 3100 calories and now you are 145 pounds and eating the same amount. If this is your situation, the fix is simple, eat more. You are eating just enough to maintain that 145 pound body. Like I said in my article “The truth to gaining mass for hardgainers “, a simple formula to calculate how many calories you should eat is, take your body weight and multiply it by 22-24. So, if you are 140 pounds, 3080-3360 calories a day is enough to gain weight fast, as you gain a pound here and there you will simply recalculate using your current body weight.

2. You have hit a plateau
Just like eating, most people are afraid to change a routine that has shown results. If you have been working out a certain way and have gained 10-15 pounds, why would you change the routine? You take the “if its not broken, don’t fix it” approach. So here is what ends up happening; your body gets used to the routine and eventually prepares itself as best as it can to perform it. When you started the routine, your body had to adjust in strength and size to perform that program. Now that your body is at a strength and size level where it doesn’t have to get any bigger or any stronger to perform the routine, it plateaus. The key is to change up the program, whether you perform different exercises, increase weight more regularly, or go from individual muscle groups to full body in order to work some muscle groups more consistently. A plateau is inevitable when bodybuilding or weight training, but the only thing holding you back from surpassing it is the fear of change.

3. You are not focusing on the top mass gaining exercises
What are the top mass gaining exercises? The top mass gaining workouts are all compound exercises. Am I against isolation? No not at all. Isolation workouts are great for shape and definition and I think they play a very important roll in bodybuilding. Compound exercises on the other hand are great for mass. The reason they are great for building mass is because they not only target large muscles, but they target various muscles at the same time. If you are not focusing mainly on big compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, pull ups, and dips, you are doing yourself a huge injustice. That is of course if your main goal is to pack on more mass.

4. Relying too much on muscle building supplements
Another huge mistake that you could be making is relying on supplements for results. Do supplements work? I would say yes, some muscle building supplements do aid in gaining mass. Here is where we go wrong; we think that since we are on a certain supplement that we won’t have to work as hard since we have some sort of assistance. That is completely false; the supplement is not going to create muscle on its own, it is only going to give you the ability to create muscle. Without the effort, those supplements are useless. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t the point be to work the same amount or even a little more while on the supplement? You see, these pills and powders don’t make muscle, your hard work dieting and working out are the ones that creates it. These pills and powders can only go as far as to give you the ability to create more mass, but they won’t make a difference unless you are playing your part.

5. Not resting enough
I know first hand how frustrating it can get when you aren’t seeing gains. Some people’s first instinct would probably be to workout more. Although that seems like it may be the answer, it isn’t. In fact, working out more is number 5 on the top reasons you may not be getting bigger. Resting while trying to increase muscle mass is very important. To put it very simple, you don’t rest, you don’t grow. Am I saying to work muscle groups once a week? Not at all. What I am saying is don’t over do it. Make sure to rest at least 24-48 hours between muscle groups in order to give the muscle enough time to recover. Also, good sleep at night is extremely important. While we are asleep is the main time that our muscles recover and grow. That being said, don’t hesitate to take days off from the gym and make sure to get a good nights sleep every night.

Go get huge
Whether you are a hardgainer or just your average weight lifter, these tips will help you on your journey to gaining mass. I hope that if you are going through a sudden decrease of gains, this article has answered your questions as to why you have no been getting bigger. If it is just one item on the list or all five that pertain to your situation, the answers are here and the only thing stopping you from incredible mass gains is to take charge and make those small changes.

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The truth to building mass for hardgainers

If you have been scrawny your entire life and have just decided that you are going to gain size, I am going to give you the four main points to focus on to get the best results. See, I am a hardgainer , I had to do the research and the trial and error. In the end, I come to realize that it is much less complicated then I was making it out to be. I have had incredible gains from following these four very simple focus points and now I will share them with you. You can stop researching and wasting your time with crazy routines and supplements that don’t work.

-ABC (Always be consuming)
-Focus on the top compound exercises
-Heavy lifting
-Rest

Let me break down each step and explain how each one plays a huge roll in your success. This should be the last article you have to read in your journey to finding the truth to building mass for hardgainers.

ABC (Always Be Consuming)
The main focus point when gaining mass is easily your food intake. If you are not consuming the proper amount of calories and the right types of calories, you will never get to where you want to be. How do I know how many calories I should be taking in? The formula that worked best for me was this; Body weight multiplied by 22. For example, if you weigh 135, you would consume 2970 calories daily (135 x 22 = 2970). Can I consume more then 22 times my bodyweight? Absolutely, anywhere from 22 to 25 times your bodyweight will be good to gain weight fast. The reason I went with 22 was because if you are a beginner, it will be hard to consume this many calories right away. You have to get your stomach used to eating more so that you don’t feel like you are force feeding yourself.

Once you have figured out how many calories you will be consuming, break those calories up into 6 meals. Spread those 6 meals out a few hours apart.

Daily caloric type percentage
Carbohydrates – 50 percent
Protein – 30 percent
Fats – 20 percent

List of great sources
Carbohydrates: Wheat bread, wheat pasta, oatmeal, brown rice, and fruits.
Protein: Chicken breast, egg whites, fish, and turkey meat.
Fats: Peanut butter, avocado, olive oil, flax seed oil, and almonds.

Preworkout and post workout tips: I recommend having a protein shake 30 minutes to an hour before your workout session. After your workout, I suggest having a protein shake blended with fruits. The reason you want to add fruits is to increase insulin levels and replenish the body of protein and carbohydrates.

Top compound exercises
-Squats
-Deadlifts
-Overhead military press
-Bent over rows
-Bench press
-Dips and
-Pull ups

Focusing on these workouts is very beneficial when building mass because they all target several muscle groups. These workouts will also build your strength at a faster rate and help you avoid fatigue. Ultimately helping you lift heavier and for longer periods of time. In return, you will build muscle mass quicker then normal.

Heavy lifting
Make sure you are increasing your weight regularly. If you are performing 8-10 reps on a certain exercise, increase the weight until you can only perform it 5-6 times with the last rep being difficult to complete. Eventually you will be lifting that amount 8-10 times, that is when you increase the weight again and so on. Lifting heavy will cause strain to the muscle which in return will cause it to grow, it is that basic.

Note: I don’t recommend going so heavy that you are only performing 2-4 repetitions, lifting too heavy could make you more susceptible to injury.

Rest
If you are a hardgainer, resting enough is crucial to gaining mass. If you eat, lift right, and lift heavy, but don’t rest enough, you will see little to no gains at all. I’ll put it simply; our muscles grow while we rest. The time for the most muscle growth is in your sleep during the REM stage.

Focus on these 4 steps
If you are a hardgainer, follow these four simple steps to gain the size you have always wanted. If you are truly sick and tired of being small and scrawny, getting the body you have always wanted is really just four steps and a little bit of hard work away. Eat, lift right, lift heavy, and don’t forget to rest.

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