As a naturally skinny guy, it is essential to consume carbohydrates throughout the day for optimal energy levels and muscle building. Since you have a really high metabolism as a hardgainer, the worst thing you can do if you are trying to gain mass and build lean muscle mass quickly is restrict yourself from carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are so crucial to build muscle, and a lot of hardgainers and skinny guys don’t understand the importance of having carbohydrates in your system both before and after intense training sessions.
I recently went on a low-carb craze and noticed that I not only was weaker in the gym, but I was also losing muscle mass and seemed to be gaining body fat. How was this possible? Without carbohydrates and an abundant supply of muscle glycogen, my muscles were unable to perform at maximum capacity and my workout intensity suffered.
Then I switched to a diet that dropped my dietary fat intake and amped up my carbohydrate intake by almost double. Man did I feel like a beast in the gym! I immediately noticed a dramatic difference in my energy levels, body fat levels, and workout intensity. All this combined to give me some impressive gains over the last month.
If you are a naturally skinny guy and a “serious hardgainer” you need to be consuming at the bare minimum twice your body weight in carbohydrates – and for many of you, this number may be closer to 3 times your weight.
The kinds of carbohydrates you consume are just as important. One of my favorite things to incorporate into my diet during a serious bulking phase is high protein carbohydrates. Did you know that some carbohydrate sources also contain large amounts of protein? Most skinny guys think that pasta and whole grains are all carbs, but these are actually high in protein as well. A box of pasta contains about 70 grams of carbohydrates!
The perfect muscle-building carbohydrate for a naturally skinny guy is one that is both high in protein and high in slow digesting carbohydrates. Slow digesting carbohydrates are higher in fiber, and these will drip-feed your body and muscles with an all-day energy supply. They will allow you to train at 100 percent maximum intensity and also keep your muscle glycogen levels full at all times. This is crucial for maximum training intensity and growth. While it is recommended to consume insulin-spiking carbohydrates such as simple sugars immediately following your workout, you should stick with the complex slower digesting forms at other times of the day.
This list of 5 muscle-building carbohydrates will give you great complex carbohydrate options that are loaded with carbs and protein as well as a powerful fibrous carbohydrate that has anti-inflammatory and anti-estrogen properties, helping you boost your testosterone levels and recover faster!
Remember that carbohydrates are essential to a hardgainer diet, so stock up on these 5 muscle-building carbohydrates frequently!
Hardgainer Diet: 5 Muscle-Building Carbohydrates
Lentils
Lentils are one of the highest vegan forms of protein and are loaded with a ton of fiber and complex carbohydrates. If you happen to be a vegetarian or vegan, make sure that you consume lentils frequently, as they are very caloric and loaded with protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates.
Lentils are the perfect storm for the hardgainer diet because they are high in calories, low glycemic, and loaded with protein. This means you can enjoy these for lunch, pre-workout meals, or as your post-workout carbohydrate source.
Lentils are also really cheap. I just did a video on bodybuilding foods on a budget, and a bag of lentils only costs a little over a dollar at my local grocery store and contained over 100 grams of muscle-building protein! Not only are lentils great for a hardgainer diet, but they are also great for your wallet.
Dark Red Kidney Beans
Dark red kidney beans are another powerful muscle builder. Dark red kidney beans are one of the highest sources of antioxidants and are also loaded with complex carbohydrates, protein, and potassium. Beans are a great pre-workout carbohydrate source because they are very low insulin and will sustain your body with a nice supply of energy.
A can of red kidney beans contains about 70 grams of complex carbohydrates and over 30 grams of protein. This is a winning combination to any hardgainer diet and will help you pack on lean muscle mass quickly.
Quinoa
Quinoa is a super food and is loaded with fiber, iron, complex carbohydrates, protein, and other essential muscle-building minerals. Swap out your boring rice or potatoes for quinoa to feed your body with an abundance of muscle-building nutrients. Quinoa is very plain tasting and has a bit of a nutty aftertaste. I typically enjoy it with fish or chicken and will toss in some hot sauce or salsa.
Quinoa is a great carbohydrate source for the hardgainer diet, and if you are bored with rice, try swapping quinoa in a few nights a week and you will get a much higher source of protein and iron.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal or simply whole grain rolled oats is my favorite breakfast carbohydrate source because it is high in protein and loaded with slow digesting carbohydrates. The reason that I like oatmeal so much in the mornings as well is it allows me to get creative and add in several other health benefits.
One of my favorite oatmeal recipes involves putting half a scoop of banana protein powder and cinnamon. This is absolutely delicious and makes the bowl of oatmeal contain nearly 20 grams of protein.
Another thing that I do is toss in flax seeds or chia seeds and sprinkle with cinnamon. This allows me to add an abundant supply of omega fatty acids.
Those are 2 simple ways that you can enhance your boring bowl of morning oatmeal to a powerful muscle builder!
Try one of these oatmeal recipes for the ultimate muscle-building breakfast experience.
Broccoli
While broccoli may not be as high in calories or protein as the other options on this list, it does contain a massive amount of Vitamin C, antioxidants, and anti-estrogen properties. These all combine to help your body operate like a machine and boost your natural hormone levels.
Broccoli has anti-estrogen properties, meaning it prevents a lot of your excess-free testosterone from converting to estrogen. This helps keep your vital anabolic hormones high throughout the day.
Broccoli is loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants as well, giving you a massive supply of benefits in just a tiny green stalk. Eat your broccoli and your muscles will help you!
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