I often get emails from hard gainers asking for advice on how to gain weight and build muscle. It usually goes something like this:
“I’m 5 foot 11, and 130 pounds… I eat a lot of food every day and I still can’t manage to put on any decent muscle size. I work out and lift weights every day and I am not gaining any weight. I’m taking muscle building supplements like protein powder, creatine, NoExplode, and a few others. I know I am a hard gainer so I need some advice!”
Does this sound anything like you? Are you a hard gainer who goes to the gym day-after-day, eats everything in sight, and tried every new supplement that hits the shelves?
…And after all that time, effort, and hard work, you’re STILL skinny?
Well I’m about to debunk a few muscle-building myths for you – And I’m also going to give you a plan that you can start using right now to begin gaining weight fast.
Myth #1: Hard gainers need to train every day to gain weight
This is one of the biggest mistakes I see hard gainers make all the time. Bodybuilding magazine will have you believe that high-volume weight training sessions 6 days a week is the only way you’ll get big.This is a complete lie!
Listen, the only guys getting big from following these insane workout routines are steroid-injected meatheads and a few other genetically gifted guys.
The truth is, this is the WORST approach for hard gainers like you and me to follow. Why? Because it leads to overtraining. Your body simply can’t recover quick enough from your last workout. So if you’re working out every day back-to-back, you’re actually doing more harm – and PREVENTING your muscles from growing!
In order for your muscles to grow they need time to recover and rebuild. Simple as that. So never work out two days in a row. I prefer a 3-day split routine, which gives you a nice break between workouts and allows you to come back to the gym bigger and stronger than you were before.
Myth #2: You’re already eating a lot of food
No you’re not! This is another HUGE problem that will hold you back from gaining the muscle mass you really want…
I hate to be the one to tell you this, but if you’re not gaining weight every week, then you’re not eating as much as you think you are!
It’s okay though, because I was guilty of this when I first got started. I thought I was eating a TON of food every day. But when I actually calculated what I ate, it turned out that I was only eating around 2,500 calories!
That’s why I wasn’t growing!
I’m going to give you a formula to use right now that will tell you how much you need to be eating in order to gain weight. Here it is:
20 x your bodyweight = daily calories
Simply take your bodyweight times twenty and that’s how many daily calories you need to eat in order to start making gains.
If you follow this formula you will be MUCH closer to eating the right amount of calories you need to start putting on muscle mass. Of course everyone is different and you may require more or less. It depends how active you are during the day. The more physical activity you do, the more calories you burn. Therefore the more calories you need to eat.
But the point is you need to know how much you’re actually eating on a daily basis! Your body will only grow when it gets a calorie surplus. If you’re not eating enough, then your body can’t grow new muscle tissue.
Myth #3: This amazing supplement will build muscle
Supplements don’t build muscle. Heavy weight training, stuffing your face with food, and getting plenty of rest builds muscle.
Supplements can help you build muscle. But don’t get into the false belief that any supplement will do the work for you. The truth is, if you aren’t doing the correct exercises… If your diet sucks… If you regularly get only 5 hours of sleep a night… Then you can spend $500 a month on all the supplements you want, and you won’t gain a pound!
If that isn’t a kick in the ass then I don’t know what is. Many guys give way too much credit to supplements. I believe it’s because of the lure of the “quick and easy fix.” This is exactly what supplement companies want you to believe!
But let me ask you… When was the last time you took a supplement and gained 10 pounds of lean muscle?
Never.
The reality is that supplements can help a little bit. They can help you feel more energetic… They can boost your testosterone a little bit… They can help you get more protein in your diet… They can increase your capacity to lift heavy weights… But these are all small, insignificant things compared to the bigger picture of building muscle.
Nothing can replace a solid weight training program, a weight gain diet, and good old rest. So lets agree to STOP putting the blame on supplements. In fact, when you’re first starting out, I’d even suggest you cut out all the supplements and spend that money on buying more whole food! That’s the real stuff that will help you gain weight.
As a hard gainer myself I know that building muscle may seem hard at first… But once you lay some of these myths to rest it gets much easier and a lot more fun. Because once you know the truth, and start implementing the techniques you learn, that’s when you start to see crazy gains that will surprise even yourself.
And if you want to make things even EASIER on yourself, and follow a proven step-by-step plan for building pounds of rock solid muscle mass, check out www.WeightGainBlueprint.com.
This is a weight gain and muscle building program I put together that was designed specifically for skinny guys who have trouble gaining weight. If you follow this program I can tell you that it will be impossible for you NOT to gain weight 🙂
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