Why Hardgainers Can’t Seem to Gain Any Muscle
Nov 6, 2024 mindpumpAnyone who feels they are a hardgainer has a different struggle than most. The issue isn’t getting the weight off, it’s putting it on. I’d like to provide some tips and tricks on how to address this and get you back to putting on size.
Genetics
A hardgainer typically has a faster metabolism. If you’ve ever tracked calories, you will most likely find a hardgainer needs a lot more calories just to gain a pound than the rest of us. I’ve had some clients need upwards of 4000+ calories! For context, it only takes me about 2500 calories to see the scale go up. So, you can imagine how hard it is to get that amount of food day in and day out consistently.
What you may notice with a lot of hardgainers is the reason for their increased metabolism is their increased NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). They tend to fidget and just move more overall throughout their day than the average person. One way around the increased need for more calories is to of course stick to mostly whole foods. If you find you are still struggling to hit calories doing that, I’d recommend making a super protein shake, with calorie dense foods to bump up the intake without being that much harder to digest. This can include things like peanut butter, avocados, oatmeal, yogurt, etc. Anything that mixes well in a shake and goes down easy.
Training
The other issue hardgainers face (like many others) can be their routine. When first getting into lifting, it’s still very common for guys to follow what they see bodybuilders do. That is, the traditional body part splits. While more advanced trainees can benefit from these workouts, they aren’t the most ideal for a hardgainer (or any beginner). Instead, try incorporating a full body or push-pull workout program. This allows you to hit each muscle 2-3 times a week, which sends a muscle growth signal to those body parts more frequently. Whereas with a body part split you are only hitting each muscle once and then waiting 6 days before you send a stimulus to grow again. Furthermore, you can spread that one day’s worth of volume over 2-3 days allowing you to hit the exercises fresher and thus, push more weight.
Recovery
Some hardgainers may be doing TOO much, and not spending enough time to recover. They think more is better and try working out 6 days a week. Or they add way more sets per muscle than they need, causing junk volume and not allowing you to recover in time for your next workout. Deload weeks need to be incorporated every 6-8 weeks, along with a focus on high quality sleep and proper nutrition. Focus on eating 1 gram of protein per pound of your ideal weight, and getting into a surplus of calories to allow for proper muscle growth. Utilize those super shakes as needed.
If you are stuck in your progress, I’d recommend following the above advice. If you are still not seeing progress, consider hiring a personal trainer who has worked with hardgainers and knows how to troubleshoot any plateaus you may be hitting.
