Picture this: You’ve been going to the gym with your friend for a few months. You both started as relative newcomers to weight lifting, and you’ve been following the same routine. Your friend has started to show noticeable, measurable increases in the size of major muscle groups, and while you’re looking a bit more toned and finding the exercises a bit easier than you did at first, you haven’t seen the same kind of gains in lean muscle mass. What’s the deal?
If this sounds like you, you may be a hardgainer. Hardgainers are those who find it difficult to gain and maintain lean muscle mass and overall weight. Many hardgainers have always had a slim physique, or ectomorph body type. They may find it easy to keep weight off, or may have even gone through periods where they have struggled to gain or maintain a healthy weight. And, they often find that they do not see the same response to weight lifting plans that non-hardgainers do.
There are many differences that can affect how someone’s body responds to the stress of weight lifting. For hardgainers, a number of those differences, such as having a high metabolic rate, are thought to be genetic, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be done.
If you suspect you’re a hardgainer, you can use that knowledge to modify your training plan to maximize your results.
Track calories
As a hardgainer, your body may be faster than average at adapting to changes in caloric intake. You may also be overestimating your average caloric intake. Closely tracking your calories will make it easier to ensure that you’re eating a caloric surplus (ingesting more calories than you are burning). You need a surplus of calories to support weight gain and muscle growth. You may also need to adjust your caloric intake as you go, increasing your calories to support new muscle growth and metabolic adjustments. Tracking what you eat will help you ensure that you’re modifying your diet sufficiently to meet your needs.
Focus on protein
Adequate protein consumption is necessary for anyone looking to build lean muscle mass. For hardgainers, however, it may require more specific attention. Supplementing your diet with additional pre- and post-workout protein consumption can help your body rebuild muscle most efficiently.
Plan for progressive overload
To encourage muscle hypertrophy, incorporate progressive overload into your weight lifting plan. Progressive overload involves continually increasing the amount of weight you lift for each set. By increasing the difficulty of the workout, you also increase the stress placed on your muscular and skeletal systems, requiring your body to continue making adaptations to handle the new stressors.
Get enough recovery time
To build muscle, your body needs sufficient time to recover and repair the damage done through exercise. For hardgainers, you may need to give your body additional time to focus on the building phase of muscle growth. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of water.
If you’re looking for a focused plan to pack on lean muscle, we at Body By Ford are here to help. We specialize in working with each client’s individual needs and goals to create full body transformations. We’d love to help you start on your journey with a free consultation!
