How to Gain Weight if it is Hard for You

Learning how to gain weight if it is hard for you is just a matter of of combining the correct workout program to gain weight, eating the correct amount of calories and the right kind, and getting plenty of rest. If you were anything like I was, this statement put so simply would make you angry, because as a true hardgainer it just didn't seem that easy.

Being a fellow hardgainer myself and having trained for over EIGHT years with absolutely NO significant gains in weight, I understand how you feel. However, although being born a hardgainer was not my choice, remaining ignorant on the subject was. It wasn't until I began seeking information from the correct source that I began getting results. I commend you for being here and seeking information on how to gain weight if it is hard for you, because you can train until pigs fly but if you aren't training specifically for hardgainers, then you are really just spinning your wheels.

So, let's get right to it. Like I said in the beginning, learning how to gain weight if it is hard for you begins with the correct workout program to gain weight. Here is one below that has and will ALWAYS put on several pounds of muscle as long as you give it your all. Try starting off by training this same routine three days a week, with at least one day of rest in between. If you find yourself needing more time to recover, then switch to two says a week with at least two days of rest in between. Remember that workout programs to gain weight are most effective as abbreviated workouts that focus on the major compound exercises, so don't be fooled by its simplicity. And one more thing: do your squats breathing style, meaning you'll want to take at least three HUGE breathes between each rep, and at least five once you get past rep 15. Click the link breathing squats to learn more about them.

1. Barbell Shoulder Press: 3 x 12
2. Squats: 1 x 20
3. Pullovers: 1 x 2o (immediately after squats)
4. Bench Press: 3 x 12
5. Barbell Rows: 3 x 15
6. Stiff-legged Deadlifts: 1 x 15
7. Pullovers: 1 x 20

At a glance this workout seems simple, but it certainly isn't easy. You're going to have to push yourself like you have never before, especially on the squats. Work to increase the weight each and ever workout on the squats and deadlifts, and get up to as heavy as you can for each exercise.

Stay at this program for six to eight weeks. As long as you train with everything you got each and every workout, you eat at least 20 times your bodyweight in calories from high protein and high carb foods, you get as much rest as possible, and you increase your poundages substantially by the end of the six to eight weeks, you'll gain weight without a question. Give it your all and you'll never wonder how to gain weight if it is hard for you again.


Derek Manuel
Learn How to Gain Weight for People with Fast Metabolisms

How to Make a Weight Gain Shake

One of the best ways to gain weight fast is to combine a solid squat routine with an ultimate weight gain shake; of course still eating as much clean high calorie foods as frequent as possible throughout the day. If you don't already have any workout programs for hardgainers, then click the previous link for a good one.

Once you have good routine to gain weight, then you'll want to learn how to make a weight gain shake. One of the best that I have ever found is right out of John McCallum's book, The Complete Keys to Progress. It is called, simply, the Get Big Drink.

Here are the ingredients:

- A days supply of your favorite weight gain/protein powder
- Two quarts of milk
- Two cups of skim milk power
- Four tablespoons of peanut butter
- Half a brick of chocolate ice cream
- One banana
- Four tablespoons of malted milk powder
- Six tables of corn syrup

Whip up all the ingredients in a bowl, or you can blend the ingredients separately to with whatever you can fit in the blender at once. This should make about a gallon's worth. Pour it in a plastic container and sip on it throughout the day until you evenly consume the whole lot. You can have a glass with every meal, and sip on it in between.

If you are lactose intolerant, than obviously this wouldn't be the best mix for you, and yuou can make the proper adjustments, otherwise, this is the best weight gain shake I've found to date. Combine this with some heavy squats and plenty of rest, and you'll gain weight every week.

Derek Manuel
Learn How to Gain Weight for People with Fast Metabolisms

The Best Exercise to Build Muscle Fast

If you are interested in learning the absolutely best exercise to build muscle fast and in record time, read on my friend. Pay attention closely because if you are a true hardgainer, meaning you’ve tried EVERYTHING to gain weight and build muscle to no avail, then this may very well be the most important article you’ll ever read on the subject of bodybuilding. This one exercise, performed correctly, can and will put on more muscle mass on practically your WHOLE body more then any other exercise in the world. I stand by this claim firmly because I know from personal experience and from hundreds of testimonials.

I have read countless articles and success stories from hundreds of satisfied weight trainers easy and hardgainers alike who have gained pounds and pounds of muscle and body weight fast, very fast. This is definitely the best exercise to build muscle fast, but the funny thing is that it is not secret, it's just that many people disregard it. The certain way that it is performed however, is surprisingly unknown to many weight trainers, personal trainers and even bodybuilding “experts.”

This exercise is so phenomenal that many programs, especially weight gain programs, consist of this exercise and only one or two more exercises, performed two days a week. That’s it. And people have gained anywhere from 20 to 30 pounds of muscle in as little as 6 to 8 weeks. So what's the exercise? The exercise for gaining is, ironically, probably the most dreaded. Have you guessed it yet?

Squats.

But I’m not talking about just any type of squats, I’m talking about what’s called breathing squats. The difference between squats and breathing squats is basically this: when loading up the barbell with weight you would normally use for 10 reps, you instead do 20 reps with it.

“How” you say, “I’m I supposed to do 20 reps with the weight I normally use for 10 reps?”

Let’s look at how most people do their squats (for the few who do them): pretty fast paced, only taking a second or two rest in-between reps, and finishing without getting even remotely near failure. With breathing squats however, you do them differently. After each rep, take at least three HUGE breaths, both inhaling and exhaling through your mouth to get as much air as possible, before your next rep. Take in air until your whole chest swells up, then blow it all out forcefully.

Do it in this fashion for about the first 10 reps. You will feel like stopping at 10 because it will be what you’re used to, but don’t. By now, your deep breathing will come naturally, and you may need to take 4 or 5 deep breaths in between each rep. By rep number 15, your legs will start to tremble if they haven't already. You will only have five reps to go, the biggest challenge yet. You will need to take anywhere from 5 to 10 HUGE and DEEP breaths before each rep. Each rep will become a world of its own. By the time you hit the 20th rep you will be completely wiped out. Your whole chest will be swelled up like a balloon and your legs will feel like noodles.

Immediately after you finish the squats, grab a light dumbbell between 20 and 40 pounds, lie down on a bench or across one, whichever is more comfortable, and do a set of 20 pullovers with them. As you lower the weight, again, take a deep breath and get a really good stretch in your rib cage. As you bring the weight back up, blow it all out. Do 20 reps of these right after your squats.

The point of the pullovers is to stretch out your rib cage and permit more room in your upper body for growth. This isn’t the typical resistance exercise, so you don’t need to use a heavy dumbbell for this, just get a good stretch and focus on deep breathing.

As you are probably thinking, this won’t particularly be a walk in the park. It will probably be the hardest thing you will ever do in the gym. But the results are equivalent to the hard work. And WELL worth it. And if you are a hardgainer, this is THE best exercise to build muscle fast and it will set you free from a skinny and weak frame.

Derek Manuel
Learn How to Gain Weight for People with Fast Metabolisms

How to Build Up Muscle Strength

If you really want to learn how to build up muscle strength to levels beyond the norm and turn from a hardgainer to a hardtrainer, try some power rack training routines. For those who don't know, power racks have and always will be foundational training equipment for building super human strength. For hardgainers wanting to learn how to build up muscle strength, power rack training can take your strength and weight gain goals to new heights.

Power racks a great because they allow you to train alone safely with as heavy of weight as you want on all of the major compound exercises. They also allow you to do certain training techniques you can't normally do with just a barbell or dumbbells, such as lock out positions, bottom position bench presses, squats, shoulder presses, etc.

When training with a power rack, normally you do so with the intent of building up muscle strength more than anything, so it is suggested to train with relatively low reps, usually nothing higher than five.

Before you get into a intense power rack routine, it is also highly advised to slowly progress into lower reps with your normal workout routines first. For example, if you have been training with a rep range of 8 to 12 reps for your normal exercises, take at least a month and slowly lower your reps as you increase your strength until you get to 4 to 6 reps.

Training with heavy weight and low reps not only builds up muscle strength, but also strengthens your ligaments and tendons as well. It is important that your body is thoroughly prepared for heavy power rack training, so make sure you have been training heavy for at least a month before diving into it.

Power rack training routines are best when they are abbreviated, with a focus on just a few key exercises. Training low reps with a focused intensity on just a few exercises will skyrocket your strength gains like never before.

Here is an example of a sold power rack training routine on how to build up muscle strength:

Mondays:

1) Squats: 5 x 5 with the first two sets as progressive warm ups
2) *Bottom Position Squats: 5 x 1 progressively working up to your max weight on the last set
3) Barbell Curls: 5 x 5 with the first two sets as progressive warm ups
4) Grip Work: 3 x of holding on to a weighted barbell for as long as possible, increasing either the time held or weight each workout

Thursdays:

1) Deadlifts (either regular or stiff-legged): 5 x 5 with the first two sets as progressive warm ups
2) Bench Press: 5 x 5 with the first two sets as progressive warm ups
3) *Bottom Position Bench Press: 5 x 1 progressively working up to your max weight for last set
4) Bent-over Barbell Rows: 4 x 5 progressively working up to your max weight for last set of 5
5) Grip Work: 3 x of holding on to a weighted barbell for as long as possible, increasing either the time held or weight each workout

*Bottom position exercises means that you set the pins in the power rack so that the barbell starts off in the bottom position of the exercise. Squats, for example, you would start off squatted down with your thighs parallel to the ground, thus, in the bottom position.

Although this program looks simple, don't make the mistake of thinking it is easy. If you focus on training for strength on each and every exercise, you will learn how to build up muscle strength faster then you ever thought possible. Also, don't make the mistake of over training, two days a week with this routine is PLENTY, and after the first couple workouts you'll realize that you'll need the rest.

So, as a hardgainer, train hard, eat as much clean food as much as possible, and get plenty of rest. Maximizing your strength levels through power rack training will prepare your body to gain weight and muscle like never before if you follow it up with workout routines to gain weight

Derek Manuel
Learn How to Gain Weight for People with Fast Metabolisms

Hardgainer Training and Hard Work

One thing about being a hardgainer is that we can't train haphazard and expect to get good results, if any at all. The problem with most hardgainers who want to gain weight and build muscle, however, is not not combining SMART work with hard work. So, let's clear up what hard work is NOT for a hardgainer wanting to build a mass of muscle as fast as possible.

- Hard work is NOT training seven days a week for several hours a day
- Hard work is NOT going for huge "pump" or trying to just go for the burn
- Hard work is NOT a whole bunch of sets, reps, and exercises for each and every muscle group

For a hardgainer trying to gain weight and build muscle mass, the definition of hard work must be continuously training with the heaviest weight safely possible, on the most basic compound exercises, and doing every single rep with an intense focus and in GOOD form.

A hardgainers main concern in the beginning is to become as strong as possible. This requires the type of hard work that you just don't see in modern gyms today. Today gyms and workout facilities look more like social lounges or hangout spots.

Don't get yourself caught up in all that. When you go to the gym, you should go with a focus and determination and with only ONE thing in mind: to either lift more weight then you did last workout or to perform more reps. This type of training takes work, HARD work. Each and every workout will be a challenge, and you MUST be both physically AND mentally prepared for each and every workout.

A true hardgainer must accept the fact that he must train harder then the average trainer with decent genetics, and embrace it as a gift rather then a curse. Few things in the world are more rewarding then being laid out on the floor completely wiped out from giving your all, and accomplishing a long term goal that you set for yourself.

So hardgainers, make a commitment to yourself that if you want to gain weight and build muscle fast, then your going to have to make hard work a habit.

Derek Manuel
Learn How to Gain Weight for People with Fast Metabolisms