Muscle Gain For Hard Gainers?

[fubar84]

No offence mouse, but what you just in reference to your metabolism was complete bullshit. If your claim of currently eating "shit loads" is correct, you should be gaining. Maybe you have weight issues, or maybe you are just completely exaggerating your calorie intake.

How is it bullshit?

It's quite common to find people that have a fast metabolism. Haven't you ever met anyone who eats junkfood all the time, drinks too much but are still skinny freaks? Guess what - they're not secret gym fiends. They have a fast metabolism. These people find it hard to gain weight.

As far hardgainers, this is apparently a term for people that lift weights but find it hard to pack on muscle. Whether this actually exists or not is unknown.

[borisimo]

Im in the same boat as you mouse, no matter how much I eat I never gain weight, always around the 12-13st mark (im 6'1), I tried whey protein and that didn't make much difference either.

[Spence]

I'm with ADDiction on this one. I hear this all the time, people saying how they always seem to be eating and yet never gain weight. Usually however it it's not down to a conscious exageration of their calorie intake, it's all about the persons perception of what they believe to be "shed loads".

Increasing calorie intake to levels effective to putting on weight should be done gradually over many weeks. First try to increase the frequency of your meals, even if the first week you go from eating three meals a day and increasing it to four meals a day. Then to five; then to six; and then, to seven. Try and make sure you are eating every two to three hours. After the frequency has increased, try increasing the portion sizes (but gradually!).

Your body will get used to it and after a while you will begin to feel hungry after about two hours, although at first it will be a struggle to get your food down.

Dangermouse, why don't you give us an example of your daily food intake and we could give some specific tips?


Spence

[Dangermouse]

No offence mouse, but what you just in reference to your metabolism was complete bullshit. If your claim of currently eating "shit loads" is correct, you should be gaining. Maybe you have weight issues, or maybe you are just completely exaggerating your calorie intake.

Its not uncommong for people to have trouble maintaining weight. Its perfectly natural. Its the reason why a lot of nutritionists only recommend you increase your daily calorie intake by 500kcals max when trying to gain weight - many people simply burn off the food they take on without even thinking about it - they get figety, more active, start to generate more heat, etc. Samatotype is largely a genetic choice, not a personal one. Thats why I said I only wan't to gain a stone in weight over the course of a year, and have no intention nor realistic prospect of turning myself into an 18stone brick shit house. I'm not trying to be Ronnie Coleman here.

I'd say I eat at least 3500kcals a day, and have in the past gotten this up to over 5000kcals a day for over two months with little gain. I eat a lot of good food - potatoes, meat, cereal, pasta, vegetables, fruit, plenty of water, etc, and all of it fresh - none processed or frozen. Like I've said, I eat more than most of the people I know, and that list includes a couple of boxers, and a well built rugby player.

[Brian-]

No offence mouse, but what you just in reference to your metabolism was complete bullshit. If your claim of currently eating "shit loads" is correct, you should be gaining. Maybe you have weight issues, or maybe you are just completely exaggerating your calorie intake.

I'd say I eat at least 3500kcals a day, and have in the past gotten this up to over 5000kcals a day for over two months with little gain.

That's impossible. Or you've got 7 thyroids, one of the two! Sounds like a massive over-estimation because there's no way you could do that at 12 stone.

[Dangermouse]

I weighed about 12.5 stone at the time, and peaked at just under 13stone. although I did gain a bit of strength, I hit another training plateux fairly soon and found it hard to increase my diet thereafter. I ended up loosing what I gained failry quickly. I way about 12.5 now.

[803troop]

"use the money you should spend on food to subscribe to a quality magazine such as Mens Health or Mens Fitness"

ok - that is crap.

If you want to put weight on then you need to eat. Full stop.

It quality training to break down muscle tissue, and lot's of good calories and rest to build it back up.

The are a shit load of articles/sites etc you can look at to do this.

The one's I would lookd at first are:

www.mma.tv (Strength and conditioning forum)
www.crossfit.com
www.gymjones.com
www.bodybuilding.com
www.beastskills.com
www.workingclassfitness.com
www.dragondoor.com
www.trainforstrength.com

Shit load on info for free


Baz

[_chris]

Kev, calories in - calories out = amount converted to fat (basicly) if its negative you lose weight. When you eat doesn't matter to fat loss, some articles keep saying it does, theres always counter articles though.

Simply though think, if you need 200kcal, but haven't eaten, your body will get 200kcal from fat, when you later eat 150kcal it will convert that to fat, as it doesn't need the calories as it already got them from fat, so you've lot the equivelent of 50kcal of fat. If you need 200kcal, and have just eaten 150kcal of food, your body needs to get 50kcal from fat, you therefore have lost the equivelent of 50kcal of fat. Its all lost the same at the end of the day.

"use the money you should spend on food to subscribe to a quality magazine such as Mens Health or Mens Fitness"

ok - that is crap.

Thats the bit you don't buy!

[ADDiction]

My gym is starting to fill out with young lads desperate to gain. To many of them attempt to bulk up, see no real improvements and quit after two weeks, Two weeks!! The average bulking phase lasts 4-6 months. They then proceed to tell me how they have tried everything, and have been at it for "ages".

It all comes down to consistency. Think of those days when the last thing you want to do is run, yet you still lace up those trainers and give it your best shot. The same applies to calorie intake, taking on a dish of pasta when you would rather just chew on a few sweets.

I still don't understand why a skinny kid with bad form is so amusing. Rather then taking the piss maybe you could take some time out to educate him on curls. Then pat him on the back for having the guts to try and bench 110lbs, whilst people like you stare at him and laugh.

[fubar84]

"use the money you should spend on food to subscribe to a quality magazine such as Mens Health or Mens Fitness"

ok - that is crap.

Baz - my whole post was a piss take.

I put it in bold so it's nice and clear, I knew I should have put one of those little winking smily faces at the end...

[jammin87]

Fubar, are you serious? Have I really just wasted money on subscriptions to magazines that won't actually replace food?

[LostandFound]

Fubar, are you serious? Have I really just wasted money on subscriptions to magazines that won't actually replace food?

Have you tried eating them? They do weight a fair bit, so I suppose you would put on weight if you wolfed a few down after a sesh in the gym.

[Spence]

Fubar, are you serious? Have I really just wasted money on subscriptions to magazines that won't actually replace food?

Have you tried eating them? They do weight a fair bit, so I suppose you would put on weight if you wolfed a few down after a sesh in the gym.

Well Mens Health and Mens Fitness are definatly a good source of Fibre...


Not really sure they've got much use beyond that!