Have you ever asked yourself why your buddies or training partner is adding size, but you seem to gain 5-8 pounds over a cycle (training and steroid) and in order to get that you damn near kill yourself? If you can relate to any degree to this proclamation, you very well be a “hard gainer” — Don’t be afraid, I too am a hard gainer and I think I can help.
While I admit I have trouble gaining and holding substantial muscle mass, I also admit to knowing a thing or two about cheating my genetics and crossing that threshold that the skinny bro doesn’t believe possible. Please don’t assume I am claiming to have a superior intelligence or understanding, I simply have a larger ego and a severe case of bigorexia.
Nonetheless gentlemen…I want to cover some mistakes I have either made myself, or I have seen…oh who am I joking?? These are the ways I’ve fucked up and hindered my gains. Read this list and honestly review your training conduct to see if you are allowing yourself to compromise your optimum gains:
Here are 5 reasons you may not be seeing those rapid gains you were expecting.
1) Do you get the essential hours of sleep?
I don’t mean a 5 hour light sleep, but in my opinion, 7-8 hours of high quality “dreaming you’re a caveman astronaut slumber.” The opinions and results actually do vary from person to person, however, ask any trainer, coach, exercise scientist and I would be astonished if they didn’t express the importance of solid snooze time.
2) I’ll have a number 7 with large fry, large soda,….
My very good friend for years has this obtuse notion that calories are calories. Now, on a strictly literal level he’s correct, but on a practical level he is way, way off. For the sake of analysis let’s say that I eat 4000 calories daily on a lean mass cycle. I eat three 1000 calorie meals and two 500 calorie snacks. I eat nothing but complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and minimal simple sugars….basically I’m eating very clean. My buddy also eats 4000 calories daily, but he eats two fast food meals and two junk food snacks. So he is living on fast food and junk food. I’m going to gain much more quality mass as the majority of my weight gain while he will gain a good deal of fat and sub-q water that will make up the majority of his weight gain.
Ok…I know many of you are shaking you heads and laughing due to the fact that this is simple stuff, but I would venture to say that the fundamentals are usually the first we overlook due to complacency.
3) I’m on 2 grams of AAS weekly, I’m going to grow easy!
If you’ve ever said that…stop reading and kill yourself. If you’ve ever had that thought flash thru your head before going to the gym, well then, you’re pretty normal. Supplements and anabolics are a great aid to a bigger goal but if anything you MUST workout harder when on gear. I hold this theory to be true simply because you can see (while on steroids) the couple weeks you were dedicated or the couple weeks you slacked off. Hey, steroids sometimes make it harder for me to hit the iron…I think because when you are in a constant anabolic state your body is crying for sleep, hence the tired feeling.
4) Four day split, compound and multi joint movements only, and no need for records!
I love the basic, big weight split just as much as the next guy, but after 5-6 weeks you’ve probably stopped gaining and it’s time to adjust your routine. I’m on a 4 day full body circuit right now and I’m gaining muscle and burning the hell out of body fat! If you don’t keep a training log including goals, time of year, diet, etc…you need to start. Simply walking into the gym telling yourself it’s “chest and tri” day but you plan on just winging it….you’ll see it in your gains (or lack there of) :-[
5) Time to determine if you know how to lift truly heavy…some think they do…
You may not know this, but your muscles will not work with full muscle fiber recruitment. It’s up to you to push your skeletal muscles to the point of maximum energy output. By doing this you will have as close to full muscle fiber recruitment as you will ever see….this equals gains in muscle mass! I also suggest negative reps and muscle pre exhaustion –
If you are having trouble with the plateau and are frustrated being stuck at your phase 2 weight then you may be making one or more of these lifting mistakes. There are countless mistakes that can hinder our progress/gains. I’d like to see you guys contribute more mistakes that can effect your training cycle goals…just post them in comments. Thanks a lot bros…hope this helps someone.
While I admit I have trouble gaining and holding substantial muscle mass, I also admit to knowing a thing or two about cheating my genetics and crossing that threshold that the skinny bro doesn’t believe possible. Please don’t assume I am claiming to have a superior intelligence or understanding, I simply have a larger ego and a severe case of bigorexia.
Nonetheless gentlemen…I want to cover some mistakes I have either made myself, or I have seen…oh who am I joking?? These are the ways I’ve fucked up and hindered my gains. Read this list and honestly review your training conduct to see if you are allowing yourself to compromise your optimum gains:
Here are 5 reasons you may not be seeing those rapid gains you were expecting.
1) Do you get the essential hours of sleep?
I don’t mean a 5 hour light sleep, but in my opinion, 7-8 hours of high quality “dreaming you’re a caveman astronaut slumber.” The opinions and results actually do vary from person to person, however, ask any trainer, coach, exercise scientist and I would be astonished if they didn’t express the importance of solid snooze time.
2) I’ll have a number 7 with large fry, large soda,….
My very good friend for years has this obtuse notion that calories are calories. Now, on a strictly literal level he’s correct, but on a practical level he is way, way off. For the sake of analysis let’s say that I eat 4000 calories daily on a lean mass cycle. I eat three 1000 calorie meals and two 500 calorie snacks. I eat nothing but complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and minimal simple sugars….basically I’m eating very clean. My buddy also eats 4000 calories daily, but he eats two fast food meals and two junk food snacks. So he is living on fast food and junk food. I’m going to gain much more quality mass as the majority of my weight gain while he will gain a good deal of fat and sub-q water that will make up the majority of his weight gain.
Ok…I know many of you are shaking you heads and laughing due to the fact that this is simple stuff, but I would venture to say that the fundamentals are usually the first we overlook due to complacency.
3) I’m on 2 grams of AAS weekly, I’m going to grow easy!
If you’ve ever said that…stop reading and kill yourself. If you’ve ever had that thought flash thru your head before going to the gym, well then, you’re pretty normal. Supplements and anabolics are a great aid to a bigger goal but if anything you MUST workout harder when on gear. I hold this theory to be true simply because you can see (while on steroids) the couple weeks you were dedicated or the couple weeks you slacked off. Hey, steroids sometimes make it harder for me to hit the iron…I think because when you are in a constant anabolic state your body is crying for sleep, hence the tired feeling.
4) Four day split, compound and multi joint movements only, and no need for records!
I love the basic, big weight split just as much as the next guy, but after 5-6 weeks you’ve probably stopped gaining and it’s time to adjust your routine. I’m on a 4 day full body circuit right now and I’m gaining muscle and burning the hell out of body fat! If you don’t keep a training log including goals, time of year, diet, etc…you need to start. Simply walking into the gym telling yourself it’s “chest and tri” day but you plan on just winging it….you’ll see it in your gains (or lack there of) :-[
5) Time to determine if you know how to lift truly heavy…some think they do…
You may not know this, but your muscles will not work with full muscle fiber recruitment. It’s up to you to push your skeletal muscles to the point of maximum energy output. By doing this you will have as close to full muscle fiber recruitment as you will ever see….this equals gains in muscle mass! I also suggest negative reps and muscle pre exhaustion –
If you are having trouble with the plateau and are frustrated being stuck at your phase 2 weight then you may be making one or more of these lifting mistakes. There are countless mistakes that can hinder our progress/gains. I’d like to see you guys contribute more mistakes that can effect your training cycle goals…just post them in comments. Thanks a lot bros…hope this helps someone.
