So……you wanna get big???
I have worked with hundreds of athletes, weekend warriors, and average Joe’s. Some needed to drop a few pounds while others would be considered “hardgainers”; those guys that say “no matter what I do I can’t gain weight.” Thankfully, I had the remedy and was able to change their ways.
1. Sleep – If you want to pack on muscle, your hormones need to be optimal. When you sleep, your body releases growth hormone. If you are only getting 4-5 hours a night, or waking up every hour, that needs to change. You will need to block at least 8 hours per night, preferably at the same time every night. If you find that you are waking up fairly often, then supplements such as zinc, magnesium, cordyceps, ashwaghanda, and 5-HTP may help you out.
2. Eat 6-8 times per day – If you want to get big you cannot skip meals. If you skip a meal you’ll never get it back! Hardgainers generally have higher metabolisms and need to eat more calories.
3. Get enough protein – You will need to get 1.5 – 2 times your bodyweight in grams of protein daily. If you weigh 160lbs that would be 240g-320g daily. Break that up into 6-8 meals and you should be in the range of 30-40g per meal. On workout days I like to be taking in a little more than on my off days.
4. Train at the same time – Studies show that if you are on a routine of getting to sleep, waking up, and training at the same time every day, then your results will be improved. Schedule your workouts like they are appointments that you will not miss.
5. During the workout – We recommend taking BCAA’s during your workout. We use Pro Circuit brand BCAA’s because they have the optimal ratio of Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine. You need to take 15-20g during the workout, or don’t bother. This will help keep you in an anabolic state and give you the building blocks to repair your muscles after a grueling workout.
6. Post workout shake – We like to use a combination of Carbohydrates, Protein, and Glutamine. The amount works out to approximately 1g of Carbs per lb of bodyweight, 0.25g of protein per lb, and 0.10g of Glutamine per lb. Timing is important, so try to have it as soon as you finish your last set. Do not mix protein with liquids until right before you are going to ingest it.
7. Time under tension – If you want to put on muscle, you need to make sure that you are keeping your muscles working, or under tension, for 40 -70 seconds. We use tempo in our exercise prescriptions. Say you are performing a bench press at a tempo of 4010, 4 seconds down and 1 second up; that means every rep takes 5 seconds to complete. If you are doing 10 reps that’s 50 seconds that your muscle is under tension. That’s a huge difference from 10 reps at 1010. If you want your body to change, you need to push it to make it do so.
8. Choose Compound movements as your base – Squats, Deadlifts, Dips, Military Press, Chin Ups, Bench Press, Bent Rows. You can do some isolation exercises, but these compound movements need to be your major lifts. Do not be afraid to lift heavy weights, either. When you are done your workout, you should be dragging yourself out of the gym.
9. Working out is not a social event – On your program you need to have specific rest periods. When you are done a set, start your stopwatch. When it reaches the specific time you’d better be lifting! Do not be hanging around talking to everyone that walks by…..maintain your focus! You can pick up girls on the weekend!
10. Train Hard …Then go Home – Your workouts should not keep you in the gym. After your general warm up (approximately 10 min) your workout should be 45 minutes to 1 hour. After that your testosterone levels start decreasing. You should be able to determine how long it takes by multiplying tempo x reps x sets and adding in the rest periods. We like to use antagonist muscle pairings to get more work done in less time. For example, Chest/Back. You perform a set of chest, rest, and then move on to the back. If you take 60s rest between sets it will be 2½ to 3 min between chest sets. You should be fully recovered and be able to handle more weight.
Here is a sample program for hardgainers – Extended Giant Sets.
Day 1 – Chest/Back
|
Order |
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
Tempo |
Rest |
|
A1 |
Supinated Chin Ups |
4 |
4-6 |
4010 |
15s |
|
A2 |
Pronated Chin Ups |
4 |
3-5 |
3010 |
15s |
|
A3 |
Horizontal Rows – feet elevated |
4 |
8-10 |
2012 |
3m |
|
A4 |
45 Incline DB Bench Press – N to P |
4 |
4-6 |
4010 |
15s |
|
A5 |
DB Bench Press – Neutral Grip |
4 |
6-8 |
3010 |
15s |
|
A6 |
Decline DB Bench Press |
4 |
8-10 |
3010 |
3m |
|
B1 |
Bent Lateral Raise |
3 |
8-10 |
2011 |
10s |
|
B2 |
DB Flies |
3 |
8-10 |
2110 |
60s |
Day 2 – Legs
|
Order |
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
Tempo |
Rest |
|
A1 |
Back Squats |
4 |
4-6 |
4010 |
15s |
|
A2 |
Low Pulley Split Squats |
4 |
8-10 |
3110 |
15s |
|
A3 |
Backwards Sled Drag |
4 |
40 yds |
XXX |
3m |
|
A4 |
Lying Hamstring Curls |
4 |
4-6 |
4010 |
15s |
|
A5 |
Romanian Deadlifts |
4 |
6-8 |
3010 |
15s |
|
A6 |
Back Extensions |
4 |
8-10 |
2011 |
3m |
|
B1 |
Standing Calf Raises |
3 |
8 |
1011 |
10s |
|
B2 |
Seated Calf Raises |
3 |
25 |
1011 |
60s |
Day 3 – Shoulders/Arms
|
Order |
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
Tempo |
Rest |
|
A1 |
Dips |
4 |
4-6 |
4010 |
15s |
|
A2 |
Close Grip Bench Press |
4 |
3-5 |
3010 |
15s |
|
A3 |
Lying Tri Extensions –EZ Bar to head |
4 |
8-10 |
2012 |
3m |
|
A4 |
Thick Barbell Curls |
4 |
4-6 |
4010 |
15s |
|
A5 |
Reverse Preacher Curls – EZ Bar |
4 |
6-8 |
3010 |
15s |
|
A6 |
Incline Hammer Curls |
4 |
8-10 |
3010 |
3m |
|
B1 |
3 Way DB Lateral Raise |
3 |
5ea |
2011 |
10s |
|
B2 |
Cobra External Rotations |
3 |
8-10 |
2110 |
60s |
Email me directly for tip 11- sure fire way to gain weight- the answer may surprise you…Top strength coach Antoine Hamelin from SST Laval has been using this method for years with great results
Please private message me if you want the sure fire trick!
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