Years ago I used to think the true definition of a hardgainer was a skinny dude who had trouble gaining muscle. But after nearly two decades of working with skinny dudes I no longer think that’s true.A true hardgainer is the skinny fat guy. A guy with very little muscle and high body fat at the same time. They’re everywhere these days. For some odd reason it seems like not as many of these guys existed years ago. The majority of skinny guys were leaner. Or maybe I was just imagining things. Not sure. I was always skinny fat so maybe my perception was skewed.
The ever declining quality of our food and water supply surely has something to do with it, though.
The skinny fat dude usually has zero muscle mass with an A-frame physique, narrow shoulders, pipe cleaner arms, a little belly and soft pecs. All while weighing a whopping 138 pounds (picture my high school graduation photo). Or maybe he’s 175. Somewhere in that range. That’s how I spent the first 17 years of my life so I know the look pretty well.
That’s the true definition of a hardgainer. A skinny, ripped ectomorph is not even close to a hardgainer. Those dudes don’t have a clue how easy they have it. All they have to do is eat everything in sight and all of the weight they gain is lean muscle. I’ve worked with quite a few guys like this; some frustrated the hell out of me because they wouldn’t eat enough and others made insane gains when I taught them how to train and eat properly.
The skinny ripped guy calling himself a hardgainer is really just a guy who’s too lazy to eat. Only people with the genetics of a Ronnie Coleman gain muscle easily. Everyone else has to at least put some work in.
True hardgainers, on the other hand, are hormonally fucked. Their cortisol and estrogen is too high and often times their testosterone levels are too low.
So hormone optimization really becomes the key to transforming a hardgainer.
The number one factor above all else is going to be improving sleep quality. Hardgainers always struggle with this because of their hormonal make up and their personalities. They are usually wired with tons of nervous energy and tend to think too much and overanalyze things.
Improving my sleeping ability is something I still struggle with and am always looking to improve. To recap what I have said in the past here are a few tips that will help:
• Go to bed earlier. Ideally you should be going to bed with the moon and rising with the sun. Since that’s not going to happen for most of us try to come as close as you can.
• Wind down and lower the lights after it gets dark. Bright lights in the house will keep you stimulated and awake longer.
• Stay off the computer after 8pm. The light of a computer or TV screen will lower melatonin production and fry your pineal gland.
• Read something non stimulating (that won’t get your mind racing with ideas, etc.) like fiction.
• Take an ice cold bath or shower an hour before bed.
• Train before 3pm. Training later seems to keep the majority of people with sleep issues up all night.
• Get 20-30 minutes of sunlight each day or get one of those goLITE’s by Phillips and use it for 15 minutes a day like I do.
• Try a cool mist humidifier in your room.
• Don’t have a TV in the bedroom. Instead try the Nightwave, which I also use.
• Have as few electronic devices as possible in the bedroom.
• Never keep your cell phone in the bedroom.
• Try not to eat too close to bed time if this keeps you up. For me I need at least two hours between my last meal or I don’t sleep as well.
• Have sex an hour or so before going to bed. This is preferably done with another person as your hand doesn’t seem to produce the same knockout effect.
• Wind down and lower the lights after it gets dark. Bright lights in the house will keep you stimulated and awake longer.
• Stay off the computer after 8pm. The light of a computer or TV screen will lower melatonin production and fry your pineal gland.
• Read something non stimulating (that won’t get your mind racing with ideas, etc.) like fiction.
• Take an ice cold bath or shower an hour before bed.
• Train before 3pm. Training later seems to keep the majority of people with sleep issues up all night.
• Get 20-30 minutes of sunlight each day or get one of those goLITE’s by Phillips and use it for 15 minutes a day like I do.
• Try a cool mist humidifier in your room.
• Don’t have a TV in the bedroom. Instead try the Nightwave, which I also use.
• Have as few electronic devices as possible in the bedroom.
• Never keep your cell phone in the bedroom.
• Try not to eat too close to bed time if this keeps you up. For me I need at least two hours between my last meal or I don’t sleep as well.
• Have sex an hour or so before going to bed. This is preferably done with another person as your hand doesn’t seem to produce the same knockout effect.
Improving sleep quantity and quality has to take precedence over all else. When it comes tobuilding muscle, getting lean and gaining strength there is nothing more important than high quality sleep. Not the training program you’re on, not the diet, no supplement, nothing.
Now, I know most people will ignore this advice and start looking for the greatest new supplement. But trust me NOTHING is more important for your health and your gains in the gym than sleep.
I have struggled with this for years myself and always kick myself for not seriously addressing it sooner. It could have made a world of difference in my progress.
Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Address this now and your rate of progress and your quality of life will improve dramatically.
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