1.1 What is a "hardgainer"?
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A Hardgainer is a genetically-typical person (if there is such a thing). To be more specific he/she is born with no special genetic 'gifts' which enable them to pack on muscle mass quickly. Such
people cannot gain lots of strength using VOLUME training, but a hardgainer can make impressive gains using less frequent workouts with considerably less volume.
Estimates of the percentage of the population who are "hardgainers" range from 60% (Steve Holman, in his book "The Home Gym Handbook" from Ironman Publications) to 95% (Some writers in
HARDGAINER magazine). The authors of this FAQ believe this percentage to be at least 85%. On this percentage, maybe we should call ourselves NORMALgainers?
We grant that some people (the lucky few?) can make great gains training 4-6 days per week using split routines and lots of hours in the gym as the pros do. However these people are in the
minority, and hardgainers who use these routines will only overtrain, _perhaps_ making decent gains at first, but quickly reaching a frustrating plateau.
1.2 Am I a hardgainer?
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This is a tough question. Some decisions on "hardgainer-ness" depend on physical measurements such as wrist/ankle-size etc.
But if you find it impossible to add some poundage regularly to each of your exercises every week or two using a "conventional/popular" training program (one that has you training with the
weights more than three days a week), then it is highly likely that you are overtraining. As a hard gainer, your tolerance to exercise is much less than that of an easy gainer, so what the latter can
gain on will just wear you down and out. For sure you will be much better off doing fewer exercises and
sets and training less often.
So the question of being a hardgainer is very much a side issue. The core question is whether the "Hardgainer Method" would work better than current "popular" methods. The answer is an
emphatic YES, in a large majority of cases; especially if you follow the guidelines laid out below as much as you can.
1.3 What is overtraining / How do I know if I am overtraining?
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Overtraining occurs when you train your body beyond its ability to recover (its so-called recovery-ability). If your body cannot recover from the last workout then it will be unable to adapt and
unable to grow.
Symptoms of overtraining include:
(i) A higher-than-normal resting pulse
(ii) Illnesses become more frequent and last longer than usual
(iii) Muscle spasms while resting e.g. eyelid twitch etc.
(iv) Shaky hands
(v) Loss of Sleep
(vi) Loss of appetite
(vii) Unexpected and unexplained fatigue
(viii) Unintended weight loss
and MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL --
(ix) very slow or non-existent gains in exercise poundages in the gym; i.e. static poundages or poundages that are only a few pounds more than you were using months ago. In extreme cases,
overtraining can lead to a loss of strength and the use of reduced poundages.
Solution: If you are overtraining on your current routine, then cut back on workout-days per week, and exercises and number of sets used. Best of all give "The Hardgainer Method" a shot for 6-8
weeks just to see what you are missing. In most cases the person who tries this for the first time will experience a rapid gain in strength and muscle mass, along with an increase in energy. The
method is outlined below in Section 2.
1.4 What kind of results/gains can a Hardgainer expect?
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A common experience when an overtrained person switches to a hardgainer- style workout, is for rapid gains initially (4-8 weeks). This would mean being able to add 5-10 lbs on the 'big basic'
exercises (Squat, Deadlift, Rows, Bench Press etc.) each week, along with 2-5lb increases on the smaller exercises such as the Arm Curl etc.
After this period the gains slow down to 1-2lbs poundage increase each week for a further 4-8 weeks, after which the gains
stop. It is here where we apply 'intensity cycling' (see Section 3). Basically this involves working on lighter weights (80-95% of
your best poundages) for 3-4 weeks without going to failure so as to allow your body to recover. It also prepares your body for further gains of 2-5lbs each week in the next cycle.
Writers for the magazine HARDGAINER (such as Stuart McRobert) believe that an _advanced_ hardgainer can reach (and surpass) 300lbs in the bench, 400lbs in the Squat, and 500lbs in the
classic style deadlift a.k.a the bent-legged deadlift, at LEAST for single reps. This is called the 300-400-500 level. Many of the writers for HARDGAINER (commonly abbreviated to just HG)
are much stronger than this level, for example in 1992 Stuart McRobert deadlifted 400lbs for 20 reps!
However, these goals are NOT unconditional: they are based upon an advanced hardgainer, who did not start too late in life and who has no serious structural or injury limitation, who trains
diligently and very seriously for several years.
In other words, being a hardgainer does not mean being unable to get extraordinarily strong; it just means having to work out
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