Hardgainer?

[geary]

5'8'' went from 132 in middle jan. to 140 now im ok with my progress but i feel like to make the real big gains naturally (i cant use gear yet) i might need to start bulking hard. i'm 95% sure im a hardgainer, both my parents are skinny, i havent watched what i ate until now and i've had a six pack since middle school,always been skinnier. i guess my question is what exactly do i have to do to get those big gains i want (short term goal is 150ish by september). some people advocate just staying on the clean high protein well balanced diet that cuts out "bad" foods, while i've also read that if your a hardgainer you need to just pound the food healthy or not until you get bigger and then cut down from there, so im not sure who to listen to. sorry, long post, thanks in advance.

 

[keasbey]

how old are you now?do you eat 5-6 meals a day? are you eating some sort of meat with each meal? chicken/tuna/fish/beef/turkey? id try 1 week of really watching your diet and notice what your eating and then just expand on it a bit. i noticed alot of weight gains when i started drinking whey protein with 2% milk i was like 150 and got up to 160. given i changed alot of my diet but it still wasnt that clean because i wasnt to serious about it, but id say bulk up then cut down and keep playing with the diet. eventually what you thought was alot of food will become normal and holding back to eating more will be more of an issue. or it is for me

 

[deathdroprob]

No such thing as a hardgainer.
The word is an excuse to cover self dissapiontment and commitment.

Eat 6-7 Clean meals per day. Each meal having 30-40 grams of Protein, Stay away from Shakes as much as possible, besides Post Work out Shake and 1 Before bed.

 

[geary]

how old are you now?do you eat 5-6 meals a day? are you eating some sort of meat with each meal? chicken/tuna/fish/beef/turkey? id try 1 week of really watching your diet and notice what your eating and then just expand on it a bit. i noticed alot of weight gains when i started drinking whey protein with 2% milk i was like 150 and got up to 160. given i changed alot of my diet but it still wasnt that clean because i wasnt to serious about it, but id say bulk up then cut down and keep playing with the diet. eventually what you thought was alot of food will become normal and holding back to eating more will be more of an issue. or it is for me

im 18 turning 19 this summer, i eat four solid meals every 3 hours and i have a pre (whey,bcaa's,noxplode), during (bcaa's), and post (waxy maize, nitrotech protein, bcaa's) workout drinks and yes at each meal there is some form of meat usually chicken or roast beef/ turkey occasionally i'll have a burger. i thought you were supposed to drink your shakes with water not milk bc it helps the digestion? maybe im wrong i dunno

 

[str8nubin]

im 18 turning 19 this summer, i eat four solid meals every 3 hours and i have a pre (whey,bcaa's,noxplode), during (bcaa's), and post (waxy maize, nitrotech protein, bcaa's) workout drinks and yes at each meal there is some form of meat usually chicken or roast beef/ turkey occasionally i'll have a burger. i thought you were supposed to drink your shakes with water not milk bc it helps the digestion? maybe im wrong i dunno

So in the last 3 months, you gained 2.5 lbs / months =). These are excellent results and no you are not a "hardgainer" if there was ever such a thing. Keep re-evaluating your diet and training until you are satisfied with the progress you make.

It sounds like you are too focused on your supplementation IMO. Supplements don't get you nearly as far as eating. Cut back on liquid cals from shakes etc, up the meals to maybe 5 a day (attainable for 18-19 year old) and increase calories on the whole. You are still growing a bit and you need a ton more cals. Don't worry about "getting fat" if you eat clean and train hard you will be just fine and expode in the right areas...

 

[deathdroprob]

im 18 turning 19 this summer, i eat four solid meals every 3 hours and i have a pre (whey,bcaa's,noxplode), during (bcaa's), and post (waxy maize, nitrotech protein, bcaa's) workout drinks and yes at each meal there is some form of meat usually chicken or roast beef/ turkey occasionally i'll have a burger. i thought you were supposed to drink your shakes with water not milk bc it helps the digestion? maybe im wrong i dunno

Im the same age as you, turning 19 in December.
Putting on weight at our age is easy man, just eat and eat.

Id deffinalty eat about 6 solid meals a day not including your Shakes.

 

[geary]

So in the last 3 months, you gained 2.5 lbs / months =). These are excellent results and no you are not a "hardgainer" if there was ever such a thing. Keep re-evaluating your diet and training until you are satisfied with the progress you make.

It sounds like you are too focused on your supplementation IMO. Supplements don't get you nearly as far as eating. Cut back on liquid cals from shakes etc, up the meals to maybe 5 a day (attainable for 18-19 year old) and increase calories on the whole. You are still growing a bit and you need a ton more cals. Don't worry about "getting fat" if you eat clean and train hard you will be just fine and expode in the right areas...

Ok thanks for all the advice, but when you say more calories you do mean "clean" calories right? because some sayt hat if your trying to bulk it doesnt matter where you get these calories you just need to take in a lot regardless of the food's healthiness like stuffing down some doughnuts, candy, icecream, pizza, etc. in order to get enough calories

 

[str8nubin]

Ok thanks for all the advice, but when you say more calories you do mean "clean" calories right? because some sayt hat if your trying to bulk it doesnt matter where you get these calories you just need to take in a lot regardless of the food's healthiness like stuffing down some doughnuts, candy, icecream, pizza, etc. in order to get enough calories

I do not believe in this =)

Most people who "get nice gains" from such a diet are usually highly ectomorphic, however a lot of these "gains" are actually just fat. The persons fat pads are just too thin to begin with, they perceive a "bigger" look and trick themselves into a horseshit diet. People believe what they want to believe. The leaner you are the easier this is to confuse... Sugar is still sugar and starch is still starch. Yes clean calories is the gameplan so you might want to look around for some tips on preparing meals so you don't have to eat . Lots of fibrous veggies and lean meats, whole grains =)

Thats not to say a cheat meal every once a week or so is so bad, I mean its not like you're on a contest prep or something. Younger you are, the more you can get away with, but better to pick up the disipline as soon as you can you'll thank yourself

 

[sugashane]

There is a such thing as a hardgainer. They are ectomorphs who have fast metabolisms and short muscle bellies/long tendons (generally). You can still gain weight and muscle though. We can eat MORE fat than most, but str8nubin is right. The diet can't be sloppy like that. Add little things that have a lot of calories to your meals. Like a teaspoon of EVOO to your protein drinks (STRART SMALL OR YOU WILL SHIT ALL DAY), a few nuts with meals, ect. Just be creative with your meals, train hard and rest. You will grow at a steady pace.