Men's Health Solutions BLOG

As a hardgainer, you should acknowledge that your genetic capacity for mass development is not quite on the same level as those lucky, genetically gifted mesomorphs, who can put on muscle just by thinking about bench pressing! Okay maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but not too far from the truth.

You’re going to have to work-out smarter, be more disciplined, and have the perseverance to overcome the genetic shortcoming of the ectomorph body-type you’ve been endowed with.

If I’m losing you with all the ecto- meso- “morph” terminology, then this article should bring you up to speed.

Somatotypes and Body Type Categorization

There are three basic somatotypes, or body types as proposed by Dr. William H. Sheldon back in the 1930′s that are used to seperate individuals based on their physical traits and characteristics. It is not a perfect classification system, because even though some people fit these descriptions precisely, other people will be a mixture of two or more body types(i.e. an ecto-mesomorph.) Never-the-less, it is a great beginning for deciding your genetic traits, your capacity for building mass, and planning a program that maximizes your body’s potential.

Here are the three somatotypes:

– Ectomorphic: characterized by long and thin muscles/limbs and low fat retention; generally referred to as slim.

– Mesomorphic: characterized by large bones, solid torso, low fat levels, wide shoulders with a narrow waistline.

– Endomorphic: characterized by increased fat storage, a wide waist and a large bone structure.

The True Hardgainer

Most individuals that are conceieved to be true hardgainers fall into the ectomorphic category. Since this post is dedicated to helping ectomorphs bring in their full genetic potential, we will be focusing our attention on this body type specifically.

As an ectomorph, your metabolism is in overdrive, implying you are rather lean, and thin and experience trouble in gaining weight of any kind (muscle or fat.) You most likely lack significant physical strength and this is obvious because you are also lacking in muscle mass. The extreme hardgainer has a delicate and soft physique, with a lighter skeletal structure, small wrists and joints. The hardgainer may be slightly taller than the average individual, and thus has longer limbs, which are not advantageous to moving heavy weights. Recovery ability of the body is also more lengthythan mesomorphs and endomorphs.

Common Physical Traits of the Hardgainer:

– Thin

– Flat Chest

– Delicate Build

– Tall

– Lightly Muscled

– Stoop Shouldered

– Young looking

– Narrow Bones

Common Personality Traits of the Ectomorph:

– Self-conscious

– Preference for privacy

– Introverted

– Socially Anxious

– Mentally Intense

– Emotionally Restrained

As you may have guessed or probably know from experience, all of these characteristics are not favorable in your pursuit to pack on muscle mass, size, and strength.

After considering this, you may wonder if being an hardgainer in truth has any benefits. Are you lost to being skinny for the rest of your life? You may also wonder whether you should even bother trying to lift weights to begin with. Maybe you should just stick to endurance sports?

To quickly answer these questions I say Yes, No, Yes, and NO! Just because you do not have the genetic propensity to become a massive pro-bodybuilder does not mean you cannot pack on slabs of lean muscle mass to your body. You can, although it will require more work, focus, and desire.

In fact, lots of hardgainers have gone on to make incredible transformations adding 20, 30, 50, even 100+ pounds to their smaller sized frames in a matter of months rather than years. This all depends on your intelligence as a lifter, your desire and passion to make this type of transformation, and your ability to master the principles of gaining muscle.

In short, even as an ectomorph, you can create a classic, muscular physique. Not only that, but there are even some unique benefits to being an hardgainer that you may not have considered.

To Your Success in Training and in Life,

Brandon Cook

About the Author:

Brandon Cook is creator of The Enlightened Warrior Blog, and co-creator of HardgainerMuscleBuilding.com, a website specifically designedto teach the hardgainer the secrets and scientific principles for building a classic, muscular physique.

HargainerMuscleBuilding.com features a free email class covering the basic principles of training naturally, eating a nutritious, muscle-building diet, and understanding the truth about supplements. The website is filled with free articles, videos, and the programs you need to create your ideal body.

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Trying to gain muscle fast can be a major pain, literally. Of course, you’re going to be sore after working out your muscle, but it can be a real pain because if you do not know what you’re doing, you won’t notice any changes in your body.

It takes much dedication to get a ripped and sculpted body. Of course, motivation helps a bunch, too. A well motivated person can gain muscle fast. Take Taylor Lautner for example. For those of you who do not know who he is, he an actor best known for his role in the Twilight Saga as Jacob Black. Without getting into the books and everything, he was in the first movie, but the director was looking for someone to replace him for the second movie because in the second book he goes through major changes. Basically, he gets much bigger. Taylor, was extremely motivated and as soon as he finished filming the first movie, he went right to the gym. In a matter of months, he gained 30 pounds of lean muscle. He gained a lot of muscle in a short amount of time because he was motivated.

No one knows Taylor Lautner’s workout routine exactly, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get similar results. To get ripped like Taylor Lautner, you must follow a similar workout routine. He was in the gym for much of the week, at one point he was in there for 6-7 days, of course he wasn’t performing weight exercises each day.

There was a time, where he was losing weight because he wasn’t consuming enough calories each day. In order to build muscle, you must consume more calories than you burn, however this does not include empty calories such as candy, cake, cookies, etc. No sugar or high fatty foods. You need to consume a high amount of protein. Taylor at one point was carrying around a bag of hamburger patties. Eating protein, carbs, fats, fresh fruit and vegetables is extremely important if you want to gain muscle fast.

To increase your metabolism and help burn fat, be sure to eat 6 small meals a day. A meal every two and a half to three hours is best.

Taylor’s workout routine for those few months are not posted anywhere on the Internet, although some of the exercise he performs can be found in a magazine. You do not need to follow his exact routine to achieve similar results; you just need to follow a similar workout routine. He had to benefit of a personal trainer to tell him what to do, but for some of use, we are not as fortunate, so we need to do it on our own.

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