Well... you say you've done everything imaginable to build muscle and nothing has worked. You are either beginning at bodybuilding and need a place to start learning or you've put in long hours at the gym and haven't reaped the benefits of all the hard work. Frustrating and intimidating... I know, I've been there! The bright light although is you haven't given up and you have a desire to learn. Those are two important characteristics in an aspiring bodybuilder, and they will get you far. Now what you need is the right information to get you on your way to improving your current size predicament.
There are a few factors you must keep in mind when thinking about changing the look of your body. The first is Nutrition. What are you eating, how much of it are you eating and, when are you eating. This is the area in which many people get extremely confused because of the extensive information available nowadays on the web. The most important thing you must remember when it comes to nutrition is that there is no such thing as "one size fits all." Each body is unique in its response to nutrients and nutrient amounts so it is important to find out what works for you and your body. What you have to keep in mind though is your body needs a combination of the three main macro-nutrients which are Protein, Carbohydrates, and Healthy Fat in order to grow and sustain your rigorous workout regimen. Since this is The Scrawny Person's Guide to Build Muscle you have to pay close attention to the amount of food you eat. Most bodybuilders, especially hard-gainers make the mistake in believing they are eating more food than they actually are so what's important, at least at first is to keep a log of what you eat and your calorie totals for each individual meal and the entire day of meals. Now a good place to start when deciding how many calories you should be consuming is to take your body-weight and multiply it by fifteen. So if you are 150lbs, you take 150 x 15 which yields 2,250 calories. Now at first this may not seem like a lot of calories but what you want to stay away from is throwing yourself into an big immediate jump in calorie intake. Start by increasing your calories by 100 - 200 calories per week and if when you reach 2,250 calories you find you are still not gaining you want to continue to increase your calories slowly. As your body weight increases, you want to re-calculate the formula to ensure you continue to get adequate calories to support the intense workout and help you to grow. Remember...your muscles do not grow on air, they grow as a result of what you consume. All of the supplements in the word will not help you if you are not feeding your body and muscles with enough fuel. So what I always teach my students is not to worry so much about what supplements they are taking, but instead to first focus on the amount of food they consume.
Along with increasing the amount of food you eat, you must also remember to space meals three hours at a time, which by the end of the day should leave you at about 5-6 total meals per day. With each meal you want to ensure you are getting adequate amounts of the Big Three (protein, carbs, healthy fat), and in proper proportions such as 50% Carbs, 30% Protein, and 20% Healthy Fat.
Timing, timing, timing..... Timing is going to be one of your biggest allies in gaining muscle. What I mean by this is, amount of food is important, as well as meal spacing, but if you do not take advantage of your body's most anabolic (muscle building) moments, you will be missing out on a prime time to put your body in position to gain some mass. The most important moment occurs-but is not limited to- up to 2 hours post workout. So consuming a combination Carb/Protein rich drink immediately after your workout and then again an hour later will guarantee you receive important nutrients at your most anabolic time. It is at this time that your body is in great need of repair and preparing for the next time the stress occurs and this process is at its height up to 2 hours post workout. So get focused and don't forget this step.
Factor number 2 is your Workout. My first piece of advice here is move at your own pace. I know you probably see people throwing up massive amounts of weight, but you want to make sure you stay with a weight that is suitable for you. Those throwing up the large amounts of weight have paid there dues to get that strong, you make sure you do the same so you do not injury yourself in attempting to show off or prove yourself. Your proof will be in your dedication to putting forth an intelligent approach to putting on muscle.
As a hard-gainer, the base of your routine should consist of widely recognized and proven exercises that put on mass. These exercises are considered compound movements because they require the cooperation of many different muscles groups working together in unison. Such exercises are Squats, Dead-lifts, Bench Press, Military Press, and Barbell Rows, and they should be performed with picture perfect form. If you are unsure of the proper technique always get with a certified health professional that is knowledgeable on how to perform the lifts. NEVER perform them without a spotter guiding you throughout the entire movement. Of course you will want to add some isolation movements to your routine such as Leg Extensions, Leg Curls, Bicep Curls, Cable Push-downs, etc. The key although is to build a good base with compound movements because that will be vital in you increasing your muscle and strength gains.
The next key factor is that of Recovery. All the proper eating, training, and positive thinking will be useless if you do not allow yourself ample time to recover. So get some rest, at least 7-8 hours a day if possible for the benefits are priceless. In bodybuilding we are accustomed to understanding rest as being for the repair of the muscles, but it is also useful for your nervous system, and your state of mind.
Factor Number 4 is the one that is the foundation upon which the other pillars are supported, and that is Attitude! Training to put on muscle mass is an endeavor like none other because success and failure is dependent upon you. It is the ultimate sport of you versus you, and your competition is always the image staring back at you in the mirror. Attitude is not what you get as a result of training but your training and results will be a direct effect of the attitude you take into it. Understand that results come to those who persevere and not to those looking to gain muscle mass over night. Let me dispel any myths about overnight muscle, it's not going to happen. Putting on muscle will take time, effort, and proper understanding, and it can be done and will be done when your attitude will see it no other way. Set small goals and stay positive because your attitude is the best indicator of whether you will succeed or fall short of your desired results. You can do it. Just take these tips and apply them to what you are doing now.
Much Success My Friend!!!
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