No Matter What I Eat I Cant Put On Any Weight

Does this sound like you? No matter how much you eat, or how hard you train, you still cannot put on weight. Are you sick of constantly hearing the "experts" in your gym telling you to just eat, eat, and eat some more, for muscle mass? But, you do eat as much as you possibly can, so what is the problem? Are you doomed with poor genetics, and will always be a pencil neck? Never fear - no matter what genetics card you were dealt, there is a way to put on mass.

Growing up, I was always very skinny and underweight. Towards the later years of high school, as with all kids, I started to become very conscious of my body, and embarrassed at how skinny I really was. I use to wear a few layers of t-shirts, and thick jumpers in order to make myself appear bigger than I was.

In an effort to counter my skinniness, I hit the gym and thought it would be as easy as pumping weights and scoffing down whatever food I saw in front of me, to help put on some muscle mass. For a while I had myself fooled into thinking I was actually getting big. As with all people who first start out weight training, I am ashamed to admit that I too walked around with my chest pumped out, and my non-existent lats spread out like wings. My bubble burst when I had surprised responses from friends when I told them I worked out. Obviously my imaginary lats, and flared out chest were not fooling anyone, but myself, and they were quickly deflated along with my ego.

So, what was I doing wrong? I was training hard, pushing heavy weights, and eating a lot of food, yet still not putting on any decent size, or muscle. Well, the problem was not with how much I was eating, but, more so to do with the quality of food I was putting in my mouth, as well as the frequency. I was eating three big meals throughout the day, and snacking on whatever junk I saw. My meals were not thought out very well, and I only ate when I was hungry. I would eat half a chicken, and some hot chips, or maybe some sandwiches, with chicken in them. As long as I was eating protein I would be right, right? Unfortunately, it is not that easy. For a hardgainer, the most important aspect of putting on size is your diet. Your meals have to be made up of good quality nutritional food!

Here are the six most important tips for a hardgainer:

Spread your meals throughout the day. It is vital for a hardgainer to consume quality meals every 2.5 - 3 hours. Intense exercise creates a demand for amino acids to assist in the repair of damaged muscle fibres. Protein, which the body breaks down into amino acids, is what you're hungry muscles need, not pizza or potato chips.
Eat well balanced meals. Having such a fast metabolism you should provide your muscles with the nourishment they need so that you are not in a catabolic (excess muscle break down) state. By eating low GI carbohydrates and quality protein every few hours, you provide your muscles with quality dense food, and fuel to grow and repair throughout the day.
Count calories. Now, I am not a big fan of counting calories, it is very tedious, and I always think that as long as you are constantly providing your body with good nutrition, you will be set on the right path. However, when I first started to get serious about building muscle, I had to count my calories, just to get a rough idea of how much I was actually eating. Looking back now, it was probably one of the smartest things I have done in terms of putting on mass. I was eating far less calories that what I had presumed. I suggest using the calorie calculator to get a ball park figure, and adding an extra 200 calories each week to your diet for a few weeks.
Training less is more. A common problem most hardgainers make is overtraining. Your workouts should be short, and efficient. You should focus on compound exercises such as squats, bench press, and deadlifts. Also, avoid any cardio as you do not warn to burn vital calories.
Use heavy weights!! It's no secret that heavy weights build muscles - there have been a number of studies done to show how it is much more efficient than using light weights when it comes to putting on mass. Do you think you will still have skinny arms when you are able to deadlift 160kg? Not a chance!!
Don't rely too much on supplements. Yes, they can help you achieve your goals, but, just like overweight people are always looking for a magic pill to lose fat; skinny people are always looking for a magic weight gainer supplement. Pay attention to eating quality whole dense foods, and let the supplements compliment your diet rather than dominate it, and you will be filling out your t-shirt in no time.

Finally, I would just like to say stay consistent, and have faith in your plan. You cannot expect to pack on 10kg in two weeks. If you would like to make things easier, get started on the FREE I Want Abs program as it guides you on a step-by-step process on exactly what to eat, when to eat, and what exercises to do. I have included a number of different weight training programs, and diets that you can follow to the 'T' to help you stop withering away. Stay strong.