Lessons I learned trying to get huge as a hardgainer

[Dugbet]

hunger can also be very misleading. I've found that being thirsty, angry, or just plain bored can often make me think i'm hungry. Sometimes just getting up and going for a walk or drinking a big glass of water and all of a sudden i'm not hungry anymore.

Totally, I bet 90% of the time hunger is confused with thirst, I think the mechanisms that regulate hunger and thirst are very close in the brain. Every time you feel like eating something like bread, maybe it's because your las food was salty and spicy, so you're thirsty.

And yes, if you are bored, going to the refrigerator can be a "busyness", and definitely if you are tired and angry, food can serve as a relief.

 

[xpoc]

This thread motivates me. I am not a "hard gainer" but I am not genetically gifted by any stretch of the imagination. I really enjoy reading what guys did/do to break through that plateau and ended up jacked.

 

[headtrainer]

You have to lose the hardness/separation to gain 10lb of quality muscle tissue in under a year. Not glycogen water weight but actual tissue. Then once you gain the muscle and hold it you can regain the cuts. This is just my experience. I wasted years staying too lean and being afraid to eat enough to gain because I saw the fluff added.

I truly appreciate this thread because I’m a hard gainer in some areas. I agree that you can’t stay at 6% and make maximal muscle gains. On the other hand, you don’t have to lose ALL of your separation and go to 20% body fat to make maximal gains. The truth is this—some people have better genetics that allows them to remain leaner while bulking. These same people are the ones who lose less muscle when dieting down. Hardgainers who overeat and get too fat are not putting on additional muscle like the genetically gifted. They are just putting on more fat. Why? Because you can’t “out eat” or “out train” your genetic potential.

 

[heavyhitter]

I truly appreciate this thread because I’m a hard gainer in some areas. I agree that you can’t stay at 6% and make maximal muscle gains. On the other hand, you don’t have to lose ALL of your separation and go to 20% body fat to make maximal gains. The truth is this—some people have better genetics that allows them to remain leaner while bulking. These same people are the ones who lose less muscle when dieting down. Hardgainers who overeat and get too fat are not putting on additional muscle like the genetically gifted. They are just putting on more fat. Why? Because you can’t “out eat” or “out train” your genetic potential.

I disagree somewhat. Extra fat is extra weight. Weight adds leverage and allows you to use heavier poundages and walking around carrying it eventually leads to some muscle gain. Sumo wrestlers carry more muscle mass than any other population of athlete and they don’t train with weights and essentially do intermittent fasting

 

[headtrainer]

I disagree somewhat. Extra fat is extra weight. Weight adds leverage and allows you to use heavier poundages and walking around carrying it eventually leads to some muscle gain. Sumo wrestlers carry more muscle mass than any other population of athlete and they don’t train with weights and essentially do intermittent fasting

You can use creatine or take a fast acting oral steroid only before training sessions only to do the same thing strength wise or without having to add unwanted body fat. Extra body fat leads to health problems like high blood pressure. Carrying the extra fat is just not worth it for me in the long run. But some people would rather look big in street clothes and most have to carry some unwanted fat to make that happen.

 

[Dugbet]

You can use creatine or take a fast acting oral steroid only before training sessions only to do the same thing strength wise or without having to add unwanted body fat.

But body fat is still an advantage to be stronger, although without having to look like a sumo wrestler.

But as you say, for most, it is a simple choice: look big with clothes but a little fat, or look skinny / small with clothes but lean and six pack.

 

[trainlikeaboss]

I was very scrawny. 6’3” 150 lbs. Never gained weight till I started force feeding. I’m so confused by people in here saying just eat according to hunger to gain. What? I’d be eating 2 meals a day, 3 max. And I have been for months and don’t gain a pound. Now 8 weeks into forcing 4300 cals a day and wow magic up 15 lbs. I’m not hungry. But I’m growing. What do you mean you can’t force growth? That’s exactly what we are doing. Pushing protein, cals, test, slin, everything higher and forcing the body to grow.

 

[qbkilla]

I was very scrawny. 6’3” 150 lbs. Never gained weight till I started force feeding. I’m so confused by people in here saying just eat according to hunger to gain. What? I’d be eating 2 meals a day, 3 max. And I have been for months and don’t gain a pound. Now 8 weeks into forcing 4300 cals a day and wow magic up 15 lbs. I’m not hungry. But I’m growing. What do you mean you can’t force growth? That’s exactly what we are doing. Pushing protein, cals, test, slin, everything higher and forcing the body to grow.

I think it comes down to appetite. I'm a skinny guy not trying to gain weight at my age but I wouldn't consider 4300 force feeling. If I just ate what I felt like eating I'd exceed that easily. Also have to consider alot of people are forcing down food to make the scale move and gaining a ton of fat. Like was mentioned a few posts up looking good shirtless vs looking like they have size in clothes.

 

[luki7788]

something about forced feeding

 

[jaxino]

something about forced feeding

Imho this is a very good advice....

 

[Tomgrass]

Yes huge amount of carbs and dont be shy on dessert very very appealing
I also was always advocate high carb diets when protein target was met. I never felt that extra fats do something useful for me.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

Yesterday, I was at meal 5 questioning my whole existence. Trying to cram down about 8oz chicken, 3 cups of rice and some rice cakes. Gagging and almost throwing up with every bite. Now do that for multiple off-seasons for YEARS, plural. My wife lookin over at me like, “you ok?” I nod my head looking miserable lol

My last meal (on a high day like this) is usually 2 90/10 cheeseburgers + fries + cookies. But that 5th meal fucked me up so much I just ordered a double quarter pounder with cheese meal from McDonalds lol. It’s either homemade with cookies or a fast food without cookies. Weight was 304.4 today.

 

[Tomgrass]

Yesterday, I was at meal 5 questioning my whole existence. Trying to cram down about 8oz chicken, 3 cups of rice and some rice cakes. Gagging and almost throwing up with every bite. Now do that for multiple off-seasons for YEARS, plural. My wife lookin over at me like, “you ok?” I nod my head looking miserable lol

My last meal (on a high day like this) is usually 2 90/10 cheeseburgers + fries + cookies. But that 5th meal fucked me up so much I just ordered a double quarter pounder with cheese meal from McDonalds lol. It’s either homemade with cookies or a fast food without cookies. Weight was 304.4 today.

Well maybe there is a reason Palumbo
had fast foods?

 

[beast405]

I wrote this for another board and most of it is pretty simple rudimentary stuff we all know, but ive had lots of pm’s lately from new members asking about how I eat or how I got here so I figured I’d post it here too. Feel free to ignore lol





10. Forgot a huge one. Digestive enzymes. These will help you digest more food. You can only process what your can digest. You want a product with protease(preferably more than one kind) amylase, and lipase at the very minimum. Other great things to be in there are papain, lactase, bromelain, ox bile. One of these before larger meal really can help make a difference.

11. Gut health is everything. I have ibs and eating is difficult for me. 10 grams of glutamine first thing in the morning and before bed on an empty stomach goes a long way towards keeping your intestinal tract healthy and avoiding leaky gut syndrome which trust me….will wreak havoc on your body. As your push bodyweight up you’ll also have to push food and finding ways to help your gut is crucial to consume these amounts of food. Eat fermented foods. Saurkraut and kimchi are two of my favorites and I eat so much I make them myself by the gallon. You can also take a probiotic, but getting it from food will always be better

I agree with everything you said.and I tell skinny guys all the time don’t be afraid to put some fat on and add some junk into your diet. Eat cheeseburgers fries milkshakes etc. as long as you’re getting your protein in. But sadly
Most guys don’t listen And want to eat clean all the time not knowing how hard it is to get in all the calories they need to grow from just clean foods.

 

[165StateChamp]

I agree with everything you said.and I tell skinny guys all the time don’t be afraid to put some fat on and add some junk into your diet. Eat cheeseburgers fries milkshakes etc. as long as you’re getting your protein in. But sadly
Most guys don’t listen And want to eat clean all the time not knowing how hard it is to get in all the calories they need to grow from just clean foods.

Not really man. I eat 5800 clean calories a day. Luki eats more than that. That’s more than enough for most skinny guys. The issue is most skinny guys haven’t trained their appetites, digestion and minds to consistently eat that much.

Telling guys to eat burgers, fries and milkshakes is a good way to get them to end up taking their progress pics in full sleeved shirts.

 

[SouthernMuscle]

Yesterday, I was at meal 5 questioning my whole existence. Trying to cram down about 8oz chicken, 3 cups of rice and some rice cakes. Gagging and almost throwing up with every bite. Now do that for multiple off-seasons for YEARS, plural. My wife lookin over at me like, “you ok?” I nod my head looking miserable lol

My last meal (on a high day like this) is usually 2 90/10 cheeseburgers + fries + cookies. But that 5th meal fucked me up so much I just ordered a double quarter pounder with cheese meal from McDonalds lol. It’s either homemade with cookies or a fast food without cookies. Weight was 304.4 today.

You ever incorporate those microwave rice pouches? I usually use royal or mahatma, very tasty, not too much fat. The convenience and taste is too good to pass up for me

i know it’s paying a premium for something that’s stupid cheap otherwise, but i get the food down so it‘s worth it to me
i think the royal pouches are $1.88 @ walmart

 

[Virtuous]

You ever incorporate those microwave rice pouches? I usually use royal or mahatma, very tasty, not too much fat. The convenience and taste is too good to pass up for me

i know it’s paying a premium for something that’s stupid cheap otherwise, but i get the food down so it‘s worth it to me
i think the royal pouches are $1.88 @ walmart

Dude. Those pouches are clutch. I use them daily.

 

[trainlikeaboss]

Not really man. I eat 5800 clean calories a day. Luki eats more than that. That’s more than enough for most skinny guys. The issue is most skinny guys haven’t trained their appetites, digestion and minds to consistently eat that much.

Telling guys to eat burgers, fries and milkshakes is a good way to get them to end up taking their progress pics in full sleeved shirts.

I was going to say I usually see the opposite. Guys that aren’t disciplined enough to eat clean or eat consistently. So they grab fast food a few times a week and they think they are eating 5000 cals. They don’t track anything and then they whine and say “bro I eat so much food but I can’t gain any weight.” In reality they aren’t even close. Their protein intake sucks. Their fats are though the roof. And their diet changes daily. Hell even 3 McDoubles 3x a day is only 3600 cals and less than 200 protein. EVERY time I’ve given someone a meal plan and they realize what it takes to hit good macros with a decent amount of calories they are like oh fuck this is a lot of food. I have one guy on 2750 and he’s struggling to even hit that.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

You ever incorporate those microwave rice pouches? I usually use royal or mahatma, very tasty, not too much fat. The convenience and taste is too good to pass up for me

i know it’s paying a premium for something that’s stupid cheap otherwise, but i get the food down so it‘s worth it to me
i think the royal pouches are $1.88 @ walmart

Im a rice cooker guy thru and thru. Game changer if u don’t have one. I make a big batch in the morning and then scoop out what I need throughout the day

 

[beast405]

Not really man. I eat 5800 clean calories a day. Luki eats more than that. That’s more than enough for most skinny guys. The issue is most skinny guys haven’t trained their appetites, digestion and minds to consistently eat that much.

Telling guys to eat burgers, fries and milkshakes is a good way to get them to end up taking their progress pics in full sleeved shirts.

I mean…. I guess so…. I’m sure you and luki are making TONS of money to focus on bodybuilding 24-7 and making a huge impact in the bodybuilding world…… but anywho a lot of guys like myself have other priorities and hobbies in life so I don’t have to focus on bodybuilding 24-7 so eating some shitty foods here and there help get some extra calories in my brother … and just know I’m happy with my physique that’s up under the full sleeved shirt….