Dane Fletcher is the world's most prolific bodybuilding and fitness expert and is currently the executive editor for BodybuildingToday.com. If you are looking for more bodybuilding tips or information on weight training, or supplementation, please visit www.BodybuildingToday.com, the bodybuilding and fitness authority site with hundreds of articles available FREE to help you meet your goals.
If you are a hard gainer, you know how tough it can be to add a single pound of muscle to your frame. You shovel down the protein bars and shakes, and you stay skinny. You eat fast food, slow food, and any kind of food in between, and you still stay skinny. The problem could be any number of things. You might not be training hard enough of getting enough sleep each night. You may not be consuming enough protein, or you might not be eating consistently. Here is a classic hard gainer's diet designed to help you add some mass to your frame.
Meal One
- Four eggs scrambled.
- Six ounces meat (sausage, turkey bacon, or steak)
- Four slices toast with butter
- Two cups skim milk
- Sip 3 cups water (24 ounces) in the hour following this meal to aid with digestion.
Meal Two
- Gainer Shake: 2 cups milk, 2 cup ice, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, two scoops whey, and some frozen berries.
- Sip 3 cups water (24 ounces) in the hour following this meal to aid with digestion.
Meal Three
- Twelve ounces steak or chicken.
- Two cups rice
- One-half cup gravy
- One large garden salad.
- Sip 3 cups water (24 ounces) in the hour following this meal to aid with digestion.
Meal Four
- Gainer Shake: 2 cups milk, 2 cup ice, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, two scoops whey, and some frozen berries.
Meal Five
- Twelve ounces steak or chicken.
- Two cups pasta
- One-half cup spaghetti sauce
- One large garden salad.
- Sip 3 cups water (24 ounces) in the hour following this meal to aid with digestion.
Meal Six
- Gainer Shake: 2 cups milk, 2 cup ice, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, two scoops whey, and some frozen berries.
Meal Seven (Optional)
Set your alarm clock for the middle of the night. Wake up and drink 50 grams of whey protein (2 to 3 scoops of powder) with water, and enjoy a small snack with it to aid in digestion. A few cookies are fine – your goal is to gain weight.
Try this diet for a week. If you discover you still are not making any gains, add more calories to each meal in the form of dark chocolate kisses (Hershey’s works best). For most bodybuilders, candy is certainly off the menu. However, if you are able to consume the diet listed above, for three weeks with no weight gain, you should be able to get away with it.
Remember that since your goal is to create a caloric surplus in which your body intakes more calories than it needs, you may need to reduce your overall level of activity. Your five weekly hikes or three hours of basketball each Saturday could just be the reason you are unable to make any meaningful gains. It may cut back on the amount of fun you can have, so you will have to decide whether these activities are more important to you than having twenty more pounds of muscle on your frame. Good luck, and happy eating!
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