Hard Gainer? Learn How To Build Slabs Of Rock Hard Muscle Now

Let's face it, unless you are blessed with the genetic makeup of a pro bodybuilder, chances are you are like a lot of us, a hard gainer. You cannot overcome the curse of the hard gainer. Whatever you do, you cannot seem to build or retain any solid muscle mass. So, as you embark on your muscle building odyssey, it is important you set realistic goals. The first thing you ask yourself is:

1. How Much Lean Muscle Mass Can You Actually Gain?

Setting a goal of attaining the freaky muscle mass of the 'body men' who adorn the muscle magazines is almost certainly bound to end in disappointment and failure.

But be reassured. Yes you can build solid muscle mass.

With the right training methods you can beat the curse and transform your hard gainers physique.

You will be able to build serious muscle mass..albeit within the constraints of your genetic make up and body type. You will gain slabs of good looking ripped muscle that will make your friends green with envy.

It might even turn you into a babe magnet! But hey, I make no promises.

2.What are the best exercises to do?

Ok. Now it is clear that you can really build solid muscle and set yourself achievable goals. What are the best muscle bodybuilding exercises to do?

First and foremost, the primary focus of your workouts must be free weights-the iron. Free weight exercises that bring a high level of neuromuscular activation. This sounds a bit of a mouthful, but it merely means exercises that involve more than one joint action. Multi- jointed, compound exercises that use more than one muscle group and involves stimuli of the major muscle groups.

Squats or Heavy Leg Presses that bring into play the large quadricep muscles, glutes and hip flexors.

Flat Bench Presses involve the pectoralis major, front deltoids and triceps.

Deadlifts involve the quadriceps, glutes, hip flexors, erector spinae (lower back)

Bent Over Rows involve the latissmus dorsi, Trapezius, Rear deltoids and biceps.

Military Presses involve the shoulder muscles and triceps.

There is of course a place for the use of resistance machines and certain isolation exercises like the Barbell Biceps Curl, Leg Extension, Leg Curls and Calf Raises. But I must emphasize, the bedrock of your routine must be the compound exercises.

3. How Often Should You Go To The Gym?

The maxim, more is better, does not hold true when it comes to the effort you need to put in to build muscle mass. My recommendation is you do not go to the gym more than 3 times a week. It is important to realize that you do not build muscle whilst training. You are stimulating your body and musculature to respond to the workload they are being put under. The response to this stimulus is greater size and strength. Growing whilst you are recovering. Your time away from the gym provides this.

Working out three days out of seven gives you four days of recovery. This may seem way too much to you. Wrong. You are not a pro bodybuilder, pumped full of steroids. Unless you have the enhanced, mutant recovery ability of The Wolverine, you cannot sustain going to the gym five days a week, wracking your body and nervous system with vein bursting, eyeball bulging, ridiculously insane workouts. Then the option of being able to go back home for a power nap after knocking back a gallon of a protein shake and off course a shot of anabolic steroids.

What you are is a Hard gainer. A normal everyday guy. You have to hold down a regular job and maybe look after a family, with the usual stresses and strains these bring. You also get to hang out with your friends, the occasional party and late night. All these everyday guy activities eat into your recovery time. They provide sresses and aggravating factors which can be deadly to your goal of gaining muscle.

So the bottom line is you need all the recovery time you can get.

4. How Long Should Your Workout Last?

I strongly recommend that your workouts should not exceed one hour. This includes a short cardio session and stretches. You may think, 'Man I do not want to do this Peter Parker stuff - But note, the cardio and stretches constitute your warm up. Warmed up muscles work more efficiently. The danger of injury is also significantly reduced. I have been working out more than 15 years and my worst injury to date, a torn calf muscle.

5. The Importance Of Nutrition In Gaining Muscle

To get big, you have to eat big. Your body will need plenty of top class nutrients to fuel those workouts, aid your recovery and build those muscles. I do not suggest that you eat huge meals that leave you bloated and your digestive system overloaded. What you need to do is eat 4 to 6 meals a day, every 3 to 4 hours. You may find this a bit difficult to do because of lifestyle constraints, but hey, sacrifices have to be made!