HardGainer

Learn More Through Interaction

2010-03-18T01:12:00.004+08:00

Do you have any questions to ask?

Get in touch with other people who share the same interests in gaining weight, building a better body, and living a healthier lifestyle.

Below are links to forums that I always visit whenever I'm online (every weekdays and sometimes on Saturdays).

http://pinoyexchange.com/forums/showthread.php?t=431504

and

http://www.menshealth.com.ph/board/

See you there.

Suggested Warm Ups

2010-03-11T09:35:00.003+08:00

Kudos to Blakedaddy for posting these helpful warm ups on the PEX forums.

Upper body warm up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgxr6xAB5ZM

Lower body warm up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiA0-...rom=PL&index=1

I hope it helps.

Sample Programs

2010-02-14T05:40:00.007+08:00

Wow its been a while since I last updated this blog. The MH forums has not been so active lately so I visited the Body and Fitness section of PEX and was surprised to see that there are still a lot of ectos who are looking for ways to gain weight. Thats basically what inspired me to do an update today and post sample programs that I may say have worked for me.

For beginners, you could do Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strenght:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224

When you're ready to move on to another program, you could do 5x5. I came across Stronglifts 5x5 and so that's the program that I have been accustomed with. Being ready to move on is when you feel that your gains are getting slower that usual. This may be caused by your body being used to your current program. I normally switch programs every 3-4 months. Without further ado here's the link to Stronglifts 5x5:

http://stronglifts.com/

There are times that I don't follow any specific program that was recommended by someone or one which I found on the net. I sometimes custom fit a program that I use depending on my desired goal. These programs though are also like the SS and Stonglifts 5x5 with some few minor tweaks. As you get to know your body more, you'll know how to adjust depending on your goals.

Good luck fellow ectos. Thanks to the visitors from different forums who find time to PM me informing that this blog was quite helpful for them. Special mention to kristian888 from MH forums. I appreciated it when you said that I was the one who made you realize that there was hope for you to achieve your goals. You've gone a long way bro. Congratulations!!!

Sample Meal Plan

2009-10-29T00:15:00.004+08:00

I am subscribed to the Men's Health forums and there's this thread which asked to share our meal plans each day. I'll simply copy and paste what I have posted there. I hope that this helps especially to those who are lost as far as dieting is concerned.

----

i wake up at 8:30pm since i'm working in a call center

8:30pm one scoop whey protein + 1-2 bananas to get my day started....after this eh shower muna and bihis
9:30pm ulam sa bahay + rice....since na influence na ang mga tao sa bahay sa aking healthy lifestyle, our ulam is normally chicken and fish with veggies

12:30am quick break at the office to eat an apple and a sandwich...this is 2 slices of wheat bread and my choices of palaman are: cheese, tuna or egg with mayo, peanut butter

3:30am we have packed lunch sa office so yun naman ang tinitira ko...kapag mejo kulang sa nutrisyon ang luto ng caterer eh tumitira ulit ako ng 1 scoop of whey protein, kaya lagi ko din dala shaker ko in case of emergency...hehehe

6:30am either the same with 12:30am meal or lugaw with egg

9:00am 3-4 eggs (scrambled and cooked in olive oil, boiled)...pag scrambled egg i add japanese mayo as dressing then for carbs eh either a cup of oatmeal or 2 slices of wheat bread....this is either my pre workout meal or last meal of the day kapag non workout day

10am either workout or tulog na

3x a week workout for an hour max each session...i dont workout on consecutive days...

11am post workout only: 2 scoops whey protein

11:45 ulam sa bahay + rice....since na influence na ang mga tao sa bahay sa aking healthy lifestyle, our ulam is normally chicken and fish with veggies

12:30-12:45 eh borlog nako....then we start at the beginning again

The Important Role of Testosterone

2009-05-21T03:04:00.013+08:00

Testosterone is known as the male hormone which is secreted by the testes. Testosterone is at their highest level in the morning. An example to prove this is the morning erection that we guys have.

Some of us may be unaware of it, but testosterone helps in building muscles. Testosterone is the muscle-building hormone. By synthesising proteins it rebuilds the muscle fibers that gets damaged due to resistance training..

You can't build more muscle if your testosterone levels are not high enough so here are a few tips on how to increase your testosterone levels:

1. Lift Heavy. Train with higher volume and more intensity. Add some more pounds on those bars. If you can lift it for more than 12 times, that is way to light for you. My personal preference is 8-12 max reps per set. A 5x5 strength program is also a good alternative since you get to lift heavier weights.
2. Focus on compound exercises since it stimulates more testosterone production as compared to isolation exercises. Examples of compound exercises are squats, deadlifts, bench press, military press, dips, and pull ups. These exercises hit different muscle groups at the same time. Your back and legs are the biggest muscle groups, remember that the more muscle you stimulate, the more testosterone you produce.
3. Limit your workout to a maximum of one hour. Higher volume lead to more testosterone but longer workout sessions lead to less. Testosterone levels quickly decrease after 45-60 minutes of working out.
4. Limit your rest between sets to only 2-3 minutes. This will aid in keeping your workout short and also helps in achieving hypertrophy.
5. If possible, train early in the morning.
6. Make sure to have adequate protein intake for your post workout to take advantage of the testosterone spike.

This is something that most people who go to the gym have no knowledge of so I wanted to share it here so that you could be aware of its importance.

I hope it helps.

Resistance Training as an Important Factor for Weight Gain

2009-02-17T03:13:00.010+08:00

Aside from proper diet and making sure that you provide your body with nutrients that will allow you to grow and gain weight, resistance training will play an important role for your gains.

An ectomorph’s workout routines should concentrate on compound weightlifting exercises like bench presses, military or overhead presses, dips, chin ups, pull ups, squats, and dead lifts. Select weights that will enable you to do 8-12 reps per set. My personal preference is 8 reps per set. Reps higher than these may tone your muscles but may not significantly signal your body into muscle growth. As an alternative, you could also do 5 reps for 5 sets.

Limit your workouts to a maximum of an hour each session. Do this for at least 2-3 times a week. Anymore than these would lead to over training and would become counter productive. Keep in mind that muscles are not built in the gym while lifting weights. Muscles are built while resting the body and providing proper nutrition after doing a short but intense work out.

With determination, a weight gain diet, and a solid weight training program you will be better equipped in the quest of gaining weight. Once results are evident, you’ll feel better about yourself and notice that your physique is a whole lot better too. This will boost additional self confidence that will help you achieve other goals in life.

Here's a link for bodybuilding exercises: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm

Best of luck.

Gain Weight Tips (on Diet)

2009-02-14T08:31:00.013+08:00

For ectomorphs, gaining weight is very challenging. I used to be really skinny growing up. I’m 5’7 in height and remember weighting only 100 lbs way back 2004. I tried to increase my calorie intake in hopes to gain some weight since I’m tired of being a skinny guy. This was the time when Manny Pacquiao’s name started booming and he weighed 130 lbs during that time. My goal then was to at least reach the same weight that he had.

Unfortunately, I got tired of eating too much without any pay off of weight gain. It was only late last year (around August 2008) that I tried to get my passion for weight gain again. I was around 110 lbs during that time. I tried to look for books that could give me helpful tips but all I could find are literature on how to lose weight. Guess where I found the information that helped me to gain weight? Where else than the internet, thanks to Google.

At the time of this writing, I know weigh 135 lbs. It may not sound that impressive considering that I started my quest for weight gain about 6 months ago. But then again we have to put into consideration that I’m a hardgainer. 100 lbs in 2004 and only 110 lbs nearly before the end of 2008, that’s only a 10 lb difference in 4 years. With the below tips, I have gained roughtly around 25 lbs in the last 6 months. I hope it helps:

· Eat every 2-4 hours – Ectomorphs or hardgainers have very fast metabolisms which burn up calories quickly so you would want to make sure that you have a steady supply of calories in your body. The body is only capable of utilizing so many nutrients at a time. With smaller meals every 2-4 hours as compared to the conventional 3 square meals a day, there is a greater opportunity for nutrient absorption. Obviously, you would not be able to gain weight unless you provide your body with the proper amount of nutrients. To make it easier to eat more often, there are meal replacements like weight gainers and protein drinks that could substitute for food. But see to it that only a maximum of 40% of your food comes from this source.
· Meals should contain carbohydrates, protein, and fats.

Your body’s gas tank is carbohydrates. Don’t expect your car to reach so far w/o carbs on your diet. Carbohydrates are needed by the body since this is transformed into energy and also help in the absorption of protein. My personal preferences aside from rice are sweet potatoes, oatmeal, pasta, and wheat bread.

Protein is the building block for muscles and is therefore vital in your quest for gain weight. It helps regulate blood insulin levels and encourage muscle growth. A high protein diet is advisable especially for those who work out with heavy weights. Some of my personal preferences are chicken breasts, tuna, lean meat, eggs, milk and whey protein.

Fat is highly concentrated. It provides more than twice the calories that carbs and protein provide our bodies. To gain weight fast, our diet should contain 20-30 percent of fat. Stay away from saturated fats though since this can raise your blood cholesterol levels. Aside from natural healthy fats from foods, I also add a tbsp or two of olive oil on my whey protein drink or milk.
· Eat vegetables and fruits - Proteins and carbs create high levels of acid loads to the blood. If this is not balanced out with the help of veggies and fruits which are alkaline rich, too much acid can result in loss of bone strength and muscle mass.
The above are some basics in dieting that has helped me gain weight. They are a bit general but I’ll make sure to give more info on each of them on future blogs. Aside from the above diet tips, I do resistance training 2-3 times a week which will most likely be the topic of my next post. Stay tuned.
Thanks.

What is an Ectomorph???

2009-02-14T04:01:00.010+08:00

There are three different body types:

1. Mesomorph - A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally athletic physique. They find it quite easy to gain and lose weight.

2. Endomorph - The endomorph body type is solid and generally soft. Endomorphs gain fat very easily. Endo’s are usually of a shorter build with thick arms and legs.

and finally.....

3. Ectomorph - An ectomorph is a typical skinny guy, “payatot” in tagalog. Ecto’s have a light build with small joints and lean muscle. Usually ectomorph’s have long thin limbs with stringy muscles. Shoulders tend to be thin with little width.

Ectomorphs find it very hard to gain weight. They have a fast metabolism which burns up calories very quickly. Ecto’s need a huge amount of calories in order to gain weight. No matter what he or she eats, always seem to remain the same body weight.

This blog was conceptualized by an ectomorph for fellow ectomorphs. Ectomorphs are the so called “hardgainers”. If you are tired of being referred to as a skinny guy, you’ll find helpful tips on this blog on how to gain weight, look better, or however you want to put it.

There are a lot of materials on how to loose weight. I found that there is less emphasis on people who are concerned on how to gain weight. When I myself wanted to have information on how to gain weight, I had a hard time looking for it. I went to a lot of bookstores but the only materials I could find are for loosing weight. Even online, there are some tips which are not suitable for hardgainers like me. That’s the reason why this blog is here.

Hope it helps.

Thanks.