Smart Strategies for Building Muscle Mass – 5 Tips for Hardgainers

Hardgainers are people with such a fast metabolism that they can eat whatever they want but still can’t gain weight—or can only do so with great difficulty. What might be ideal for the “average person” can be a huge problem in bodybuilding. After all, it’s very frustrating to do everything in your power to gain weight, yet still see the scale stay the same... Hardgainers need a strategy to outsmart their bodies. Instead of stuffing themselves with everything imaginable, a targeted and smart approach to sports nutrition makes much more sense. The following 5 tips can help you put together a smart sports nutrition plan and finally build more muscle mass. 1. Combine plenty of carbohydrates with protein! The magic word here is insulin, because combining plenty of carbohydrates with protein triggers the release of the anabolic hormone insulin, which ensures that the nutrients and building blocks from your food reach your muscle cells more effectively. However, it’s not advisable to maintain constantly elevated insulin levels; but especially in the morning after waking up and after a workout, you can significantly boost muscle growth and recovery with 1–2 “insulin spikes” in each instance. A good guideline here is: 50 grams of fast-acting protein + 50–100 grams of maltodextrin. 2. Avoid too much fiber! What’s good for a diet can be bad for you in excess. Fiber fills you up without providing calories. As a result, you’ll be able to eat fewer of the nutrients that are important for you. You should therefore limit foods popular in bodybuilding—such as flaxseed, wheat bran, oatmeal, or hard-to-digest whole-grain products high in fiber—to a fiber intake of about 30 grams per day. Good and easily digestible sources of carbohydrates for you include, for example, potatoes, brown rice wafers, brown rice, bananas, pineapple, melon, and fruit juice. 3. Eat every 2–3 hours! Especially as a hardgainer, you should make sure to eat regularly. Eating regularly is very important to ensure you always have enough energy and building blocks available. Otherwise, your body will tap into your reserves and break down muscle tissue to produce energy (catabolism). Therefore, eat a meal containing carbohydrates, protein, and some fat at least every 2–3 hours. 4. Take a weight gainer! For hardgainers, an easily digestible weight gainer with sufficient carbohydrates, protein, and possibly some important co-substrates should be the standard supplement. You can use this weight gainer for a quick delivery of nutrients in the morning and after your workout, or as a meal replacement to ensure a regular supply of nutrients. 5. Don’t forget dietary fat! Even though protein and carbohydrates have a more direct impact on your muscle growth, fatty acids are also very important for you. Too little fat suppresses the synthesis of anabolic hormones like testosterone, which can hinder your growth. Therefore, make sure that about 30% of your calories come from fatty acids. The optimal fatty acid ratio would be 1/3 saturated fatty acids (e.g., from meat, eggs, and milk), 1/3 monounsaturated fatty acids (e.g., from olive oil, avocados, and nuts), and 1/3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially omega-3 fatty acids (fish, fish oil, flaxseed oil). The Peak Team wishes you the best of luck with your muscle-building goals! .