There are many misconceptions about what exactly a hardgainer is? I have seen too many forum posts and blog comments all asking the same thing: It usually starts off with a person describing themselves and then at the end asking the question “am I a hardgainer?”
Usually people are quite intuitive about this kind of thing. It’s usually almost always the case of, if you ask about whether your a hardgainer then usually you are.
At the end of the day it’s just a label and it is not good to continually be thinking of yourself as a hardgainer (even if you are). So lets clear up what exactly a hardgainer is and then once you know it’s best you lose the label as constantly refering to yourself as a hardgainer can be damaging.
So What Is A Hardgainer?
The reason why people are confused about what a hardgainer is exactly is the fact that the term is used interchangeably. The term hardgainer is, on one hand, used as a term to describe anyone who is not making progress with weight lifting and struggle to build muscle mass. On the other hand, hardgainer is used to describe skinny guys and usually because they are skinny it is automatically assumed that they are hardgainers. I like to think of “hardgainer” as a mix between both.
My Definition Of A Hardgainer
If your working out and not gaining muscle mass your a hardgainer and if your a skinny guy and you struggle to gain muscle mass your also a hardgainer. This is the most simplest definition.
But if you are a skinny guy and you get the right training and diet then the term hardgainer will not apply to you. Even if after working out and gaining mass but then you start struggling to put on any more muscle, do not start calling yourself a hardgainer again. When you struggle to make progress it’s just like your muscles telling you to mix up your workouts and the intensity or to just take a break for a week or two and then hit it again. So stop calling yourself a hardgainer! Find a proven system that is right for your body type and includes the necessary workouts, diet and lifestyle elements and then stick with it.
So if you have currently been labeling yourself a hardgainer and even if you are, you need to reverse this condition by taking action now!
All the best,
