Are you a skinny guy struggling to gain muscle? Then keep reading. Because today, I will share 25 powerful tips for hardgainers to build muscle mass.
Building muscle as a hardgainer requires you to optimize your weight training, nutrition, and lifestyle choices. Hardgainers should perform the right exercises at the correct training volumes, consume a daily caloric surplus, and reach a daily macronutrient quota. Doing this will provide the stimulus required to build muscle.
I used to be hardgainer. But I gained 40lbs of lean muscle. And I know you can too. You just need to know what to do.
So let’s dive in!
- Workout Tips For Hardgainers To Build Muscle
- 1. Compound Lifting Is A Hardgainers Best Friend.
- 2. Bench Press To Add Muscle To A Skinny Chest.
- 3. Overhead Press To Add Muscle To Skinny Shoulders.
- 4. Do Pull Ups To Thicken A Skinny Back.
- 5. Squat To Add Muscle To A Skinny Legs.
- 6. Deadlift To Add Muscle Mass To A Skinny Body.
- 7. Perform 8-12 Rep Max Training For Muscle Hypertrophy.
- 8. Complete 12 To 24 Sets Per Muscle Group Per Week.
- 9. Hardgainers Need To Overload Regularly.
- 10. Maximise Muscle Activation With Dumbbells
- Nutrition Tips For Hardgainers To Build Muscle
- 11. Maintain A 5-15% Caloric Surplus For A Lean Bulk.
- 12. 1.5g Of Protein Per Lb Of Lean Bodyweight.
- 13. 2.5g Of Carbohydrates Per Lb Of Bodyweight.
- 14. 0.4g Of Healthy Fats Per Lb Of Bodyweight.
- 15. Eating 5 Meals A Day Is Enough For Hardgainers.
- 16. Protein Powders Help Hardgainers Reach Protein Targets.
- 17. Mass Gainers Help Hardgainers Reach Calorie And Protein Targets.
- 18. Calorie-Dense Foods Should Be In All Hardgainer Diets.
- 19. Pre-Bed Protein Meals Help Hardgainers Build Muscle
- 20. Consume Pre- And Post-Workout Meals.
- Lifestyle Tips For Hardgainers To Build Muscle
- Recommended Gear For Hardgainers To Build Muscle
- Conclusion
Workout Tips For Hardgainers To Build Muscle
Here are 10 workout tips for hardgainers to build muscle:
1. Compound Lifting Is A Hardgainers Best Friend.
A compound lift is a weight lifting exercise that engages multiple muscle groups around multiple joints. Compound lifts are the ideal exercises for hardgainers to build muscle since they activate many muscles in a short period of time. Therefore, a hardgainer should focus their training program on compound exercises.
Additionally, this 2020 study shows that muscle activation is not only more numerous but also greater during compound lifting when compared to isolation lifting (which are single joint, single muscle exercises).
Next, I will share my favorite compound lifts.
Note: you’ll need free weights for effective compound lifting. You can check out my other article to see how much different types of weight cost per lb/kg.
2. Bench Press To Add Muscle To A Skinny Chest.
The bench press engages the upper pectorals, lower pectorals, anterior deltoids, and triceps. This makes the bench press excellent for hardgainers to develop muscle mass in the chest. The flat bench press emphasizes the mid pectorals, incline bench press the upper pectorals, and decline bench press the lower pectorals.
This is a great compound pushing exercise. And when you include different angle variations, you will make impressive chest gains!
To bench press at home, you’ll need a good weight bench (flat or adjustable). I use the Flybird bench which is affordable and can also be folded away after a workout.
You’ll also need a barbell or dumbbell.
I prefer dumbbells like these Powerblock Elites because they are much cheaper and don’t take up half as much space.
The Powerblocks combined with the Flybird bench are enough to do 90% of the hardgainer exercises mentioned in this post.
You can check out my other article for a comparison between barbell and dumbbell bench press weight.
3. Overhead Press To Add Muscle To Skinny Shoulders.
The overhead press engages the anterior deltoids, lateral deltoids, posterior deltoids, triceps, and upper pectorals. This makes the overhead press excellent for hardgainers to develop broad shoulders. The ideal grip width to maximize shoulder activation is shoulder-width apart, with elbows tucked towards the torso.
This is another great compound pushing exercise, focusing on the shoulder rather than the chest.
You’ll need dumbbells, a barbell, or kettlebells to shoulder press at home!
If you’re interested, you can also check out my other article to learn how to build a V-shaped body at home with and without equipment.
4. Do Pull Ups To Thicken A Skinny Back.
The pull-up engages the trapezius, rhomboids, latissimus dorsi, posterior deltoids, and biceps. This makes the pull-up great for hardgainers to develop a thicker back. Weights can also be added to the pull up by holding a dumbbell between the legs, and this will promote greater muscle growth.
Trust me, this compound pulling exercise is one of (if not) THE BEST back-builders.
It’s perfect for hardgainers to develop not only a thicker but also a wider V-shaped back!
You’ll need a good bar to do pull-ups at home.
I use and recommended the Sports Royal Tower.
Unlike a doorway pull-up bar, a tower doesn’t damage your property and is much more stable (I’ve had a cheap doorway bar tear the entire wall down in the past!)
You can also use resistance bands to master assisted pull-ups first.
5. Squat To Add Muscle To A Skinny Legs.
The squat engages the gluteus maximus, quadriceps, hamstrings, gastrocnemius, and core muscles. This makes it an excellent exercise for hardgainers to develop larger legs. Furthermore, variations such as the low-bar, high-bar, and front-load squat can be used to emphasize the different leg muscles.
This compound leg exercise should be a staple to your muscle-building program. You don’t want to develop a killer upper body, only to be left with skinny chicken legs!
Additionally, this 2018 study has demonstrated high-intensity squatting can drive muscle-building testosterone release!
Squats are usually performed with a barbell, weight plates, and a rack.
Having tested 6 different beginner barbells, I found the CAP Olympic barbell to be the most durable.
It goes well with the Balance From cast iron plates and Bang Tong rack.
But this kind of setup takes up a lot of space and is quite expensive.
Beginners can get more than enough weight for squats by using good dumbbells like the Powerblock Elites (mentioned previously).
You can read my other article for a list of squat variations for hardgainers!
6. Deadlift To Add Muscle Mass To A Skinny Body.
The deadlift is a whole-body exercise that engages many muscles in the body including the quadriceps, gluteus maximus, hamstrings, gastrocnemius, core, deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids, latissimus dorsi, and triceps. This makes the deadlift one of the best exercises for hardgainers to develop general muscle mass.
Deadlifts are the king of compound exercises!
It will engage your entire body. And it’s one of the best lifts you can do as a hardgainer.
Barbell deadlifts are always much better than dumbbell deadlifts because you can add much more weight.
But as a beginner, dumbbell deadlifts are also highly effective if you get yourself a pair of heavy dumbbells (like the Powerblocks).
You can go to my other article to find out how heavy your dumbbells should be for deadlifts.
7. Perform 8-12 Rep Max Training For Muscle Hypertrophy.
The optimal rep range for muscle growth is 8 to 12 repetitions per set. Therefore an 8 to 12-rep max should be performed for any given exercise, to maximize muscle development. This can be done by choosing a weight that fatigues your muscle by the eighth or twelfth rep, respectively.
In light of this, a 2021 study has just revealed that a 24% increase in bench pressing strength was seen in those who performed 10 weeks of 8-rep max training. In contrast, only a 16% increase in bench pressing strength was seen in those who performed 10 weeks of 12-rep max training.
The scientists also attributed the strength increase to muscle growth.
Take home message?
Hardgainers should stay within the 8-12 rep range to build muscle!
8. Complete 12 To 24 Sets Per Muscle Group Per Week.
The optimal range of weight lifting sets required for muscle growth is between 12 to 24 sets per muscle per week. Additionally, these sets should be spread over a minimum of 2 training days per week. This will provide the greatest stimulus for muscle growth.
This is due to the phenomenon of diminishing returns seen in weight training, as shown in this 2017 study.
Put simply, performing more than 24 sets per muscle group per week leads to “wasted sets”.
Just make sure you are lifting within your 8-12 rep max for those 12-24 weekly sets.
You can check out my other article to find out what percentage your 8-12RM should be compared to the 1RM.
9. Hardgainers Need To Overload Regularly.
Progressive overload is the principle of increasing exercise intensity over time. This is most commonly achieved by increasing weight, repetition number, set number, or training frequency. Progressive overload helps hardgainers to build muscle by forcing the muscles to make growth adaptations in response to the increasing workload.
This is seen more clearly on the strength-recovery-adaptation curve (above).
As you can see, hardgainers need to overload in order to grow! If you don’t overload by increasing training intensity, you will lose your muscle adaptations.
But make sure you adopt one method of overload at a time. Otherwise, you will risk overtraining.
You can check out my other article for more details on how to overload with dumbbells.
10. Maximise Muscle Activation With Dumbbells
Dumbbells are highly effective free weights to increase muscle activation from a weight lifting exercise. Compared to barbells, dumbbells allow for a high range of motion and provide a greater muscle stretch. This increases muscle activation, making dumbbell training great for hardgainers to gain muscle.
| Muscle | Muscle Activation Using Dumbbell (Compared To Barbell) |
|---|---|
| Anterior Deltoids | 15% higher |
| Lateral Deltoids | 7% higher |
The effectiveness of dumbbells can be seen in a 2013 study.
Here, the scientists showed that using dumbbells for a standing shoulder press led to an 11% higher average deltoid activation, compared to using barbells.
So if you want to build more muscle as a hardgainer, start doing more dumbbell work!
You may be interested in my other article for the best dumbbell bodybuilding exercises for skinny guys.
Nutrition Tips For Hardgainers To Build Muscle
Here are 10 nutrition tips for hardgainers to build muscle:
11. Maintain A 5-15% Caloric Surplus For A Lean Bulk.
Bulking is essential for hardgainers to build muscle. A lean bulk refers to a 15% daily caloric surplus, which requires you to consume 15% more than your daily maintenance calories. When you lean bulk, you provide the body with the energy and nutrients required to build muscle.
The reason hard gainers should lean bulk rather than dirty bulk (consuming over 20% above maintenance calories) is to minimize fat storage.
After all, most people want to minimize fat gains with their muscle gains.
In addition to a caloric surplus, those calories should come from macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat). I will explain this next.
For a comprehensive guide, you can check out my other article to learn how skinny guys can gain their first 10lbs of muscle.
12. 1.5g Of Protein Per Lb Of Lean Bodyweight.
Hardgainers aiming to build muscle should consume 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight. As an example, a 140 pound individual at 12% body fat would require 185 grams of daily protein. Additionally, protein should come from a variety of lean meat, fresh fish, and plant sources.
| Protein Source | Grams Of Protein Per 100 Gram |
|---|---|
| Steak | 25 |
| Chicken Breast | 27 |
| Pork Chop | 24 |
| Salmon | 20 |
| White Fish | 18 |
| Tuna | 28 |
| Tofu | 8 |
| Kidney Beans | 24 |
| Chickpeas | 19 |
The body NEEDS protein to build muscle. If you don’t consume enough protein, your muscles simply won’t grow!
Now trust me when I say it’s hard to eat this amount of protein throughout the day. And especially when you’re just starting out.
You can also check out my other article for more ways to eat protein cheaply!
13. 2.5g Of Carbohydrates Per Lb Of Bodyweight.
Hardgainers aiming to build muscle should consume 2.5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight. As an example, a 140 pound individual would require 350 grams of daily carbohydrates. Additionally, the majority of carbohydrate intake should come from complex carbohydrates, rather than simple sugars.
| Carb Source | Grams Of Carb Per 100 Gram |
|---|---|
| Potatoes | 17 |
| Oats | 66 |
| Brown Pasta (Uncooked) | 75 |
| Brown Rice (Uncooked) | 23 |
| Brown Bread | 52 |
| Quinoa (Uncooked) | 64 |
| Kidney Beans | 60 |
| Chickpeas | 61 |
As a hard gainer, you will want to consume enough carbohydrates to fuel your workouts. Complex carbs should be consumed throughout the day. Whilst simple sugars can be consumed immediately after/before a workout.
If you don’t have the energy to lift weights at a high intensity, your muscles won’t get bigger!
You can go to my other post for ideas on how to eat 300g of carbs in a day.
14. 0.4g Of Healthy Fats Per Lb Of Bodyweight.
Hardgainers aiming to build muscle should consume 0.4 grams of healthy fats per pound of bodyweight. As an example, a 140 pound individual would require 56 grams of daily healthy fats. Good sources of healthy fats include oily fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, and vegetable oils.
| Fat Source | Grams Of Fat Per 100 Gram |
|---|---|
| Avocado | 15 |
| Olive Oil | 100 |
| Cottage Cheese | 4 |
| Almonds | 42 |
| Sunflower Seeds | 51 |
| Salmon | 13 |
| Mackerel | 25 |
| Red Meat And Poultry | 14-20 |
Fats not only provide you with energy but are also required for hormone production (such as testosterone and growth hormone).
So as a hardgainer, you don’t want to under-consume fats!
15. Eating 5 Meals A Day Is Enough For Hardgainers.
Eating 5+ meals per day is recommended for hardgainers to build muscle. A high meal frequency allows for a steady intake of nutrients during the day and allows you to consume more calories throughout the entire day. And this provides the body with the energy required for muscle growth.
From my personal experience, 5 meals a day is enough to build muscle as a hardgainer. After all, I managed to gain 40lbs of lean muscle myself from only 5 meals a day.
The important point is to reach your daily caloric and macronutrient target, and not necessarily how many meals you eat.
Anyway, who actually has time to eat 6+ meals a day?….
16. Protein Powders Help Hardgainers Reach Protein Targets.
Protein powders are made from whey or casein protein. They help hardgainers to build muscle by contributing to daily protein intake and facilitating in reaching daily protein targets. When protein targets are satisfied, the body has access to the amino acids required for the muscle-building process.
| Type Of Protein Powder | Typical Calories (kcal) | Average Cost Per Calorie (USD) | Typical Protein (g) | Average Cost Per Gram Protein (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whey/Casein | 150 | $0.004 | 25 | $0.024 |
| Mass Gainer | 500-1000 | $0.004 | 35+ | $0.052 |
Protein shakes are a godsend for hardgainers.
It’s extremely difficult for beginners to eat 150+ grams of protein every day (and expensive).
So if you are a hardgainer struggling to build muscle, try adding protein shakes to your diet!
I use and recommend MyProtein Impact Whey.
Each serving costs just 30 cents and gives you 21 grams of protein at 100 calories.
It’s a quick and easy way to get an instant hit of protein.
17. Mass Gainers Help Hardgainers Reach Calorie And Protein Targets.
Mass gainer powders are made from whey or casein protein, carbohydrates, and fats. They help hardgainers to build muscle by contributing to daily caloric and protein targets. When caloric and protein targets are satisfied, the body has access to the energy and protein required for muscle growth.
Mass gainers are like the jacked-up version of protein shakes.
The added carbs and fats provide valuable calories, in addition to the protein content.
I only recommend you use mass gainer shakes if you are really struggling with hitting your calorie targets. Mass gainers usually have lots of sugars, fats, and other unhealthy additives!
I’ve used MyProtein Weight Gainer Blend in the past when I was beginning my bulk.
I found it to be a clean way to add calories and protein to my diet.
Each serving contains 365 calories and 27g of protein.
It’s perfect for skinny guys who want to bulk up fast with minimal fat gains.
You can also read my other article for homemade mass gainer alternatives!
18. Calorie-Dense Foods Should Be In All Hardgainer Diets.
Calorie-dense foods have high calories and low volumes. They are beneficial for hardgainers to build muscle by making it easier to consume a high number of calories and satisfy daily caloric targets. Calorie-dense foods include foods high in sugars, carbohydrates, and fats.
If you are a hardgainer, you probably struggle with eating vast quantities of food.
This makes calorie-dense foods your secret weapon to hitting caloric targets!
My personal favorites are honey, ice cream, and oily fish/meats.
19. Pre-Bed Protein Meals Help Hardgainers Build Muscle
A pre-bed protein meal is high-protein consumed within 1 or 2 hours of going to sleep. Pre-bed protein helps hardgainers to gain muscle by maintaining blood protein levels during the fasting period of sleep. The ideal pre-bed protein source is casein, which is a slow-digesting protein.
Dairy products are a great source of casein. Cottage cheese in particular is a favorite amongst bodybuilders. It’s easy to eat and packed with slow-digesting protein.
If you don’t like cottage cheese, casein shakes are also great!
20. Consume Pre- And Post-Workout Meals.
Pre-workout and post-workout meals refer to foods consumed within 2 hours before and after performing weight lifting workouts, respectively. These meals should be high in complex carbohydrates, simple sugars, and protein to maintain energy levels during the workout. This facilitates intense training and helps hardgainers to gain muscle.
Of your 5+ daily meals, these are ESSENTIAL for hardgainers (and breakfast too).
A nutritious pre-workout will allow you to train at a high intensity to stimulate muscle growth.
Similarly, a nutritious post-workout meal will re-supply your muscles with the calories and protein burnt during your workout.
Result?
Greater gains!
Lifestyle Tips For Hardgainers To Build Muscle
Here are 5 lifestyle tips for hardgainers to build muscle:
21. Get Home Weight Lifting Equipment.
Home gyms can help hardgainers to build muscle by providing ready access to workouts, a more suitable environment to practice new exercises, and reduced waiting times for equipment. Home gyms are also cheaper than gym membership in the long term, and this can facilitate continued muscle gains.
If you were undergoing any form of training goal in 2020/21, you will probably have been affected by gym closures at some point.
Do yourself a favor. Get your own home gym and don’t let anything stop you from making those gains!
A home gym doesn’t have to be expensive. A dumbbell and bench setup is perfectly fine for building muscle at home.
Check out my other article to find out if home dumbbells are worth the money!
Or
Read my other article to find out if a home gym is worth the money.
22. Stress Is A Hardgainers Worst Enemy.
Stress is extremely counterproductive for hardgainers trying to gain muscle. This is due to the release of cortisol, a hormone responsible for increasing fat storage and reducing muscle development. Therefore, hardgainers should minimize the amount of daily stress in order to maximize muscle growth.
This is easier said than done.
But chronic stress can lead to the classic “skinny fat” look, where you have skinny limbs, yet still have pronounced love handles.
Try stress management programs and mediation. Or change jobs/girlfriend/pet (whatever the hell is stressing you out)!
23. Sleep For 7 To 9 Hours Per Night.
Hardgainers should get between 7 to 9 hours of high quality sleep every night to optimize muscle growth. This is because the muscle-building process occurs during the deep stage of sleep, and regular sleep deprivation will negatively impact the body’s ability to produce muscle gains.
Sleep is underrated for hardgainer transformations.
The more you sleep, the more muscle you will build. Simple as that.
Take a look at this 2011 study. The scientists found people with sleep deprivation have 60% less muscle, compared to people who get 8 hours sleep a night and have 40% more muscle.
24. Learn Weight Lifting Form And Technique Online.
Weight lifting form and technique can be learned from online resources such as Youtube, exercise databases, and downloadable courses. Perfecting form and technique is essential to maximize engagement of the target muscle for any given exercise, making this important for hardgainers trying to build muscle.
In today’s digital world, you don’t need a PT to make gains.
| Resource | Good For: |
|---|---|
| Jeff Nippard Youtube Channel | Science-based bodybuilding |
| Athlean X Youtube Channel | Workouts, nutrition, and training advice |
| Weight Training Guide | Exercise form for popular lifts |
| Strength Level | Estimating your 1 rep max |
| TDEE Calculator | Calculating calorie surplus |
There are lots of online resources to help you build muscle as a hardgainer. I know it will work for you because it worked for me!
25. Overtraining Is Counterproductive To Muscle Growth.
Overtraining occurs when your training intensity exceeds your body’s ability to recover from exercise. This restrict’s your body from undergoing the muscle-repair process which is important for growth. Hardgainers should aim for a training frequency of no more than 5 days per week to avoid overtraining.
Are you training intensely for 6 days a week? 7 even?!
If you still aren’t making any gains, you should consider reducing to 5 workouts a week (max).
Doing so will give your body the rest it needs to build muscle.
Recommended Gear For Hardgainers To Build Muscle
Here’s a recap of the products I used to gain almost 40lbs of lean muscle at home.
Its everything you’ll need to build muscle at home as a hardgainer:
| Product | Reason |
|---|---|
| Powerblock Elite Adjustable Dumbbells | Versatile dumbbells that can be used for 90% of the best hardgainer exercises. |
| Flybird Bench | Combine with dumbbells for bench pressing. |
| Sports Royal Power Tower | Pull-ups are the best back-building exercises you can do. |
| Undersun Resistance Bands | Assisted pull-ups for beginners |
| MyProtein Impact Whey | Clean protein for lean gains. |
| MyProtein Weight Gainer Blend | Similar to Impact Whey but with extra protein and calories. |
Conclusion
There we have it! That’s 25 tips for hardgainers to build muscle.
If you are a hardgainer, you will need to optimize your workouts, nutrition, and lifestyle. You could begin by identifying areas where you are lacking and work from there.
I have covered all the important points which helped me to gain 40lb as a hardgainer myself.
It may take time adjusting too. But once you nail these 25 tips, I promise you will make your deserved gains!
How many of my tips do YOU currently implement?
Let me know in the comments below!
Alternatively, download the FREE Kalibre Muscle Blueprint PDF to find out EXACTLY how I transformed my skinny body as a hardgainer!
Thanks for reading guys!
Peace Out,
Kal
(Biochemistry BSc, Biomedical Sciences MSc, Ex-Skinny Guy)
