Gaining Mass For The Hardgainer
Lean muscle mass is better than adipose tissue (fat). We know all know this. Having more lean mass than fat mass will typically yield a longer and healthier life. Our goal here at the box is to aquire this favorable body composition through interval training, lifting heavy, and eating/living primally. I’ve tried to follow this prescription for some time now and am up to the heaviest and strongest I have ever been while also being the leanest I have ever been. This goes to show that it is possible for a hardgainer, like myself, to put on some extra lean pounds by adhering to the primal/paleo code. As with most of you (more so the guys), I’d like to up my size even more while staying within the realm of functional strength. Increases in strength will eventually require increases in size.
So how do you make these increases through functional fitness and a paleo diet? Well, first off, you keep on keepin’ on with these two things. You will also need to trigger the same anabolic (muscle building) hormones that others (think bodybuilders) use to get big only with more enthusiasm and drive. Some of the primary hormones that contribute to muscle growth are testosterone, growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor-1. These hormones work best in the presence of one another. So how do you activate the secretion of these guys to help elicit change?
Avoid Stress
Cortisol is the main stress hormone associated with catabolism or muscle atrophy. Cortisol is increased by putting your body through stressful situations like not getting enough sleep, “fight or flight” situations, eating an inflammatory response inducing diet (grains, sugar, dairy), and having high anxiety. Not scheduling enough recovery time after grueling workout sessions will also increase cortisol. This is a way that working out actually impedes working out. So be smart and take advantage of your days off.
Lift Heavy Sh*t
Lucky for you we do this pretty consistently. Centering your routine around lifts such as squats, deadlifts, presses, snatches, cleans and jerks. These all induce the excretion of more testosterone. Bodyweight exercises, while still productive, don’t really contribute to size increases like that of heavy weight. It is essential to center your workouts around squats and deadlifts as these two lifts work the biggest muscle groups. So don’t miss the days when you see these guys on the website!
Eat Plants and Animals Like It’s Your Job
Eat regularly and often. If you have a tough time gaining weight, never skip a post workout meal or do “fasted workouts”. You can’t afford it and eating regularly will up the production of GH. Increasing your caloric intake will make up for the vast amount of calories you will burn lifting. It is especially important to eat a lot and often on your off-days because this is when muscle recovery is at its peak. For a post workout meal add in some paleo friendly starches like sweet potatoes and squash to help replenish glycogen depletion. Also, don’t be afraid to eat a piece of fattier meat everyday (remember grass-fed saturated animal fat is your friend). Fat actually blunts insulin secretion and increases testosterone. Eat eggs like they are going out of style. These are great for extra calories and getting in higher amounts of protein (and the are cheap too!). You should be trying to consume at least 1g/lb bodyweight of protein per day.
