Advice for hard gainers is often much needed. A hard gainer has an ectomorph body type; that is someone who tends to be skinny and finds it difficult to put on weight and build muscle. This is compared to the endomorph (prone to weight, and more specifically fat, gain) and the mesomorph (the ideal athletic build; someone who builds muscle quickly and with comparative ease).
The problem facing a hard gainer is that he or she can put in a tremendous amount of effort and get little in the way of visible results. This isn’t to say strength gains are not made (you can always improve your ligaments) but the bulk and, let’s be honest, the ‘cool factor’ of looking ripped is missing. In certain non-weight regulated sports this can end a career. It would be very difficult for an ectomorph to make it in the NFL. For other endeavors it may be seen as an advantage (skiing or horse riding for example). Then there are the sports that promote competitions between people of similar weights (boxing and MMA being two).
From the point of view of a hard gainer who just enjoys training to become stronger and look better though I want to offer a couple of points of advice.
Be Realistic. ‘Know thyself’. If you are a hard gainer and know yourself to be one you have to accept that there is going to be a limit to how much you can bulk up and get ripped (if you are training naturally). The magazines and other media promote an idealized image that is a worthy goal but which is unachievable by the majority (even for mesomorphs). Be inspired, yes, but don’t fall into the trap of expecting similar results and then beating yourself up and becoming disappointed and even quitting because you yourself can’t get to that level.
Monitor Your Daily Total Energy Expenditure. Building bulk and muscles isn’t just about eating a large quantity of food, it is about avoiding burning those extra calories off and keeping the weight gain on. If you are constantly rushing around and / or living a stressful life then however much you think you are eating, it may not be enough to keep you in a caloric surplus. If you are younger then your metabolism is no doubt in overdrive and that can also hinder your ability to gain weight and build muscle.
Take the time to track your daily caloric intake and then try to raise it. Moderately at first, but build up to more and more. Remember that shakes are especially good for getting lots of calories down in liquid form, but should not be taken in lieu of regular meals.
These are a couple of pointers. They may seem simple, but they are easy to forget and provide good advice for hard gainers.
