Do "hardgainers" really work out 3 times a week?

[CancerNV]

Ive read a few reports that "hardgainers" should only work out 3 or so times a week in order for their body to rebuild itself. Is this true?

Im 6'2 @ 175 Lbs and I enjoy going to the GYM for an hour or so 5 or 6 times a week. Is this not good?

 

[Duncans Donuts]

Not if your goal is to get a psychological sense of satisfaction from going to the gym

 

[tryintogetbig]

CancerNV -

I have pretty tmuch the same body type, w/ hihgh metabolism, Im 6'2 175lbs 9-10% bf.

I have come to the realization that there really isn't such a thing as a hardgainer, they problem IO had was not eating enough calories over maintance.

Working out 3 days or 6 days doesn't matter unless u are overtraining, as long as you are getting more than enough calories.

 

[Arnold]

more importantly for a "hard gainer" is diet, if we're talking a ectomorph their main concern is eating enough calories every day.

 

[bio-chem]

sometimes getting that crucial amount of calories is difficult though. often times it means eating when your not hungry.

 

[JoeR.]

If you think about it though, the thoery has some truth. If you can get done in 3 days instead of 5 or 6 it would be better for a ecto. Those days hes not training all those extra cals he will have from not workin out could help him.

 

[KarlW]

There's no such thing as a hardgainer IMO.

It's only a matter of where you start from (ecto, meso, etc) and how you train and eat.

The 3 days a week thing for ectos is there because it is believe they need hard, intense, heavy, infrequent workouts with plenty of rest. Whether this is true or not I don't know but it sounds logical. Then again, it sounds logical for everyone.

 

[Reignman35]

Being a hardgainer or what not and having a similar physique to the ones mentioned here, the logic is to keep you out of the gym except for the hard workouts. That is because when you are lifting heavy and hard you are burning a lot of calories, which us hardgaines don't want to do. Calories are your best friend. I adopted the one bodypart a week idea a couple of years ago and loved it (I might try switching that up sometime tho just to see). But a lot of it is due to eating. I know I need to shove more food down my throat or getting where I want to be physique-wise will be very tough (tall, bad genetics and a racehorse metabolism also play a part). My current split involves working out 4 days a week.

 

[CancerNV]

Thanks for the help guys. Thats the thing though. I actually enjoy going to the gym to releive stress or whatever. I didnt want to do it if it was actually hurting me from putting on weight...

 

[Arnold]

There's no such thing as a hardgainer IMO.

sure there is, there are many levels of genetics when it comes to building muscle, the variables include: myostatin gene, testosterone levels, muscle fiber distribution, etc.

 

[KarlW]

sure there is, there are many levels of genetics when it comes to building muscle, the variables include: myostatin gene, testosterone levels, muscle fiber distribution, etc.

I acknowledge that. The comment was aimed at those 'hardgainer' adds pitching some supplement or miracle pill that don't first educate on nutrition and training princples. And why would they...........they after all trying to flog you something.

 

[simbh]

sure there is, there are many levels of genetics when it comes to building muscle, the variables include: myostatin gene, testosterone levels, muscle fiber distribution, etc.

I second that rob ... As I've seen with personnal experience and what a trainer told me , I trully believe that ... First off , the trainer said to me , genetics play a big role in muscle building. He told me an example of one of his friend who had juiced and never really got a big chest but had big arms even though he worked out the 2 muscles evenly (all proportion kept).

Also , from personnal experience , I have a friend that could easily build muscle , without creatine or anything ... He just ate and boom got big real quick compared to others ... He was 18-19 then , hes 20 now . That guy , IMO has incradibly high test lvls , hes going bald at 20 ... And I know he hasn't juiced because first I know him very well , and his muscle building has been on a regular basis , not all of a sudden .

Of course , everyone can get big , but for me , genetics play a very very big role in that .