Professional Documents
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HardgainerProjectX Manual
HardgainerProjectX Manual
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Ok, I think that about does it and if youre ready to begin your hardgainer training
then I am
Lets get started!
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And ironically, besides actual combat training, Ive also received specialized
military training as a Master Fitness Trainer and Weight Control Specialist
where I discovered some of the most advanced training concepts ever devised.
My follow-on career after the military has led me on a never-ending search for
the true secrets of fitness and the yet-to-be-discovered breakthroughs that lay
out there, just WAITING to be revealed.
And Ive made it my goal to not only unearth the most cutting edge
advancements in the scientific world of muscle building and fat burning...but also
to SHARE them with my loyal clients who have found my programs to be so
powerful.
Heres a look at some of my other programs based upon my research...
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www.CombatTheFat.com
Optimum Anabolics
If your goal is to BUILD MUSCLE...Optimum Anabolics has
proven to be the ULTIMATE MASS BUILDER on the planet
over and over again!
The "before & after" pictures speak for themselves!
www.OptimumAnabolics.com
Homemade Supplement Secrets
For the serious athlete who uses supplements, find out why
you should NEVER buy your supplements off the shelf!
Learn how to easily MAKE YOUR OWN SUPPLEMENTS
and save up to 98% while making formulas that are even
BETTER than the name brands!
www.MakeYourOwnSupplements.com
Advanced Mass Building
The program that shocked the mass-building world! Designed to
thrash every muscle fiber in your body and ignite a musclebuilding FIRESTORM that will dramatically increase STRENGTH
and SIZE in the shortest time possible!
www.AdvancedMassBuilding.com
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Jan Mar: I slow down on mass building and start to burn more fat while continuing to build muscle. Optimum Anabolics natural
hormone triggering is a great choice as it does double duty for building muscle and burning fat. I also sometimes slip in a
muscle-specific specialization program (like Underground Chest Training Secrets) to bring up lagging body parts.
Apr Aug: I like to stay super lean through the summer and start burning fat early to avoid muscle loss at low body fat levels. My
Combat The Fat program takes me all the way through summer at 6% body fat and shredded abs! You can still build
muscle...but its NOT your primary focus if you want to get to very low body fat levels.
Sep Dec: Time for total mass building with either Hargainer Project X or Advanced Mass Building Secrets to start stocking up on
some serious muscle again!
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Muscle Building /
Fat Burning Cycle
Product: Optimum Anabolics
Optional: Specialization Program
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My guess is that youre probably about ready to just give up because, well lets
face it...you just have a high metabolism and youll NEVER look like the other
guys down at the gym, right?
WRONG!
So if youre killing yourself in the gym...eating like a pig...and popping more pills
than your 90-year old grannythen why the hell isnt this advice working for you?
Is the answer REALLY that you need to work even HARDER and eat even
MORE?
NO!
My research has revealed that the traditional old skinny guy advice hasnt been
working for a reason. A very good reason!
Its because youre different! Yes...you!
Your body isnt like the bodies of those idiots in online forums who claim that
youre not as big as them because youre too much of a wimp.
In fact, theres a LOT about you thats different than the average gym rat on a
quest to layer on stacks of muscle to strut around the beach during the summer.
And understanding THAT is the key to overcoming your challenges!
So lets dig deeper, shall we?
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And fortunately, I DO have some answers for you that will end that frustration
once and for all.
Well get into those answers soon enough but thats NOT the reason for this
chapter.
You see, in order for me to lead you down the path of finally becoming one of the
head-turners at the gym, you FIRST must know exactly WHY youre a
hardgainer...WHY your genetics suck...and WHY you havent been able to gain
weight.
This is absolutely CRUCIAL because once you know all these WHYs, only
THEN can I show you why Im so excited about my Hardgainer Project X training
program!
In short, HPX was scientifically designed to absolutely obliterate each of the
limiting genetic factors that exist in your body!
All of the fathead advice youve been getting about how you simply need to train
and eat like the pros doesnt take into account the critical component that your
body wont REACT to your training and nutrition the same way others do.
But now for some GOOD NEWS...
Ive personally witnessed that using these techniques over an extended period of
time, you can actually reverse your genetics!
Thats right...REVERSE your genetics so you no longer have to worry about
waking up the next morning with less muscle than you did when you went to
sleep!
In essence, youll be conditioning your biological structure to hold on to all that
muscle that youre going to be building.
Ill explain more about how this works later on but for now, if youre ready, I say
we begin the genetic research into WHY youre a hardgainer so we can quickly
get to the training, eh?
It all begins with 7 Reasons Your Hardgainer Genetics Suck!
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During times of stress, such as low calorie intake or over-exertion, your body
releases CATABOLIC HORMONES to start breaking down muscle tissue in an
effort to balance out your energy levels.
Now we are all biogenetic individuals, right?
So for naturally athletic body types (ie. Mesomorphs), their endocrine system is
tipped toward the anabolic end of the scale and their body NATURALLY gains
muscle with little effort...and they can keep it on with no problems.
Unfortunately for YOU, hardgainer, YOUR endocrine system has a higher ratio of
CATABOLIC hormones which is why you have such a hard time not only
BUILDING muscle...but also holding on to any weight gain you achieve!
This is why you get so frustrated when you finally see some gains on the
scaleonly to find them WASTE AWAY a week later!
But theres still another problem
Remember, being a hardgainer, your body is completely DOMINATED by your
Sympathetic Nervous System, including your ADRENAL GLANDS.
Your adrenals are responsible for the production of the hormone adrenaline and
are also instrumental in the production of the hormone
DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE (DHEA), and are key in the production of the
anabolic hormone TESTOSTERONE.
All sounds good, right?
I mean, any knucklehead whos ever opened up a muscle mag can see just
based upon the supplement ads thattestosterone = MUSCLE!
But unfortunately, your adrenals ALSO manufacture the catabolic hormone,
CORTISOL!
Cortisol is your bodys stress hormone and is catabolic because under chronic
stress, your cortisol levels INCREASE and this in turn DECREASES your
production of DHEA
The result?
LESS production of anabolic hormones like TESTOSTERONE!
SO...if your body is experiencing ongoing stress, either the type youre used to
thinking of such as problems at work, in school, at home, in your relationships,
and so on,) OR...
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your TRAINING is too extreme and your body isnt given a chance to recover
properly...
then you can quickly EXHAUST your adrenal glands, INCREASING your
production of cortisol while DECREASING anabolic hormones!
On top of this (as if things werent bad enough, right?), high levels of cortisol can
ALSO trigger fat storage!
A Word From The Nerd...
Ever heard of skinny fat guy syndrome?
This is when you have a small bone structurelittle
musclebut a big old BELLY!
It HAPPENS! And I know that some of you reading this know
EXACTLY what Im talking about, dont you?
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While other body types have a clear communication line between the central
nervous system and muscle tissue, YOUR muscles dont accept growth signals
very easily and end up not responding as much as they should from the training
message youre sending them.
Its like youre demanding 10 lbs of muscle and they think you said 1 lb of
muscleso they respond accordingly.
Whats worse (seems like theres always a worse, eh?), since YOUR central
nervous system is easily overloaded, your CNS has a tendency to reach
maximum capacity EARLIER in your training than other bodybuilders.
This means that you can easily OVERTRAIN a lot sooner and actually begin to
increase your catabolic hormone levels at the same time as not communicated
properly with your muscles and endocrine system about your need to build
more muscle.
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The two types that were most concerned with when it comes to putting on mass
as a hardgainer are called your TYPE 1 (also known as your slow twitch
fibers) and your TYPE 2 (known as fast twitch fibers).
Type 1 slow twitch fibers have a lot of blood flow and contain more cellular
mitochondria (your cells power center) to produce energy for a long period of
time but with very little force.
This is why theyre considered more endurance focused and very useful if
youre a marathon runner.
Fast twitch fibers are just the opposite because they can contract a LOT stronger
and quicker than slow twitch fibers since they contain a lot more Creatine
Phosphate to regenerate your muscles energy cycle during short, intense sets.
In other words, your Type 2 fibers are your POWER fibers and theyre your prime
movers for HEAVY training like when youre going for your 1 REP MAX on a
squat or bench press!
Now, because of these extreme differences between muscle fiber types, in order
to properly target each one for growth, you have to attack them differently in your
TRAINING as well.
Because of their characteristics, Slow Twitch fibers (Type 1 of which you have a
LOT) respond best to HIGHER REPS with LOWER WEIGHTS (or pumping
type sets of 8-15 reps).
Over time, this pumping type training forces your muscle fibers to increase in
thickness and increase the number, size and density of capillaries to supply more
blood to your muscles based on the increased demand from your training.
Problem is, this type of training does very LITTLE to stimulate your Type 2
muscle fibers.
You see, your fast twitch muscle fibers respond best to very HEAVY weights and
much LOWER REPS (like in the range of 4-6 reps per set).
Now when it comes to gaining weight as a hardgainer, BOTH of these muscle
fiber types are important and for different reasons.
For example, training FAST TWITCH fibers the right way actually creates more
micro-tears in the muscle cells which in turn stimulates growth and will help you
quickly gain more STRENGTH since thats their primary role.
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Also, research has shown that fast twitch fibers are able to withstand the bodys
natural catabolic process better and therefore will stick around longer after youve
built them up.
But lets not discount the value of your Type 1, slow twitch fibers
While 1s are more geared toward endurance related sports because of their long
term energy production, they also have the ability to aid you in building up your
muscles.
You see, because of their large blood flow capacity yielding a massive pump,
high-rep volume training increases oxygen and nutrient uptake into muscle cells
while actually working to increase muscle SIZE by expanding the blood pathways
for fuller muscles.
Cool, huh? But theres a little problem here
Its true that each person has a body comprised of ALL of the different types of
muscle fibersbut different body types have different RATIOS of these two
fibers.
Some people are built more like oxen and have a higher number of the fastgrowing FAST TWITCH fibers (2s). These are your Endomorphs and
Mesomorphs and this is the reason why they find it easier to build and maintain
muscle.
So guess where that leaves YOU
YepYOU, my dear hardgainer, have a higher ratio of SLOW TWITCH muscle
fibers which is why youre built more like a marathon runner than an Olympic
sprinter.
And THIS is where your major challenge comes in because while Type 1s do
have the highest long term potential for size increases because of the pumping
type training and the continuous increase in blood flow.
But your Type 2s are perhaps even MORE important because they respond
much quicker...
bring you more strength gains which can help you get an even bigger pump
from your high rep training...
trigger a larger testosterone release from the specific type of training involved.
So what does this mean?
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In fact, having an overly acidic system for long periods of time are now being
attributed to most degenerative diseases such as Cardiovascular Disease,
Cancer, and Diabetes.
While its in your best interest to look at this problem as a serious health risk, our
focus for the moment is on how being acidic robs you of muscle.
You see, from the food you eat to even every contraction of your muscles as you
lift a barbell at the gym, youre constantly creating acid in your bodyand its
completely NATURAL!
Our bodies are actually DESIGNED to buffer out this acidic environment to keep
us alive and healthy.
Your challenge is that you require MORE buffering than other body types
because of your natural acidic tendencies and THIS is yet another reason why
you find it hard to KEEP muscle on your body.
Fortunately, this is actually quite an easy problem to remedy!
A Word From The Nerd...
Let me guessyou signed up for this program to feel like there
was finally some HOPE that you could overcome your genetic
curse but after reading only ONE CHAPTER, you now feel that
building muscle is an utter IMPOSIBILITY, right?
No worries mate!
As I said earlier, now that we KNOW the inherent challenges
your body type faces with building muscle
we can blast each one of these limitations to smithereens!
In fact, I took into account EVERY SINGLE ONE of these
obstacles you face when I designed the Hardgainer Project X
program.
Ive integrated the EXACT training, diet, and supplementation
factors necessary to finally help YOU take control of your ability
to build REAL MUSCLEand keep it on as long as you like!
So if youre ready to join the battle, Im ready to lead you!
Lets get to it
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However, I want to point out that your INDIVIDUAL results will of course vary
depending upon your own bodys genetic makeup and the effort you put into the
program.
For a more realistic goal, set your target at a gain of .5 lbs of lean muscle gain
per week.
This will yield a gain of 2 lbs per month or 24 lbs a year with continued
commitment.
A Word From The Nerd...
Now my hunch is that youre going to blow past this goal, but I
also dont want you to be discouraged if youre only seeing an
extra 2 pounds per month.
For many skinny guys, this is still a MAJOR IMPROVEMENT
over what theyve accomplished in the past!
Now, HOW are you going to accomplish all of this muscle gain?
Well the program Ive designed and tested is jam-packed with what I call
Ecto-Anabolic Expanders designed specifically for stretch the ectomorphs
muscle-building capacity to levels never before realized!
And before we jump into the actual training, lets go over a VERY IMPORTANT
jumpstart Expander that will absolutely make or break your success
You see, if youre truly an ectomorph, the first rule of thumb when it comes to
your weight gain program is to FORGET about Build & Burn bodybuilding
programs that suggest building muscle and burning fat at the SAME TIME.
Your initial goal is to simply GAIN WEIGHT.
Yes, that probably means putting on some body fat as wellbut not too much.
Now thats not to say that you WONT be able to lean out while putting on
muscle it DOES happen to some ectomorphs who have a body type that isnt
that far off from that of a mesomorph.
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But compositionally, if youre underweight (say 10% or lower body fat levels) then
you lower your bodys anabolic capacityand in order to do this, you NEED to
gain some more body fat.
Even pro bodybuilders on steroids understand that the best way to build new
muscle is to focus on mass building FIRST so they have a larger anabolic
window to play with and see FASTER and BETTER response from their training
before beginning to lean out as they get closer to competition season.
But dont worryIm not going to let you become the pudgy guy at the beach.
Just like pro bodybuilders, once we slap on some slabs-o-muscle to your frame,
THIS is when you can switch your focus to fat burning in order to gradually
reveal your 6 pack.
Your goal should be reach about 12% body fat to allow yourself that musclebuilding buffer zone and open up your anabolic window.
Some of you reading this book may already be here while others will have to
STRUGGLE to get there.
No worriesyou WILL get there and the key is to NOT try to make it happen
overnight.
Trying to gain too much weight too quickly WILL add more fat than you want and
what YOU are looking for is a gradual process that rides right on the edge where
you calorie surplus is mainly going to muscle-building with a little left over that
gets stored as fat.
If you were to try to cut it too close and NOT gain the extra fat, then youd most
likely short circuit your mass gaining and not optimize your true potential to build
muscle.
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But I ALSO have a little trick up my sleeve for you thats proven
to work especially well for hardgainers. Ill explain that in just a
bit but for now, you MUST understand one thing...
For the hardgainer, it all comes down to one word...INSULIN!
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So our goal in the HPX program is to increase your bodys sensitivity to insulin in
the RIGHT ways so that we can jam pack your muscle cells with tons of nutrition
that will feed your muscle growth.
And our first step is to talk about the role of each of the macronutrients in this
mission since they ALL do play a role.
And dont worry...this is NOT going to be some snooze-fest because there are
actually some surprising revelations for each of these nutrients that I know youre
going to find interesting.
Lets start with PROTEIN...
Protein
Protein is known as the building block of muscle which is why so many guys
have been downing bucket after bucket of protein powder under the misguided
notion that more is better.
The purpose of taking in ENOUGH protein is to achieve what bodybuilders call a
positive nitrogen balance.
Nitrogen is a chemical element found in protein so a positive nitrogen balance
simply means that the body is taking in more protein than its excreting through
sweat and your bathroom activities.
Unfortunately, getting enough protein is only PART of the equation and for
hardgainers, its also part of the PROBLEM.
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Your goal is to consume just enough of the right KINDS of protein to stay in a
positive nitrogen balance without having to stuff yourself like a PIG.
Now this is most likely going to be LESS than what youre used to hearing you
should be taking in so our next goal is to INCREASE PROTEIN SYNTHESIS to
get more USE out of the protein you do take in!
Well talk about how to accomplish this in just a bit, but first lets move on to
DIETARY FATS.
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Dietary Fats
I used to call fats the most misunderstood nutrient, but the fact is ALL of the
nutrients are pretty much completely misunderstood.
But for the hardgainer, dietary fat has some pretty amazing benefits.
First, fats make up the STRUCTURE of all of your cells. As youre breaking them
apart, fats are being used to build them back up stronger and bigger than before
you thrashed them.
But the key is in the QUALITY of the structure youre trying to rebuild because
there are GOOD FATS and there are BAD FATS.
Limit To 10%
Of Total
Intake
Very Good
Source Of
Healthy Fat
Excellent
Source Of
Healthy Fat
Excellent
Source Of
Healthy Fat
Trans-fatty
acids
Saturated
fats
Polyunsaturated
Polyunsaturated
Monounsaturated
fats
(Processed
foods;
margarines)
(animal
products;
dairy)
Omega-6 fats
Omega-3 fats
(plants; plant
oils; flax seed
oil)
(avocados;
olive oil;
canola oil;
nuts; flax seed
oil)
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If you dont have cells that are built and functioning properly, how can you ever
expect them to live up to the mass-gaining task youre about to ask of them?
If your cells ARENT humming along at peak performance, your efforts in the gym
will not only be sub-standard...but sentence your entire weight-gaining program
to FAILURE!
Next, dietary fat is critical in the natural production of HORMONES, including
testosterone...and if you remember, your hardgainer system ISNT optimized for
natural testosterone release.
But studies have shown that dietary fat, in particular monounsaturated fats, have
proven to help NATURALLY BOOST TESTOSTERONE LEVELS...and you know
what comes with that!
The other positive benefit, particularly for hardgainers is that fats contain more
than TWICE as many calories per gram than either protein or carbohydrates.
That means that you can more easily create a CALORIE SURPLUS by including
more fats in your diet without having to stuff yourself with food all day.
In other words, you can increase the caloric DENSITY of your meals.
And finally we come to the most important nutrient for hardgainers...
Carbohydrates
Carbs generate the most blood sugar in the body when consumed so they trigger
insulin release more than the other nutrients.
This is why going on a low carb diet works so well for burning off fat...because
blood sugar and insulin levels drop resulting in the use of FAT as fuel in the lack
of the easily burned sugar.
BUT...when done incorrectly, low carb diets ALSO lead to a lot of muscle loss for
the reasons we stated before.
So remember...insulin is CRITICAL for your mass gaining goals so the opposite
of LOW carb is HIGH CARB and this makes up the FOUNDATION of the
Hardgainer Project X Diet!
In fact, a good 55-60% of your total calorie intake should come from carbs.
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This will ensure that your blood sugar levels dont drop so low that you hit that
catabolic zone where youre losing muscle during the day.
If youve followed any of my articles, you also know that there are two basic kinds
of carbs...;HIGH GLYCEMIC and LOW GLYCEMIC.
This is based upon how QUICKLY the carbohydrates are broken down into sugar
in your body.
The higher a carbs glycemic rating, the more quickly it turns to sugar and the
more insulin your body has to produce.
Now there are times when this is a BIG BONUS...but for the most part, eating a
bunch of sugary or highly refined foods that are high glycemic ISNT
recommended.
This is actually more important for those people who are trying to LOSE weight
so you wont hear me talk about this too much in the context of hardgainers
However, my recommendation is to still stick with low to moderate glycemic
carbs for the bulk of your diet.
How I achieve this is by focusing on what I call DRY CARBS and WET CARBS in
specific portion sizes.
Well get into portions in just a bit, but for clarification, dry carbs are similar to
what a lot of people have come to call complex carbs, ones that dont spike your
insulin levels too fast and provide you with long-duration energy and endurance.
However, many of these same types of carbohydrates fall into a category that I call
WET carbs and these include ones that can basically be turned into juices.
Here are some examples of how I divide carbs into these two categories...
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(Note: The classifications in the previous chart ONLY apply to the HPX program!
Other of my programs, like www.CombatTheFat.com, classify dry and wet
carbohydrates in different ways to accomplish different goals.)
A Word From The Nerd...
Ok, so now that you know more about how each of these
macronutrients affect the hardgainer, lets talk about how we
can MANIPULATE them within our diet to MAXIMIZE your
growth potential.
As we go through these critical nutrition elements, I want you to
remember our goals:
Nutrient Timing
Making sure that youre taking in the right nutrients at the right TIME helps you
maintain a positive nitrogen balance as well as maximize your bodys insulin
response for anabolic effects because youre continuously feeding yourself the
amino acids you need to rebuild muscle as well as maintaining proper blood
sugar levels.
In order to accomplish this, you MUST eat something every 2-3 hours...no
skipping meals!
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But there are also some critically important SPECIFIC TIMES you need to be
aware of during the day when your body is in either an extremely CATABOLIC or
ANABOLIC state.
For example, your body is the most CATABOLIC as soon as you wake up so...
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One DURING your workout and the other about 30-60 minutes AFTER your
workout while adding in about 20-30 grams of healthy dietary fat.
This meal can either be WHOLE FOOD (such as some chicken and rice with
almonds, tuna sandwich with canola mayonnaise, etc.) or in the form of
PROTEIN SHAKE while throwing in some dietary fat like 20-30 grams of canola
or flax oil.
This will help you maintain a positive nitrogen balance while supporting your
bodys natural hormonal response during this incredibly anabolic window of
opportunity you have.
And the last time well talk about is...
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Because dietary fat has over TWICE as many calories as either protein or carbs,
a serving size is much LESS.
For FATS, you will use EITHER your THUMB...or a HANDFUL.
A Word From The Nerd...
Let me make this clearer...
If the fat youre consuming is a LIQUID (such as olive oil,
canola oil, butter, salad dressings, or canola mayonnaise), you
would use a portion that is about the size of your FULL THUMB.
The one exception to this is if you are COOKING with the liquid
in which case you would use an amount of oil equal to TWO
THUMBS.
However, if the fat youre consuming is a dry fat, like almonds,
walnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc., then you would simply grab a
FULL TIGHT HANDFUL of them and that would equal one
serving.
Sounds simple enough, right?
So since carbs and protein both contain 4 calories per gram, you can simply
make your regular meals using a carb serving about TWICE the size calorically
of your protein serving if you follow the skinny version or make them EQUAL if
youre the latter version.
Add in a serving of dietary fat and youre done!
But again...you dont need to worry about weighing everything out at this point.
Its just too time consuming and tedious and if you get frustrated, youll quit and
then youll lose all that muscle youve put on.
Just make sure youre eating!
Better to err on the side of caution right now and eat TOO MUCH rather than not
enough.
Youll soon learn how your body responds to food and youll be an expert in
how YOU need to eat to continue to grow.
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Hydration
This is by FAR one of the most overlooked anabolic factors that hardgainers
completely screw up.
Your body uses WATER as a medium for cellular chemical reactions and that
INCLUDES building muscle and helping cells with nutrient uptake.
Without enough water (no...SODA POP does NOT count as hydrating
yourself!), your cells will force you to RETAIN water so youll just look
puffy...make you more TIRED...decrease your performance in the gym...and
sabotage your muscle recovery.
BUT... when youre properly hydrated, your cells will actually increase nutrient
uptake, getting HARDER, and giving you a bigger, more cut appearance.
Your goal is to shoot for about a gallon of water a day but to make sure youre
taking in just the right amount WITHOUT having to escape to the bathroom every
5 minutes, you want to monitor the color of your URINE.
You want your urine to be a PALE YELLOW...not dark and NOT completely
clear.
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Hardgainer Training
Yeah, I know
THIS is what youve been waiting for, isnt it?
The magic workout that will instantly transform your
puny muscles into awe-inspiring mountains of
granite, right?
Well, get ready for something completely
DIFFERENT!
You see, knowledge really IS power...and as we go
through these workouts, youll quickly see how we
use the knowledge we now have about your specific
training obstacles to zero in with LASER LIKE
PRECISION on your muscles in a unique way that
will finally allow you to blow past poor genetics.
No more worthless time spent in the gym!
No more marathon workouts some steroid-juiced pro told you worked for HIM
on his way to 320 lbs!
No more one size fits all training program!
This workout is designed JUST for those guys whose genetic disposition has
given them the finger all these years and made it nearly IMPOSSIBLE to pack on
any weight!
The impossible has just become POSSIBLE my friend...so lets jump right in and
kick some ass, eh?
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and then well get into the strange (but powerful) workout structure for your
actual workout day, ok?
Greatlets get started!
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However, I also know that many of you wouldnt be caught DEAD only going to
the gym 3 days a week.
No worries...
If you feel that you absolutely MUST hit the local iron jungle every day, then there
ARE options for you to train...just NOT in strength training!
On your days off, you have the option to do some LOW INTENSITY CARDIO to
help increase your overall fitness and burn off a little bit of body fat.
Do NOT do any high intensity cardio work like interval training with sprints!
This WILL count toward your strength training because it works your muscles to
a higher degree and this is what youre trying to avoid at all costs.
A Word From The Nerd...
Basically, just do some light jogging or hit the rowing machine
(or other cardio exercise) at an intensity level that allows you to
breathe through your nose the entire time without having to
gasp for air.
This should keep you at an appropriate heart rate to avoid
stressing your body too much and hijacking your muscle gains.
In the HPX Workout, I recommend spacing out your workouts with at least ONE
DAY in between your strength training days to spread out your muscle targeting
over the entire week.
This isnt a hard and fast rule you need to decide your best schedule for lifting
but Ive found it to work best in this way.
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For the average person training in the gym with an intense workout, I
recommend NOT training longer than about 60 minutes.
After then, your testosterone starts to plummet and your levels of the muscleeating/fat-storing hormone, cortisol, begins to rise.
Thats NOT good news!
For the hardgainer, I recommend an even shorter workout when possible. 30-45
MINUTES is about as long as you can afford to train and fortunately, thats
exactly how Ive structured your workouts so its a complete no-brainer!
Worried that this isnt long enough?
DONT BE!
I have a surprise coming up for you that will show you how Ive been able to
SHORTCUT the training formula that will allow you to get MORE done in less
time WITHOUT short-circuiting your bodys ability to access the Anabolic Zone!
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Another benefit of training later is that the two times during the day when you
experience the greatest natural increase in your bodys Growth Hormone, is at
the end of your training and about 30-60 minutes into your sleep cycle.
By training in the evening, you may be able to tag team your exercise with
sleep to maintain a heightened state of overall GH secretion.
But a word of caution here...
Exercising IMMEDIATELY before going to bed, for some people, can cause
restlessness while in others, it may help you sleep better.
Just be aware of your bodys own response to training and adjust appropriately if
youre able to train in the evening.
Worst case scenario, just train about 1-2 hours before bedtime and that should
be enough time to relax to the point where you can go to sleep easily.
Training Day!
Ok, lets get into the real MEAT of your workout, ok?
Remember...with your bodys reduced neuromuscular communication, the typical
bodybuilding routine doesnt effectively activate your central nervous system to
stimulate growth.
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And with a lack of Type 2 muscle fibers, you have a reduced capacity to take
advantage of the type of heavy training that allows you to stimulate these fast
growing fibers.
So how does the hardgainer overcome the challenge of targeting the fastgrowing Type 2 muscle fibers while getting MORE growth from their predominant
makeup of Type 1 fibers?
The answer lies in my unique 2-phase approach of what I call...
...Neuromuscular Activation and Neuromuscular Bridging!
Heres how it works...
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It doesnt take all that much effort to do this and you dont want to spend a lot of
time on core exercises that really dont do much in the way of building mass.
All it amounts to is one single superset of 12-15 reps of an ABDOMINAL exercise
followed by a single set of a LOWER BACK exercise.
A Word From The Nerd...
Dont worry about taking notes or trying to figure it out yet.
The Workout Guide Ill provided you with in just a bit will lay
everything out for you in step-by-step detail.
Sets...reps...rest periods...its all in there!
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This would make a lot of sense...if it werent for your poor nerve-to-muscle
connections which are HORRIBLE at responding quickly to the explosive power
needed for this type of training.
By the time you hit failure at 4-6 reps, only about 20-30% of your Type 2 muscle
fibers have been tapped into!
PLUSyouve done practically NOTHING for your Type 1 fibers that require a
higher repetition range to fully activate!
So whats the solution?
Well, Ive uncovered a technique that allows you to USE your primary muscular
structure of Type 1 fibers to build a BRIDGE that slowly stimulates your Type 2
fibers so that at the end of your set, your 2s get hit with a whopping 5 rep set
with a perceived workload equal to the SUPER HEAVY SET theyve been
waiting for!
AND...your Type 1s still get that HIGH VOLUME pump they need to maximize
capillary density and increased blood and nutrient flow for accelerated growth as
well.
Heres how it works...
What Ive done is manipulate a variation of an advanced bodybuilding technique
known as rest pause.
Forget how this technique is usually performed because its just as worthless as
other advanced techniques when it comes to training for hardgainers.
My method works MUCH better!
Ok, so following your Neuromuscular Activation sets, your central nervous
system is in an excited state and aching for some intense training.
For your next phase, youll begin conducting 5-round sets of 5 repetitions
separated by 10 second intervals using just 50% of your 1-Rep Max (1RM = the
maximum amount of weight you can lift for one repetition).
So lets say that your 1RM for the Incline Bench Press is 150 lbs.
Youll load the bar up so youre lifting about 75 lbs for your Bench Press on
chest day.
Youll begin by knocking out 5 repetitions and then racking the weight for a total
of 10 seconds where youre not exerting your muscles at all.
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At EXACTLY 10 SECONDS, you begin your next 5-round set before once again
racking the weight for another short 10 second rest.
Do this same exact thing for your next two sets but on your very LAST set (after
your 10 second rest), youll do as many repetitions as possible with the goal that
youll hit exhaustion at about your targeted 5 reps.
A Word From The Nerd...
Now you may go longer than this or even a rep or two short.
Thats OK.
5 is your target but your real goal is to completely FRY your
muscle fibers on your last set!
If you can go beyond 7 or 8 reps, then you were probably using
too little weight and can adjust on your next sets of the exercise.
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Your initial Activation foundation set your muscle fibers up in an excited state
and now, by slowly increasing the workload within such a short period of time,
your Bridging sets take the activation further and further into your targeted
muscle groups like your chest, back, shoulders, and arms.
When you rack the weight for each 10 second interval, your body begins to
IMMEDIATELY regenerate your ATP and CP stores, allowing you just a bit more
energy for your next 5-rep set.
By the time youve reached your LAST 5-rep set (of the total 5 sets), your
muscles perceive the workload as being SUPER HEAVY to allow the Type 2
muscle fibers youve been trying to reach (which are now in a HIGHLY activated
state due to the prior 4 sets and are fresh with some regenerated ATP power) to
get totally BLASTED.
The result at the end of these 5 sets is a set of Type 2 fibers with maximum
microscopic damage and pumped up Type 1 fibers!
AWESOME!
Then its on to a solid 2-MINUTE REST PERIOD to fully regenerate for the next
exercise in your superset based upon your Workout Guide where youll follow the
exact same formula for your next 5 sets of 5 reps.
Youll follow this same format as prescribed in the HPX Workout Guide, until
youve finished the prescribed number of supersets.
Then, just to thank your Type 1 fibers for their assistance, youre going to end
with an immediate PUMP SET of about 20 reps of an ISOLATION EXERCISE
for your target muscle group.
This helps to finish off your primary muscle fibers (based upon your own
muscular structure) which can handle a longer duration of training while
increasing blood flow and activating a lactic acid response that stimulates
natural release of Growth Hormone at the end of your workout.
Thats all there is to it!
But I realize that it can get a bit confusing just by reading it so in a minute, Ill
take you through a sample workout day with you to make sure you see how the
HPX Workout Guide is structured and you know the proper sequence of events,
ok?
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But first, theres another important element of HOW youll progress within the
HPX program...and it goes against ALL Ive ever preached about AVOIDING in
my previous programs!
Boy am I gonna catch HELL for this one...
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Normally, I tell my clients to track their progress through taking their body fat
measurements and making note of their specific increases in muscle.
However, hardgainers ARE more challenged in that your body reacts MUCH
QUICKER in reaching a state of overtraining and you cant afford to wait the
extra week to see what changes in muscle growth have occurred from your
training weeks.
So to provide you with a faster measuring stick for what stage of growth your
body is in and to avoid overtraining, the HPX program uses Progressive Load as
a way to MEASURE the total amount of weight youre lifting for your targeted
muscle groups.
Youll do this by multiplying the number of REPETITIONS you do of an exercise
by the amount of WEIGHT youre using for a Total Load for those sets.
For example, if you lift a weight of 100 lbs for 25 reps (your 5 sets of 5 reps), then
youve essentially lifted a total load of 2,500 lbs (100 x 25) at the end of your
sets, right?
At the end of your workout, youll simply add up the Total Load for each of your
working sets and come up with a Total Workload for your completed workout.
Then, in the NEXT WEEK when you go to use this workout again, youre going to
be using the EXACT SAME EXERCISES as you did the previous week!
And your goal is to INCREASE your Total Workload from the week prior!
You can do this by adding the smallest addition of weight to the bar from the
previous week and being able to do the same number of reps (which, when
multiplied will result in an increased workload)
or you can keep the SAME WEIGHT you used the previous week and find that
youre able to do at least ONE MORE REPETITION than you were able to in
your last workout (which will ALSO result in an increased workload when
multiplied at the end of your training).
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As long as youre seeing an increase in the Total Workload week after week and
you dont have any extenuating circumstances that may have screwed you up
(like you havent eaten much before your workout or you didnt sleep the night
before, etc.) then you can safely assume that your body is still in the Anabolic
Zone.
BUT...once you come to a week where 2 OUT OF 3 of your workouts for the
week do NOT show an increase in Total Workload (even if its the exact SAME
as the previous weeks)...
...thats your sign that youre probably reaching the OVERTRAINING ZONE!
This may take you 3 weeks6 weeks12 weeks to reach this point. Theres no
way to tell how YOUR body will react to the training.
But whenever you DO reach this plateau, your next step is to finish out the
week youre in and then take a much needed recovery break.
Another point at which you would take this break is if you were able to go a FULL 6
WEEKS of steady progress. In this case, your body is in need of a change of
direction so this too will trigger your recovery period.
What do I mean by a recovery period? Well, this is NOT a chance to lay off the
training altogether! Remember...for the hardgainer, your body would like nothing
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more than to get rid of all that muscle youve just spent so much effort putting on,
right? This is where Sub-Failure Training comes in!
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Ok now theres one teeny weeny little detail that Ive not yet filled you in on.
Ok, actually its a GIANT WHOPPER of a detail that is going to absolutely BLOW
YOU AWAY and SKYROCKET your gains!
Are you ready?
Ok...here it is...
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You see, when your body is deprived of certain essential nutrients, it MUST find
a way to adapt.
Now weve already discussed the importance of CARBOHYDRATES in the
hardgainer diet, right?
Well, lets take a look at what happens when you RESTRICT your consumption
of carbs for a short period of time...
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Without this important fuel source, your body must find other means to power
the body throughout the day and especially during your workouts.
As a result, your output of insulin decreases, along with your stored muscle
glycogen levels, and theres a great reliance on body fat for fuel.
This is why low carb diets work well for those people who are trying to burn
body fat.
Unfortunately, many dieters also lose important muscle mass while following a
strict low-carb diet because they often dont TRAIN their muscles to send a
message to their body that they NEED to hold on to it.
Thats a NINJA DEATH BLOW for the hardgainer and NOT what you want to
have happen, right?
But theres actually a way to USE this strategy in a way to GREATLY increase
your hardgainer mass-building efforts...
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Okenough talk!
Its time for you to put all this knowledge to good use and kick some ass in the
gym!
The following pages will provide you with the step-by-step Workout Journal you
should print out and take to the gym.
As you begin to become familiar with the training strategy, here are some
important notes you need to know
exercise targets your TRICEPS! This is entirely by design since our goal is to
build MASS and your triceps are by FAR the largest muscle group on your
arms.
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Most people prefer to target their BICEPS, thinking that this will make them
look biggerand this is completely the OPPOSITE of how they should be
training for more arm mass.
As youll see from your Training Guide, Back Day supersets pulling
exercises with rowing exercises for 3 total supersets. This is due to your
back being such a large muscle group and requiring function-specific
targeting to hit all the muscle fibers.
Chest Day uses a bit of a different approach as well
Rather than use the same exercise for your chest for all of your sets, your first
round uses an UPPER CHEST attack while your second set hits your
LOWER CHEST.
While all chest exercises hit the entire chest, Ive found this strategy to work
best because it ensures youre hitting as many of the fibers as possible.
For your ABS, the amount of weight youll use for your workload calculations
your weekly progression. Its structured with 6 weeks of your Day 1 Workout
Log sheets followed by your Day 1 Tracking Log and then 6 weeks of your
Day 2 workouts, Tracking Log, and so on.
This is to allow you to easily view the previous weeks exercises and amount of
weight used in order to plan your current workouts progression, either by adding
a bit more weight, or seeing how many reps you need to attempt in order to do
better than the last week.
Ive chosen 6 weeks of Workout Logs only to get you started.
Againyou may only train 2-3 weeks before you reach your peak and need to
transition to your sub-failure cycles and not need the other weeks Logs that are
included. ORyou may need 12-18 weeks before you plateau, in which case
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you can simply print out more Training Logs to keep slipping into your notebook
as you go beyond the 6 weeks that are included.
A Word From The Nerd...
Oktime to really dig into the training so lets go through a
SAMPLE WORKOUT so you can see how all of these factors
play out on the gym floor with some serious iron in your hands!
Just take a quick peek at your BLANK Training Log sheets and
then use the sample Log and Tracking sheets on the next
pages to follow along on what your workouts should look like
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Week:
1 .
NM Activation
Core
Exercise
Table 1
Table 2
Table
3 or 4
(Alternate
each
workout)
Target
Reps
Rest
Periods
45
N/A
12-15
1 Min
95
95
85
Set
Weight
Exer-Ball Crunch
Reverse Back Extension
Curl Squat
12-15
12-15
12-15
2 Min
12-15
Weight
Dumbbell Shrugs
10
Reps = ~ 20
Table 8
Barbell Curl
11
13
12
14
15
Table 5
Bridge 1
Set
Reps =
5-5-5-5-AMAP
Table 6
Reps =
5-5-5-5-AMAP
Table 7
45
40
55
55
15
45
45
70
65
45
X
X
X
X
Total
Reps
Total
Load
26
25
28
25
19
1170
1000
1540
1375
285
27
24
24
26
21
1215
1080
1680
1690
945
Bridge 2
=
Reps =
5-5-5-5-AMAP
Table 9
Reps =
5-5-5-5-AMAP
Table 10
Reps = ~ 20
=
=
X
X
X
X
Total Workload =
11,980
Training Notes
Gym is less busy after 2:30 so I think Ill come then from now on.
Used overhead cable next to pulldown machine which reads heavier.
Total
Workload
- SAMPLE -
- SAMPLE -
13580
(Week 18)
13500
(Week 17)
N/A
(Week 16)
13140
(Week 15)
13050
(Week 14)
12238
(Week 13)
12200
(Week 12)
12005
(Week 11)
11450
(Week10)
N/A
(Week 9)
N/A
(Week 8)
N/A
(Week 7)
12500
(Week 6)
12730
(Week 5)
12465
(Week 4)
12200
(Week 3)
12150
(Week 2)
11980
Week 18
Week 17
Week 16
Week 15
Week 14
Week 13
Week 12
Week 11
Week 10
Week 9
Week 8
Week 7
Week 6
Week 5
Week 4
Week 3
Week 2
Week 1
(Week 1)
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After 5 reps, I rack the weight again for another 10 second rest.
I do this again for my 3rd and 4th sets and toward the end of my 3rd set, I can start
to feel my muscles straining morethats a good sign!
Finally, on my 5th set, my goal is to do AS MANY REPS AS POSSIBLE, which
should be at or close to my 5 rep target.
As it turns out (looking at the sample log), I was able to do 6 reps on my last set
so in TOTAL, I did 26 repetitions for this first exercise (5+5+5+5+6).
I then rest for a full 2 MINUTES, taking this time to relax my muscles and maybe
break out the calculator to add up my Total Load for that last set (in this case,
1170 lbs).
Ok, its been 2 minutes and Im ready for my next set (Set 7 in the Workout Log)
within this superset, which Ive chosen to be Dumbbell Shrugs, using 50% of my
1RM, or 55lbs.
I follow the same exact format as my first exercise, using 5 sets of 5 reps until my
last set in which I try to do as many as possible. In this example, I was able to do
8 reps on my last set for a total of 28 reps which Ive recorded.
I again rest 2 full minutes and then switch back to my first shoulder exercise, the
Standing Military Press (Set 8 in sequence) to begin my next round for this
superset using the same format.
Set 9 (my last set of rounds for the Dumbbell Shrug) come next in the sequence
and once Im done with my NM Bridging sets, rather than take a 2 minute rest, I
IMMEDIATELY jump into a 20 rep pump set of Cable Lateral Raises to finish off
my shoulders.
THEN I take a 2 minute rest in preparation for my next exercises, in this case for
my ARMS on Training Day 1.
Following along with the sample Workout Log, Ive followed the same exact
format as I did for my shoulders only Im supersetting exercises between my
BICEPS and TRICEPS.
At the end of my workout, I simply add up all of my Total Load numbers for
each of my sets and this gives me my Total Workout Load (in this case, I lifted
a total of 11,980 lbs).
I record this number on my Weekly Workload Tracking Log (see sample) for my
Shoulders & Arms day and in the next week, my goal is to use the SAME
EXERCISES I just used, but try to INCREASE my Total Workout Load from the
previous week.
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As youll see in the sample Tracking sheet, I was able to accomplish this for a
total of 5 weeks.
In Week 6, I DECREASED my Total Workout Load and, as depicted in the
Tracking Sheet, decreased in at least one of my other two workouts for this week
as well.
This is why the Tracking Sheet shows a transition to my 3-week SUB-FAILURE
TRAINING cycle (Weeks 7-9).
As I made this transition in Week 7, Ill switch exercises completely to change
things up.
Also note that Week 9 is a CARB DEPRIVATION WEEK, right before jumping
into the next cycle.
Which brings us to Week 10 in this example when I begin my next ramp-up and
back into going to full muscular failure, trying to continue making progress each
week with my Total Workout Load as I did before.
In the sample Tracking Sheet, I show that I was able to make steady progress for
the full 6 weeks of training.
Rather than pressing on, because I was able to go for 6 weeks WITHOUT seeing
a decrease in Workout Load, I again change exercises completely and move into
ONE SINGLE WEEK of sub-failure training AND carb deprivation.
At the end of that week, its back into a full-blown, all-out program with my new
exercises, striving for continuous weekly progress.
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Over-Training No Progress
Proper Supplementation
Proper Exercise
Proper Diet
Anabolic Zone
Proper Diet
Proper Exercise
Proper Supplementation
Under-Training No Progress
Time
The role of supplements are to help you push that anabolic zone wider and
wider by zeroing in on the RIGHT supplements in the right amounts at the right
TIMES.
Each supplement plays a different role and the key is to find the best combination
for YOUR body depending upon your specific challenges and goals.
For example
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some supplements are designed to give you MORE ENERGY in the gym
some help you RECOVER FASTER from your workouts.
some support CELLULAR FUNCTION to help you increase overall
performance such as in sports.
some help you BURN FAT faster.
some are tailored to naturally jack up your HORMONES.
Pick a problem and theres a supplement for it!
Fortunately, we already know the hardgainer challenges so we have a great
foundation for prescribing the right supplement plan to help you achieve your
goal of building more muscle.
And all without making your wallet cry out for MOMMA!
What Ive done is divided your supplement program into 3 categories in order to
help you ramp up without breaking your bank account.
Must Haves
Should Haves
Nice To Haves
First lets talk about the Must Haves; those supplements that in my opinion are
absolutely CRITICAL to you reaching your goals.
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If you were to try to do this with plate after plate of chicken and rice, youd fell like
a Sumo Wrestler throughout the day.
Instead, its much easier to DRINK your calories than it is to EAT them and
PROTEIN SHAKES are the easiest way to add food to your days meal plan
without feeling bloated.
But the coolest thing about protein shakes is their VERSATILITY!
You can jam these things with whatever you need to make a complete meal.
You can spike them with other complimentary supplements.
They travel well to work, school, the gym...anywhere.
ANDtheyre ABSORBED FASTER than normal food.
A Word From The Nerd...
Now this last one is a VERY important one for the hardgainer!
Remember, protein is the most thermic nutrient so when you
consume chicken, fish, beef, etc. some of those calories are
going to be burned up just in the digestion process, right?
But since protein shakes are absorbed much quicker, you have
less thermic effect and youre able to maximize your calories
and create a weight-gaining surplus much easier!
In fact, I have MORE to say on this when we get to the TYPE of
protein powder to use.
Its controversial since it blows an expert myth out of the
waterbut its time you learned the TRUTH!
Read on
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Casein protein
Whey Concentrate
Whey Isolate
Ion-Exchange Whey
Cold-Filtered Whey
Hydrolized Whey
And Im sure that science will be coming up with more versions!
Now the major debate over which protein source works best for building muscle
takes place over the sources DIGESTION RATE and its BIOAVAILABILITY, or
how well its absorbed into the body for use by your muscles.
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On the LOW end of the spectrum for example, CASEIN PROTEIN gels in the
stomach so it breaks down the slowest but is said to remain in your body longer,
providing a slower feed of amino acids for muscle growth.
On the other end of the spectrum, HYDROLIZED WHEY digests very rapidly and
is said to burn out faster as well.
(The other forms of protein fall somewhere in between these two low- and highend protein sources.)
Now if you pay attention to most hardgainer experts out there, theyll tell you to
use CASEIN as your PRIMARY supplement choice.
The theory they use as their foundation has been that the proteins that are
digested faster and absorbed quicker (like whey proteins) are best used for
immediately AFTER training when your body needs it most.
But SLOWER digested proteins, like casein, should be used the rest of the time
in order to provide a longer term feed of amino acids to your muscles for
sustained growth.
Of course! this makes total sense, right?
WRONG!
A Word From The Nerd...
Ok, this is one of the parts of the HPX program that I warned
you about
Im about to blow one of the most common hardgainer myths
out of the water and piss a LOT of personal trainers off.
But once you know the truth behind protein research and how it
affects the HARDGAINER, youll know EXACTLY why this is so
important.
Recent studies have shown that HYDROLIZED WHEY, the fastest absorbing
protein there is right now, DOES digest very quickly and floods the bloodstream
with powerful amino acids to support muscle growth.
But while experts had initially believed that fast DIGESTION equaled fast
ELIMINATIONa study out of the Copenhagen (Denmark) Muscle Research
Center may reveal a SHOCKING insight...
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You see, researchers discovered that out of all of the proteins, whey protein
hydrolysate not only had the highest availability of amino acids (meaning your
body uses more of what you ingest)...
...but it ALSO had the highest availability of amino acids during the entire
3 HOURS AFTER CONSUMPTION!
A Word From The Nerd...
Now this is actually HUGE news for the hardgainer!
While proponents for casein protein are in love with the fact that
casein takes longer to digest, this actually works AGAINST the
hardgainers goals!
Think about it
Since protein is the most thermic of nutrients, the longer your
body takes to digest the casein, the more CALORIES youre
burning in the process.
This ends up making it HARDER to create a calorie surplus to
get you to your goals!
And besideswhile supporters of casein claim that because
casein digests so slowly that it can feed your muscle for up to 7
hours later, my response is
SO WHAT?!
Your meals arent 7 hours apart!
Ok, so now that we know that the HIGHER a proteins quality, the more available
the amino acids are for muscle synthesis
and that these amino acids are actually more readily available even at 3 hours
AFTER youve consumed them (just in time for your next protein meal)
which protein you should use actually becomes a NO BRAINER!
Well, almost
Based upon what we know, HYDROLIZED WHEY is the KING of all proteins
when it comes to muscle building!
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But Ive tested hydrolyzed whey and frankly, Ive found it to be pretty damned
NASTY.
It actually cakes up more in liquidit doesnt taste as good ANDit can be
VERY EXPENSIVE!
But the real take away lesson here is that the HIGHER the quality of protein you
use, the more amino acids youll have available to be scooped up when your
muscles need them for repair.
Therefore, my recommendation is to buy a WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE as your
protein powder choice.
Its more economical, quickly absorbed, and it tastes great.
As for OTHER protein sources, you may find a version that best fits with your
lifestyle.
For example, if youre lactose intolerant (although this isnt usually a problem with
Whey Isolate because most lactose is removed), an EGG or SOY based product
may work best for you.
If youre a VEGETARIAN, a soy based product not only works great, but has
other HEALTH benefits as well.
A Word From The Nerd...
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But all those biological functions you take for granted that are designed to help
you build muscle, jack up your hormones, burn off any 6-pack-hiding fat, and give
you energy all happen with the help of vitamins and minerals!
Now in the good old days, eating a balanced meal would have taken care of
giving you what you needed.
Unfortunately this isnt really the case any more.
First of all, with the type of training youll be doing in the gym, youre asking your
body to go above and beyond normal activity levels.
This induces more STRESS than normal on the body because youre asking it
to build more muscle and are taxing your recovery systems.
But the saddest part is that the QUALITY of our food has degraded so much over
the years because of poor production standards and overprocessing that strips
away so much of the healthy nutrients our foods originally possessed.
A Word From The Nerd...
Dont worry, Ill spare you my save the planet speech.
But its a real tragedy how the food industry has lured our
population into thinking that TV dinners called Healthy Choice
are actually healthy and highly processed, high-sugar cereals
are shown in cartoon commercials to kids calling it part of a
healthy, balanced breakfast simply because they sprinkle in
some vitamins!
Give me a break!
Creatine Monohydrate:
When you train in the gym, your bodys primary fuel source for the beginning of
any set you do is Adenosine Triphospate (ATP).
Ill try and avoid getting too scientific on you but ATP is basically three
phosphate molecules bonded together to provide a rapid energy source and as
your muscles are working, ATP loses ONE of its phosphate molecules as its
helping you power through your lift.
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In order to replenish this fuel supply, it needs to look for another phosphate
molecule in the muscles and this is supplied by a pool of CREATINE
PHOSPHATE that you have naturally stored away.
As the extra phosphate molecule is picked up, it recharges your immediate
energy stores, creating a constant cycling of losing a phosphate molecule and
picking one back up.
At some point, youll run low on creatine phosphate in your muscles and this is
where your energy begins to drop and you feel fatigued.
Obviously, the more creatine phosphate you have stored in your muscles, the
LONGER and HARDER you can train, right?
Well, herein lies the problem for HARDGAINERS!
As we discussed earlier, Type 1 muscle fibers DONT contain a lot of creatine
phosphate like your Type 2 fibers do.
And since the ectomorph body is mostly made up of Type 1 fibers, thats a HUGE
problem when it comes to fueling your workouts!
A Word From The Nerd...
This is especially important because remember your
Neuromuscular Bridging sets...
Having that creatine phosphate available for immediate
resupply during those 10 second rest periods is CRITICAL for
you to be able to push on and dig deep into stimulating your
Type 2 fibers in your last few sets.
And finally, one of the other big benefits creatine can provide you is its ability to
increase MUSCLE CELL VOLUMIZATION!
You see, creatine actually has the added attribute of STUFFING your cells with
more fluid and this will make you APPEAR bigger and more muscular.
This is also one of the reasons why youve heard you MUST make sure that you
drink enough WATER throughout the day.
Supplementing with creatine can dehydrate you as it soaks up water from your
body PLUS the more water you take in, the bigger you can look because your
muscle cells will have all the fluid they need to be packed in tight!
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So the basic goal here is to supersaturate your muscles with as much creatine
phosphate as possible and THAT is why creatine supplementation is so
important for the hardgainer!
A Word From The Nerd...
Now its easy to get confused with all the different kinds of
creatine you can find out thereCreatine Ethyl Ester,
Micronized Creatinespecial super secret delivery
methods...blah blah blah...
These are mostly ploys to get you to pay an arm and a leg for
some hyped up bottle of cheap powder.
Dont fall for it!
All you really need is just straight up creatine monohydrate.
Take in about 3-5 GRAMS before your workout and another 3-5
GRAMS after your workout and this will keep your creatine
phosphate levels topped off nicely.
L-Glutamine:
The positive effects supplementing with the amino acid l-glutamine was first
realized in the treatment of burn victims in hospitals.
You see, l-glutamine makes up approximately 60% of the free amino acids in
your muscle tissue.
Because burn victims are confined to bed and unable to move as their wound
heal, they would naturally experience a lot of muscle LOSS due to inactivity.
Doctors found that supplementing with l-glutamine helped victims AVOID this
loss of muscle tissue.
Thats great news for hardgainers who are used to seeing even the most meager
muscle gains disappear in the blink of an eye due to their extremely CATABOLIC
constitutionand this is where supplementing with l-glutamine can really help
you out!
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MELATONIN:
If youve ever heard of melatonin before, it most likely was as a natural sleep
aid.
And its true because melatonin is an natural hormone in your body that does
regulate your sleep patterns and as we age, our bodies manufacture less and
less of it.
For the hardgainer, this is an even BIGGER problem because your body type
often times struggles with getting enough restful sleep, right?
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But this is just ONE of the reasons Ive included it in my Must Haves
supplements for ectomorphs!
You see, melatonin actually plays a HUGE role in your bodys overall hormone
balance, your immune system, and even in your cognitive (mental) abilities.
And since hormone balance is ALSO a problem for hardgainers, you MUST
understand that you cant even TOUCH your other hormones without first
ensuring that your natural melatonin levels are in balance.
This is one of the reasons why melatonin is actually a great natural GROWTH
HORMONE enhancer!
But not everyone has to take melatonin.
Our natural production levels begin to slow at about the age of 25 so heres my
advice
If youre 25 or older, go ahead and add this to your daily supplement schedule in
the doses Im about to give you.
Its completely safe and natural and your body will thank you for it (and so will
your wallet because its CHEAP).
If youre UNDER 25, then evaluate your quality of SLEEP at night and use this as
your barometer for whether you may want to add this.
If you find your having problems with your sleep patterns, then go ahead and
begin taking this supplement on a regular basis at the smallest dosage shown in
the chart below.
ALSOif you have a job where you work the graveyard shift (like from 10pm
6 am), then realize that youre ALREAD screwing around with your bodys
hormone balance regardless of your age!
Since your natural sleep rhythms have been programmed since the beginning of
time that night is when youre supposed to be asleep, you mess with your
melatonin production BIG TIME!
In other wordsyou NEED to supplement with melatonin!
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25-30
31-40
41-50
Above 50
1.5-3.0 mg
2.0-5.0 mg
2.5-7.5 mg
3.0-9.0 mg
.25-1.0 mg
.5-3.0 mg
1.0-4.0 mg
2.0-5.0 mg
And the LAST Must Have supplements for hardgainers well talk about are
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Instead, it gets plastered to the sides of your colon and intestines like spackle on
a wall.
After a little while, that gloppy spackling decays and releases toxins into your
body and these toxins can do all kinds of nasty damage to your health from
reducing energy levels and performance to causing disease.
But one other problem with this layer of caked on putrid, rotting matter stuck to
your digestive tract is that it ALSO lessens the amount of NUTRIENT
ABSORPTION you get from the food you consumer!
And since Im asking you to possibly EAT more food, youre going to want to get
as much out of that food as possible, right?
Now eating fibrous fresh fruits and vegetables is the best way to get in a
recommended 24-30 grams or so of fiberbut not many people actually do this.
So if you need a little extra help, psyllium is a great addition!
For one thing, when the psyllium combines with water in your stomach, it bulks
WAY WAY up!
From here, it works its way though your digestive tract and acts like a broom to
clean out your pipes, removing that rotting, decaying matter with it from the
sides of your intestines and colon while extracting pockets of toxin-loaded sacs
that could have caused you harm.
A Word From The Nerd...
To use psyllium correctly, start with 1 2 teaspoons a day (once in the morning
and once in the afternoon) added to some water, juice, or your protein shake.
Drink it QUICKLY because it will begin to bulk up not long after it hits liquid.
Then IMMEDIATELY drink at least 8 OUNCES OF WATER...and keep drinking
plenty of water throughout the day!
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I recommend you take 1 gram EACH of CLA and Fish Oil 3 times a day with your
meals.
And finally we come to your
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Digestive Enzymes:
Digestive enzymes typically come from either pepsin, papain, or papaya and help
to break down nutrients from the food you eat into usable energy.
But research has ALSO found that enzymes improved the absorption of amino
acids and increased nitrogen retention.
In fact, in a recent clinical study, respondents who consumed digestive enzymes
with their meals showed an INCREASE IN PROTEIN SYNTHESIS with free
amino acid levels up by 100%...branched chain amino acids (BCAA's) by
250%...and nitrogen retention by 32%!
All that is good news because it can DRASTICALLY increase your bodys ability
to grow more muscle!
Plus, for hardgainers theres ANOTHER big benefit...
Since protein uses up more calories in digestion, enzymes can SPEED UP the
process thereby reducing the "thermic effect" of ingested proteins.
This helps you better maintain a caloric surplus for weight gain AND get better
synthesis from the smaller amount of protein you ARE taking in!
A Word From The Nerd...
VERY cool, huh?
I would have put this supplement into the Must Haves except
that its kind of hard to find and it can get a bit pricey.
Is it worth it?
Hell yeah!
But lay the foundation first and then add this powerful
hardgainer supplement later on.
L-Arginine:
The amino acid L-arginine has become VERY popular over the years because
its whats called a VASODILATOR.
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Thats a cool fancy way of saying that it helps you maintain that pumped up
feeling you get from the gym by increasing blood flow throughout your body.
This is good because as weve discussed, Im a firm believe that the pump DOES
make a difference when it comes to building bigger muscles.
So the LONGER your muscles can stay pumped, the better you can program
those muscle fibers to increase their capacity for future gains.
But what a lot of people dont realize is that l-arginine is ALSO a powerful
GROWTH HORMONE RELEASER!
A Word From The Nerd...
Hopefully you have a copy of my program called Make Your
Own Supplements at www.MakeYourOwnSupplements.com!
In it, I cover this powerful supplement in great detail as its a
mainstay in so many of my personal supplement recipes.
Since it has so many applications, timing your intake to make
sure it integrates with all of your goals is important.
However, for the purposes of this program, Ill just share my
recommended dosage without going into all the other times this
supplement can come to your aid in gaining more muscle
For dosage, youll want to take in about 1-3 GRAMS RIGHT BEFORE GOING
TO BED to maximize your bodys natural release of growth hormone while you
sleep.
Oh, one more thing
There are several different types of l-arginine on the market these days from
straight l-arginine to l-arginine alpha ketoglutarate, -ethyl esther, etc.
While Im not always a proponent of seemingly more advanced versions, this is
one case in which I DO recommend the ALPHA KETOGLUTARATE version of larginine.
Its the most potent so you can use about half as much as regular l-arginine and
its really come down in price so its very economical.
If you do use the AKG version, split the dosage in half so youre taking from .5 to
1.5 grams at night.
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Testosterone Boosters:
You wanted sexy? You got sexy!
Testosterone boosters are some of the most expensive supplements youll ever
find on the market.
NOT necessarily because they WORK...but because guys WANT them the most!
Look, were not stupid!
We know that pro bodybuilders on steroids have MASSIVE amounts of
testosterone as a result
and we know that TESTOSTERONE BUILDS MUSCLE, right?
PLUSwe also now know that HARDGAINERS dont have an endocrine system
that produces or uses testosterone as well as naturally muscular mesomorphs.
But I have a problem with setting you up with testosterone boosting supplements
that you pick up from
The problem is that youre messing around with the endocrine system and all the
expensive supplement companies know theyd get sued if you screwed this up.
SOOOO...the amounts they put in their supplements are pretty worthless.
This is actually more of a science to do this right and way too intensive to add to
this program.
If youre truly interested in following this path, then I urge you to get my How To
Make Your Own Supplements program and look at my recommendations
because I have my own PERSONAL TESTOSTERONE BOOSTER RECIPE in
that program as well as a GROWTH HORMONE RECIPE that really DOES work.
Again, you can learn more at www.MakeYourOwnSupplements.com!
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