How I gained 16kg (35lbs) in 5 months (with visible sixpack) as a hardgainer

[expConnor]

First post, just trying to provide some value and I hope some folks who also struggle find some inspiration in this. (@ admins: you can move to mindset thread if that is more appropriate)


I have been struggling with being superskinny since I was 14 and despite trying many diets and workout routines, nothing happened. At 19, I weighed around 170lbs (78kg) at 6ft4 (196cm) and I was super lanky and just looked like a walking stick. By just looking at the numbers, you might think that my cards aren’t that bad, which is true. It could have been worse and I’m not trying to exaggerate my starting situation. Most guys I know wish they were a bit taller and people kept telling me that being tall and slim is a blessing.


But I hated it so much. Mainly because others exploited it.

We all got “bullied” in school and we got picked on for whatever reason. But, that stuck with me. I hated it when tougher guys bullied the shit out of me, the hot girls saying “ew” when seeing me, adults referring to me as the “lanky guy”, and my friends and family jokingly called me all these skinny-names. It F*cking hurt. But sitting in my room being intimidated and crying didn’t solve the problem. I was also physically very active, so I was burning like hell through those calories.


I just looked super skinny and people took advantage of that. It nibbled away at my heart and soul.


So, what did I do? I binge watched all those fitness youtubers, started going to the gym and just ate more (3500 kcal per day). I did that for 1,5 years. What happened? nothin (That was when I realized I was a “hardgainer” and always burning through calories.)


I was on the “dirty bulk” and just stuffing my face with all sorts. Not only did it affect my mental heath (sugar, unhealthy fats, highly processed foods), it just made me look even worse and my energy levels were super low.


And even worse, I went travelling in asia for 3 months a year ago and when I came back I was only bones and skin. Looking at myself in the mirror hurt like hell.


So I started going to the gym again to put on some mass. But this time, I approached it differently. It involved three steps:



Step 1: Creating the Battleplan


I set up a 6-month plan. I started with a end goal (+16kg in 6 months with visible sixpack), and worked myself backwards from there (I read about that approach in MJ’s book), so I set monthly, weekly and then daily goals.

After that, I sat down and researched all the foods, exercises and routines that would help me accomplish those goals and I scribbled them down on an extra sheet of paper.

And then, I looked at that sheet of paper and imagined: If someone pointed a gun at my head and insisted that I definitely accomplish every single milestone I set otherwise they’ll blast my head, what would I change about those foods, exercises and routines I just set in order to accomplish the goals?

This is what I changed:

3500cal daily → 4500cal daily

2mile run 3x per week → 2,5mile run 6x per week

gym 5x per week → gym 6x per week

dirty bulk → lean bulk

sleep 7hrs → sleep 8,5hrs+

going to bed before 11 → going to bed before 9

Fancy gym exercises → deadlifts, squats, benchpress

doing 3x10 rep sets → doing 4x5 maxrep + 2 immediate dropsets

eating 4x daily → eating 6x daily

eating 170grams of protein daily → eating 210grams of protein daily

tracking gym weights in my head → tracking every weight in a training plan

eating 2 sorts of fruit/vegetable daily → eating 5 sorts of fruit/vegetable daily

going to the gym for 1,5 hours max → staying as long as it takes (even if 3 hours)

drinking 3L water daily → drinking 5L water daily



Step 2: Sacrificing everything else

If you want to accomplish stuff you’ll have to sacrifice other stuff for it. In my case, I had to sacrifice everything except for one other thing. I could decide between, friends, family, free time for myself, getting a job, or learning a skill. I chose learing a skill (webdesign).



Step 3: Execute with extreme measures

Now others might say that isn’t humanly possible and that it’s super unhealthy. But I say if you stick to the healthy foods, drink a lot of water, do your cardio (!) and have a perfect sleep routine (!!), you can manage (if you sacrifice everything else!).

You won’t have time to do anything else apart from training, eating and sleeping (and learning to code in my case). No friends for half a year, no family-stuff (I actually still lived at my parents house so I had a bonus), no going out into the city, no free time to do whatever I please.

I always had the same 6 meals every day for the entire timeperiod. I set myself timers to eat as fast as possible to get more in and after meals I would chug down water until I almost vomited in order to expand my tummy. I hardly talked to anyone except my brother (who was also my gym-bro) and my family was tearing me apart at the dinnertable saying I was crazy. In the gym, when I was struggling with the set, I just thought about all the names people have been calling me and how they intimidated me, and I pushed out some more reps. That shit really motivated me.



But it actually paid off. I gained those 16kg in 5 months (1 month early) with a visible sixpack.

My Arms swelled up. I went from a 80kg Squat to a 140kg (310lb) Squat. My health got better. Guys and girls view me differently. I look lean and athletic.

Now I know that everything is possible if you just commit to it enough and sacrifice everything else.

(Downside: That isolation really f*cks with you mentally and your socialskills are just down bad after 5 months of not seeing anybody (and you develop some kind of mini-social-anxiety disorder through that), BUT you can relearn that pretty fast I guess)


Tip 1: Get a gym-bro who is better than you

Tip 2: If people are calling you crazy, good

Tip 3: low stress levels and quality sleep is key

Tip 4: If you struggle, think about that shit you went through in the past (Idc if it sounds toxic, but this pain is just unlimited energy)


I know it's the typical "skinny dude feeling hurt and getting buff" type of story (and I know Alex Hormozi managed that weight-gain in 6 weeks) but I just hope some people who really struggle with their weight find some value in this and maybe feel a bit inspired.

P.S. I believe it also works the other way round. (e.g. when you are overweight and struggling to lose weight and build muscle).

1. Ask yourself: “What if someone pointed a gun at my head…?”
2. Sacrifice everything else
3. Act upon it with extreme measures

 

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[Vntonio]

Many people underestimate the level of sacrifice (financial, time, discipline, body pain) to get that much improvement in a short period.

Some of them are thinking that after 1 year they will be monsters after some gym and healthy eating. This is totally bullshit, it takes a lot, as you did (it depends on genetics, your level, height, and much more, but still...)

And there are the other people who think that you are just a juice user because you have better progress than them in way less time frame.

***I tried to do the same for years (8) and I failed again and again as I can't train with weights and also can't afford food to hit that many calories. Now I changed my focus to mobility/flexibility and leaving the get-big idea behind.

I congratulate you and I hope you never take the foot off the gas.

 

[heavy_industry]

Fancy gym exercises → deadlifts, squats, benchpress

You are now my best friend.

---

Congratulations on your progress and thanks for sharing your experience!

This should be a lesson for all of us - it doesn't apply only to lifting weights.

If you really want something, you will F*cking get it.

Ask, and it shall be given.

Step 2: Sacrificing everything else

Gold advice.

Prioritize and Execute is one of the laws of combat in the book Extreme Ownership.

I was too stupid to understand this, and I've been spinning my wheels for years not making any progress.

As soon as I learned to focus exclusively on a single task at a time, things really started to move.

 

[biophase]

As I got older I realized that the human body is just an efficient machine and that it self corrects based on lifestyle.

If you use your chest lifting everyday, your body says, this guy needs bigger chest muscles and uses up your food/energy to grow it.

If you stop using your chest, your body says, we don't need all that muscle in the chest using up excess energy so let's make it smaller and divert the energy somewhere else.

It truly is use it or lose it. That goes for muscle, tendons, cardio, any learned skills, etc...

I think you were like me, someone with a super fast metabolism at a young age. I struggled to get over 135lbs at 5'9". I couldn't even maintain 150lbs at age 40. Basically what you did was increased your food intake and overall workout volume and also regimented in rest. That combo is usually a winner until you surpass your body's ability to recover and then it becomes over training.

 

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