When it comes to Chest training, we must first analyze the shape and function of the muscle itself. Unlike the biceps, triceps, and back, the chest contains a single muscle, the pectoralis major. However, as we all know, the chest area contains different regions that need to be attacked specifically.

There is the all important upper chest region that lies along your collarbone, the outer chest region that curves toward your armpit, the inner chest region that attaches to your sternum, the bottom chest region that hangs below your nipple,  and everything in the middle being considered the middle chest region.

As outlined in all of my training guides, an effective workout targets each of these regions specifically to build a world class chest!

When working a large muscle like the chest, HardGainers should aim for 4 sets, with reps in the 8-12 range.

Hardgainer Chest Workout:

I always start off my chest workouts with an upper chest movement. The reasoning behind this is that when isolating the upper chest we are able to take stress off the shoulders and triceps and focus all our energy on hitting the chest area. Thats why we go hard and heavy on this movement. Another reason is purely for aesthetics. If hit the middle chest area first, over time we will build drooping, sagging, pecs. Whereas with a strong upper chest it pulls the pec up making it look better. To warm up your shoulder and elbow joints do 2 warm-up sets of this exercise before jumping into your 4 working sets.

Next we move onto a Flat Dumbbell Press to hit the middle chest area. Lower the dumbells all the way down to your chest and extend out so they are almost touching at the peak contraction. Don’t let them touch as this will take the stress off the pecs and onto your elbows and shoulders.

To get an extra pump going and hit that inner chest effectively we head over to the pec-deck machine. Put the arm back far enough so you get a good stretch at the beginning, and pause for a second at the peak contraction to get a good squeeze in. At this point your pecs should be engorged with blood.

To finish of our workout, we head back over to the incline bench to do incline dumbbell flyes. These take alot of concentration to do effectively. You will need to go light on these to really feel them working. Get a good stretch at the beginning, and slowly bring your arms up in an arc. Hold the contraction while the dumbbells are about a foot apart from eachother at the top. This keeps the stress on the upper and inner chest regions.

This completes our chest workout! At this point you should have an insane pump going on. Remember to stretch out your pecs the next day when they are sore to break down that scare tissue, and get the blood flowing.

You may have noticed that we didn’t hit the lower chest region specifically in this workout. There is a strong reason for that. I believe that lower chest work is left for the advanced bodybuilders who are looking on refining their phsyique. As a hardgainer, if you start hitting the lower chest hard you will end up with drooping, saggy, “man-boobs”. You don’t want that right!!

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When it comes to Biceps training, you must first analyze the biceps muscle itself. The biceps muscle consists of 3 parts that work together to form the muscle. The short head which is closest to the chest forms the main portion of the biceps. The long head, which runs from elbow to shoulder determines the thickness and peak of the biceps muscle. The brachialis, which is the small knotted looking muscle that rests on the outer arm between the biceps and triceps.

Building all 3 of these components evenly leads to world class guns!

When working a smaller muscle group such as biceps, Hardgainers should aim for 3-4 exercises, and roughly 9-12 working sets.

Hardgainer Biceps Workout:

I like to start of my biceps workout with standing barbell curls. This allows me to warm up my joints as well as my entire biceps effectively. Throughout this exercise, ensure your elbows are pinned close to your body, and your back remains straight.

Moving on, I like to hit each arm individually with standing alternate dumbell curls. Make sure to keep your torso straight, and don’t lean into each arm to cheat.

So far we have mainly hit the short head of the biceps, now its time to hit the long head and get those biceps peaks poppin’! Seated preacher curls with the EZ bar is the most effective exercise for this. The EZ bar puts your hands pronated in the proper position to strictly activate the biceps peaks. Make sure to keep your chest and elbows pinned down, and really make the biceps peaks work.

Finally, I like to finish of my biceps workout with standing alternate hammer curls. This really hits the brachialis, pumping up that knotted muscle, and making your arm looking wide when viewed from the side. Once again, make sure to keep your elbows pinned to your body, and your back straight.

“Is it worth me buying a 2 pound of whey and a 2pound of casein protein, or should i just stick to a 5 lb of Whey and make sure i eat eggs/cheese daily?” -Tolerance

Answer:

I tend to suggest that people stay away from purchasing casein protein powder for many reasons. It is extremely tough to mix well as a shake, and often turns into a thick, clumpy mess that no bodybuilder should have to deal with. Also, casein protein is very abundant in common, everyday foods that are very economical to purchase.

Therefore, I suggest you just pick up 5 pounds of whey, and get your casein protein from real food sources. As discussed in the HardGainer’s Guide to Protein, I suggest you consume 1 cup of fat free cottage cheese before bed, as well as having a glass of 1% or skim milk with each meal.

Want YOUR question answered on the HardGainer’s Guide? Feel free to send me your questions here!

“Hi! My name is Sebastian and i’m a hardgainer. Will You be so kind and suggest a preworkout meal for a morning workout. I get up at 5:20 am, workout starts at 7:15. What meal will be the right choice, so my stomach won’t be overloaded for workout?” -Sebastian

Answer:

This is a question I get alot, and this is a situation I have personally been in myself. Here’s what I suggest:

Wakeup
-50 gram protein shake
-One Serving of either oatmeal, cereal, grits, or waffles
-Multivitam

6:30am
-Pre-workout supp. (Depending on your age and experience, I suggest Omega Sports Cre-Ethyl Thunder, check out my supp. reviews section)

6:50am
-Peanut Butter and Jam/Jelly Sandwich

Workout
-At least 1 litre of water

Post Workout
-50 gram Protein Shake
-2 to 3 grams of Creatine mixed with 50 grams of Simple carbs (Dextrose or Waxy Maize)
-If you don’t have access to dextrose or waxy maize, take your creatine with some juice or gatorade.

Thats what I suggest, and obviously you can tweak it a bit based on your budget, and how full you are feeling during your workout.

Want YOUR question answered on the HardGainer’s Guide? Feel free to send me your questions here!

Hard and Heavy!

What I mean by this is a varying rep training program that has you pushing as much weight as humanly possible. I’m talking about a rep range as high as 12, and as low as 6. Using this rep training protocol, you will successfully activate both the slow twitch and fast twitch fibers in the muscle. This translates into size and volume gains while in the 10-12 rep range, and strength and power gains in the 6-8 rep range.

For each exercise you will perform 4 sets in pyramiding fashion. By pyramiding, I mean that the first set will be for 12 reps, then you will increase the weight and do 10 reps for the next set and so on. You will continue this increase in weight and decrease in reps until you finish off that exercise with your heaviest weight possible for 6 reps.

When it comes to number of exercises per bodypart, more is not always better. A good rule of thumb is that the number of exercises per bodypart should be proportional to the size of the muscle group being training.

Here is a sample HardGainer training program that further illustrates the points above:

Bodypart	Rep range	# of Exercises
Forearms	12 to 6	2
Biceps	12 to 6	3
Triceps	12 to 6	3
Shoulders	12 to 6	4
Chest	12 to 6	4
Back	12 to 6	4
Legs	12 to 6	4

Stay tuned for specific training guides on each bodypart!

Meal #1-Breakfast: 8:00am

• Whey Protein Shake (50 grams Protein)
• One of Either Oatmeal, Grits, or Sugar Free Cereal (40 grams Carbs)
• Glass of Milk (10 grams of Protein)

Meal #2-Snack: 10:00am

• Peanut Butter Sandwich (15 grams protein, 40 grams carbs, 20 grams fat)

Meal #3-Lunch: 1:00pm

• 1 cup of Chicken, Beef, or Fish (50 grams protein, 5 grams fat)
• 1 cup rice or potatoes (40 grams carbs)
• 1 cup Vegetables (20 grams carbs, 10 grams fibre)
• OR Tuna Sandwich (25 grams protein, 40 grams carbs, 5 grams fat)
• Glass of Milk (10 grams protein)

Meal #4-Snack: 4:00pm

• Peanut Butter Sandwich (15 grams protein, 40 grams carbs, 20 grams fat)
• Banana (10 grams carbs)

Workout: 5:00pm

Meal #5-Post-Workout: 6:00pm

• Whey Protein Shake (50 grams of Protein)
• 2 tablespoons Dextrose of Waxy Maize (15 grams carbs)
• 1/2 cup Rolled Oats (30 grams carbs)

Meal #6-Dinner: 8:00pm

• 1 cup of Chicken, Beef, or Fish (50 grams protein, 5 grams fat)
• 1 cup rice or potatoes (40 grams carbs)
• 1 cup Vegetables (20 grams carbs, 10 grams fibre)
• Glass of Milk (10 grams protein)

Meal #7-Before Bed Snack: 11:00pm

• Whey Protein Shake (50 grams of Protein) (if above 200lb)
• 1 cup Fat Free Cottage Cheese (50 grams of Protein)

Total Protein: 260 grams

Total Carbs: 335 grams

Total Fat: 55 grams

Following this high protein and high carb diet, Hardgainers can expect to gain 3-5 pounds per week. Slowly start building up to this ideal meal plan by adding in a small meal each day until you reach the required 6-7.

Like I said before, 85% of Bodybuilding and getting huge is Nutrition. This involves preparing food ahead of time, and making sure your fridge is always stocked.

I encourage everyone reading this to try out this diet for a minimum of 2 weeks and report back to me. You will see mass gains, you will gain muscle, and you will feel better about yourself.

How badly do YOU want it?

Overview: Omega Sports Cre-Ethyl Thunder is the first pre-workout supplement that I ever used. Cre-Ethyl Thunder is the ideal pre-workout creatine supplement for the beginner to intermediate bodybuilder, ie 6 months to 1 year experience. Cre-Ethyl Thunder has an impressive ingredient profile that includes 2.4 grams of pure Creatine Ethyl Ester, Glycerol and Potassium Phosphate for Creatine absorption, Methylxanthines for an intense energy rush, and Glucuronolactone that puts you into the zone to focus on the hardcore training ahead.

The Strength: With 2.4 grams of Creatine Ethyl Ester HCL in each serving, Thunder makes a major punch in the strength department. With the addition of absorption ingredients, you will feel the increase strength effects in your very first workout. You will find yourself pounding out more reps than before, and getting anxious to throw more weight on the bar.

The Focus: While on Thunder, the very first thing you notice when you walk into the gym is your new sense of focus, concentration, and well being. This definitely attributes to some of the strength gains for sure, as it puts you in the zone and right state of mind to blast through your personal plateaus. This is a unique effect that alot of other companies have failed to reproduce.

The Pumps: Good pumps consider there is no direct Nitric Oxide vasodialator in the ingredient profile. Glycerol is what attributes to the pumps in this blend, and you can increase its effectiveness by drinking plenty of water all day long, and having some complex carbs before your workout.

Personal Experience: This is the product I used when I made by best gains. I was on Cre-Ethyl Thunder when I went from 160lbs to 180lbs, and also when I broke through the 200lb mark which was a plateua of mine for months.

The #1 thing I like about Omega Sports Cre-Ethyl Thunder is that they don’t mess around with those gimmicky “proprietary” formulas that have like 20 ingredients thrown in, and you have no idea of how much and of what quality they are. Omega Sports tells you exactly what you are getting, and it delivers on all fronts. This is the only pre-workout product a beginner to intermediate bodybuilder should consider picking up to make some great gains right away. Don’t let its lack of Arginine type ingredients deceive you, this product delivers excellent pumps, and more importantly, delivers exceptional strength and weight gains. Pick some up NOW!

Since Omega Sports Cre-Ethyl Thunder only comes in pill form, there is an abbreviated version of the usual grading system:

Ingredient Profile: 5/5-Proven leaders in each of their respective effects, Omega Sports combines the best of the best to create a powerful muscle building supplement.

Value: 4/5- At $29.99 for 30 servings (Around $1.00 per serving) Thunder is a little less economical than some powdered pre-workout supplements. But when you are gaining close to 10lbs each month, I’m sure you won’t complain!

Overall 4.5/5-I absolutely love this product, and recommend it to any bodybuilder with a little experience under their belt who wants to explode and take it to the next level. This company may not be as well-known as others, but trust me, this product is a winner, and theres a reason it has been selling so successfully for the last couple of years, IT WORKS! Please, do yourself a favor and hit up the BodyBuilding.com Store and get this!!

Omega Sports Cre-Ethyl Thunder Mind Blowing Pumps And Increased Strength!

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Step 2: Find Products you like (check out my Supplement Reviews) and add them to your cart

Step 3: Once on the checkout page, enter COMEBACK10PERCENT in the “Coupon” Field!

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Overview: Dymatize Energized Xpand is the stimulant enhanced version of the regular stimulant-free version Dymatize Xpand. I have taken numerous pre-workout supplements in my life, and this is by far the best one I have EVER used. Energized Xpand uses only the top quality ingredients that have been proven for superior absorption and muscle building. I’m talking about the use of things like Creatine Ethyl Ester and Arginine Ethyl Ester.

The Pumps: By combining Arginine Ethyl Ester, a potent Nitric Oxide vasodialator, with its “Xpansion” Matrix, Dymatize has created a product that produces strong and intense pumps for not only the duration of your workout, but for hours after as well. You won’t feel any uncomfortable and painful lower back pumps like some other products, but a targeted sensation in the bodyparts you are currently working.

The Rush: Its only fair to give a mini review of the stimulants used in Energized Xpand that differ it from the stimulant-free versions. At the relatively small does of 1600mg, the “Energized” Matrix packs quite the punch. Its included the staple of all stimulants, Caffeine, as well as some more modern ingredients in the form of L-Tyrosine and N-Acetyl-Cysteine. The Energized Matrix produces a very clean energy boost accompanied with a strong sense of well-being. Takes about 20-30 minutes to kick in, and gives you more than enough energy to blast through a long workout. And the best part is, NO CRASH whatsoever! I have used many other stimulants in the past that left me tired, weak, and nauseous as the workout came to a close. Energized Xpand leaves me with that same sense of well being, high energy, and awesome pump that I had in the gym for hours!

Personal Experience: At 230 lbs, I often find myself having to slightly increase or even double the suggested serving size on many pre-workout supplements. This is not the case with Energized Xpand at all, I have been on the suggested serving size of 1 scoop for over a year! Therefore, take caution, and slowly work your way up to the 1 scoop over a few workouts.

Flavours:
Orange

Tropical Berry
Grape
Pink Lemonade

Blue Raspberry

Prefer Pills?
240 Caplets

84 Caplets

Ingredient Profile: 5/5-Uses top quality ingredients of the ethyl ester variety, which have been proven to increase absorpition and effectiveness. Energized Matrix packs a long lasting punch with a mix of traditional and modern stimulants.

Taste: 4/5-Initially you will notice a very slight after taste with all flavours, but goes away quickly as you continue taking it. Orange is my personal favorite.

Mixability: 3.5/5-Initially when mixed with water it mixes well, but if you let it sit around for a few minutes some powder will form at the bottom of the glass.

Value: 4.5/5-At $34.99 for a 1.81lb container (only 88 cents a serving!) it provides exceptional value and beat out all its competitors in this category. If you are on a budget, you cannot go wrong!

Overall: 4.5/5-A fantastic pre-workout product that produces awesome skin bursting pumps, and a clean energy rush that lasts for hours after your workout. This is the pre-workout product I currently use, so pick some up today!

Dymatize Energized Xpand Designed To Give You Xplosive Energy And Mind Blowing Pumps!