Easy Gainers and Hard Gainers?
Fithealthyforlife
Posts: 866 Member
Assuming there are really easy and hard gainers when it comes to muscle building...
what is the factor that we use to say someone is one or the other? Is it the amount of calories someone needs to eat in order to make muscle gains, with easy gainers needing less calories and hard gainers needing more to gain the same amount of muscle in the same time period? What about fat gains? do they factor into hard versus easy gainer status as well?
Or does it have nothing to do with the amount of calories someone needs?
what is the factor that we use to say someone is one or the other? Is it the amount of calories someone needs to eat in order to make muscle gains, with easy gainers needing less calories and hard gainers needing more to gain the same amount of muscle in the same time period? What about fat gains? do they factor into hard versus easy gainer status as well?
Or does it have nothing to do with the amount of calories someone needs?
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Interested in the replies.0
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And if it is the volume of food or extent of cutting required that determines whether we consider someone one or the other, why? What's so hard about having to eat a certain amount to bulk or to cut fat later? You do what you need to do to gain the amount of muscle you want...0
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The only instances I've ever heard the term hard gainer used is when it refers to the capacity of calories one needs in order to gain weight. Ironically, I've never heard the term used in conjunction with someone who actually tracks their calories.
One of my roommate claims to be unable to gain weight. He eats like a bird....
If you have a target, and are willing to hit that target.... I think that eliminates the term hard gainer as long as you're consistently meeting your calorie needs.0 -
On the other hand... I suppose it could also relate to someone who runs a program with no progressive overload and thus doesn't ever see any progress...0
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It's basically broscience...don't you think?
I mean, if one needs "x" amount of surplus to gain, and one hits that level every day and gains...who cares?
As far as no progressive overload...that's as bad as undereating.
Same for getting no sleep night after night.
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That said, there are legit situations where someone could still have trouble...
For example, clinical hyper or hypo thyroidism can both make muscle gains difficult. There are also adrenal conditions, etc. But I was assuming someone doesn't have such a condition, or if they do, it's being managed/treated properly.0 -
Yea, that would be the only particular instance I think one could be properly labeled as a "hardgainer" IMO.0
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I don't hear "easy gainer" used ever. There must be a reason.
The other thing is, sometimes "hardgainer" is inappropriately used to describe an average sized bodybuilder who has reached his predicted potential for maximum muscularity...because the point of comparison is those who have had a little "extra help" and gone slightly over their genetic potential for a short time.0 -
A hard gainer is generally used about someone who has trouble gaining weight - not specifically muscle - however, it is used in the context of bb'ing and so it also applies to people who have a hard time gaining muscle - but due to not being able to eat enough v someone who is nearing their genetic potential.
Most people who say they are, are not though - they just do not eat enough and/or do not have a very good training routine.
Easy gainer is not used because no-one gains muscle easily.......
...unless you are a female who uses ankle weights on an elliptical of course0 -
I can gain weight at a drop of a dime. But after lifting for years, gaining muscle / strength is a hard as hell.0
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Lol on your last comment, Sara!
But that brings up a good point actually. I think this hardgainer syndrome is more of a guy thing, because men need a lot more calories. I don't see many posts from women saying they're having a hard time gaining weight.
This was actually what spurred me to post. I have a lot of female MFP friends and have noticed they get by on roughly half the amount of calories as I do as a guy. I guess in that way, you could consider bulking easier for women...especially since all of us have about the same sized digestive tract regardless of our calorie needs. So where I bulk on 3200+, I see women maintaining body weights that are actually higher than mine on only 1600 or so.0 -
I can gain weight at a drop of a dime. But after lifting for years, gaining muscle / strength is a hard as hell.
That's funny...I'm the opposite...I can gain muscle readily on a high enough surplus...but it's very hard for me to gain fat. Chalk it up to diffs between us in age and years lifting I guess.0 -
Lol on your last comment, Sara!
But that brings up a good point actually. I think this hardgainer syndrome is more of a guy thing, because men need a lit more calories. I don't see many posts from women saying they're having a hard time gaining weight.
This was actually what spurred me to post. I have a lot of female MFP friends and have noticed they get by on roughly half the amount of calories as I do as a guy. I guess in that way, you could consider bulking easier for women...especially since all if us have about the same sized digestive tract regardless of our calorie needs. So where isn't bulk on 3200+, I see women maintaining body weights that are actually higher than mine on only 1600 or so.
But.....bulking to gain muscle is much much harder for a female.
Bulking and gaining only fat...well, that's just getting fat..and its very easy for most women (and most men)
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Lol on your last comment, Sara!
But that brings up a good point actually. I think this hardgainer syndrome is more of a guy thing, because men need a lit more calories. I don't see many posts from women saying they're having a hard time gaining weight.
This was actually what spurred me to post. I have a lot of female MFP friends and have noticed they get by on roughly half the amount of calories as I do as a guy. I guess in that way, you could consider bulking easier for women...especially since all if us have about the same sized digestive tract regardless of our calorie needs. So where isn't bulk on 3200+, I see women maintaining body weights that are actually higher than mine on only 1600 or so.
But.....bulking to gain muscle is much much harder for a female.
Bulking and gaining only fat...well, that's just getting fat..and its very easy for most women (and most men).
Right...assuming enough food and lifting, isn't muscle gain something like half the speed for women?
That said, a female on a surplus will still have better gains than a poor hardgainer male who isn't tracking and only gets 2000 calories a day!0 -
Lol on your last comment, Sara!
But that brings up a good point actually. I think this hardgainer syndrome is more of a guy thing, because men need a lit more calories. I don't see many posts from women saying they're having a hard time gaining weight.
This was actually what spurred me to post. I have a lot of female MFP friends and have noticed they get by on roughly half the amount of calories as I do as a guy. I guess in that way, you could consider bulking easier for women...especially since all if us have about the same sized digestive tract regardless of our calorie needs. So where isn't bulk on 3200+, I see women maintaining body weights that are actually higher than mine on only 1600 or so.
But.....bulking to gain muscle is much much harder for a female.
Bulking and gaining only fat...well, that's just getting fat..and its very easy for most women (and most men).
Right...assuming enough food and lifting, isn't muscle gain something like half the speed for women?
That said, a female on a surplus will still have better gains than a poor hardgainer male who isn't tracking and only gets 2000 calories a day!
Yep. general rule of thumb is 1/2 the speed (and with different genetic potential).
If the male is only getting 2,000 cals a day - they are not a hard gainer - they are just not eating enough.0 -
Lol on your last comment, Sara!
But that brings up a good point actually. I think this hardgainer syndrome is more of a guy thing, because men need a lit more calories. I don't see many posts from women saying they're having a hard time gaining weight.
This was actually what spurred me to post. I have a lot of female MFP friends and have noticed they get by on roughly half the amount of calories as I do as a guy. I guess in that way, you could consider bulking easier for women...especially since all if us have about the same sized digestive tract regardless of our calorie needs. So where isn't bulk on 3200+, I see women maintaining body weights that are actually higher than mine on only 1600 or so.
But.....bulking to gain muscle is much much harder for a female.
Bulking and gaining only fat...well, that's just getting fat..and its very easy for most women (and most men).
Right...assuming enough food and lifting, isn't muscle gain something like half the speed for women?
That said, a female on a surplus will still have better gains than a poor hardgainer male who isn't tracking and only gets 2000 calories a day!
Yep. general rule of thumb is 1/2 the speed (and with different genetic potential).
If the male is only getting 2,000 cals a day - they are not a hard gainer - they are just not eating enough.
Exactly. But those are the guys who call themselves hard gainers I've found.
Also, gaining muscle is much easier for me than gaining fat, I think. Not sure how that can be, but that's my experience so far.0 -
2,000 calories for me would be approx. 11% higher than my current calorie count set at 0.5 lbs of weight loss per week.0
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2,000 calories for me would be approx. 11% higher than my current calorie count set at 0.5 lbs of weight loss per week.
I lose weight on 2000 and bulk on 3200+. But I'm also much younger (under 30).0 -
I can gain weight at a drop of a dime. But after lifting for years, gaining muscle / strength is a hard as hell.
That's funny...I'm the opposite...I can gain muscle readily on a high enough surplus...but it's very hard for me to gain fat. Chalk it up to diffs between us in age and years lifting I guess.
For the life of me, I can't think of any question you could possibly have if the above is true! I don't think I've read anyone wanting to gain fat. lol0 -
I can gain weight at a drop of a dime. But after lifting for years, gaining muscle / strength is a hard as hell.
That's funny...I'm the opposite...I can gain muscle readily on a high enough surplus...but it's very hard for me to gain fat. Chalk it up to diffs between us in age and years lifting I guess.
For the life of me, I can't think of any question you could possibly have if the above is true! I don't think I've read anyone wanting to gain fat. lol
It's great right now...I only went up an inch in the waist and a couple of bodyfat percent with 10 lbs of gain...but it does take a good amount of food! And I don't think it'll last as I get older...if my dad is any indication, fat gain gets easier after middle age.0 -
Some of this has been covered already but I'll add my input.
Everyone gains weight when they eat in a surplus, but as already mentioned in this thread, some people require greater calorie intakes to actually get into a surplus.
Some people are more active which means they require more calories to gain weight. Additionally, some people may have a large response to overfeeding in that NEAT upregulates to a greater degree meaning they burn off a larger portion of those additional calories.0
