September 2002

The question-of-the-month for September comes from William in Philadelphia, a 26 year old hardgainer whose goal is to put on lean mass.  He wants to know how often he should train a body part.  His question is: 

Dear Mike:

How often should I work a body part?  I am considered a hardgainer.  I take in over 4000 calories a day and have problems gaining weight. 

Dear William:

Thank you for the great question.  I receive a lot of questions from individuals who consider themselves hardgainers, those who just can't seem to put on mass no matter what they do.  Usually, people who have this problem are 'ectomorphic', i.e. thinner, taller people with a lighter bone structure.

If you fall into this category, DON'T GIVE UP.  I have seen many 'ectomorphics' put on a lot of mass; however, it does take more work and dedication, not to mention patience.  In fact, I am currently training a 20 year old who would be considered an ectomorphic (hardgainer).  He was around 200-210 lbs. when he started with me 1 1/2 years ago and he now weighs around 290 lbs.  

Below are the changes I made to his program that allowed him to pack on mass:

Specifically, I had him increase his carbohydrate and protein consumption by 500 calories a week until he started gaining weight.  I also had him decrease his training time in the gym from 2 hours a day to 45 minutes a day, and had him cut out activities that were expending energy outside the gym (basketball, jogging, etc.)  Lastly, I had him reduce the number of times per week he was training each body part from two to one.  If you are training intensely, this will be more than enough.

As I always stress, more is not better.  Many people overtrain and this is a big mistake, especially when trying to gain mass.  When I was preparing for the Mr. Olympia, my training sessions lasted around 45 minutes.  The key is to train intensely, not longer!

Try making these adjustments and I know you will see great improvements.    

Thanks again for the great question.  Good luck and keep training hard.

As always, don't forget to visit the Past Qs & As and my Training Tips section for more great tips and training info.

Until next month, train hard and stay healthy.

Mike Francois

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Note: Before embarking on any nutrition, supplementation, and/or training program, consult with your physician or other licensed health-care professional.