Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Are you, or have you ever been, a hardgainer?

By Jon Cardozo

If you've spent some considerable time trying to build a more muscular appearance but haven't had much success, you may be tempted to label yourself as a hardgainer. You may have even been given this title by your friends in the gym. Is there really such thing as a hardgainer?

Listen, people have been arguing about the role of genetics for a long time, and scientists are still trying to figure it out. I think it's safe to say, however, that your genes are not the whole story. Even if you're at a disadvantage, you can still make a for it if you have a mind to.

It may be true that some individuals were born with a genetic advantage in certain areas. Certainly some individuals possess greater intelligence than others, and it seems fairly obvious that some trainees have a strong tendency to gain muscle with less effort. Is this sufficient reason to throw in the towel? I don't think so.

I'm not saying that taking on a weightlifting or muscle building program is going to be a piece of cake for you. It may actually be more difficult for you than for some other people.

If you can forget about the guys that seem to make progress without any effort, you can focus on your own training program and make impressive progress. Besides, those guys may not have it as easy as they would have you believe.

Perhaps more importantly, you'll need to change your attitude towards your ability to build muscle. Believe it or not, your way of thinking can dramatically influence your results in the gym. If you enter a weightlifting program with the idea that you're not going to succeed, you've already limited your results from the very beginning.

If you concentrate on the difficulties, pretty soon that will be all that you can see. People who have hope in the future become creative in solving their problems, but those who are negative simply shut off their mind to solutions.

A positive mental attitude and a commitment means that you've won more than half the battle, but you still have to have the right knowledge to succeed. Make sure to learn from a proven bodybuilder who knows what it takes to succeed. - 16004

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