For most, muscle gain takes at least some effort and discipline. There’s a fortunate minority who can train how and when they feel like, eat as much or as little as suits them and yet still build considerable muscle. And then there’s the unfortunate minority at the other end of the scale.
No matter how disciplined they are, regardless of how hard they train, muscle gain remains frustratingly difficult. The bodybuilding world has labeled this group of people “hard gainers” and lays the blame with genetics. Genetics encompasses a vast array of bodily processes and characteristics so let’s examine those they relate specifically to weight and muscle gain.
Muscle Fiber Types
Muscle fibers fall into one of three categories:
- Type I fibers – Also known as slow twitch these fibers predominate in endurance athletes and can contract continuously for long periods of time.
- Type IIB Fibers – Also known as fast twitch these fibers predominate in power and strength athletes and can contract much more forcefully than type I fibers.
- Type IIA Fibers – These fibers combine the traits of both type I and type type IIB.
The percentage of type IIB and type IIA in your body will play a significant role in muscle gain. Although fiber makeup is largely determined by genetics it is possible through training to make one type of fiber behave like another.
Metabolism
Metabolism is affected by body weight, gender and age amongst other things. According to innumerable studies body weight influences metabolism more than any other factor. Ironically the heavier you are the higher your metabolism. This is because you have more cells to keep alive so your body requires more energy. Men have higher resting metabolisms than women and your metabolism slows with age. The more muscle mass you have the higher your metabolism and increased meal frequency also increases resting metabolic rate.
A 250lb, twenty something, male bodybuilder will have a high resting metabolism and will need to eat vast quantities of food to maintain their weight. A 100lb, 70 year old woman will need a fraction of that to maintain her weight.
Body Frame Size
Most “hard gainers” have a small body frame. Body frame size is determined by measuring a bony structure that is rarely covered by a layer of fat…the width of the wrist or ankle for example. While body frame size doesn’t dictate muscle gain per se, hard gainers invariably have thin ankles, wrists and necks. Perhaps more important than body frame size is body type…
Somatotyping is the process of categorizing people into one of three body types from their body frame size, body fat percentage and weight…
- Endomorphs – tend to have large bones, a slower metabolism, higher body fat percentages and small amounts of muscle mass.
- Mesomorphs – are the people hard gainers love to hate. They have moderate body fat levels, a moderate metabolism, average bone size and large amounts of muscle mass.
- Ectomorphs – with their low body fat levels, fast metabolisms, small frames and sparse muscle mass these are the classic hard gainers. If you are young, male, have a small frame size and low body fat levels regardless of what you eat you will have to work much harder than most to gain weight and muscle.
Hormone Levels
Without going into too much detail studies have shown that several hormones play a key role in muscle gain and metabolic rate by increasing the amount of anabolic hormones released into the body. They include but are not limited to testosterone, insulin, growth hormone and IGF (Insulin-Like Growth Factors). Anabolic hormonal levels and response can be influenced through specific resistance training methods and diet. However, catabolic hormones which include cortisol and progesterone are the enemy of resistance training and can contribute to the breakdown of muscle protein, to be used for energy.
Summary
If you find it hard to gain weight and muscle some or all of the above factors may be working against you. However, unless you plan on competing at a professional level there is absolutely no reason why genetics should prevent you from gaining enough weight and muscle to make you happy with your physique…
Undoubtedly, you will have to be more disciplined than most but the changes will be the much more rewarding as a result. And of course your big advantage is that even small amounts of muscle gain will stand out because of your low body fat levels and small frame.
Use the articles on this site to get a background into how you can train and eat to overcome your genetic limitations.
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Dear sir, i am 28 year old boy who is unmarried. my problem is i only 55 kg amount of wegiht and my hight is 5 foot 5 inches . i need to put more weghit becoz i look like small boy even in my 28 age
please help me in this issuse. and other problem is i used to do self sex and every week it will cost my spram out, does it effect my wegiht? please hep me