If you've EVER tried to bulk with clean food, WITHOUT using any assistance (aka steroids), you already know how freaking hard it is. Unless of course you are a damn asshole mesomorph who can stay at 200+ pounds off fig newtons, a couple handful of mixed nuts, and a protein shake or two (you bastard, you know who you are! If only I was so blessed). There is only so much calories in a chicken breast, cup of broccoli, or egg whites. Eat enough of these things and you're gonna start hating food! You'll pretty much hate life itself. You'll come to the point that you'll rather punch yourself square in the nose instead of eat another dry ass excuse for a chicken breast (maybe it's just my lame cooking skills).
The bottom line is, eating clean sometimes just doesn't do the job. Especially for Ectomorphs. You can try all the latest exercise routine "guaranteed to make you ripped and huge in 1 month" but if you aren't getting enough calories in, it ain't going to do SHIT
I'll tell you a story about what I went through. I'm not an ectomorph, nor am I a true mesomorph. Without doing much I usually hover between 175-185. A few years back, determined to get to 200+ lbs I tried eating clean. Eating every two hours. Pushing food down my throat and washing it down with water. One day I'd barely choke down 3500 calories...but the next day I'd suffer from a food hangover and probably only get 2500 calories.
I got to about 190 lbs but that was it...the cursed weight scale wasn't budging. I got obsessed with that thing. Trying to lean just a little bit to the left or right trying to find that sweet spot on the scale which would read half a pound heavier (don't hate, you know you've done it). Eventually I had to figure out another way.
What did I do? well it got ugly, but it worked. I put cheese on everything. AND I MEAN EVERYTHING! I think I once put cheese in a god damn peanut butter sandwhich. I made my protein shakes with whole milk, lots of fruit, peanut butter, and added a magical ingredient to help with my weight gain. Oil. That's right, good old fashioned olive or grape seed oil. I'd throw down at least 3 of those a day. Sure I'd eat clean food here and there...in between the sittings of burgers and pizza.
One day...finally I hit 205. Not amazing by any means, but the heaviest I had ever weighed. I felt huge. My strength went through the roof! Unfortunately my joints hated me. I couldn't jump without my knees feeling like they were going to shatter. I snored every freaking night to the point I'd wake my damn self up...pretty sure I blamed it on my girlfriend. I was fast...if you gave me about 10 seconds to accelerate (only on straight stretches though...none of this fancy agility shit). I did it though! Just shows how dirty you gotta get sometimes to reach your goals. There's what they write in the magazines...and then there's reality. The two rarely crossover.
I'm not saying this is the "healthiest" or text book way to gain weight but for you hardgainers sometimes you gotta put in work. Balance that out with a good routine focusing on heavy compound movements. Lots of rest. and sitting on your ass every chance you get, and you might be able to get to your goals.
This message was inspired by Nate green's article "37 tips and tales from Dave Tate"
No comments:
Post a Comment