The Hardgainers Body Building Handbook Workouts Nutrition and Results
The Hardgainers Body Building Handbook Workouts Nutrition and Results
Pack on muscle mass quickly and get bigger and stronger now-—an essential guide for the everyday weight trainer.
Are you tired of working out with nothing to show for it? Are you pumping iron but not getting big? Then you are a hardgainer, someone who needs a special plan for building a superbly muscled, strong, lean, and healthy physique.
Now you can get big faster than you ever imagined with the secret techniques revealed in The Hardgainer’s Body Building Handbook.
In The Hardgainer’s Body Building Handbook will reveal:
- The 10 laws of ultimate muscle growth.
- The best exercises for building muscle mass.
- Essential equipment for your home gym.
- How to use nutrition to build muscle without increasing body fat.
- The scoop on supplements, the truth about aerobics, and much more.
Containing detailed beginner, intermediate, and advanced workout routines; packed with information on diet, cooking, and nutrition; filled with training schedules, exercise plans and nutrition logs; The Hardgainer’s Body Building Handbook is a must for anyone who is serious about bulking up. 150 b/w photos.
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars My Results with the Hardgainer Workout
This is a review of the The Hardgainer’s Body Building Handbook by Hugo Rivera. I was never sure if I fell into the “hardgainer” category, but with a short build and medium frame I figured this book might be one to try. I should note that I am 36, and I have been weight training on and off for 12 years. I have pretty much stayed in shape my whole life, but never focused on body building or serious weight training.
I found the book easy to follow, and although there were some obvious errors and generalizations with this book, I felt the book was focused enough for me. The strength of the book was its focus on the workout routines and individual exercises. It provided an explanation of the different program “phases” the reader is supposed to go through. The program includes a volume training phase, muscle-growth phase, strength training phase, and an active recovery phase (not in that sequence). Each phase is preceded by an explanation of what the goal is. In most if not all cases, the program involves workouts that use forms of superset exercises. The rest durations are clearly defined for each superset interval. I made my own spreadsheet of each workout in the book (used the same table format) and brought it with me to the gym.
The nutritional and supplement sections were interesting to read, but I felt that given my own dietary restrictions (type 1 diabetes), I would have to derive my own nutritional and supplement plans. Basically, I had to find a way to hit my calorie mark, but I could not consume all the carbohydrates that were prescribed.
So the workout began, and I gave this book my best effort. The book pushes you to never miss a workout, and it supported its recovery considerations by scheduling no more than two consecutive days of workouts… with each workout lasting no more than an hour. My consulting profession currently enables me to work at home a few days each week, and that gave me the ability to use the gym often at non-peak hours. I realize most people won’t have this advantage, but it became essential, as the superset workout plans required that you have (basically reserved) two to three pieces of gym equipment. Try that during the busy periods at your gym. With the somewhat shorter rest periods (30-90 seconds in most cases), it was difficult to follow the superset schedule as written if someone needed to use equipment I had in my set. In any case, I went through all phases of the program, and with much effort, I never missed a workout. I even made it to an out of town gym while on vacation.
My results: I found that following this program did more for me than my previous “programs” or years of “winging it” in the gym. I definitely was more defined and built - but I did not put on the weight and mass that I thought I would. This may be because I had to eat fewer carbohydrates than the book prescribes, but I did manage to still get close to the calorie intake. I also used fish oil (omega 3) and protein supplements as the book prescribed. I believe that my results might have been better if the program I followed focused more on the heavier lifting with fewer reps, as I’ve done this since my program ended with good results. This is further proof to me that what works best for someone else may not be the best for me. Still, I found this program and its explanation of exercises very helpful, and it gave me the most success I have had in the gym.
I will also note that I contacted the author (Rivera) by his noted email address in early 2006. I asked him a question about my nutritional options, and he responded the next day. I was very impressed by this - especially since he was able to comment on my dietary limitations.
Overall, I believe this program (and book) would be a good one for a moderately experienced gymmer who has not found success with the standard 3 sets of 10 reps. The lighter weight, volume training phase did not work for me, but it might for you. I also believe that this program might be frustrating to those who work out at a busy gym. The program’s supersets might be too difficult to pull off in a crowded gym with limited equipment. Still, I dedicated six or seven months to following this program, and I don’t regret it.
1 Star There are much better books for skinny guys
This book consists of:
71 pages of large print, illustrated, generic information. 15 of those pages cover the basic information about hardgainers, but probably nothing you didn’t already know. The remaining 56 pages contain the same basic information you’d read in any Muscle and Fitness magazine or the like. Eat a lot, take these supplements, rest, work out.
The remaining 200 pages are photos (with one page explanations) of the same basic exercises anyone who has every strength trained or bought a bodybuilding magazine has seen before: pure recycled material.
The workouts included are almost ridiculous, and even though I’ve been weight training for several years, I found most of them impractical. For example, 10 sets of 10 pull-ups with 1 minute rest in between (after 100 reps of inclined barbell presses with no rest). It’s sort of like someone saying, “Oh, you want to build up your endurance–why don’t you run 20km everyday then?” While the book explicitly states it is aimed for folks who have already been doing weight training for 6 months, I found that most of its workouts are simply impossible for even the above-average fitness buff.
Basically, this book is a waste of your money and time if you are really looking for information and a fitness program to put that 10 pounds on your frame that you’ve been hoping for. It’s just another generic bodybuilding book like a dozen others on my shelf, although it is a little less informative than most of those others.
A much BETTER selection, both in terms of content and realism, is Mejia’s and Berardi’s “Scrawny to Brawny.” Here’s why:
1) They actually provide real information about what makes a hardgainer a hardgainer rather than the same old, “Oh, it’s the fast twitch/slow twitch difference.” Not only that, they do a good job telling you what you can do about it.
2) The information they provide is not generic but is aimed at “scrawny guys” rather than rehashing the same old stuff and putting it under a new label.
3) They don’t just show you a bunch of dumb pictures of guys doing an exercise with a kindergarten-level explanation, but instead show you how to do them in a way that maximizes their effects for YOU as a hardgainer (someone who probably has shorter muscles, longer tendons, longer limbs, and predominantly slow-twitch muscle fiber composition).
4) The exercise routines are tough, but they are at least realistic.
Do they work? I’ll let you know in six months.
5 Stars RESULTS!
The success I’m having with this book amazes me. I’m on week 12 of the 21-week training program and my thigh measurement has increased one inch (2.54 centimeters). My lats have grown incredibly too - thicker.
As background: I’m 49 years old. I’ve been skinny. I’ve seriously followed several bodybuilding routines, with varying degress of success. I know success when I see it. The exercise plan in this book (chapter 3) is the most successful I’ve ever followed.
Other reviews of this book have mentioned frustration with access to equipment during busy times at their gym. Yes, it’s true the exercise plan uses supersets. (Rant) But frustration with your overcrowded gym is NOT a limitation of this book. (End Rant) I’ll admit to swearing under my breath when some pretty young thing sets up housekeeping on equipment I want to use. I’ve gotten pretty good at flaring my lats a little, smiling, and asking to jump-in for just one more set. These supersets work for me and I’m sticking with ‘em.
The chapter for ‘Mass Building Nutrition’ was somewhat interesting. It caused me to make minor adjustments. As opinion, I believe it might be a bad choice for me (at age 49) to begin eating +4,000 calories daily. I’ve begun gaining about 1 pound (0.453592 kg) each week. As opinion, I believe this gain comes from (A) doing less cardio and (B) allowing more recovery time between days when I lift. That being said - I admire the way the nutrition chapter is laid out. I wish the information for developing a meal plan had been available to me 25 years ago - back when 4,000 calories would’ve been a good choice for growing.
BOTTOM LINE: This book delivered what it promised. This book genuinely is for the guy who has tried everything to bulk up, but nothing has worked.
1 Star Decietful
I’m not a hard gainer (a skinny guy having difficulty putting on muscle) but I bought this book to look over the methodology and exercises.
When the book came, I was very impressed with the size. I opened it and started anxiously going threw the pages. Thats when it kicked in, the Deja Vu. The feeling that I’ve seen this before….
…. This is almost an exact copy of “Body Sculpting Bible for Men.” Same exercises, same people, same author, I even think it has the same pictures!
Im sure the workout plans is a little different, if you wanna buy the book for the 13 pages of workout plans, go for it.
If you dont, I strongly recommend “Body Sculpting Bible for Men: Revised Edition.” I have almost (if not) all the body sculpting bibles and the mens revised edition is will get the job done.
As for me, I’m in shock how many books this guy publishes with the same exercises and same material.
5 Stars very helpful
easy read and the program works. wish I knew about this book sooner
Filed under: Bodybuilding Books
