What the Heck is a Hardgainer?

Photo by Leo Reynold

It wasn’t my intention to shock or scare you in the introduction to this series.  But once again I have to say that it is very possible that you are NOT a hardgainer.  But no need to be alarmed because today we will begin to take the steps necessary in determining if you are or aren’t a hardgainer.  Since we seem to be throwing this term around so much how about you define it for me.  Actually I’m going to take all the fun and define it according to its commonly accepted definition.

Hardgainer – a person that weight trains to the best of his/her ability but has a difficult time putting on muscle.

It’s highly likely that this is the definition you are most comfortable with.  Sadly there is a problem.  If we were to take this definition seriously there would be no such thing as a hardgainer.  Have I lost you? Let me explain.  EVERYONE HAS A DIFFICULT TIME PUTTING ON MUSCLE. Yes it’s true some people can gain a little bit faster than others but hard work is still needed.  So if a hardgainer is only someone who has difficulty putting on muscle then in other words we are all hardgainers.

Not Cool.

So can we cross out this definition?  Yes?  Ok great.

Hardgainer - a person that weight trains to the best of his/her ability but has a difficult time putting on muscle.

Moving on.

Let’s take a look at some other definitions from the web.

According to the Hardgainer Bodybuilding & Weightlifting FAQ a Hardgainer is…

Hardgainer - is a genetically-typical person. He/she is born with no special genetic ‘gifts’ which enable them to pack on muscle mass quickly.

This definition is getting a bit warmer.  Genes do play a part in why we can’t put on muscle mass quickly BUT it’s not the deciding factor as to why we are the way we are.

Shall we take a look at one more?  Ok this ones from a natural bodybuilder that I have a lot of respect for.  I’ll speak more about him another day but his name is Hugo Rivera and his definition is:

Hardgainer - a naturally skinny person, who no matter what he or she eats, always seem to remain the same body weight.

This definition is a bit vague but it touches on nutrition which is usually the number 1 reason why hardgainers stay skinny.

So I’ve identified a few relevant definitions but we still haven’t answered what a Hardgainer is. Here’s my definition.

Hardgainer Transformation Official Definition

Hardgainer - A person who has difficulty putting on muscle mass. This person is disadvantaged due to the fact that he/she has average genetics and no knowledge of proper muscle building nutrition. Due to these factors they can work out for long periods of time without making any significant muscular progress. The term hardgainer is commonly used interchangeably with ectomorph.

Sound good?  Leave me a comment with your definition of what a hardgainer is and be sure to look out for part 2 in our How to Determine if you’re a Hardgainer? series.