Overtraining and not getting enough rest is one of the primary reasons hard gainers fail to build muscle. It very well could be the main factor for your unsatisfaction with your training. Well, actually there’s something else, but I’ll save it for the end. Now, don’t give up your hopes just yet. If overtraining is your mistake, then the solution is to take it easy. Heaving heavy weights everyday is not the way. Pumping wussy weights till you feel the burn does more harm than good despite what he fitness morons, I mean experts say. To build muscle, real muscle as in you look as strong as you look, you simply lift heavy weights with high volume. Carefully planning your routine will optimize gains and reduce failure.

Eliminate all reps near failure is key. You want to train for success not over exhausting yourself to failure. Yes, this goes against everything you’ve been taught about weight lifting, but that’s why this will work. Here is a very simple, basic plan:

Lift Twice a week with 2 days rest in between. Example, Monday, Thursday.

Allow plenty of rest. You are maximizing strength!

Work with your ten set max poundage.

Overhead Press - Monday, Thursday. One lift per day

Set 1 - 50% x 5

Set2 - 70% x 5

Set3 - 100% x 5

This foolproof method works. Start easy and build up. Do about 75-80% on the 3rd set of your ten rep max. So if you can do 100 x 1, you’ll first week will look like this:

Set 1 - 40 x 5, Set 2 - 65 x 5, Set 3 80 x 5

Increase by 5lbs on the press and 10lbs on the deadlift the following week.

Another way is to use heavy weights with super low reps (1-3) for multiple sets and play with the percentage like this:

Set 1 70% x 1-3

Set 2 75-80% x 1-3

Set 3 80-85% x 1-2

Set 4 85-90% x 1

Set 5 70% x 1-3

You can continue with the 70% x 1-3 if you need more. You can fluctuate up to 80-85%, but I would stay with 70%, or at least fluctuate no more than 80%, better safe than sorry. Textbooks instruct you WILL make progress with this.

Another way is to do 5x5 until max 2x a week and progressively increasing the weight while reducing reps like this:

Mon, Thursday - Overhead Press, Deadlift respectively. Each done on different days exclusively.

Set 1 50% x 5-12

Set 2 60% x 5-10

Set 3 70% x 5-8

Set 4 80% x 5-6

Set 5 100% x 5

Again, START CONSERVATIVELY! If your max is 100lbs on the press, then start with 75-80% of your max on the fifth set. So your poundage would be something like 40, 50, 55, 65, 75-85. Just round up numbers, you can’t be exact each time. Hike up the poundage by 5 for the press, 10 for the dead and then drop the reps. So next week on your fifth set you will do 3 reps, then 2 the next week, and 1. Adjust your reps accordingly to suit your needs. This is not hammered in stone so you can adapt this to your personal requirements. Use what percentages work for you and pick the number of reps that keep you fresh without draining you. Your should feel better and stronger not fatigued.

The hardcore approach or as some like to call it, the manly way to bulk up, is to blasting each muscle group. Famous bodybuilders use this and well just look at how big they get. Totally destroying the muscles by using compound movements definitely delivers results. Pick a full body exercise example, the deadlift and to life 70% x 5, 80% x 3, 85% x 1-2, 90% x 1. Here’s the fun part. Do 75% x as many as you can. If you can do 8, force yourself to do 10. Now take off some weight and do the same, no rest. Crack out reps until you can‘t do anymore. Drop some more weight and keep going. Make about 10-30lb drops or adjust depending on the exercise. If you do more than 15 reps, it means you either didn’t do enough on the previous set, or you’re taking off too much. At the end you’ll be struggling to lift a baby’s weight but that’s ok. Sample - do this once a week for each exercise.

Overhead Press Assuming max is 100lbs

Set 1 70 x 5

Set 2 80 x 3

Set 3 85 x 1-2

Set 4 90 x 1

Set 5 70 x whatever you can do, then drop weights accordingly remember no rest!

For the first 4 sets take longer rest periods. You’re saving energy for later, plus you’ll need it to do the 3rd and 4th sets.

Normally I don’t suggest protein powders, however for this I’ll make an exception. Unless you’re going to drink organic raw milk, or have a beautiful woman preparing a feast for you, you’d better take a powder to replenish your traumatized body.

I know this isn’t for the faint at heart, but on the bright side it’ll make a man out of ya. Rest well, and watch those muscles grow!

Light Snack To Feed your Muscles - Light pumping to cause growth? Yes, manipulating high reps with a light weight can deliver the results you may be looking for. Combined with heavy lifting, this light pump can force growth to occur so you get bigger while getting stronger. Here it is - 5x5, 1 x 40-100, or 3x1-3, 1x100.

So you could add it to one of the previous routines like twice a week training. Do your heavy lifting, then do the light pump to stimulate growth so your muscles will have more than just fluff.

Overhead Press/Deadlift

Set 1 50% x 5-12

Set 2 60% x 5-10

Set 3 70% x 5-8

Set 4 80% x 5-6

Set 5 100% x 5

Set 6 x 40-100 reps

Remember to follow the rules as before such as if your max is 100lbs, your fifth set should be 75-80lbs, so you progress consistently. Good thing is, its only twice a week, one for each exercise. Another sample is using 90% for 3 reps like this.

90% x 3, for 3 sets with plenty of rest in between. Then your light high rep set for muscle growth.

Basically, you’re just adding 1 set of light reps with a super low poundage like just lifting the bar. Do it in private or you may get laughed at in the gym.

Heavy High Rep Revolution - Going against the norm is what leads to advancement. Super strong men used out of textbook methods to develop radical strength. Here is such a method. Pick one compound exercise example, the overhead press or clean & jerk and work the heck out of it. Do about 1-3 reps each time with plenty of rest and never going to failure. You may end up doing 25-100 reps but it’ll not only give strength, but seismic size as well. Because you’re never going to failure you can do this 2-3 x a week, making small 5lbs increases every week. So, it could look like Mon/Wed/Fri 100lbs x ? Then next Monday it would be 105 x ?

Food, The Forgotten Factor - Chewing your food is very important. I have yet to find a hard gainer who doesn’t wolf down his food. What’s the rush? The food ain’t going anywhere. Slow down, relax, enjoy your food. That’s what life’s all about. Make sure to chew it well, mixing it with your saliva until it is liquid. Same goes for drinking fluids, don’t just gulp it down without the enzymes from your spit. All the old time strongmen repeated this, so I’m repeating it one more time, CHEW YOUR FOOD! You’ll have an easier time on the toilet too. Selecting proper foods will aid you in the long run. When you live as nature intended, you’ll eat when you’re hungry and when you eat you’ll really eat because you’re actually hungry! Most people just stuff themselves mindlessly without thinking even if they’re not hungry, like food zombies! Here’s a suggestions eat when hungry! When you do this, you’ll find eating a few veggies than protein, then carbs/fat easy and this is what all the “expert” doctors say. I’ll give you another, stop eating when full! You’d figure most know this, but you’ll be surprised. When you just let go and go back to nature life becomes simpler and don’t bother counting calories, just enjoy your meals guilt free!