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For hardgainers who can't get the scale where they want it, milk may be the answer!

Do you ever feel like no matter how much you lift and how much you eat, the
scale just doesn't tip the way you would like for it to? Many supplements have
been discussed over and over again in every single Flex, Muscle &
Fitness and Muscular Development we read, many of which have been proven to
be effective most of the time.
The two supplements that seem to stand out most consistently as tried-and-true
are creatine monohydrate andprotein. Whether you are trying to simply maintain
health or be in the best shape of your life, we are all taught from an early age
that protein is the most important thing for your body other than water.
ADDING MILK TO YOUR DIEt
This article is geared towards hardgainers who have tried everything (including
creatine) and still can't manage to get the scale to where they want it. A method
which has been tried-and-true by yours truly is the incorporation ofmilk into your
diet, and I mean in a big way.
Starting at one 155 pounds and doing everything I could to put on even a small
amount of weight, milk was the single most important tool in getting my weight
up to 180 in a timeframe of three to four months. This of course came along with
hard work and dedication in the gym as well as eating at least a fairly healthy
diet along with the introduction of
I am here to tell you that it is possible to achieve the body you want, and to get
you one step closer to doing what has seemed impossible for so long. Do you
want to drink your way to a bigger body? If so, then read on.
It is often recommended that when attempting to gain weight, one should aim to
take in one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. From a financial standpoint
as well as physically, this can be very difficult to some, especially those who just
can't seem to eat enough to reach this high number of daily calories. After all, if
gaining weight were easy you would not be reading this article!
Whole milk has 150 calories per one cup or serving (8 oz) and eight grams of
protein. Along with this comes the disturbing fact that there are also eight grams
of fat in just one cup of whole milk, but this is usually not a concern for a
hardgainer since we take weight however we can get it by means such as dirty
bulking.
If this concerns you, skim milk, contains only 86 calories and 0.5 grams of fat
while still maintaining the eight grams of protein per serving. Skim milk is a great
alternative since it contains the same amount of protein as whole milk. With that
being said, there is no reason anybody should not be drinking milk at least as
part of their diet.

As a hardgainer, especially during a bulking phase, I always reach for the whole
milk and drink up, on many occasions drinking as much as one gallon per day!
One gallon of whole milk has 2600 calories in it, which can be a more than
substantial addition of calories to those that you had to shove down your throat
throughout the day. Imagine taking that many calories and just tacking it onto
what you already eat on a daily basis. You will be gaining weight in no time!
GETTING IN ENOUGH CALORIES
There is a caloric number that you must reach each day in order to grow, and
this number should be the intake of the average person weighing what you
would like to weigh.
A valuable piece of information that I have kept with me is that if you want to
weigh 180 pounds, then you must eat like a 180-pound person.
According to one online calculator, it was projected that to maintain a weight of
180 pounds, a 22-year-old male must consume around 2700 calories a day.
Let's say that this is your goal and no matter what you do and no matter how
much you eat, you get stuffed throughout the day and can only tolerate 17502000 calories in one day, which is the problem I was constantly faced with.
You count your calories, (which is always crucial) and determine that you need to
drink what you can't eataround 950 additional calories.
If you do the calculations, this comes out to three to four 16-ounce glasses (6-8
servings) of milk a day, which is a very attainable goal. The method is to eat as
much as you can at each meal. When you can't go on eating, let the milk flow,
since most people can still drink even after they are full.
I found myself drinking milk with every meal to add on additional calories, and in
many cases when I didn't have time to eat I drank glasses of milk to have
something in my body instead.
DRINKING MILK BEFORE SLEEP
Another milk-drinking strategy is to drink milk close to bedtime as well so you
have a protein source throughout the night on top of what is hopefully your
bedtime snack.
It is very crucial, hardgainer or not, to take a substantial protein source before
bed as a supply for your body to use throughout the night. For (hopefully) eight
hours, you will have no means of food or drink to help you repair from your
workout.

If a person is getting the sleep that they should, then one should know that it
would not be ideal to go that long without food if your primary goal is to gain
weight. The protein found in milk is called casein protein, which is slow to absorb
and will therefore last longer within the body.

How many of you body builders out there enjoy your eggs? Good, as a matter of fact
that's great, keep it up and continue to read on because you may very well be on the
road to increasing your egg intake and thus increasing your muscle mass. But what
about all you muscle heads out there that are neglecting eggs because of the taste
or simple because you're lazy and couldn't be bothered cooking, so you ultimately
opt for a tasty whey shake instead. Well after reading this article, I'm confident that
eggs will be the first thing on your mind when you wake up in the morning.

An egg is one of the most complete and versatile foods available. It has a valuable
role in providing a healthy diet for all and especially bodybuilders. We all know the
importance of protein in the muscle-building process, without protein, your muscles
will simply not grow.
Excluding water protein, it is the next most abundant element that makes up the
majority of our bodies, so with all this protein in the body, wouldn't you say that
protein should be a very important part of anyone's diet? Bodybuilders need to take
this a little further by damaging those protein fibers with heavy weight training in
order for the protein fibers to regrow stronger and bigger. A bodybuilder's diet must
be much higher in protein than the average persons.
Eggs contain about 6 grams of high quality protein, so high that it is used as the
standard by which other foods are measured. Eggs are also a rich source of vitamins,
including A, E and K and a range of B vitamins such
as B12 (energy), riboflavin and folic acid. Eggs also contain all eight essential amino
acids needed for optimal muscle recovery and building valuable minerals
like calcium, zinc and iron.
Now before you get scared and say what about the fat that eggs contain, let me
break it down for you. The white part of the egg contains no fat what so ever, on the
other hand, the yolk of an egg (yellow) contains about 5 grams of fat BUT only a
small proportion of this is saturated fat (Bad Fat) - about 1.6 grams. Bodybuilders
seeking to bulk up muscle are in particular need for fat in foods at a time when they
have high-energy requirements for growth but limited appetites. Eggs contain
cholesterol but it is generally accepted that dietary cholesterol does not raise blood

cholesterol levels. Eggs are easily digested and absorbed and are extremely useful in
ensuring a balanced diet for us bodybuilders.

HIGH CALORIES = ANABOLIC STATE

One of the most overlooked factors in bodybuilding is consuming enough protein but
not eating enoughcalories per day. You've always heard that your body needs protein
to grow and this is true. However, adequate protein does not always entail growth.
You need to consume adequate calories also.
The truth is, if you don't consume enough calories, then you're not growing. A good
rule of thumb is to take your bodyweight and multiply this by 10 or 12 depending on
how in shape you are. Then add on 1000-1500 calories per day.
I once read that Jay Cutler got big by eating small meals every hour and half.
Although he was eating smaller meals, his total caloric intake was above his daily
caloric expenditure putting his body in an anabolic state.

2EAT PLENTY OF CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates are needed to fuel exercise. The storage form of carbohydrates is
glycogen. The idea here is to super saturate glycogen levels so that the body never
has to dip into protein for energy production.
The higher the level of carbs in the body, the more likely you are going to remain in
an anabolic environment. Carbs also play a role in the release of insulin. As you
know, insulin is the body's most potent anabolic hormone.
It promotes gluconeogenesis, protein synthesis, and the formation of adipocytes. In
short, the release of insulin is required to promote an anabolic environment and
carbs help by releasing insulin.

3EAT PLENTY OF PROTEIN

Let's face it, muscle is protein and protein is composed of amino acids. You can't
build big muscles without an adequate supply of protein. Think of building muscle as
building a castle with lego blocks. If you don't have the pieces to start with then you
cannot build the castle.
Eating enough protein should be a no-brainer but for those who don't know, one
should consume anywhere between one to two grams of protein per pound of
bodyweight. So a bodybuilder who weighed 200 lbs would need about 200 grams of
protein per day.
The best way to do this is to break the supply of protein into smaller servings
throughout the day for better absorption and assimilation. In short, eat your protein
and eat good kinds such as beef, chicken, fish, whey, and egg whites.

4EAT MULTIPLE MEALS

Since you're now eating 4000 calories per day, your next best bet would be to eat 6
meals a day. Although this may seem like a lot, it really isn't. Do the math. If you
divide 4000 calories into 6 smaller meals a day, then each meal will consist of
approximately 660 calories.
Trust me when I say that 660 calories isn't a lot. Although it takes a lot of discipline,
eating smaller and more frequent meals will pay off in the end. Another reason to eat
smaller meals is for the release of insulin. When you consume food, your blood
glucose levels will rise.
To counteract this, your body will release insulin to lower blood glucose levels to help
keep the body in a state of homeostasis. As you now know, insulin is the body's most
anabolic hormone. The more, the better. So basically, you want as much insulin
secretion by the pancreas as possible. After all, you want to be big, right?

5EAT ENOUGH GOOD FATS

One mistake wannabe lifters make is to not eat enough good fats. When I first began
lifting and eating seriously, I would try my best to steer away from fats. Little did I
know that fats were actually important in growth. One good thing to know about
good fats is that there is a direct relationship between fat and testosterone levels.
A perfect example of this is when bodybuilders diet down for a show, so to speak.
They are limiting their caloric and fat intake to achieve that stage condition.
However, when they are on this restrictive diet, it is impossible for them to grow.

6EAT A GOOD PREWORKOUT MEAL

The best thing to consume before a workout is a meal consisting of slow
burning carbs such as pasta and rice. The reason is that slow burning carbs take
longer to convert into glucose thus keeping blood sugar levels relatively consistent.
This keeps your body from having an energy crashing allowing you to train longer
and harder. Be sure to combine this meal with a healthy serving of good protein as
well to maximize gains.

7CONSUME A HIGH QUALITY POSTWORKOUT MEAL

The meal right after you train should be high in fast burning carbs and protein. The
ideal candidate for this would be a protein shake coupled with some form of sugar.
Personally, I prefer Gatorade mixed with creatine and strawberry Ny-Tro Pro 40. When
you train, you put your body in a catabolic state.
You destroy it so that it can build itself back bigger and stronger. However, if you
don't supply the raw building blocks, then how can your body efficiently repair itself?

For the average person, a 40 g protein shake and 75 g of carbs is plenty. Just make
sure you don't waste any time and slam the drinks down as soon as you finish
training. Leave the chatting for after you consume those drinks.

8DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

One of the most overlooked factors in exercise is adequate water consumption. This
should be a no-brainer since water comprises up to 70% of the body and if
you're dehydrated, your muscle size suffers as well. I believe that one pound of
muscle can hold up to three pounds of water. Now if you add it all up, that's a lot of
size.

9USE SUPPLEMENTS
If you can afford to use supplements, then by all means do so. Why? Because they
work! However, I would stuck with the basics such as protein
powders, creatine, glutamine, joint formulas, and multi-vitamins. The bottom line
concerning these supplements is that they work provided that you work.

10REST
The number one overlooked factor in building a better body is rest. If you don't rest,
then how can your muscles grow? Our bodies need the stimulus to grow such as
intense training. Once this happens, our bodies are essentially "broken down."
Afterwards, it needs the proper nutrients and recovery time to grow bigger and
stronger so that it can be broken down again. So if you're not resting any, then I
would suggest you set aside a day or two of rest each week. And remember, rest
days are rest days. Nothing more, nothing less.