When it comes to building muscle mass, hardgainers have to play by a different set of rules. Taking misguided advice from someone who builds muscle easily will not only lead to frustration, it can also lead to serious injury.
1. Create a goal to outline how much muscle you want to build, make sure to include a deadline. Having a deadline creates a sense of urgency to reach your goal in a given timeframe. As the saying goes "Goals without deadlines are merely dreams."
2. Consume a balanced diet with the following ratios of carbohydrates, proteins and fats - 50%, 30% and 20% respectively. This ratio will optimize muscle synthesis.
3. Use compound exercises as opposed to isolation exercises to see instant gains. Compound exercises recruit more muscle groups than do isolation exercises therefore stimulating a greater release of muscle building hormones such as testosterone.
4. Use correct form. By using correct form when you lift weights not only will you stimulate a greater number of muscle fibres you'll also minimize your chances of injury. During the eccentric (lowering) phase, allow 3 seconds to lower the weight. During the concentric (rising) phase, allow 1 second to lift the weight.
5.Don't train to failure. Training to failure is one of the most controversial training principles used by most trainers. Training to failure at the end of every set is a sure way to burn out your Central Nervous System (CNS) and to prevent you from building muscle.
6.Use the Periodization principle as opposed to the High Intensity principle to build muscle. The Periodization principle is based heavily on variation in sets and reps which would allow you to optimize muscle growth.
7. Don't skip out on cardio training. Cardio training used two to three times per week for half an hour is optimum for a healthy cardiovascular system. Cardio training creates new blood vessels and capillaries which run alongside your muscles thus providing your muscle with nutrients to grow.
8. Drink plenty of water for proper hydration and electrolyte balance. Dehydration is one sure way to limit your performance in the gym.
9. Use supplements wisely. Make sure when you use supplements that you make sure that you're taking the correct dosage. An overdose of supplements will wreck havoc on your health.
10. Get plenty of rest. Your body requires six to eight hours of sleep per night for optimum growth. Hormones such as IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1), HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and Melatonin are released when your body is at rest.