Even hardgainers can gain muscle size and strength if they train smart and use micro-loading by adding weight to their lifts a little at a time. This concept is discussed in part 13 of a series of articles on hardgainers. The article is an excerpt from chapter 12 of the book, Individualized Training Strategies For Hardgainers.
Chapter 12
Rate of Progression
Micro-loading
I believe one of the best ways to make long-term progress is to use the micro-loading method, which simply means to add weight to your lifts in very small increments. Even hardgainers can keep gaining if they make it easy for their muscles to keep adapting to increases in weight, and the easiest way to do this is to use training thresholds in combination with micro-loading.
The basic strategy is to start with a training stress that is challenging enough to stimulate muscle growth while making it as easy as possible to recover. From this starting point, you add to your lifts in very small increments. Of course this can be accomplished if you start out by using thresholds as they provide training that is hard enough without being overly hard. If you don’t use training thresholds and choose to train to failure, I can’t promise that micro-loading will work. If you can barely squeeze out the desired amount of reps, it will always be hard to add anything to your lifts, even if it is a very small amount.
Assuming you are starting out with a training load that is not overly difficult, you can add to it in very small amounts from week to week. When you do this correctly, it will never feel as though the weight is becoming more and more difficult to lift, even though you will be lifting significantly more weight within a year.
If you start out with micro-loading as a beginner, you will probably be able to add a pound or two every week for the first year, and maybe even for two years. This means your poundages will increase by 50 to 100 pounds per year for the first year or two. By the second or third year, you may need to slow down and only add a half pound per week, which will result in an increase of about 25 pounds to your lifts over the course of a year.
The biggest problem with micro-loading is that most gyms and home barbell sets do not provide super small weight plates that allow small additions of weight. The smallest plates may only be two and a half pounds per plate which adds up to five pounds when you put a plate on each side of a barbell. In truth, the smallest plates in a lot of gyms are five pounds which will add up to ten pounds when you put one on each side of the bar. Most people don’t gain strength in ten pound increments, which makes it very difficult to keep adding more weight over time.
Fractional Weight Plates
Fortunately, a simple online search for FRACTIONAL WEIGHT PLATES will help you find very small weight plates that can be used for micro-loading. If you have two fractional plates that each weigh a half pound, you can add a pound at a time. You would need ten of them to progressively add five pounds, at which point you can replace them with two and half pound plates and start adding the half pounders each week again. At some point, you may need to add a half pound per week, in which case you would need quarter pound fractional plates for each side of the bar. I highly recommend that you get them if you are serious about long term improvements.
Olympic Barbells vs. 1 Inch Standard Barbells
One problem with fractional weight plates is that they are generally made for Olympic barbells. The ends of Olympic barbells are two inches in diameter, whereas standard barbell sets that are generally made for home use are only one inch in diameter. For standard one inch barbell sets, the best source that I have found for fractional plates are large washers that you can order from a store called Fastenal. You need to be very specific about the type of washers that you order in regard to two important criteria:
First, the washers should be USS (United States Standard Size). This must be specified when you order.
Second, you must order washers that have a hole that is one inch in diameter.
It takes six washers (three on each side of a barbell) to add a pound to your lifts. If you add one washer to each side of the bar per week, you will be lifting an additional seventeen pounds at the end of a year. If you add two washers to each side of a barbell every week, you will be lifting an additional thirty-five pounds within a year, which adds up to over 100 additional pounds in three years, and 200 additional pounds in six years. In other words, if you start out benching 100 pounds as a beginner, you’ll be benching 300 pounds in six years by adding less than a pound per week.
Machines and Fractional Plates
Some people use weight training machines instead of barbells. If this is the case, you can still probably add fractional weight plates to the machines when doing an exercise. Some machines are built so that you can put your fractional weight plates on top of the weight stack that you will be lifting. Also, a lot of weight training machines are designed to select the amount of weight you are going to use with a weight selector pin. All you need to do is put your weight selector pin into the weight stack as you normally would when selecting the amount of weight you are going to lift. Once the weight selector pin has been inserted into the weight stack, hang your fractional weight plate(s) on the weight selector pin from the hole of the fractional weight plate(s).
Time and Patience Plus Smart Training
Time and patience plus smart training will be your best friends if you are serious about gaining a substantial amount of muscle as a hardgainer. You will have a hard time gaining a significant amount of strength and muscle if you are not determined enough to stick with a precision based systematic training program over a long period of time.
Once you understand thresholds and how to progress in a systematic manner, you will be equipped to engage in workouts that will be productive even if you are a true hardgainer.
In the next several articles, more workouts will be presented, starting with workouts for the true hardgainer with a fast metabolism. Best of training to you.
Refer back to the previous twelve articles if you want to read the series of chapters from Individual Training Strategies For Hardgainers that are lead up articles to this article.
Hardgainers Part 1: Four Types
Hardgainers Part 2: Physiological Characteristics
Hardgainers Part 3: Conditional Hardgainers
Hardgainers Part 4: Intensity Responsive
Hardgainers Part 5: Volume Responsive
Hardgainers Part 6: Volume Responsive Training
Hardgainers Part 7: 8 x 8 Training For Volume Responsive
Hardgainers Part 8: Misinterpretation Of Rapid Gains
Hardgainers Part 9: The True Hardgainer
Hardgainers Part 10: Training Tresholds
Hardgainers Part 11: How Much Training Intensity
Hardgainers Part 12: Add Weight At The Right Rate
