As a hardgainer, how do I get the right balance of calories to add size without adding fat?

Question

I am a prototypical hardgainer, 23 years old and never weighed over 10 stone until recently when I started lifting weights again (lifted in the past and never saw any noticeable gains).

I read in an article that I should just overload my body with calories (currently taking in between 3300 and 4000 per day). Whilst this has worked for me so far (I've gained 14lbs in 4 weeks) I am worried that if I continue to load up on calories that my body will soon start to pack on fat rather than muscle.

I work out three times a week for approx. 40 mins, and have just started doing two sessions on the bike a week also (around 30 mins each session). I am taking Sci-MX Mass System twice a day currently, but am switching to Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass instead (will only take half the specified serving a day because I think 1250 calories a day is far too much for me given my workout). I plan to complement this with a low calorie whey protein also throughout the day.

My diet consists largely of chicken soups, tuna with low fat dressings, eggs, fruit (apples and bananas), yoghurts (not low fat), cheese and bagels.

The bottom line is, every article/workout I read says to burn calories to get leaner, but as a hardgainer I need to add a large amount of calories to my diet in order to grow in size. I'm gaining size no problem, but my abs are invisible and my general muscle tone is lacking. Is my diet incorrect and should I cut down on calorie intake?

I don't want to continue in the wrong direction and have a load of fat to try and shift further down the line.

EDIT: Example Diet for a Week Day

Breakfast (8:30am): Quaker Oats with 300ml Semi Skimmed Milk 1 serving (or half serving of Optimum Nutrition) Mass gainer 2 Apples Handful of unsalted and unflavoured red skin peanuts/cashews

Mid Morning (11am): Tuna Sandwich, or Bagel with Philadelphia and Ham

Lunch (1.30pm): Chicken Soup / Tomato Soup (600ml) with Cheese/Ham sandwich, or Tuna pasta salad with sweetcorn

Mid-Afternoon (4pm): Bagel with Philadelphia and Ham

Dinner (6pm): Steak, Potatoes, Carrots, Cabbage Muller Light (no fat)

Mid Evening (8.30pm) Toasted Bagel with philadelphia and ham, or Tuna sandwich

Before Bed (11.30pm) Mass Gainer shake (will be swapping this with a low calorie protein shake) Banana Tuna Sandwich

Answer 1

I agree that you are gaining too much too fast. You aren't putting on lean mass at that rate, so you should really cut your calories back some.

Quick critique on your current meal plan...

Breakfast needs more protein. Dump the mass gain and just use whey protein.

Mid meals are fine with tuna, but ham is not an appropriate substitute because it has significantly less protein.

Lunch, like your mid morning meal, needs to have consistent protein intake. Tuna is fine, but ham is not enough. I don't really understnd the purpose of the chicken or tomato soup. It's not normally part of a gaining diet.

Dinner is better without the mass gainer.

My suggestions...

You should really stick to more "clean foods" which would exclude soups, breads, cheeses, and sugars. Even though people probably tell you that you can have all the sugar you want because you're so thin, I do not agree with this. You should limit your sugar as much as possible and try to stick to low glycemic foods that will process through your system slowly enough to give your body the opportunity to absorb the nutrients.

Oatmeal is good for breakfast. You should have at least a cup measured before cooking. Add a banana, and some natural peanutbutter instead of 2 apples and so many nuts. Although I suggested switching to a whey protein, it would be better to have a solid protein like egg whites with breakfast if you can.

Have a 40g whey protein shake with some nuts and rice cakes or natural peanutbutter on rice cakes for your mid meal snacks.

For lunch, have tuna with brown rice and a large salad.

Your dinner should be similar to lunch in that you will have a large protein serving, a low glycemic carbohydrate, and some vegetables.

You may also want to use a caesin protein as your meal before bed as it is absorbed more slowly than other proteins and will be more available to your body while you recover throughout the night. Casein is made from cottage cheese, so you can also choose to use low fat or fat free cottage cheese before bed. Have it with some nuts.

Lastly, make sure you only train each body part once a week because you need lots of recovery to grow. If you're doing fast paced full body lifting sesssions, you will not get the results you want.

Answer 2

You're eating way too much. Aim for an increase of 1 pound per week, i.e. a daily calorie excess of 500 kcal. That should be plenty for good muscle growth. There's no such thing as a hardgainer, you just haven't been eating as much as you thought in the past.

Your abs won't start showing until you get your body fat below 10% or something. Spend a year or so bulking first, then cut your weight by 1-2 pounds per week until you're happy.

Answer 3

I would recommend stop using mass gainers, That ON Mass you are using has 10g of sugar per serve, I suppose if you are halving it, it isnt too bad.... but yeah not the best for carb intake!

I'd also try to get the tuna in spring water and also get some healthly fats in there like flax seed oil (omega 6 & 9).

I'm almost amazed you are making that many calories on that diet.. you must be drinking/eat a fair load of chicken soup :), I'd be worried if that is even real chicken in there?

Answer 4

It all depends on your goals. Many bodybuilders go through a bulking/off-season and cutting/competition phase. Basically, when they don't need to look cut they pack on as much muscle as possible while gaining a bit of fat. Then when it comes time to look lean, they switch to a fat burning diet that is muscle sparing (ex. Cyclic Ketogenic Diet or a simple calorie deficit). For non-professionals, this usually coincides with winter and beach seasons. If you want to put on mass as fast as possible, you have to accept that some of it will be fat gain. If you want to put on mass while remaining relatively lean, your gains will not be as quick.

The approach that I've personally taken (I've had a difficult time adding size as well) is to have massive bulks over the winter where I add lots of muscle, but also a decent amount of fat, then cut down over the summer a bit. Cycle this each year until you get to the body size you want, and at that point you can lean out and maintain. With this approach I've managed to gain 20 lbs. of lean muscle in 2 years (Now at 200lbs. with 10% body fat). If you are relatively new to lifting (ie. less than 3 years of serious lifting), you'll probably be able to see some fantastic results this way.