A Hard Gainers Guide to Gaining Mass

When I arrived on campus to the University of San Diego baseball program, I weighed 170lbs. At six foot three, this is a problem if you’re hoping to play the catcher position at the highest level. 

I’ll bury the lead here, but what happened is I gained 52lbs (no typo). While much of the population is pretty displeased that there are some humans that want to gain weight instead of lose it, it’s real. And, if you’re a hard gainer… you know how tough it can be to put on size. 

If you’re trying to lose weight, stop reading. 

While this isn’t easy, it’s not complicated. You’re going to need to consume calories like your life depends on it. Here are three actions you can take right now to make this happen:

1. Start early and often. You can’t afford to intermittently fast, skip breakfast, or slow play your day nutritionally. When you wake up, you’ve got to get on the (caloric) board. I’d recommend chipping away at your protein totals with yogurt or some other protein heavy macro nutrient dense food. 
2. Drink bonus calories. Preferably drink milk. Everything that’s small in nature gets big drinking milk. Take note of the key word: bonus. A classic hard gainer mistake is replacing solid food meals with liquid meals. Drinking your calories (i.e milk, protein shakes, or both) must be in addition to your regularly schedule food. 
3. PB&J Night Cap. Don’t worry about it. Peanut butter and jelly is undefeated and if you fire down a bonus PB&J before bed, you’ll be adding size in no time. 

It’s not rocket science, but this will get you there. Good luck!