There are few things that are more frustrating than trying to gain weight and muscle mass but struggling to do either.

Doesn’t seem to matter what you eat, what exercises you do down the gym or how many bodybuilding magazines you read you just can’t seem to get that burst of muscle growth you desire.

Seeing no muscle gain can sometimes make you think that this is just your lot and you should settle for it…after all, if you’ve got skinny genetics what can you do to change them, right?

Frankly, I don’t go in for all that nonsense that a lot of the magazines like to spout, i.e. that gaining muscle mass is all about genetics…you’ve either got it or you haven’t…

There may be some truth to that it you’re looking to become the next Mr. Olympia, however, the average “hardgainer”, shouldn’t listen to that kind of “advice”.

So today I’m going to show you how you can beat the “No Muscle” curse and refuse to be held captive by your skinny genetics.

The 3 Mass Gaining Pillars For Folks With No Muscle Gain

To keep this simple, I’m going to break it down into the 3 most important factors that you need to focus on if you’re serious about gaining mass and building muscle.

Increase Your Calorie Intake

Yeah, yeah I know you’ve heard it before, but seriously…this is the real key to gaining weight and how to make your muscles bigger. If you’re struggling with no muscle gain  or growth then chances are you simply aren’t putting enough calories into your body on a daily basis.

And when I talk about calories, I mean a BIG increase in your daily intake. If you’re a naturally skinny person then your metabolism is no doubt playing havoc with your ability to gain muscle mass.

By increasing your daily calorie intake and splitting your meals more regularly throughout the day then you make sure your muscles are always being fed  and thus are able to continue growing.

Calorie numbers depend on your individual circumstances but a rough rule of thumb is 24x your body weight (in pounds), i.e. if you weigh 150 poundsyou will need around 3,600 calories per day (24 x 150).

This may seem a lot at first but bear in mind it should be split over 6 meals per day…

Check out my free hardgainer meal plan which lays it all out for you here

Focus On The Big Mass Building Exercises

One of the biggest reasons why most skinny guys and gals fail to gain weight and suffer with no muscle growth is simply that they are doing the wrong kind of exercises. Sadly, it’s not enough to just go through the motions and perform any old exercise routine…no two exercises were created equal. Following a no nonsense muscle building routine is the way to go.

To see serious muscle growth you need to focus on the big muscle building exercises such as Squats, Bench Press, Bent Over Rows, Deadlifts, and Shoulder Press. These should be the foundation of any mass building routine as they are what are known as “compound” or ” multi-joint exercises”, meaning they work multiple muscle groups at the same time instead of isolating the movement to just one group such as biceps.

Perform them using free weights instead of machines to get even more bang for your buck.

Check out my free bodybuilding workout routine that you can start using today here

Rest Properly

Inadequate rest is another of the main reasons why skinny folks see no muscle gain and end up staying skinny.

Why is rest so important? After all, no pain no gain, right? Surely the more we train the bigger we get?

Well, no. That may seem logical in today’s fast-paced 24/7 world, but our bodies work in a different way.

During workout sessions our muscle tissue suffers minute tears from which it needs to recover and repair itself. It is this repair process that actually results in bigger muscles. It therefore makes sense that in order to repair itself the muscle tissue needs rest.

How much rest?

At least a full day’s rest between workouts should be the minimum to aim for. Making sure you get adequate sleep is also essential since natural anabolic growth hormones are released during deep sleep, which accelerates the muscle building process. Likewise too little sleep can result in the production of catabolic hormones which can hamper muscle growth and in some cases even reduce it.

Read these posts for more information on the dangers of overtraining and how much to rest between workouts.

So you’re totally pumped up and ready to get going on your muscle workouts, but you’re wondering exactly how often you should be training and how much rest you should be getting between workouts?

This is a very common question and quite rightly so, as it’s an important one too, since our muscles grow when we are resting…not while we are training.

Training too often can cause all sorts of problems, the least of which will be slow and stunted muscle growth. On the other hand, training too little or infrequently can reduce your potential to build muscle and result in frustration and poor muscle growth.

So exactly how much rest should you be getting between workouts – what is the ideal rest period for maximum muscle growth?

How Much Rest Between Workouts

Ideally I recommend that you allow AT LEAST one full day’s rest period between your workouts (by this I mean an “off-day” – i.e. if you work out on a Monday, then your next session will not be until at least Wednesday – so 48 hours rest effectively). The key is to allow your muscles the time to repair themselves, and they can not do this if they are being pounded with weights every day. By having at least one full day’s rest between your workouts you assist your body’s own natural muscle building mechanisms.

I find the best way to achieve this balance is by performing all-body workouts as opposed to split workouts. Let me explain…

Split workouts are fairly popular, i.e. where you are maybe alternating upper body and lower body exercises on different days, or splitting your muscle groups like this – Monday (back and legs), Wednesday (arms and chest), Friday (back and legs), etc.

The problem with split workouts is that if they are not properly designed you may find yourself overtraining certain muscle groups…for example, even though Monday is your “back day” you are still utilizing your arm muscles in many of the back exercises that you perform. Therefore you are unintentionally compromising your arm rest periods.

Also, you may find yourself undertraining certain muscle groups since they may only be being trained once a week.

I prefer the all-body workout since it minimizes this potential of both overtraining and undertraining. This is because you will work ALL the major muscle groups 3 times per week, and will allow these same muscle groups equal rest time between workouts, helping you to gain muscle mass faster.

Check out my review of this popular muscle building guide designed for skinny hardgainers, and based on 3 to 4 all-body workouts per week ==> No Nonsense Muscle Building Review

Be Consistent

The key to maximizing your muscle growth and managing how much rest you get between workouts is finding a solid plan and timetable and being consistent. This will allow you to build momentum and make the whole process much easier.

It will also prevent you from skipping and missing workouts and feeling that you somehow need to play catch-up. If for whatever reason you do miss a workout, don’t be tempted to try and fit two workouts into two days just so that you can keep up with your schedule for the week. Keep your rest days consistent and then just pick up your next workout from there.