It’s a fact…skinny ectomorphs have an overabundance of the “stress hormone”, cortisol.

Cortisol actually plays a useful role in our bodies but for hardgainers, its catabolic effects are a real hassle as it inhibits important protein synthesis.

That means less protein available for repair of muscle tissue…less size…and MORE frustration!

Add to this that the digestion of proteins actually burns more calories than any other nutrient and you can see why you CAN’T follow the same “protein plan” as others who can gain muscle more easily.

What’s the solution?

Try adding DIGESTIVE ENZYMES to your meals!

Now you may think that digestive enzymes (that include either pepsin, papain, or papaya) are just for little old ladies with “tummy problems”…but you’d be mistaken!

In fact, digestive enzymes help to break down nutrients from the food you eat into usable energy.

But another finding dug deeper and found that enzymes improved the absorption of amino acids and increased nitrogen retention.

In a recent clinical study, respondents who consumed digestive enzymes with their meals showed an increase in protein synthesis with free amino acid levels up by 100%…branched chain amino acids (BCAA’s) by 250%…and nitrogen retention by 32%!

In short…MUCH better support for muscle repair and growth.

And enzymes can be especially useful for hardgainers in yet one more way…

Since protein uses up more calories in digestion, enzymes can speed up the process, reducing the “thermic effect” of ingested proteins and help you better maintain a caloric surplus for weight gain!

Your body’s anabolic hormones are constantly shifting throughout the day, rising and falling.

At night, your testosterone levels soar and this is your body’s prime time to build muscle.

But when you wake up, testosterone levels take a sharp nosedive and the leftover “free testosterone” (the most usable form) goes unused by your muscles and your body’s catabolic (muscle-wasting) hormones take over.

But here’s how to overcome this challenge and shotgun more free testosterone to your muscles before it waves goodbye…

First thing in the morning…like as soon as your feet hit the floor…consume a “high glycemic” meal with more “sugary” carbs, high quality protein, and no fat! (A good example would be a banana, bowl of breakfast cereal, and whey protein isolate mixed with non-fat milk.)

This specific combination of nutrients will create a short-term spike of insulin that will act as a fast transport for your remaining “free testosterone” and shoot it directly into your muscle cells to stop catabolic muscle loss and trigger insane new growth!

One of my favorite “muscle gurus,” Jeff Anderson, just released his latest project called Hardgainer Project X. This program was designed from the ground up as a comprehensive training and nutrition course especially for the hardgainer. This is NOT a re-hashed “old school” system that was changed a bit just to make it new.

No. HPX is far superior to anything on the market in terms of effectively training and teaching the hardgainer about how to break through zero gains and into rocking, rippling, and ripped muscle.

I wrote a review over at Muscle-Build all about it.

Made for skinny guys. And girls.

Bodybuilding FAQ – Is It Best To Stay Lean Year Round or to Gain Weight Indiscriminately in Order to Make The Best Bodybuilding Progress?

As far as whether it is best to stay lean or to bulk up dramatically in order to make the best bodybuilding gains in terms of size, staying lean is the way to go.

This is the way Franco Columbu used to train, never gaining much weight between competitions. It makes the dieting cycle much less onerous.

But for us “hardgainers” it really doesn’t matter!

It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you consider yourself a hardgainer, then you ought to try it, assuming you aren’t lactose intolerant and don’t suffer from any allergies related to dairy –

The Gallon of Milk a Day program, also known as “GOMAD” by its proponents. It’s a simple plan that dovetails nicely with hardgainer weight training. Here’s how it works:

1. Go to the super market and buy a gallon of whole milk
2. Drink it

That’s it! Start out slowly, actually, by drinking several glasses a day at first and build to the full gallon. Milk is one of the best foods on the planet for building muscle quickly because it has an easy-to-consume profile – just drink in the calories, protein, fat, and few carbs and you’ll be well on your way to a new, beefier you.

More over at Muscle-Build.com