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HACKS 13 F O R T H E HARDGAINER OAKLEY O'DAY

Table of Contents 13 HACKS FOR THE HARDGAINER

Introduction..................................................................................................................1 #1 - The Right Mindset for Gaining Mass as a Hardgainer................................2 #2 - Quit the Bro-Split.............................................................................................3 #3 - Progressive Overload......................................................................................5 #4 - Eat More, Track More......................................................................................6 #5 - The Right Amount of Protein.........................................................................7 #6 - Pre-Workout Meal.................................................................................................9 #7 - The Anabolic Window [Post-Workout Meal]...................................................10 #8 - Avoid Cardio........................................................................................................11 #9 - Get 8 Hours of Sleep...........................................................................................12 #10 - Track Your Progress In & Out of the Gym.....................................................13 #11 - Eating Too Healthy - The 60/40 Rule...............................................................14 #12 - Exercise Execution............................................................................................16 #13 - Supplements.................................................................................................17

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Oakley O'Day | 13 Hacks for the Hardgainer

Copyright & Disclaimer

Do not share or distribute the 13 Hacks for the Hardgainer or any ing materials. Your purchase of the 13 Hacks for the Hardgainer and all ing materials are not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of the contents of the 13 Hacks for the Hardgainer and ing materials are at the sole choice and risk of the beholder. © 2018 by Oakley O'Day All rights reserved. No portion of this product may be reproduced in any form without permission from the Oakley O'Day, Owner & Founder of O'Day Fitness, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission : [email protected]

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Oakley O'Day | 13 Hacks for the Hardgainer

Introduction Thanks for ing the "13 Hacks for the Hardgainer"! I hope you’re as excited as I am because some of these hacks that I’m about to share with you will help you not only break through the hard-gainer plateau, but they will also add pounds of muscle each and every month and create a sustainable system for long-term results. My name is Oakley O’Day, I’m the founder of O’Day Fitness and over the past few years I’ve acquired the knowledge, the science, and the hacks to go from being the skinny guy to the aesthetic beast. I went from being super skinny at 140 pounds all the way up to 200 pounds and achieved the aesthetic physique that I’ve always dreamed of. However, before that, I went through years of struggle until I figured out what works and what doesn't. Which is exactly why I made this ebook for you. I don't want you to have to play the guessing game like I did. If you take this information and put it into action, I guarantee you will see results within the next month. , taking action is the key to getting results – pick one or two of the hacks below and start implementing them this week.

-Oakley O’Day

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Oakley O'Day | 13 Hacks for the Hardgainer

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#1 - The Right Mindset for Gaining Mass as a Hardgainer

For some of us hardgainers out there, just getting in the right mindset will help you start gaining more muscle. Something that held me back for years was the fear of gaining fat and not muscle because of the amount of food I had to eat in order to gain weight. If you are a true hardgainer, I am here to tell you, you do NOT need to worry about this whatsoever. If you’re a skinnier guy, hardgainer, ectomorph, whatever you want to call yourself, chances are you will be rather lean year round no matter what you do. Don’t let this this mindset hold you back because it will stop you from eating enough in order to actually gain muscle. Even if you do end up gaining some fat, it won’t be much. Being a hardgainer, you have to eat A LOT in order to really gain a noticeable amount of fat. Just stay focused on building muscle.

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#2 - Quit the Bro-Split So, if you are just beginning your fitness journey, I can probably guess what your current routine is: Chest on Monday, Back on Tuesday, Legs on Wednesday (probably skip it most of the time or give minimal effort), Shoulders on Thursday, Arms on Friday, Abs everyday, and the weekend is for REST. If it isn’t this exactly, I’m sure it’s something similar. The reason I know is because this was me when I was first getting started. If this isn’t you, great, you’re another step ahead in the right direction. This is called the “Bro-Split”. I’m sure you have seen this type of workout split in magazines, bodybuilding.com, and many other well-known places online. The guys that say they are doing this are HUGE! Well, they forget to tell you they are also on steroids or some other kind of muscle enhancements.

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#2 - Quit the Bro-Split The problem with this workout split is that it just isn’t enough for people who are naturally trying to build muscle. After we get done working out, our muscles take an average of about 36-48 hours to recover; therefore, they are ready to be stimulated again. Science has proven that hitting each muscle group twice per week or more promotes the best muscle growth, especially for a naturally skinny guy. If there is a specific muscle group that you are focusing on, you need to hit it 3-4 times per week. You may wonder, “How do you hit each muscle group twice per week or even more!?” There are multiple ways to set up your routine so it allows you to hit each muscle group twice per week:

3-Days: Full-Boy 4-Days: Upper/Lower 4-Days: Push/Pull 5-Days: Upper/Lower/Push/Pull/Legs 6-Day: Push/Pull/Legs

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#3 - Progressive Overload Stick to the basics when it comes to your workout. Don’t get caught up in doing all the fancy exercises you see on social media that look cool. Focus on the compound movements like bench press, squats, overhead press, pull-ups, deadlifts, etc. Progressive overload (getting stronger over time) is what’s important. At the beginning of each workout, pick 1-2 compound movements and focus on building strength with them. Stick to the 2-5 rep range and do anywhere from 3-6+ sets. The exercises after your heavy compound lifts are for the isolation movements and where the higher rep ranges will take place. One of my favorite sayings is, “If you aren’t getting stronger, you probably aren’t building muscle or getting any bigger!”

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#4 - Eat More, Track More

So, this is probably the #1 reason hardgainers struggle gaining weight and putting on muscle. They think they are eating a lot, but in reality they are not. In order to gain muscle, you have to be in a caloric surplus. What does that mean? That means you need to eat more than your body needs to maintain its current weight. To do this, increase your calories by 300-500 until you are gaining about 0.5-1 pound per week. Start tracking your food on MyFitnessPal to ensure you are in a caloric surplus. Then stay consistent and keep eating this much every single day. It’s easy to eat a lot for one day, but eating a lot every single day over time is what adds up. EAT MORE!!!

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#5 - The Right Amount of Protein This is the one everyone knows and talks about. “Just eat more protein, bro!” The problem is people are either not eating enough or they are eating too much protein. The daily requirement in order to gain muscle is 1-1.2g of protein per pound of LEAN body mass, OR to make it simple, 1g of protein per pound of TOTAL bodyweight. Some people struggle eating this much, on the other hand, some people eat way too much and it affects their total daily caloric intake. Now, I am not saying eating a lot of protein is bad for you. However, it does curb your appetite and make you feel full, which holds you back from being able to eat enough calories on a daily basis.

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#5 - The Right Amount of Protein You could be filling your calories with carbs and fats, which will add a lot more calories to your daily total. Every 1 gram of fat equals 9 calories, compared to carbs and protein, which are only 4 calories per gram. Fat is very calorie-dense and will help add more calories to your diet, but they do make you feel pretty full, as well. Carbs are easy to eat. This is because they usually taste really good and they do not make you feel as full as fast. Quick Tip: Focus on hitting your protein goal first and then fill the rest with carbs and fats.

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#6 - Pre-Workout Meal It is important that you fuel up 1-2 hours before your workout. Eat 20-30 grams of protein, 30-50+ grams of carbs, and throw in some fats, too. This will allow you to get a good pump and feel stronger in the gym. Also, it is important that you aren’t working out on an empty stomach to prevent your muscles from breaking down. If your body has no source of energy coming from food, such as carbs, then it will start breaking down the protein that is stored in your muscle in order to create energy. Eat

**If your pre-workout meal occurs less than an

big before your workouts.

hour before your workout, try to at least get a quick snack in with some simple sugars that are fastdigesting and can be used as fuel during your workout.Although, not the “healthiest”, when I am short on time, I will just grab a poptart or rice krispie treat and eat it before I workout. Otherwise, try your best to get a good solid meal in 1-2 hours beforehand.**

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#7 - The Anabolic Window [Post-Workout Meal] When we workout, microscopic tears are created in our the muscles. When these microscopic tears are repaired, our muscles grow. In order for the repair process to get a little kick start after a workout, we need a well-balanced meal or shake within 30-60 minutes after our workout, this is the anabolic window. After a workout, it is important to get 30-50 grams of protein, 30-50+ grams of simple carbs (simple sugars), and some fats, as well. By doing this post-workout, you will jumpstart the repair process and promote muscle growth more effectively. Although some say the anabolic window isn’t that important, we as hardgainers need every little benefit we can to promote more muscle growth. So, I say try your best to eat a big meal after your workouts sooner than later.

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#8 - Avoid Cardio

So, should you do cardio when you struggle putting on muscle? Simple answer: NO. However, you may play sports for fun or just enjoy going for a run every once in awhile. It IS possible to gain weight/muscle while implementing cardio; but you will need to increase your caloric intake by 300-500 calories per hour of cardio. (depending on intensity of cardio) This should keep you in a caloric surplus and you will still gain weight/muscle even while doing your cardiovascular activity.

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#9 - Get 8 Hours of Sleep This is a big one a lot of people don’t realize is holding them back. We all how our mom or grandma used to tell us, “Get your sleep, that’s when you grow!” Well that is true, even to this day when you are fully grown. Sleep is the most important part of the recovery process. I bet most of you didn’t know that when we sleep a hormone called GH is released. GH stands for “Growth Hormone” which is a very important hormone in order for muscle growth to take place. Studies have shown that about 70% of GH is released during the time we sleep. So, optimal sleep is very important. If you aren’t already, start getting at least 6-9 hours of sleep per night, starting tonight!

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#10 - Track Your Progress In & Out of the Gym Tracking your progress in and out of the gym will take your fitness to the next level. In the gym you need to track how much weight you are using and how many reps you are performing, especially on compound lifts. This is to ensure progressive overload (getting stronger over time) takes place. Outside the gym, you need to monitor your weight on a daily basis to see if you need to adjust your calories after so many weeks. Also, it is a good idea to track body measurements around each muscle group every couple of weeks because your weight is not everything. Progress pictures every 4 weeks is another way to track your progress as the weeks go by. Tracking your progress not only keeps you on the right path, but it also motivates you and shows you the little wins that you are making day by day.

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#11 - Eating Too Healthy - The 60/40 Rule Here’s a touchy topic for some people. So, of course eating a completely clean diet is going to be best, but unfortunately when you’re eating a high amount of calories, that becomes very difficult. From the research I’ve done and through personal trial and error, I have found that following the 80/20 rule is the best way to go about nutrition. Let me explain. 80% of your diet should come from whole foods that can be classified as “healthy” and the other 20% you can be flexible with and eat foods you enjoy that may not be considered “healthy”. This is why it’s called flexible dieting.

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#11 - Eating Too Healthy - The 60/40 Rule

, to gain muscle, the most important thing is making sure you are in a caloric surplus, not just eating chicken breasts and salads. Now, don’t take this out of context and just eat a bunch of junk and nothing nutritious. Have a balanced diet! For us hardgainers, we’re a little luckier than the average person because we usually have a lot more calories with which to work with. So, we can get away with eating 60-80% “healthy foods” and 20-40% “not-so healthy foods”. Trust me on this one, you will not be able to eat a super high amount of calories with just chicken breasts and broccoli, be flexible and have balance.

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#12 - Exercise Execution

This is going to be another important factor that will be vital to your gains. We talked earlier about progressive overload and how important it is. However, don’t get too caught up in trying to increase the weight you lift to where your form sucks and you end up getting hurt. Also, it is important to have good form so the muscles you are trying to stimulate are actually contracted and worked properly. If you just push or pull heavy weight with all your might, you may feel strong, but in reality you will get nowhere. Don’t cheat your way out of your gains. Push yourself, but keep your form on point as much as you possibly can! © 2018 O'Day Fitness - All Rights Reserved

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#13 - Supplements Are supplements needed in order to gain muscle? NO. A lot of people think of supplements as some kind of magic. They think if they take them they will just instantly get huge and grow a ton of muscle, especially with protein supplements. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Supplements are a luxury and not a necessity. They will definitely help, but they are not needed in order to get results. My top 5 supplements I recommend investing in if you can afford them is a protein powder, creatine, pre-workout, fish oil, and a multivitamin. Anything else really just isn’t worth the money. Again, if you can’t afford them, it’s okay. You can get the ingredients from these supplements from food alone.

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