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 supporting materials.

Your purchase of the 13 Hacks for the Hardgainer and all supporting 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 supporting 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 contact:
oakley@odayfitness.com

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Oakley O'Day | 13 Hacks for the Hardgainer

Introduction

Thanks for downloading 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.

Remember, 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 1

#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 fast-

digesting 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 remember 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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Oakley O'Day | 13 Hacks for the Hardgainer 13

#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

Remember, 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!

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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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