One of the most frustrating things in the world for a burgeoning bodybuilder is to be stuck with an incredibly skinny body that refuses to put on muscle. Bodybuilders call these guys hard gainers and their journey to having an incredibly muscular physique can be an incredibly hard one indeed. While it seems everyone around them bulks up quickly with just a normal amount of weight training exercise, these hard gainers stay skinny and put on little if any weight at all. Let's look at some bodybuilding secrets that can help turn these hard gainers into the ripped and muscular physiques that they desire.

First and foremost, the most important thing in the world is to stick with the major muscle groups. One of the most tried and true principles in bodybuilding is that to build significant amounts of muscle, you have to use significant amounts of muscle. This means that spending all of your time in the gym curling your arm will not pack on the pounds. Many people have even heard that doing squats is the best way to add pounds of muscle but few ever heed the advice. This is because performing squats is difficult and not fun at all. The fact remains, however, if you want to build a strong and impressive physique, compound lifts such as squats should comprise the foundation of your workout program.

Another bodybuilding secret which isn’t so much of the secret anymore is that if you want to build big muscles you gotta eat big meals. Increasing your caloric intake is incredibly important to build muscle as your muscles need this additional source of calories in order to grow larger. This can be tough for hard gainers as skinny guys just don't have the appetites of the bigger guys. One rule of thumb that can help you in your quest is to eat the amount of calories for the size person you want to become. In other words, if you weigh 140 pounds and you want to weigh 180, then eat the amount of calories needed to sustain the body weight of 180 pounds. Increasing your calories coupled with regular intense weight training can help get you where you need to be with respect to gaining additional muscle.

Finally, if you want big muscles, then stop working out. I know what you're thinking, it probably sounds crazy, but taking some days off from your workout might be the best thing you can ever do to help your muscles grow. You see, the biological process of muscle growth occurs while the body is resting, not working. Muscle growth actually occurs when the muscles themselves are damaged and the repair process is what makes them larger. This process cannot take place while the muscles are being used so it is extremely important to build in plenty of rest into your workout schedule. One plan that can work very effectively for hard gainers is to work out one day doing compound lifts such as squats and bench presses, and follow it with a full day of rest. Then, on the third day, hit some body parts that you didn't on day one of your workout and then follow this workout with rest as well.

One thing is for certain, if the workout regimen is adhered to overtime, muscle gain will occur. Sometimes it takes months or even years to develop the physique you desire but if you stick to it and follow the principles above, you will be successful over time in building the muscular physique you desire.