Do you struggle to put on muscle despite slogging it out at the gym day in, day out? Then you are probably what's known in the fitness world as a hardgainer.
Those that fall under this category are often slim, have a small frame, and find it challenging to gain muscle, despite the amount of effort put in.
As impossible as it may seem to reach your goals, it can be done! Supplements that support muscle growth are especially beneficial to hardgainers and may be the secret to getting the shredded body you long for.
We're here to help by revealing some of the best muscle-building ingredients out there. Keep reading to learn more about hardgainers and how the best testosterone booster supplements can help you ramp up your muscle mass.
The Life Of A Hardgainer
Some men can gain new muscle in just a few training sessions, making them the source of much envy from hardgainers. But the rate at which you gain muscle does not directly reflect the effort you put in. Genetics and lifestyle play a massive part in how easily you gain muscle.
Everyone is built differently and has a different body shape, partly determined by genetics. If you're a hardgainer, it is likely your family members are also slim with small frames.
This means having narrow collar bones, slim hips, and small wrists and ankles. If you're aiming to pack on the muscle and bulk up, starting from a small frame means you have a long way to go!
Another factor that influences whether you are a hard gainer or not is your lifestyle. Do you eat many calories? Or protein? To put on muscle mass, you must consume more calories than you expend and eat plenty of protein to support muscle growth.
The problem with hardgainers is they often have a small appetite and are highly energetic and active people. This means they will be using up the precious calories they are consuming for energy rather than building muscle.
The good news is that you can still put on muscle even if you are a hardgainer with a small frame! Look at lightweight competitive bodybuilders or gymnasts for inspiration.
All you need to do is ensure you are packing in the calories and protein with a well-thought-out diet plan, alongside strategic muscle-building workouts. And, of course, the reason we're all here, take supplements.
Testo Lab Pro is the perfect supplement for hardgainers, providing research-backed ingredients that boost natural testosterone levels in the body to increase muscle growth, power, and exercise performance.
But not only does it enhance your strength and muscle mass, but it also amplifies all other areas of masculinity!
Why Is Testosterone Important For Building Muscle?
Many of us are familiar with the hormone testosterone. Produced in the testes, it is essential for male growth and development and is responsible for masculine features.
One of the main roles testosterone has is maintaining and building muscle mass. It does this by:
- Increasing neurotransmitters that encourage tissue growth
- Stimulating muscle protein synthesis and inhibiting protein degradation (1)
- Increasing levels of growth hormone
During the natural aging process, testosterone levels start to drop. It is believed that beyond 35-40 years, they decline as much as 1-3% per year (2). This drop in testosterone results in less energy, muscle tone, lower sex drive, and more belly fat.
Studies have found that boosting testosterone levels by taking supplements can increase lean muscle mass in men (3). But choosing the right supplements that contain the right ingredients is key.
Best Ingredients For Building Muscle
With so many supplements out there claiming to help you get buff in no time, it can be difficult to know which one to choose.
To help you out, here are some of the best ingredients for supporting muscle growth that you can find in Testo Lab Pro.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is a root used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine to boost masculine energy. Nowadays, it has gained popularity for its positive effects on testosterone levels.
One study that tested how testosterone supplements affect sperm quality in men with infertility found that participants who took 5 grams a day for three months experienced a 10-22% increase in testosterone levels (4).
Mucina Pruriens
Mucuna pruriens is a bean used for centuries in Ayurvedic, East Asian, and Brazilian herbalism practices. It contains an active ingredient called levodopa (L-DOPA) which has been shown to increase testosterone levels, enhance sex drive and sperm quality, and fight the effects of mental and physical stress (5).
D-aspartic Acid
D-aspartic acid is an amino acid that is involved in the regulation of testosterone. It works by stimulating the release of other hormones in the brain that trigger testosterone production, as well as increasing the production and release of testosterone in the testicles (6)
Luteolin
Luteolin is an antioxidant plant extract that helps maintain high testosterone levels by blocking the action of an enzyme that converts it to estrogen. When combined with D-aspartic acid, this duo work synergistically together to boost testosterone.
Essential Vitamins and Minerals
Many men are missing key nutrients that are needed for high testosterone levels. These include:
- Zinc: boosts testosterone production and release; supports a strong masculine sex drive and virility.
- Magnesium: supports the production of growth hormone while increasing available free testosterone.
- Boron: tips the body's hormone state further towards the masculine side by increasing testosterone production and inhibiting estrogen.
- Vitamin D: scientifically proven to increase total testosterone, free testosterone, and bioactive testosterone levels (7).
- Vitamin K: is necessary for testosterone production, and low vitamin K levels are associated with low testosterone (8).
Conclusion
Hardgainers find putting on muscle much more of a challenge than others. Even when they put the hard work in. This is because they often are genetically built to have a small frame. But you don't have to give up yet, hardgainers!
Taking a supplement that boosts testosterone production, a hormone that is key for building muscle, alongside a proper diet and good exercise regime can significantly help you get stacked quicker.
Testo Lab Pro provides a great source of scientifically proven muscle-enhancing ingredients to ensure you achieve your fitness goals.
References
- Griggs, ROBERT C., et al. "Effect of testosterone on muscle mass and muscle protein synthesis." Journal of Applied Physiology 66.1 (1989): 498-503.
- Vingren, Jakob L., et al. "Testosterone physiology in resistance exercise and training." Sports medicine 40.12 (2010): 1037-1053.
- Pasiakos, Stefan M., et al. "Effects of testosterone supplementation on body composition and lower-body muscle function during severe exercise-and diet-induced energy deficit: A proof-of-concept, single centre, randomised, double-blind, controlled trial." EBioMedicine 46 (2019): 411-422.
- Mahdi, Abbas Ali, et al. "Withania somnifera improves semen quality in stress-related male fertility." Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2011 (2011).
- Shukla, Kamla Kant, et al. "Mucuna pruriens reduces stress and improves the quality of semen in infertile men." Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 7.1 (2010): 137-144.
- D‧ Aniello, Antimo, et al. "Occurrence of D‐aspartic acid and N‐methyl‐D‐aspartic acid in rat neuroendocrine tissues and their role in the modulation of luteinizing hormone and growth hormone release." The FASEB Journal 14.5 (2000): 699-714.
- Pilz, S., et al. "Effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men." Hormone and Metabolic Research 43.03 (2011): 223-225.
- Shirakawa, Hitoshi, et al. "Vitamin K deficiency reduces testosterone production in the testis through down-regulation of the Cyp11a a cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme in rats." Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-General Subjects 1760.10 (2006): 1482-1488.
