check this out to see if you are a hardgainer or not
Fast-Slow gainer chart
The following chart illustrates the ability of people to make fast, slow, or average gains. This is predominantly based on fiber distribution.
For those who are primarily White/Fast Twitch (Type IIb) gains will come rapidly. Meso-endomorphs fall more in this area. Biopsies of Ectomorphs revealed more Type I (Slow Twitch/Red) fiber distribution:
The problem is, however, that each muscle group's tolerance to exercise probably differs. Each exercise you do for each body part can - and often does - possess an entirely individual rep ability at 80 percent max. To discern your specific tolerance level for each body part, follow these simple instructions:
1. Determine your approximate one rep maximum (1RM) for each exercise.
2. Load 80 percent on the bar (machine) & rep out with it for one all-out effort to see how many reps you can do.
3. Apply this information to the table below to determine each body part's exercise tolerance.
4. Take into account ALL of the factors listed above that can affect your exercise tolerance.
5. Critically evaluate whether your predicted exercise tolerance levels stand up to what you know from experience to be true. Remember, “low tolerance” means that you probably make easy gains for that body part, and “high tolerance” means that you’re probably a hard gainer for that body part.
Here is an example of what I've found in regards to exercise tolerances for fast gainers, average gainers and slow gainers. Perhaps you'll find these figures and estimations to be pretty close estimates. But perhaps you won't. One thing is clear, you must look! Your continued progress toward your maximum potential may well depend on it! Reps Performed w/ 80% Max Standard Deviation from Mean Tolerance Level Ability to Make Gains
4 or less -3 Very Very Low Fast Gainer (20-25% of total population)
4-6 -2 Very Low
6-10 -1 Low
10-13 Mean Average Average Gainer (50-60% of total population)
13-17 +1 High
17-21 +2 Very High
21-more +3 Very Very High Slow Gainer (20-25% of total population)
The distribution of Fast, slow, etc is Normal (Bell-curved). Any time the distriution is Bell curved, the Empirical rule states approximately 68% of the values are within one standard deviation, 95% of the values are withing 2 standart deviations, and 99.7% percent are within 3 standard devitations.
This means that, any people who can do less 4 or less reps represent about 2-5% of the total population and consequently find it easiest to get huge. Hardgainers (normal/slow) would constitute about 75-80% of the population. In a physiological sense, elite sprinters typically are about 80% white fiber, and Marathon runners often can be as much as 75-80% red fiber.
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