The definition of a hard gainer is someone who has a hard time gaining muscle mass. Unfortunately, because that definition is so open-ended, it can be hard to tell who accurately fits this description and who is simply trying to blame an outside influence for their lack of progress.

Let’s face it: if you never exercise… you will have “difficulty gaining muscle mass”. Does that then qualify as a hard winner? Not in my book, but I’ve seen plenty of people apply the hard-win tag where it doesn’t belong.

So today, let’s clear everything up once and for all. In my book, a true hard gainer is a person who had a hard time gaining muscle mass due to their genetics. Not out of laziness or ignorance… but because his mother and father didn’t bless him with good muscle-building genes.

How can you tell if a person was gifted with good muscle building genetics? After all, we can’t open a person’s DNA and take a look.

There is no way to know with 100% accuracy if a person is hard to win or not. But luckily, there are a few indicators we can use to determine if someone is truly a hard winner or just looking for an excuse for their lack of progress.

Rule #1: If you are a mesomorph… you are NOT a hard winner.

There are three categories that are used to classify body types. I use soccer analogies to facilitate classifications.

Ectomorphs are tall and skinny and often have a hard time gaining muscle. Ectomorphs typically have long limbs and a fast metabolism. An ectomorph on the football field is most likely a wide receiver. If you’re an ectomorph… there’s a good chance you’ll be hard to win.

Endomorphs tend to have larger ratings. Endomorphs can be characterized as having a slow metabolism. Endomorphs generally have no problem gaining muscle, but they are plagued with excessive body fat and must constantly watch what they eat as they gain fat quickly.

An endomorph on the football field would be a linebacker or offensive lineman. Some endomorphs also have ectomorphic tendencies when it comes to building muscle and could therefore be considered hard gainers.

Mesomorphs are blessed with what can be the perfect body type. They seem to easily gain muscle without worrying about fat gains. Mesomorphs are the type of people who seem to exercise for hours every day, but surprise everyone when they reveal that they don’t actually do much. A mesomorph on the football field is usually a well built running back or strong safety. Mesomorphs are NOT hard winners.

Rule #2: Do you have small calves?

Calf size is a good indicator of whether or not you really have a hard time gaining muscle. In fact, the bigger your calves are before you start training, the easier it will be for you to gain muscle.

So… if you have weak calves, chances are you’re having trouble gaining muscle. If you injured yourself with big calves, you probably have a lot of potential to gain quite a bit of muscle. Bottom line: small calves equals difficulty making gains.

Rule #3: If you have small wrists and ankles… you may be hard to win.

If your wrist is less than seven inches, it means that you have a smaller than average bone structure, and as a result, this may indicate that you will have trouble gaining muscle mass.

If you have small ankles, you’ll probably find it difficult to gain muscle.

Rule #4: Do you often get sick after just 3-4 weeks of weight training?

Skinny guys traditionally need more rest than average guys. While the average guy can weight train four or five times a week and still make gains, a heavy weight gainer following a similar program will far exceed his recovery abilities and will eventually wear out and get sick.

If your strength plateaus and eventually stops within three to four weeks of starting a new program that has you working out more than three times per week, this may also indicate a harder-than-average time to gain muscle.

Conclusion… and hope for the hopeless

Some of the characteristics of hard winners may apply to you, while others may not. This isn’t an exact science, but if you find that two or more of the points above apply to you, there’s a good chance you’re either a hard winner or have some hard-winner tendencies.

But there is hope for guys who find it hard to gain muscle. Hard gainers can gain muscle mass. They just have to follow a different set of rules. Because if you weren’t blessed with genetics that allow you to gain muscle easily, you should follow a training program designed specifically for men without great genes.