By Will Duru, BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, Award-winning Personal Trainer with over 10 years of experience in strength training and optimising recovery.
Hello! I’m Will Duru. For almost a decade as a personal trainer in the City of London, my greatest passion has been helping people build muscle and transform their bodies. I’ve worked with everyone from busy professionals to guys just like you who feel like they’re doing everything right but still struggling to put on size. If you feel like you’re a “hardgainer” or just can’t seem to build the physique you want, this challenge is for you. This is your 30-day blueprint to pack on serious muscle, build strength, and finally see the results you deserve.
You Are Not a "Hardgainer" - You Just Need the Right Plan
The two biggest mistakes skinny guys make are not training with enough intensity and, most importantly, not eating enough food. Your body needs two things to grow: a reason to build muscle (intense strength training) and the fuel to build it with (a calorie surplus). This program provides both. We will use a proven Push/Pull/Legs split combined with progressive overload to force your muscles to grow, and I’ll give you the exact nutritional strategy to fuel that growth [1].
The Non-Negotiable Warm-Up (15 Minutes)
Never skip your warm-up. It’s essential for preventing injury and preparing your body for the work ahead. Perform this routine before every single workout.
Movement | Duration/Reps | Focus |
Cardio | 5 minutes | Light jog, cycling, or rowing to increase heart rate |
Mobility |
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Cat-Cow Stretch | 10 reps | Spine mobility |
Thoracic Spine Windmills | 10 reps/side | Upper back rotation |
World’s Greatest Stretch | 5 reps/side | Full body mobility (hips, spine, shoulders) |
Activation |
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Banded Glute Bridges | 15 reps | Activate glutes |
Band Pull-Aparts | 15 reps | Activate upper back and shoulders |
15 reps | Activate lower body |
Your 30-Day Gym Calendar
Week | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 |
All Weeks | Push Day | Legs & Core | Push Day 2 | Pull Day 2 | Active Rest | Rest |
The Complete 4-Week Workout Program
Week 1: Building the Foundation
Focus on perfect form. The weight should be challenging, but you must complete all reps.
Day 1: Push
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 8-10 | 90s |
Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Lateral Raises | 4 | 12-15 | 45s |
Cable Tricep Pushdown | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Overhead Tricep Extension | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Day 2: Pull
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
Deadlifts | 4 | 5-8 | 120s |
Lat Pulldown | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Seated Cable Row | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Face Pulls | 4 | 15-20 | 45s |
Barbell Bicep Curls | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Hammer Curls | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Day 3: Legs & Core
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
Barbell Back Squat | 4 | 8-10 | 90s |
Romanian Deadlifts | 4 | 10-12 | 60s |
Leg Press | 4 | 10-12 | 60s |
Leg Curls | 4 | 12-15 | 45s |
Hanging Knee Raises | 4 | To Failure | 45s |
Cable Crunches | 4 | 15-20 | 45s |
Day 4: Push Day 2
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 8-10 | 90s |
Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Lateral Raises | 4 | 12-15 | 45s |
Cable Tricep Pushdown | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Overhead Tricep Extension | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Day 5: Pull Day 2
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
Deadlifts | 4 | 5-8 | 120s |
Lat Pulldown | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Seated Cable Row | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Face Pulls | 4 | 15-20 | 45s |
Barbell Bicep Curls | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Hammer Curls | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Week 2: Increasing Volume
We add one extra exercise to each day to increase the total workload.
Day 1: Push
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 8-10 | 90s |
Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Lateral Raises | 4 | 12-15 | 45s |
Cable Flys | 4 | 12-15 | 45s |
Cable Tricep Pushdown | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Overhead Tricep Extension | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Day 2: Pull
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
Deadlifts | 4 | 5-8 | 120s |
Lat Pulldown | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Seated Cable Row | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row | 4 | 10-12/arm | 60s |
Face Pulls | 4 | 15-20 | 45s |
Barbell Bicep Curls | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Hammer Curls | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Day 3: Legs & Core
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
Barbell Back Squat | 4 | 8-10 | 90s |
Romanian Deadlifts | 4 | 10-12 | 60s |
Leg Press | 4 | 10-12 | 60s |
Leg Curls | 4 | 12-15 | 45s |
Calf Raises | 4 | 15-20 | 45s |
Hanging Knee Raises | 4 | To Failure | 45s |
Cable Crunches | 4 | 15-20 | 45s |
Day 4: Push Day 2
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 8-10 | 90s |
Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Lateral Raises | 4 | 12-15 | 45s |
Cable Flys | 4 | 12-15 | 45s |
Cable Tricep Pushdown | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Overhead Tricep Extension | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Day 5: Pull Day 2
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
Deadlifts | 4 | 5-8 | 120s |
Lat Pulldown | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Seated Cable Row | 4 | 8-10 | 60s |
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row | 4 | 10-12/arm | 60s |
Face Pulls | 4 | 15-20 | 45s |
Barbell Bicep Curls | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Hammer Curls | 4 | 10-12 | 45s |
Week 3: Increasing Intensity with Supersets
Perform exercises 1A & 1B back-to-back with no rest. This is a huge intensity jump.
Day 1: Push (Supersets)
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
1A. Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 8-10 | 0s |
1B. Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 8-10 | 90s |
2A. Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 4 | 8-10 | 0s |
2B. Lateral Raises | 4 | 12-15 | 60s |
3A. Cable Tricep Pushdown | 4 | 10-12 | 0s |
3B. Overhead Tricep Extension | 4 | 10-12 | 60s |
Days 2-5: Follow the same superset structure as Week 2, pairing exercises together.
Week 4: Peak Week with Dropsets
On the final set of the first exercise of each day, perform a dropset: immediately reduce the weight by 20-30% and perform as many more reps as possible (AMRAP).
Follow Week 3 structure for all days, adding dropsets to the first exercise of each workout.
Nutrition: You Must Eat to Grow
This is the most critical part. To gain 5kg of lean muscle, you must be in a calorie surplus. For a 65kg guy, that means eating around 2,900 calories per day. Here are your target macros for clean bulking:
- Protein: 130g (The building blocks of muscle [2])
- Fat: 80g (Essential for hormone production)
- Carbohydrates: 414g (Your primary energy source for intense workouts)
Use MyFitnessPal to track every single thing you eat. Be meticulous. If you are not gaining weight, you are not eating enough. Slowly increase your carbs and fats until you are gaining 0.25-0.5kg per week.
Supplements for Hardgainers
- Creatine: 5 grams daily. It’s the most proven supplement for increasing strength and muscle mass [3].
- Whey Protein: One or two scoops daily to easily hit your protein target [2].
Use the 12Reps App as Your Digital Logbook
This entire 4-week plan is your new bible. Build it in the 12Reps app to stay accountable.
- Build Your Routine: Input every workout for all 4 weeks
- Track Your Lifts: Log your weights and reps for every exercise. If you aren’t getting stronger, you aren’t growing
- Use the Stopwatch: Keep your rest periods strict. No excuses
Download the app, get your free trial, and let’s get to work.
Conclusion: Your Transformation Starts Now
You now have everything you need to transform from skinny to strong in the next 30 days. This is not just a workout program. This is your roadmap to building the body you have always wanted. The weights, the sets, the reps, and the rest periods are all laid out for you. The nutrition plan is clear. The warm-up routine is ready. All you need to do is commit.
Remember, building muscle is not magic. It is science. You need to train hard, eat more than you think you need, and stay consistent. The first week will feel challenging. The second week will feel harder. By week three, you will start to feel stronger. By week four, you will see the changes in the mirror. That is when you will realize that you are not a hardgainer. You just needed the right plan.
Track every single workout in the 12Reps app. Log your weights. Watch the numbers go up. That is your proof that you are growing. Take progress photos every week. Weigh yourself every morning. The scale should be moving up by 0.25-0.5kg per week. If it is not, eat more.
This is your time. Stop making excuses. Stop saying you have bad genetics. Stop blaming your metabolism. Start eating. Start lifting. Start growing. I have seen hundreds of guys just like you pack on serious muscle with this exact approach. You can do this. The only question is: will you?
Let’s get to work. Download the 12Reps app, build your routine, and start your transformation today. conculsion
References
[1] Westcott, W. L. (2012). Resistance training is medicine: effects of strength training on health. Current sports medicine reports, 11(4), 209–216. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22777332/
[2] Park, Y., et al. (2019). Effects of whey protein supplementation prior to, and following, resistance exercise on body composition and training responses. Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry, 23(2), 34–44. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6651693/
[3] Mills, S., et al. (2020). Effects of Creatine Supplementation during Resistance Training Sessions in Physically Active Young Adults. Nutrients, 12(6), 1880. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7353308/
