Right now, there are a couple of questions about hardgainers and muscular hypertrophy, lactic acid and DOMS, as well as protein intake for mass building.

Q. I consider myself a hardgainer because I have a very tough time building muscle. Do you have any approaches for me that will work?

A. If you need a straightforward suggestion for muscle size, an overall total of thirty to 60 repetitions per body part twice each week is sufficient to bring about mass gains in the majority of hardgainers. Using the bench press as an illustration, if you’re following an upper-lower split, you might complete 5 heavy sets of 5 repetitions, followed by a back-off set of 10 (5 x 5 + 10 = 35 total reps) on Monday and then four lighter sets of 10 reps (4 x 10 = 40 reps) on the Thursday. The majority of hardgainer workouts need to be based on this proven mass-building guideline.

Q. What is your view of the idea that lactic acid triggers muscle soreness?

A. The fact is, far from being a waste product, lactic acid is actually a source of fuel for your muscles. In fact, one of the reasons that intensive training makes it possible to exercise harder and longer is that it makes your muscles better at making use of lactic acid. The notion that lactic acid is bad is one of the classic errors in the history of science.

Lactic acid has absolutely nothing to do with DOMS. In fact, a lot of the lactic acid has disappeared from your muscles soon after exercise.

How come your muscles get sore a day or two after training?

A bout of unaccustomed or unusually intensive exercise leads to inflammation – the same natural protection mechanism that triggers the redness, swelling and pain if you cut your skin.

Inflammation is your body’s reaction to damage so helping to start the whole process of repair and healing. And one of the stages in this process is a surge in the production of immune cells, which reach a peak 1-2 days after exercise.

These cells then generate chemical substances that make pain receptors within your body – which are to blame for the transmission of dull, aching pain signals – very sensitive.

The outcome?

When you move, these pain receptors are activated. Because they are considerably more responsive to pain than usual, you wind up feeling sore.

Q. Exactly how much protein is needed for muscle growth? I have seen recommendations which range from 1 to 2.5 grams of protein each pound of weight, and I’ve also seen quite a few people say that no extra protein should be used? Who is correct?

A. Protein specialist Dr. Peter Lemon recommends 1.6-1.7 grams of protein for every kilo of bodyweight on a daily basis for individuals engaged in resistance training. As a result, a 70-kg man would consume about 136 grams of protein every day. Many bodybuilders will strive for a slightly higher figure – about 2.2 grams per kilo (one gram for every pound) – which will provide our 70-kg male 154 grams of protein on a daily basis.

The larger amount mentioned (2.5 grams per pound) is simply too high. Excess protein will be burnt off to supply energy, utilized for ureagenesis or converted into sugar, and is highly unlikely to be converted into new muscle tissue.