If you're skinny, stop doing cardio immediately (do this instead)

December 12, 2025

Hey,

If you're naturally skinny and struggling to gain muscle, I need to tell you something harsh:

Stop doing cardio. Like, completely stop.

I know what you're thinking: "But cardio is healthy! I need it for my heart!"

Wrong. Not for you. Not right now.

Here's why cardio is sabotaging your gains:

You're burning calories you desperately need for growth

You're already a hardgainer. Your metabolism is fast. You struggle to eat enough as it is.

Then you go run 3 miles and burn 300-400 calories.

Now you need to eat an extra 300-400 calories just to break even. For someone who can barely get down 2500 calories, that's nearly impossible.

Result? You stay in a calorie deficit. You never grow.

Every cardio session is stealing energy your body needs to build muscle.

Cardio interferes with strength gains and recovery

Your body has limited recovery capacity. Every training session dips into that capacity.

Heavy squats? Big recovery demand. Running 5K after? You just made recovery twice as hard.

Your legs are now recovering from squats AND running. Your nervous system is fried. Your joints are stressed.

You show up to your next leg day still tired. You can't lift as heavy. You can't progress. No progression = no muscle growth.

Cardio isn't just burning calories—it's directly blocking your ability to get stronger.

What you should do instead:

Walk for cardiovascular health. 30-60 minutes of walking daily. Low-intensity. Doesn't interfere with recovery. Burns minimal calories. Keeps your heart healthy without sabotaging gains.

Lift heavy with compound movements. Squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows, overhead press. This is where 90% of your energy should go. Progressive overload on these movements builds mass.

Eat significantly more. If you weigh 150 lbs and want to grow, eat 2800-3200 calories daily minimum. Track it. You're probably eating way less than you think.

The "eat more, lift heavy, skip cardio" protocol for ectomorphs:

Training: 4 days per week. Upper/lower split. Heavy compounds (4-8 reps). Minimal accessories. 45-60 minute sessions max.

Cardio replacement: Daily walks. 8000-10000 steps. Low-intensity. Doesn't burn significant calories or interfere with recovery.

Nutrition: Calorie surplus of 300-500 daily. Protein at 1g per lb bodyweight. Carbs and fats fill the rest. Eat calorie-dense foods—peanut butter, rice, pasta, whole milk, nuts.

Sleep: 8+ hours nightly. This is where growth happens. Non-negotiable for hardgainers.

Real transformation: Meet Jake

Jake was 155 lbs at 6'1". Classic ectomorph. Been running 4x per week for "health." Lifting 3x per week but seeing zero progress for 18 months.

Frustrated. Looked the same in photos. Weak lifts. Still wearing medium shirts.

What changed:

He completely stopped running. Replaced it with daily 30-minute walks.

Started a structured 4-day lifting program focused on progressive overload.

Increased calories from 2200 to 3000 daily. Added mass gainer shakes post-workout (quick 500 calories).

Prioritized sleep—up from 6 hours to 8.5 hours nightly.

Results after 6 months:

Weight: 155 lbs → 180 lbs (+25 pounds of mostly muscle)

Bench press: 115 lbs → 185 lbs (+70 lbs)

Squat: 135 lbs → 245 lbs (+110 lbs)

Finally filling out large shirts. Shoulders widened noticeably. Arms went from 13" to 15". People started asking if he's been working out.

What Jake said:

"I thought I needed cardio to be healthy. Turns out I just needed to eat more and lift heavier. Quitting running was the best decision I ever made for my physique."

The uncomfortable truth:

Skinny guys don't have a cardio deficiency. They have a strength and eating deficiency.

Your heart will be fine walking and lifting weights. You don't need to run marathons.

What you DO need: more food, heavier weights, better recovery.

Cardio is optional for athletes and people cutting fat. For hardgainers trying to build mass? It's actively harmful.

So ask yourself:

Are you doing cardio because it's actually helping you reach your goals?

Or are you doing it out of habit, guilt, or because "you're supposed to"?

If you're skinny and want to get bigger and stronger, the answer is clear: drop the cardio, pick up the barbell, and eat like your gains depend on it.

Because they do.

The 12 Week Aesthetic Body Blueprint is designed exactly for this—structured heavy lifting, zero unnecessary cardio, and the nutrition protocol that finally gets hardgainers growing.

Stop running away from your gains. Start building them.

Grab the blueprint here and transform from skinny to strong.

BJ | Howtogrowmuscles

I hope you found this helpful. If you have a moment, take a look at this 👇🏻

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