**There is no way around the mathematics.** There are no tricks and anyone who says anything different is wrong or trying to sell you something. Calories In vs. Calories Out (CICO) reigns supreme. **You MUST account for your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and eat +300 calories per day above TDEE every day for seven days to gain 1 pound of mass in a week**. If you want that mass to be MUSCLE mass you must lift weights. TDEE = Baso-metabolic rate + calories used at work (yours sounds high) + calories used during workout. **The easiest way to account for all of this is with an app such as MyFitnessPal and program the app that you are trying to add muscle. Pick a weight lifting / strength training program based on your goals.** If I were climbing a ladder all day, I would stick to solid foods during work hours, and only use liquid gainers after work, or 2 hours before work to ensure they were out of my system before I started going up and down ladders for hours. If you have eaten **+300 calories above TDEE** **EVERY DAY** for 2 weeks and have not gained weight, then bump your intake to +500 above TDEE and I promise the scale will move in the direction you want. Most "hard-gainers" do not track calories and do not know that eating for a Clean Bulk is actual work. **Read this for a good guide on Clean Bulking to make sure that you gain muscle and not fat so all the women want you: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/clean-bulk#basics** People argue all day about macro-nutirents (macros), however, here is a good start from Mike Gorski, Registered Dietician (RD) and Dr. John Rusin: “**PROTEIN:** Arguably the most important macronutrient for performance from a strength and muscular standpoint, the goal for protein intake is relatively simple. Examples of good protein sources include the following: • Lean cuts of red meat – flank, sirloin • Poultry (chicken/turkey being the most common) • Fish (tuna, salmon and most white fish) • Eggs and egg whites • Cottage cheese • High Quality Protein Powders – 100% Whey Isolate is recommended. Your goal will be to hit 1 gram/pound of body weight. **FATS:** Dietary fat is essential for many things in the body – including cellular health, hormonal health, and creating a satiating effect in your diet. Just like your overall calorie intake needs to come from high quality sources, so does your fat. Good sources of fats include egg yolk, olive and coconut oil, salmon, avocados, mixed nuts, almonds, and walnuts. Consume between 20% and 30% of your total calories from fat. **CARBS:** Carbs are your friend. Repeat that out loud. They will propel performance and accelerate the recovery process optimally. Your carb sources should come from mostly a variety of whole food options including oats, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, fruits and vegetables. To figure out your goal for carbs it is rather simple. Take your daily total caloric needs, and subtract your calories allotted for protein and calories allotted for fat. The remaining daily calories should be allotted for carbs.”