Are you built more like a marathon runner than a swimmer? Do you consider yourself long and skinny, thin and wiry? Is it very difficult for you to build up any muscles? If you answered “Yes” to at least one of these questions, then most likely your body type is an ectomorph. Or a hardgainer (from the English hardgainer - a person who finds it extremely difficult to gain weight, no matter how often and how much he eats). Due to too intense metabolism, gaining muscle mass for an ectomorph may seem like a hopeless endeavor to some. But don't rush to conclusions!
Body types
According to Professor William Sheldon, depending on the formation of the proportions of the torso and limbs, three types of human physique are distinguished.
Endomorph
This is the classic "fat guy". Round, soft proportions of the body with excess subcutaneous fat in all parts. Even the head takes on a spherical shape. Despite the body type changing throughout life, even an endomorph who has gained muscle mass or is hungry will still have rounded shapes.
Mesomorph
He is a large man with broad bones and pronounced muscle mass. There is enough fat, but it is distributed evenly throughout the subcutaneous tissue. Powerful shoulders, muscular legs and easy tolerance to physical activity complete the picture.
Ectomorph
This is a classic "lanky" one. Tall and thin, with thin bones and almost complete absence of subcutaneous fat. Muscle mass is evenly distributed, but it is clearly not enough for intense physical training. A fast metabolism is typical, so even with an abundant diet, he is not in danger of gaining fat deposits.
Most people have a mixed constitution, but the characteristic body type is quite easy to distinguish.
Sports nutrition for ectomorphs - protein
Using a gainer as an example, we figured out that protein is the most necessary supplement for any athlete and the type of build does not play any role in this matter. However, there are still a lot of unanswered questions: how much sports nutrition should an ectomorph drink for weight? Which protein should you prefer?
For ectomorphs, the most important thing is the so-called fast protein, which is absorbed in a very short period. “Slow”, also known as casein, is also useful, but for reducing nighttime catabolism, which is not so terrible for people with an ectomorphic body type. It is important to start anabolic processes during training and maintain them for as long as possible after it, because the speed of absorption is far from the least important criterion.
Typically, protein is divided into three types, depending on the type of raw material processing:
- Concentrate is a moderate degree of whey purification, which is why its cost is usually less than other types. Contains lactose (5-10%). Absorbed approximately 90% in 3-4 hours.
- Isolate is a purified concentrate. Typically, the percentage of protein in it reaches 95-97%, and the rate of absorption usually does not exceed three hours.
- Hydrolyzate is the highest quality type that is absorbed as quickly as possible. There is only one minus - it has the highest cost.
What is the best protein to choose in this case? The choice is rather individual, as it depends on needs, financial capabilities and other criteria. Regardless of the type, you will in any case receive the full range of necessary amino acids for muscle growth.
What are the advantages of an ectomorph
Each body type has its own advantages. For an ectomorph they are as follows:
- Incredible endurance - you can endlessly increase the intensity and duration of the load.
- Intensive metabolism - high-calorie nutrition is available without the fear of gaining excess weight.
- Easy achievement of muscle definition.
- According to William Sheldon, ectomorphs tend to be highly intelligent.
- A healthy body has a predisposition only to hyperthyroidism (increased function of the thyroid gland), but this is a kind of “payment” for intense metabolism.
Ectomorphs have some problems with the rate of muscle fiber hypertrophy, but they disappear with long-term training. Difficulties may arise due to the congenital thinness of the muscles and the relative weakness of the tendons, but with a gradual increase in physical activity, they are leveled out.
Features of training for an ectomorph: what to do if the mass does not grow?
The training program for an ectomorph must be drawn up taking into account the fact that isolation-type exercises must be avoided for the first 6-12 months. That is, during the specified period it is necessary to work exclusively on basic exercises that work several muscle and joint groups. The key basic exercises in this case are:
– squats with a barbell in various variations; – deadlift and similar lifts; – bench press at different angles and grips; – various barbell and dumbbell rows; – various types of presses with free weights.
The optimal training time is 45-50 minutes, including breaks between individual exercises and sets (1.5-2 minutes). Each workout is based on 5-7 exercises, no more. Moreover, 2-3 per muscle group.
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As for the frequency of training, at first you need to train at least 3, but no more than 5 times a week. Each workout should target different muscle groups to ensure even muscle growth and recovery.
It is recommended to devote a separate (light) workout to working the abdominal muscles and other small muscle groups (calf muscles, forearms). In addition, you need to devote a couple of workouts to large muscles, which will help ensure accelerated growth of lean mass.
Approximate load diagram:
– Pectoral and triceps muscles (triceps) – Biceps and back – Shoulder and trapezius training – Leg training
In the first months, it is enough to train the abdominal muscles once a week. For example, on a shoulder training day, you can do 2-3 abdominal exercises.
Basic rules of training
Less is better
Perhaps the most important principle of gaining mass for an ectomorph: it is very easy to overtrain and negate all your efforts. There is also a high probability of injury due to insufficient development of joints, ligaments and tendons.
Basic exercises
Usually the classic ones are bench press, deadlift and squats with a barbell. Heavy multi-joint exercises provide the greatest load on the most muscle groups. In this case, the ectomorph lifts greater weights than in single-joint (isolation) exercises, to which your body responds by releasing anabolic hormones. Plus time savings - effective muscle development in a shorter workout.
Load progression
The key to gaining muscle mass regardless of body type. Our goal No. 1 is to increase results (weights) over time in each exercise . We must not forget this!
More rest between sets
The recovery abilities of the muscle tissue and central nervous system of the ectomorph are genetically slightly slowed down, so it is absolutely normal to rest for up to 3 minutes between approaches. In fact, you can experiment here, but most often the “standard” 60-90 seconds of rest is not enough for effective mass gain.
Sports nutrition complex for weight gain for ectomorphs
A stable gain of muscle mass is the dream of every athlete. This is especially true for ectomorphs who suffer from excessive thinness and constantly have problems with weight gain. In this article, the experts of our site, based on their own experience and customer reviews, have compiled a set of basic sports nutrition that should be in the diet of an ectomorph if a person wants to steadily gain muscle mass.
Are you wondering how much mass you can actually gain in a month? If yes, then be sure to read this article on our website.
Protein
Whey protein is the component from which our body best synthesizes new muscle fibers. You need to take 3 to 5 cocktails per day if you strive for stable metabolism in your muscles. When looking for good protein, we recommend you check out brands like Optimum Nutrition, Dymatize, and BSN.
Gainer
A gainer is exactly the sports product that will provide your body with an additional portion of energy, replenish the carbohydrate deficit after training, thereby stimulating muscle growth in your body. Be sure to take the gainer immediately after finishing your workout to fill the carbohydrate window. You can also replace your morning portion of protein with this complex, especially if you do not have the opportunity to have a full breakfast. Among the popular gainer manufacturers, we would like to mention BSN, Optimum Nutrition, Ultimate Nutrition and Dymatize.
Pre-workout complex
Pre-workouts are aimed at improving blood flow to the muscles during training, providing them with additional strength and endurance, and also giving you energy to increase productivity. You will get all these qualities by choosing NO-Xplode from ]BSN[/anchor].
Creatine
Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid that promotes strength and endurance by providing more energy to your muscles. You can't go wrong with creatine monohydrate. At the same time, almost all modern manufacturers of sports nutrition have the same quality.
Vitamin-mineral complex
All metabolic reactions in an athlete’s body occur with the participation of vitamins and minerals. If you are deficient in these nutrients, your body will simply not be able to synthesize new muscle fibers. You will receive dosages of essential nutrients that are effective for athletes by trusting products from brands such as Universal Nutrition and Optimum Nutrition.
Want to know about another important component for gaining muscle mass?
Never forget that the foundation for muscle growth is a proper diet. Count the number of calories in your diet, monitor your own weight and increase your calorie intake correctly. You won't be able to gain weight if you don't get enough energy to grow from food. It is also important to drink enough water; up to 3 liters per day will help you accelerate metabolic processes in the body.
Ectomorph nutrition
Due to the intense metabolism, you can eat high-calorie foods without the risk of gaining subcutaneous fat. The emphasis should be placed not only on proteins, but also on fats. The composition of the diet is not even as important as the total number of calories consumed.
Therefore, the division into meals is arbitrary; you should try to eat up to 6-8 times a day. Often you have to resort to gainers 2-3 times a day. These are protein-carbohydrate cocktails that stimulate muscle growth.
Menu for ectomorph
A sample menu might look like this.
Breakfast. At least 600 calories. Up to 5 eggs (soft-boiled), cheese, cereals - buckwheat, oatmeal or rice and bread - are excellent. One medium-sized egg contains 6-7 grams of protein, and the energy value is about 70 kcal.
2 breakfast. Two or three bananas or oranges and a gainer drink.
Dinner. High-calorie soup - solyanka, borscht with meat. Then at least 300 grams of beef or pork with any side dish, preferably vegetable. You can increase the calorie content with a salad with the addition of 50 ml of olive oil. Lunch - at least 2 hours before the start of training.
Afternoon snack . 15 minutes before class. Multi-ingredient drink - gainer, apple or banana.
Second afternoon tea. 30 minutes after class. Gainer plus fruits.
Dinner. Fish, beef or lamb with side dish. Bread and high-calorie juice are allowed.
Before bedtime. Cottage cheese 3% fat approximately an hour before bedtime. 200 grams of cottage cheese contain approximately 32-38 grams of “slow” casein protein, which can supply muscles with sufficient protein for 5-6 hours while you sleep.
Monitor your weight every week and if weight gain does not occur, it is important to increase your caloric intake by 500 kcal per day.
Gainer
This is not a magic elixir for gaining weight. It is necessary when, for various reasons, a person simply cannot satisfy the body’s need for proteins, carbohydrates, fats and calories from the food they eat. For a real hardgainer who cannot gain weight no matter how much he eats.
Ingredients
- Multi-component protein - 2 scoops (2 scoops)
- Whole milk - 2 cups
- Oatmeal - ½ cup
- Banana - 1 piece
- Mix in a blender.
Compound
The resulting drink contains:
- Proteins - 70 g
- Carbohydrates – 80 g
- Fats - 30 g
- Energy value - 850 kcal
You can drink it with breakfast, before, during and after training, as well as before bed. Three of these drinks a day will add 2500 kcal, 210 g of protein, 240 g of carbohydrates and 90 g of fat to your daily diet. This should definitely be enough for any ectomorph!
Sports nutrition for ectomorph
It is very easy to identify an ectomorph by external signs, even if he has been visiting the gym for a long time and looks larger than his peers. As a rule, the ectomorph's physique is characterized by a low amount of subcutaneous fat, rigid and prominent muscles , as well as thin wrists and fingers. In the gym, such people are called “hard gainers”, since they have to fight hard for every hundred grams of accumulated mass.
However, with the proper selection of sports nutrition, an ectomorph can significantly facilitate the training process for himself, making the most of what nature has given him. Do you have any doubts? Then take a look at Andrei Skoromny, who is essentially a typical ectomorph who managed to straighten his genetics!
What kind of sports nutrition should a “hard gainer” eat?
An ectomorph has a very fast metabolism, and therefore there is no need for him to use fat burners and fast amino acids, but, for example, a gainer should become the best friend of an athlete with this body type. Next, we list the most useful sports nutrition for ectomorphs:
- Gainers are something without which the ectomorph diet simply cannot exist. Among protein-carbohydrate mixtures, you need to choose a high-carbohydrate cocktail, for example, the well-known Serious Mass from Optimum Nutrition (50 g of protein per 250 g of carbohydrates per serving), Mutant Mass from Mutant (52:170, respectively) or True Mass 1200 from BSN (50: 223), which are high in carbohydrates, which will especially contribute to the weight gain of the ectomorph.
- Creatine with transport system . Enriched with the transport system, creatine can increase the growth of muscle mass, strength and endurance by an average of 30-40% with regular use. Thanks to the transport system (glucose, glutamine, taurine, etc.), the absorption of creatine will be improved, which will only enhance the effect. The most prominent representatives of this category can be called Creatine Xplode from Olimp and Cell Tech Hardcore Pro Series from MuscleTech.
- Testosterone boosters . Supplements such as T-Bomb II from MHP or Evo Test from BSN can accelerate anabolic processes and minimize the effects of cortisol. Such complex products will help the ectomorph grow faster by reducing the number of muscle fibers that are destroyed. Textosterone boosters with Tribulus Terrestris, as well as ZMA, will also be effective if muscle growth is delayed due to magnesium and/or zinc deficiency.
- Arginine and other NO boosters . The amino acid arginine increases the nitrogen balance in the body and improves muscle nutrition, and therefore stimulates their growth. Arginine or any complex nitric oxide booster (also enhances blood flow and, accordingly, growth) is simply irreplaceable for an ectomorph who has already included a gainer in his diet, since such a combination can increase the quality of recovery significantly.
How often should an ectomorph consume sports nutrition?
A separate issue remains the problem of the frequency of consumption of sports nutrition for “hard gainers”. Since the metabolism of an ectomorph is almost one and a half times faster than that of a mesomorph , he has to eat much more often. This means that an ectomorph who wants to grow and develop in sports simply must follow the following rules:
- eat well at least four times a day;
- take high-carbohydrate cocktails 2-3 times a day (in the morning, an hour before and immediately after training);
- monitor the level of calories consumed (at least 2.5 thousand per day);
- Reduce physical activity to a minimum for half an hour to an hour after eating.
Only strict adherence to these rules, a well-chosen diet, as well as the use of specialized sports nutrition in the training process will help the ectomorph “straighten his genetics”, becoming bigger and more courageous.
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Ectomorph rest
No matter how much you would like to gain muscle mass as quickly as possible, without proper rest there will be no benefit from training. Fatigue will appear, and exercise will only have a detrimental effect on the body. The main rules of rest can be presented as follows:
- sleep should be at least a third of the day;
- A day's rest, at least 30 minutes, is very useful.
Gaining muscle mass does not occur during exercise, but during sleep, so only by following the correct training regimen, nutrition and proper recovery can you quickly achieve impressive results.
How to combine training and gainer?
Ectomorphs are hardy, but they cannot withstand heavy force loads, which only emphasizes their slender physique. To gain muscle mass, they need to minimize cardio loads and focus on multiple repetitions with a barbell or other equipment. It is for this kind of strength training that a gainer will be an excellent help.
To decide which gainer is best for gaining muscle mass, people with an ectomorphic physique should take into account the fact that they need more time to recover. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to a gainer with the maximum amount of slow carbohydrates and the presence of casein in the protein matrix.
Why beginners should not take anabolic steroids
- Most of these drugs are contraindicated under the age of 21-25 years .
- A considerable number of side effects - masculinization in women, gynecomastia in men, increased blood pressure, toxic liver damage, testicular atrophy. Although most of these changes are reversible, the risk is still high.
- In order to achieve results from the use of steroids, you must already be an “advanced” athlete, that is, be able to train, rest and eat properly. In addition, “pharma” is mainly used by professionals who can assess the potential harm of drugs and make an informed choice.
- It is unethical for an athlete to gain an advantage over an opponent by taking anabolic steroids, and unethical in relation to the very essence of sport: after all, its goal is health. This is the opinion of the International Olympic Committee.
- According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, criminal liability has been established for the sale of anabolic steroids under Article 234 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation .
Good luck
