How to pump up if I'm skinny? Proper training for an ectomorph

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What you need

• Dumbbells
• Barbell
• Exercise equipment
• Horizontal bar

Not all gym goers achieve results at the same rate. The indicators are influenced by many factors: sufficient and regular nutrition, individual characteristics of recovery, regime, sleep and training. But what to do if, even with an ideally selected regimen, progress in gaining muscle mass, strength and functionality is minimal or non-existent?

Athletes with this problem are called ectomorphs or people with an asthenic body type. Simply put, they are simply not genetically designed for strength sports - that’s what nature ordered. Accordingly, their results from training are much weaker and slower. But don’t despair - a special training program for ectomorphs in combination with proper nutrition will help you achieve the desired result.

What is an ectomorph?

An ectomorph is a person genetically inclined to have a thin physique.

It differs from other body types (mesomorphs and endomorphs) by its accelerated metabolism, due to which it has practically no subcutaneous fat layer. Ectomorphs are often tall and have long legs and arms. Ectomorph muscles are less prone to hypertrophy, but adapt well to high-intensity aerobic endurance work.

What happens if the diet is not followed?

If an ectomorph, even with eight hours of sleep, wakes up at 7 am and does not have a hearty breakfast or refuses to eat at all, then a full meal is postponed to lunch, which can be at noon or 13.00. Thus, taking into account the time spent in sleep, the body does not receive the elements necessary for normal functioning for 13-14 hours.

The body cannot wait until lunch. He begins to look for a source to obtain the substances required to maintain functionality. And, since the ectomorph has practically no fat deposits, muscle tissue immediately begins to break down. There will be no muscle growth with such a diet. Therefore, you should not skip breakfast.

Body Features

His body works like a stove - “burns” all the calories consumed. Thanks to this, he can easily have ripped abs 365 days a year without any special dietary restrictions. There are both disadvantages and advantages to this.

Disadvantages of an ectomorphic body shape

To gain muscle mass, an ectomorph needs a lot of calories. If an endomorph needs a surplus of 10% of the daily calorie intake (the number of calories that a particular person spends per day), then for an ectomorph it is at least 20%. And we are not talking about “empty” calories from fast food, sweets and carbonated drinks. To gain high-quality muscle mass, you need to eat accordingly - junk food in the diet should be no more than 10-20%. The basis should be animal proteins, complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fats.

Advantages of an ectomorph

Oddly enough, ectomorphs make very outstanding fitness models and bodybuilders. This body type is less suitable for powerlifting and crossfit, although in practice anything can happen.

Thanks to the high metabolic rate, it is much easier for ectomorphs to get rid of subcutaneous fat. They are able to effortlessly maintain a relatively dry and sculpted shape all year round. In addition, ectomorphs have a fairly narrow bone structure. In combination with hypertrophied muscles, this gives excellent proportions: wide, ball-shaped shoulders and voluminous quadriceps with a narrow waist, round biceps against thin wrists.

There are other advantages too. Relatively low body weight and a low percentage of subcutaneous fat do not overload the cardiovascular system. Ectomorphs are least prone to diseases such as arterial hypertension and arrhythmia.

Type Definition

Although there are three types, it is important to know that you cannot accurately categorize yourself into just one. “Three body types exist, but they are never seen in their pure form,” says Professor Lars McNaughton from Edge Hill University

“Three body types exist, but they are never seen in their pure form,” says Professor Lars McNaughton from Edge Hill University.

“We all have something of an endomorph, a mesomorph, and an ectomorph.”

There's even a rating system for what type you are, the Heath-Carter method, where you're given a score from 1 to 7 for each body type (you may fall outside of this range, but you'll usually be within these numbers).

“Count your endomorph points first, then your mesomorph and ectomorph points,” advises McNaughton.

“So, for example, 1-7-5 would be a mesoectomorph—a tall, muscular person with little fat.”

In the Heath-Carter system, a pure mesomorph has indicators of 1-7-1, a pure endomorph has 7-1-1, and a pure ectomorph has 1-1-7. However, almost everyone is a mixture of these types, so body identification will help you determine how you fit into each category.

You can combine the signs of a mesomorph and an endomorph, quickly gain muscle mass, but just as quickly gain weight if you relax a little. Or the dream combination: a muscular mesomorph who can quickly shed excess fat after just a few high-intensity interval training sessions.

The chart below shows how different athletes view the Heath-Carter system. This is a good starting point for identifying your own body.

Whatever your characteristics, you should know that regardless of your body type, anyone can become lean, build a strong muscle frame or, equally, gain fat mass if they are not careful. It may be difficult for a skinny guy to achieve a body like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it is possible.

Below, you'll find more information on how to identify your own body type or mix of types, and learn how to adjust your workout plan: what you should be doing in the gym and in the kitchen, where you're going wrong, what exercises are best for you, and what supplements will help you improve your results. At the very least, you'll have a better idea of ​​what shape your body is and how to get the most out of your genetic inheritance.

Features of training and diet

A special figure requires a special approach both in the training process and in creating a diet. A well-designed training program for an ectomorph is not all that is needed to obtain the desired result. Proper nutrition for this body type is of paramount importance.

Diet

The issue of nutrition for ectomorphs is extremely important - without a normal diet and healthy food, no amount of training will help .

Nutrition should be balanced, there should be at least 4-5 meals. Everything here is quite simple - it doesn’t make much difference how many times a day you eat, but it’s quite difficult to eat the entire required amount of food in 2-3 times. In addition, this can stretch the stomach.

Misconceptions about nutrition

There is an opinion that ectomorphs can eat anything. Like, the main thing is to eat the right amount of calories, then growth will occur.

This is a big misconception for a number of reasons:

1. Firstly, you can’t get your daily calorie intake from sweets and fast food and not get health problems.
2. Secondly, such a diet will slow down your metabolism over time, and you will gain excess fat. In this case, there can be no talk of any muscles: muscles do not grow from fat and sugar, they need protein, which is practically absent in such products.
3. Thirdly, over time, the gastrointestinal tract will begin to reject junk food. You will want to eat normal healthy food. But since you are used to stuffing everything into yourself, proper nutrition will not cause much appetite, and you will eat a maximum of 2 times a day. This will make you even thinner than you were before you started training.

If on any one day you reach your quota from such food, it’s okay. But you can’t eat like this all the time.

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Distribution of BZHU in the diet

This does not mean at all that ectomorphs should adhere to the strictest diet, which will consist of 100% healthy foods. On the contrary, a small amount of simple carbohydrates in their diet will definitely not harm them. For example, immediately after training.

There should be a lot of carbohydrates in the diet, at least 5 g per 1 kg of body weight . If the weight does not grow, gradually add 0.5 g of carbohydrate per 1 kg of body weight and monitor the changes. With protein, everything is simpler: consistently eat 2 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight. This is enough to restore and grow muscle mass. Consume about 1 g of fat per 1 kg of body weight - this way you will increase the total calorie content of your diet and consume enough “fuel” for the normal functioning of the hormonal system.

Recommended Products

The most desirable products for consumption are:

• proteins: chicken, turkey, eggs, white and red fish, beef, pork, cottage cheese and other dairy products, whey protein;
• fats: fish oil, flaxseed oil, avocado, nuts;
• carbohydrates: oatmeal, durum wheat pasta, rice, buckwheat, pearl barley, vegetables, fruits.

Of particular importance are breakfast and pre-workout meals (1.5-2 hours before training). They must be rich in carbohydrates to charge the body with energy for fruitful work. After training, it is advisable to take a gainer or whey protein with a small amount (about 50 g) of simple carbohydrates. Protein is also recommended to be consumed between meals to maintain constant protein synthesis in the body.

Before going to bed, it is recommended to drink casein (long-absorbing protein) or eat 250-300 g of cottage cheese to protect yourself from catabolism during the entire night's sleep. Do not forget to consume enough fiber for normal absorption of food, then any problems with the gastrointestinal tract will bypass you.

Workout

The central place in the training program for gaining mass for an ectomorph is given to basic exercises. Include isolated movements to a minimum, since they are not so effective and involve only one muscle group. Cardio should be excluded altogether, unless you have a health indication for it.

Three workouts a week will be more than enough, but it’s better to start with two at all - in the first workout, load the entire top, and in the second - the bottom. Training should be intense, but short - no more than 1 hour, maximum - 1.5.

Try to constantly increase your strength. The stronger you are, the more potential your muscles have to grow. Therefore, exercises such as bench press, deadlift and barbell squats cannot be ignored. By progressing in these exercises, you are sure to become stronger and bigger over time. But under no circumstances increase the working weight to the detriment of technique.

And when you gain the necessary foundation of muscle mass and strength and visually look more like a mesomorph, you can slowly add cardio and isolated exercises to locally work out certain muscle groups.

General recommendations for a thin person

Gaining muscle mass for an ectomorph is a difficult but doable task. The following principles should be the main ones when working on yourself:

• In your training super nutrition and diet for ectomorphs, you need to include a menu with a lot of calories.
• The consumption of valuable elements must be reduced by consuming protein.
• They exclude cardio exercises, pay more attention to strength training, and you can do full body training.
• Protein intake is calculated individually. For the norm, a coefficient of 1.8 is taken, which is multiplied by its own weight. The amount of protein obtained is calculated in grams and must be consumed daily.

Nutrition should be based on split meals: up to 6 times a day. Proper balanced nutrition and strength training should become a habit. Weakening concentration in any of the modes is unacceptable, as this will lead to rapid weight loss and loss of muscle mass.

Training programs for men

Without strength training, there will definitely be no muscle growth; the body has no biological need for this. Why waste resources on restoring microtraumas in muscles if you can put them into adipose tissue and keep them in reserve?

Workout in the gym

The training program for two days a week for an ectomorph is as follows:

This ectomorph training program is perfect for beginner athletes. The entire training process is built around basic movements - you will not overtrain and will gradually progress.

For athletes with basic training, the best option would be a three-day split:

Here, the breakdown by day of the week occurs by synergist muscles, for example, triceps work in all chest presses, and biceps work in back rows. Heavy basic movements will be enough to work these small muscle groups, so isolation is not necessary at this stage.

Exercises at home

Don't be discouraged if you are an ectomorph and don't have the opportunity to go to the gym. You can play sports and improve your physical fitness without leaving home. A minimum set of equipment (prefabricated dumbbells and a horizontal bar) and desire are enough.

The principle of training will be the same - it makes no difference to the muscles whether you work them at home or in a fitness club, the main thing is to work in the same mode and try to increase strength indicators. Training with your own weight will sooner or later lead to a lack of progress, so at least dumbbells or kettlebells should be available.

A home training program for an ectomorph for two days should look something like this:

If push-ups or pull-ups are easy, do them with additional weights, for example, wear a backpack with something heavy.

A three-day split for home workouts looks like this:

Technique for performing simple exercises

Deadlifts are recommended for ectomorphs both in the fitness center and for doing at home. You can choose dumbbells or a barbell as a working tool. As a result of correct implementation of the quick course, the muscles of the back, legs, buttocks, and shoulders are transformed within a month. The classic deadlift is performed in the following steps:

1. The dumbbells or bar should be held in a straight line, with the back of your hand facing outwards.
2. Feet should be shoulder-width apart or narrow.
3. The body needs to be tilted slightly forward while inhaling, you should get a half squat.
4. The dumbbells or barbell are raised to the level of the shins.
5. At this peak point, it is recommended to exhale and straighten the body.

Squats with an additional load, also called plies, are primarily beneficial for the leg muscles. With the correct wide stance, the buttocks and calves become larger. You can choose one dumbbell or kettlebell as additional weight. Additional load concerns the abs and back. The technical design is as follows:

1. The legs are set in a wide stance, and the feet are turned to the sides.
2. The weight is taken with both hands, while the limbs are straightened.
3. The first squat is performed while inhaling, and the weight should be on the floor.
4. At the same time, the pelvis is retracted back.
5. The body rises to the peak point using the strength of the legs.

Training programs for girls

Not only men, but also women are ectomorphs. Many people think that this is their huge advantage and they can eat whatever they want and not gain weight. But we have already looked at this issue - any excesses have consequences, including disordered eating. Ectomorph girls need to work on themselves no less than men.

Exercises in the gym

The training program for an ectomorph girl for two days should look something like this:

Three-day split option:

Despite the fact that the split coincides with the men's program, it is not a classic ectomorph mass training program. Here we introduce some isolation exercises to protect the fragile female joint and ligament system from unwanted injuries. In addition, there is significantly less axial load on the spine, there are no heavy deadlifts and squats with a barbell, as in the program for ectomorph men.

Cardio

Since we're working out at home, we need to find a way to make our cardio workout as effective as possible. They should be so intense that they stimulate the production of growth hormone, which will burn fat and build muscle.

In this way we further compensate for the lack of gym weights. As mentioned, the effectiveness of a heavy barbell at home is quite difficult to replicate. Therefore, our training should be as focused as possible on muscle growth and include intense cardio.

Things like jumping with a weighted rope, running at maximum speed (sprinting), and burpees are great for this. You need to choose an exercise that you can perform for 30 seconds at a VO2 max of 80%-90% for five intervals.

Let's say you're going to do burpees.

This is what it looks like:

• Burpee (maximum intensity) - 30 seconds.
• Rest two minutes.
• Burpee (maximum intensity) - 30 seconds.
• Rest two minutes.
• Burpee (maximum intensity) - 30 seconds.
• Rest two minutes.
• Burpee (maximum intensity) - 30 seconds.
• Rest two minutes.
• Burpee (maximum intensity) - 30 seconds.

You need to perform the movement so intensely (maximum 80-90% VO2) that you literally begin to choke from lack of air. The total duration of such a cardio session is about 15-20 minutes.

You can also do the same with sprinting (running at top speed). Or jumping with a weighted rope. You can also alternate and combine all these exercises.

The most important criterion is to keep your heart rate really high.

This is what high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is for.

The main point is not the exercise you choose. Your goal is to increase your heart rate to 150-160 beats per minute. How to check this:

Immediately after each interval, count your pulse for 10 seconds (much easier to do this on the carotid artery) and multiply the result by 6.

According to numerous studies, it is as a result of such training that growth hormone is released, which accelerates fat burning and muscle growth.

Ideally, you should do two such cardio sessions per week.

But if you can’t do it yet, then in the first couple of weeks one cardio workout will be enough.