Nutrition and training to gain muscle mass

Where to begin?

Determine your body type. There are three main types:

Ectomorphs are thin and have underdeveloped muscles. They have thin, long limbs and have difficulty gaining weight.
Mesomorphs have well-developed muscles and proportional limbs. The fat layer is small and evenly distributed throughout the body. Gain and lose weight easily.
Endomorphs are usually not tall, stocky, with rounded shapes. Easily gain both muscle and fat mass.

If you are a mesomorph, then it will be easier for you to build muscle mass than other types. But an ectomorph will have to sweat a lot in the gym to achieve the desired relief. Endomorphs shouldn’t relax either, because their muscle mass can easily be hidden by a layer of fat, so they can’t do without cardio training.

Nutrition for gaining muscle mass

A competent menu is as important when gaining muscle mass as training. These are the basic principles that all bodybuilders adhere to.

Eat small meals. An actively training person needs to eat 5-6 times a day so that the muscles are constantly fed.
Maintain a balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The standard ratio is 30% protein, 20% fat and 50% carbohydrates. Depending on the type of figure, these indicators can change by 5-10% up or down. For example, endomorphs can reduce the amount of carbohydrates consumed and add protein.
Stick to your calories. A real bodybuilder knows exactly how many calories he needs to consume to effectively grow muscle mass. Calculate your calorie allowance for your weight, age and physical activity and always stick to it. A lack of calories prevents muscles from growing, and an excess provokes the accumulation of fat.
Drink water. A high protein content in the diet can create additional stress on the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract, so you need to drink enough water - 2-4 liters per day.
Choose the right time to eat. Divide your entire daily diet into equal portions and try to eat at regular intervals. Be sure to have breakfast and dinner.
Include foods rich in healthy fats in your diet: vegetable oils, nuts, red fish, avocados.

Sports nutrition for ectomorph

If an ectomorph regularly trains to increase muscles, then without sports nutrition it is much more difficult to provide the body with all the substances from food.

For the asthenic type, the main advantage of sports supplements is not just assistance in the growth of new fibers, but primarily in the prevention of catabolism.

List of sports nutrition that an ectomorph needs.

Full cycle amino acids and BCAA. These supplements are taken throughout the day, before, during and after workouts according to the manufacturer's instructions. Replaceable and essential amino acids can be quickly absorbed, so the body does not need much time to digest large quantities of animal food. Read more about BCAA →
A gainer is a mixture of carbohydrates and proteins that is quickly absorbed and is necessary as a meal replacement before or after exercise. Gainer can contain complex and simple carbohydrates in proportions equal to proteins, or in greater quantities (4:1, 4:2). Such high-carbohydrate cocktails are ideal for ectomorphs. Read more about taking gainer for a lean physique →
Casein or multicomponent protein. These types of supplements contain protein that takes a long time to digest (casein). To avoid muscle breakdown at night, you need to take a portion of the cocktail before bed. Read more about multi-component protein and casein.
Creatine . The supplement promotes muscle growth by increasing muscle strength. Creatine is able to retain fluid between muscle fibers, which visually adds volume due to swelling. Thanks to this, muscles are able to lift heavy weights, and creatine also promotes the rapid elimination of lactic acid and muscle recovery.

What to eat to gain muscle mass for a man

Breakfast should contain proteins, fast and slow carbohydrates:

Boiled eggs, oatmeal with banana.
Omelette, toast with cheese and nut butter.
Curd cheesecakes, buckwheat porridge with nuts.

Second breakfast to choose from:

Steamed chicken cutlets, vegetable salad.
Curd dessert with fruits and nuts.
Toast or a peanut butter muffin with a protein shake.

Lunch options:

Boiled chicken breast, boiled rice or buckwheat, vegetable salad.
Salmon steak, grilled vegetables, whole grain bread.
Steamed beef, wheat or pearl barley porridge, fruit.

Second lunch: the menu for this meal is usually no different from lunch.

Dinner to choose from:

Baked white fish, vegetable side dish.
Chicken cutlets, buckwheat porridge.
Cottage cheese, a portion of vegetables and fruits.

Second dinner. Options:

Casein cocktail.
Cottage cheese.

Change your diet depending on your daily routine. 2 hours before training, you should have a full meal with a high content of proteins and carbohydrates. In 30-40 minutes you need to drink a portion of a protein shake or gainer.

Immediately after training, you need to get a portion of carbohydrates and proteins, for example, drink a gainer or protein, eat a banana or a PRIMEBAR bar.

Diet for weight in ectomorphs

(8:00): Glass of water 300 ml, 1 banana.
(8:30): Hercules porridge 60g, chicken breast 30g, 1 tbsp flaxseed oil, 1 tsp. honey
(10:00): Rice 60g, chicken breast 30g, 1 whole egg, vegetables, 1 tsp. honey
(12:00): Rice 50g, chicken breast 40g, vegetables, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 banana.
(14:00): Oatmeal 50g, chicken breast 40g, 1 tbsp. sunflower oil, a glass of juice.
(15:30): Rice 60g, chicken breast 30g, 1 whole egg, 1 tsp. linseed oil, 1 tsp. honey
(16:00): Beef or pork 40g, rolled oats porridge 80g, vegetables, 1 tsp. olive oil.
(16:30 - 17:30): Training. Drink enough water during training.
(5:30 p.m.): Immediately after your workout, eat 2 bananas.
(18:00): Hercules porridge 70g, beef or pork 50g, vegetables, 1 tsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. honey
(19:30): Rice 40g, fish 40g, 1 whole egg, vegetables, glass of juice.
(21:00): Rice 30g, chicken breast 40g, vegetables.
(22:00): Cottage cheese 150g.

If you have a desire and are particularly fanatical about gaining weight, then you can make a meal in the middle of the night. It could be the same cottage cheese, 50-70 grams, something from slow carbohydrates, for example, rice porridge, 30-40 grams and 1 tbsp. linseed oil. Do not eat fast carbohydrates; they are not needed at night.

Workouts for gaining mass

It is impossible to gain weight without regular strength training with free weights. But don’t rush to immediately grab the 120 kg barbell. Failure to comply with the training regimen and incorrect exercise technique will only harm your health. What is important to know before starting training:

Always start with a warm-up. Warm up your muscles and joints thoroughly to avoid damage.
The basis of training should be basic exercises: squats, bench press, deadlift.
Start with a light weight, especially if you are new to the gym.
Watch the technique of doing the exercises. Contact a professional trainer who will teach you the correct technique.
Increase the load gradually to avoid injury.
Work your ass off. Select such a weight and number of repetitions that the latter is given to you with maximum difficulty without losing technique.
Pay attention to quality recovery and good sleep.

In order for exercises in the gym to bring maximum effect, it is necessary to create a working training program, and not perform exercises chaotically. To do this, it is recommended to contact a trainer who will select a program based on your goals, body type and initial level of training. But if this is not possible, you can use one of the universal programs for gaining muscle mass for men.

Ectomorph is not a death sentence!

In bodybuilding, by the way, it is people with this body type who achieve good achievements, because they initially have very good proportions compared to other types.

While working as a trainer in the gym, I often used this approach when working with ectomorphic clients. This caused great surprise and joy that we achieved our goals in such a non-standard way. Therefore, I recommend that anyone who is faced with the problem of gaining muscle mass should try training in this mode for several months.

Gym workouts to gain muscle mass

The most effective program is considered to include 3 training days with an interval of 1-2 days between them. Start all exercises with a warm-up approach with a load of 50-60% of the working weight. Perform 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions. Rest between sets 1.5-2 minutes.

Day 1. Back, shoulders.

Classic version of the deadlift.
Pull-ups with wide arms.
Bent-over barbell row.
Bent-over dumbbell raises.
Pull of the upper block to the chest.
Abdominal exercises.

Day 2. Triceps, legs.

Squats.
Platform leg press.
Classic lunges with a barbell.
French bench press.
Extension of arms in a block.
Abdominal exercises.

Day 3. Biceps, chest.

Barbell press with a regular grip.
Lying dumbbell raises.
Wide grip barbell press.
Hammer Curl.
Lifting the barbell while standing.
Abdominal exercises.

Nutrition and diet for ectomorph[edit | edit code]

Nutrition and diet for an ectomorph. Myths about hardgainers

The decisive factor in bodybuilding for an ectomorph is diet and proper nutrition. Practice shows that it is almost impossible to achieve good results without the use of sports nutrition. This is due to the fast metabolism of ectomorphs, and it is physically very difficult to get the right amount of nutrients from regular food.

Recommendations[edit | edit code]

1. The intervals between meals should be short, you need to eat at least five to six times a day, in approximately equal portions. 2. The daily fat intake for ectomorphs is quite high - 20 percent. Almost all fats should be of plant origin; fish oil, which is rich in omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, is very useful. 3. The amount of protein is approximately 1.8-2 grams per kilogram of body weight. 4. Protein and carbohydrates should be the main suppliers of calories - at least 25 percent protein and 50 - 60% carbohydrates. This is where sports nutrition comes to the rescue, which will not only allow you to get enough protein, but can also replace 2-3 meals. Sources of protein include foods such as meat, eggs, cottage cheese, fish, legumes and, to a lesser extent, porridge. 5. The main source of carbohydrates should be porridge, vegetables and wholemeal flour products, that is, foods containing slow carbohydrates. Try to eat oatmeal, buckwheat, millet, corn, pasta, beans and other legumes. 6. Do not forget to eat fruits and greens as a source of vitamins and microelements, but do not overuse them, as a large proportion of fiber in food will overload the gastrointestinal tract and cause digestive upset. 7. Drink enough liquid - up to 3 liters per day.

Home workouts to gain muscle mass

A prerequisite for building muscle mass is regular training using sports equipment. If for some reason you cannot go to the gym, then you can train at home. To do this, you need to purchase the necessary equipment: a collapsible barbell and dumbbells, a special bench. Also install a pull-up bar and parallel bars at home or find a sports ground with this equipment.

You can replace exercises in leg machines with various types of squats and lunges. And push-ups from the floor and on the uneven bars will help you effectively work out the muscles of your arms and torso.