Learn how to gain muscle mass if you naturally have a fast metabolism. With this technique, you will gain at least 10 kg of muscle. An ectomorph is a thin person, whose body contains little muscle mass, bones, as a rule, are thin. With the help of a certain training program for a mass of ectomorph, the situation can be replaced, but this will require a lot of time and effort. How the ectomorph training program should be organized, we will now figure it out.
Features of the physique of an ectomorph
In life, one hundred percent body type is quite rare and most often people have various combinations. Among the builders who are gaining muscle mass with great difficulty, you can find an ectomorph with a small "interspersed" mesomorph. Their body is quite attractive, but the muscle mass is extremely small. There are a lot of people with this type of physique among celebrities, for example, Jackie Chan and Frank Zane.
Although the body type described above is characterized by the presence of slightly more muscle mass compared to 100% ectomorph, this does not allow them to quickly gain mass. To achieve a good result, you need to train hard and eat a lot.
The muscle mass of ectomorphs is dry and of high quality. In professional bodybuilding, this is a definite plus, since you do not have to spend a lot of time on drying. But with weight gain, things are not at all rosy. Most often, ectomorphs begin to perform energy-intensive movements such as squats and bench presses, with weights that are about a third lighter in comparison with their body weight.
Until the moment when the working weight doubles, most often it takes about 12 months. Also, speaking about the training program for the mass of ectomorphs, it should be remembered that their articular-ligamentous apparatus is most often quite weak. Of course, the use of anabolic steroids will significantly speed up your progress, but as soon as you stop taking AAS, your body will return to a state close to its initial state.
Thus, athletes who are heavily gaining muscle mass should still train naturally, since steroids will only allow them to achieve temporary results.
The most effective exercises for an ectomorph
At the first stage of bodybuilding, athletes with weak genetics should focus only on basic movements. Without squats, deadlifts, barbell raises and dumbbells for biceps, barbell rows in an inclined position, you cannot count on serious results.
Very often, beginners are interested in how long it will take them to reach the intermediate level of training. Nobody can give you an exact answer. Much depends on the characteristics of your body. For some, this period is 12 months, while other athletes will need more time.
At the same time, it makes no sense to start using the ectomorph mass training program before reaching the average level of strength training. When you reach this level, you will be able to perform five repetitions in the bench press with a working weight of one and a half times your body weight, and you will squat with the same weight 15 times.
When you can do this in training, then you will need an ectomorph mass training program, which we will talk about below. If you ignore this advice, then you are simply wasting your time without achieving positive results. First of all, the effectiveness of mass training is associated with the synergistic effect of the simultaneous work of a large number of muscles, which can be achieved only when performing basic movements. By using isolated movements, you will not be able to inflict enough damage on the muscle tissue to activate the growth processes.
Today, there is often a debate about the need for cardio sessions in a training program for a builder. Ectomorphs should use cardio even during periods of weight gain to improve heart performance. Otherwise, serious trouble can arise with this vital organ. At the same time, you should not spend a lot of time on the treadmill, but only a quarter of an hour is enough.
You can also recommend using a ski machine for cardio on days of training your leg muscles, and using a treadmill while pumping your upper body. This will allow you not to load the muscles worked out in the course of strength training.
How to eat ectomorph properly?
Nutrition is important not only during weight gain, but also during drying. When an ectomorph gains mass, it should not only eat a lot, but it must be done correctly. If you do not consume enough protein compounds and carbohydrates, then the effectiveness of the exercise will sharply decrease.
Mesomorphs can afford to make a mistake in calculating the required amount of carbohydrates downward, but for an ectomorph, this is simply unacceptable. It is necessary to eat mainly slow carbohydrates, which is true for any physique. Carbohydrates are the best source of energy for the body. With a deficiency of this nutrient, you simply will not have the strength to conduct a full-fledged training that can reap excellent results. Slow carbohydrates are high in nutrients as opposed to fast ones.
For example, a portion of rice porridge after training will allow you to restore the glycogen depot in a short time, which cannot be said about flour products or sweets. It is also necessary to remember that slow carbohydrates are able to supply energy to the body over a long period of time and at the same time significantly improve the absorption of protein compounds and micronutrients.
During the day, you need to consume at least two grams of protein compounds for every kilogram of mass. The need for carbohydrates is twice as high and amounts to 4 grams for every kilogram of body weight. But fats are enough to use at the rate of 0.5 grams per kilo of body weight. It should be remembered that fats must be unsaturated.
Very often, athletes do not pay enough attention to their diet and, as a result, progress extremely slowly. To a greater extent, it is ectomorphs that suffer from malnutrition, the muscle mass of which decreases, and this despite the fact that it was previously low. Of course, it is quite difficult to provide the body with the necessary amount of nutrients only with the help of food. If you want to achieve your goal, then you have to use sports nutrition and, first of all, gainers with protein mixtures.
As soon as your lesson is over, it is worth over the next 24 hours to increase the amount of carbohydrates consumed from 4 to 6-7 grams per kilo of body weight. When the day has passed, start taking more protein compounds, namely from 3 to 3.5 grams. Diet adjustments like these will help you start progressing at the fastest pace.
Ectomorph mass training program
As we said above, during the first 12 months, only basic movements should be present in your ectomorph mass training program. You have the right to decide the issue of the choice of movements on your own, but there will be no benefit from using isolated exercises at the first stage. Sometimes you can find advice - to use pumping for quick mass gain. It is possible, but very quickly the mass you gained in this way will be lost.
You need to perform all exercises in 5-8 sets with 5-8 repetitions each. Each muscle group should train once every four days, as the muscles recover in about 72 hours. We also recommend using cycles and alternating high intensity activities with less intense work. To do this, during "light workouts" reduce the working weight, while increasing the number of repetitions.
Here is an example of an ectomorph mass training program for the first stage of training. Recall that this should be practiced until you can squat 15 to 20 times with a projectile weight 1.5 times your body weight. In this case, you should perform presses from 5 to 6 times with the same weight.
1st day of training
- Squats - 5 sets of 5 reps
- Bench presses - 5 sets of 5 reps.
- Pull-ups - 5 sets of 5 reps.
- French presses - 5 sets of 6 reps.
2nd day of training
- Bench press - 5 sets of 5 reps.
- Squats - 5 sets of 5 reps
- Biceps curls - 5 sets of 5 reps.
- Standing presses - 5 sets of 3 reps.
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