[eggplant21]

The Ectomorph’s Guide to Gaining Mass

Many people do not realize how hard it is for a true ectomorph to gain weight. Being a pure ectomorph myself, I have experienced these challenges first hand. Over the last year three months I have devoted all of my resources to gaining weight, and had stellar results. I have found some things that work and some that don’t. I have filtered out the ones that do not work and culminated a program for ectomorphs to gain mass. This is from my own experience and does work.

Diet

For the ectomorph diet is the most pivotal aspect of gaining weight. This holds true for any, but for the ectomorph it will be impossible to gain any sort of mass without sticking to a diet. The ecto diet should be extremely high in calories with no particular emphasis on one macro over the other. Carbs should be 50% of the diet, Proteins should be 30% of the diet, and Fats should make up 20% of the diet. A diet containing only 30% protein goes against many of the diets proposed in bodybuilding, but when calories are kept extremely high, protein will also be high.
For instance, I recommend that ectomorphs eat roughly 4500+ calories per day. If 50% of that is carbs that means that you will be consuming roughly 650 carbs per day, 400 grams of proteins, and 150 grams of fat. 400 grams of protein is quite a lot of protein under any circumstances. Protein should come from sources such as BEEF, fish, and chicken. Don’t be afraid to eat a double quarter pounder with cheese every now and again. Carbs should come from mainly high quality sources such as sweet potatoes, whole wheat pasta, fruit, etc. but a fair amount (about 30%) may come from fast carb sources such as white bread, chips, white pasta, etc.
Fats should also be 70% healthy fats and 30% from other sources. Healthy fats are nuts, fish, and oils like olive and grape seed.
Ectomorphs should eat every 2-3 hours, these should be full meals. One meal should be eaten directly before bed. A potent weight gaining shake that can be taken before sleep is as follows: 4 scoops protein mixture (whey, casein, soy), One table spoon extra virgin olive oil, and 8 ounces whole milk, optional: 1 tablespoon of creamy peanut butter.

Training

Training for the ectomorph should be different than their meso or endo counterparts. Ectomorphs should workout no more than 4 times per week, with 3 being optimal. These workouts should be brief, but extremely intense. Growth occurs during the rest phase, so it would only make sense that ectomorphs need to rest more in order to speed growth. During the rest period actually rest. Do not waste calories on various aerobic activities, this will only slow growth. If you must do some cardio, constrict it to only once or twice per week, though my true recommendation is no cardio.
As far as exercises go, stick to the heavy compound movements for most of your time in your workouts.
Acceptable: SQUATS, DEADLIFTS, Bench Press, Shoulder Press, Barbell Rows, Pull-ups, Barbell Curls, French Press, T-bar Rows, Standing Calf Raises, SLDL, etc.

Unacceptable: High rep adductor work while checking out the girls running on the treadmill, any product advertised on an infomercial, working out for four hours at a time, etc.

Machines have their place and can be very effective in building muscle, but most of the exercises you perform should be the free weight variety.
Ectomorphs must squat. This sounds simple, but for ectomorphs growth will be severely limited without heavy barbell squats. Squat until you feel as if you are going to die and you have probably done a good job. Deadlifts are the second most beneficial exercise for ectomorphs. These exercises not only cause the target areas to grow, but stimulate the entire body to grow.

Reps should be in the 6-10 range and weights should be as heavy as possible. As you progress throw in things such as rest pause, negatives, and static holds.

Supplementation:

Supplementation does not play a very big role in the growth process, but it does play a role nonetheless. The following are supplements that I have found to get results in lean mass gain.

Supplements:
1. Creatine- Any form will be fine. Creatine stimulates weight gain via enhanced recovery, increased muscular function, and increased cell volume.
2. ZMA- Proven to raise free test in athletes (Brilla), also increases sleep quality.
3. AAKG (Arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate) - Increases vasodilation and nutrient flow to the muscles. Increases muscular pumps.
4. Protein Powder- This should really be in the food section because I don’t even consider it a supplement. This is a necessity.

The Human Factor

The human factor encompasses all of the previously mentioned areas. It is all up to the individual to grow. How much are you willing to sacrifice? You will find that the amount you are willing to sacrifice will be equal to the gains you make. If you are not gaining, it is probably not your genetics or a lack of supplements, it is most likely your own fault. Bodybuilding is more mental than anything else. Constantly have a mindset to improve and meet your goals and don’t let anyone else get in your way.
One must always keep learning about new ways to gain mass, to squeeze out every ounce of potential. Keep learning, working hard, and working smart and you will reach your goals whether you are an ectomorph, mesomorph, or endomorph.
Good Luck,
Eggplant

[bkoguy07]

Good post, reps!

[Nitrox]

Some good concepts but too many rigid rules.

5500 calories is hardly universal. I'm ecto but even if I could get that many calories down, I would simply get fat. IMO it's best to start with a BMR calculator and get a baseline calorie requirement. Then make up a starting diet on with measure portions and calculated calories. Test drive for a couple weeks and adjust as needed.

Where did all the percentages come from?

Finally, like it or not, genetics will dictate one's ultimate potential.

[jspillane08]

Thats dreadful advice, an ectommorph can certainly gain mass on less then 5,500 calories perday. WholeMilk?, quarter pounders? This is a great way to gain bodyfat for anything with a pulse for sure. Its not 1991 anymore you should retitle it an ectomorphs guide to getting gaining massive health problems.

[jspillane08]

650 carbs perday is this guy serious

[Nitrox]

Originally Posted by jspillane08

650 carbs perday is this guy serious

The numbers themselves are not necessarily wrong it is the lack of specificity of who they apply to. All things equal, a 5'8" ectomorph does not need the same calorie requirements as a 6'8" ectomorph. Similarly a 5'8" ecto who shovels rocks all day could well need thousands of calories more than one who drives a desk for 8 hours.

[eggplant21]

Originally Posted by Nitrox

Some good concepts but too many rigid rules.

5500 calories is hardly universal. I'm ecto but even if I could get that many calories down, I would simply get fat. IMO it's best to start with a BMR calculator and get a baseline calorie requirement. Then make up a starting diet on with measure portions and calculated calories. Test drive for a couple weeks and adjust as needed.

Where did all the percentages come from?

Finally, like it or not, genetics will dictate one's ultimate potential.

A couple of things: 5500 was meant to be a rough estimate, this was based upon my own experiences and upon the experiences of other ectomorphs. The percentages are also based upon my own experience. I think that carbs are very neglected in bodybuilding. I do not believe that a true ectomorph can gain mass without a huge surpluss of calories, and carbs will be high naturally. I have no problem with you post, except I have a slight issue with the last point. I believe that people use genetics as a crutch many of the times. They just blame the fact that they are small on genes. Don't get me wrong, genes play a role in it all, but I think that the human will can make up for much. This was meant to be a brief outline for ectomorph's looking to gain mass, perhaps I overestimated on the cals, though I would rather someone trying to gain eat too much than too little, so that was my reasoning there. Thank you for the constructive feedback, it is much appreciated.

[eggplant21]

Originally Posted by Nitrox

The numbers themselves are not necessarily wrong it is the lack of specificity of who they apply to. All things equal, a 5'8" ectomorph does not need the same calorie requirements as a 6'8" ectomorph. Similarly a 5'8" ecto who shovels rocks all day could well need thousands of calories more than one who drives a desk for 8 hours.

This is a good point that I failed to address, thanks.

[eggplant21]

Originally Posted by jspillane08

Thats dreadful advice, an ectommorph can certainly gain mass on less then 5,500 calories perday. WholeMilk?, quarter pounders? This is a great way to gain bodyfat for anything with a pulse for sure. Its not 1991 anymore you should retitle it an ectomorphs guide to getting gaining massive health problems.

I will try to be kind with this reply. First, again 5500 was a rough estimate, but I think for an ectomorph who is very lean anywhere around 5000 is a good place to start. Whole milk is calorie dense, high in protein, and high in fats (which are proven to actually be burned for energy very readily). A Quarter Pounder with Cheese "every once in a while" as I said is truly not a bad thing, though every day would be dreadful. You did have one thing right, is isn't 1991 anymore. Also I would ask what your current diet looks like. I would guess at 165 you probably could use a few more cals. All of this was based upon pure experience. I went from 6 foot and 150 to 208 and 6.5% bodyfat in one year and three months. So I feel as though my system was very effective, would you agree? I was just trying to share my current system so that maybe some skinny fellows out there could benefit. If you have problems with the guide, then kindly provide your feedback in a civil manner and I will gladly respect that.

[eggplant21]

Nitrox,
I edited the cals slightly, its still high, but it allows for more adjustment from person to person.

[Mulletsoldier]

Originally Posted by eggplant21

I will try to be kind with this reply. First, again 5500 was a rough estimate, but I think for an ectomorph who is very lean anywhere around 5000 is a good place to start. Whole milk is calorie dense, high in protein, and high in fats (which are proven to actually be burned for energy very readily). A Quarter Pounder with Cheese "every once in a while" as I said is truly not a bad thing, though every day would be dreadful. You did have one thing right, is isn't 1991 anymore. Also I would ask what your current diet looks like. I would guess at 165 you probably could use a few more cals. All of this was based upon pure experience. I went from 6 foot and 150 to 208 and 6.5% bodyfat in one year and three months. So I feel as though my system was very effective, would you agree? I was just trying to share my current system so that maybe some skinny fellows out there could benefit. If you have problems with the guide, then kindly provide your feedback in a civil manner and I will gladly respect that.

I think the main grievance was extrapolating individual results to universal advice - what worked for you, almost surely, will not translate directly into results for me. I know some Ectomorphs who are extremely prone to fat gain because of carbohydrate sensitivity; in this case, your advice would bloat them beyond belief, lead to SAT, and most likely cause some gastrointestinal stress.

[eggplant21]

Originally Posted by Mulletsoldier

I think the main grievance was extrapolating individual results to universal advice - what worked for you, almost surely, will not translate directly into results for me. I know some Ectomorphs who are extremely prone to fat gain because of carbohydrate sensitivity; in this case, your advice would bloat them beyond belief, lead to SAT, and most likely cause some gastrointestinal stress.

Great point mullet. I guess that I had never met an ectomorph who was extremely prone to fat gain, so I did not even take that into account. I was going off of my own experience, and my college roomates experience (he gained 20lbs in 8 months, and lost fat) whom i trained this past year. I may have come off too rigid with the diet, but I still think that for the majority of ectos around 5000 is a good place to start. It was meant to be a rough guideline. Much of it was based upon commen sense anywho. For most ectomorphs they should eat alot, train harder and fewer times, and should be especially mentally strong. I did not intend it to be a strict guideline, which is why I included many "roughly"'s and "about"'s. I think that most ectos will grow if they follow those guidelines. I am sorry that I did not include carb sensitive ectos. thank you for you criticism, it is much appreciated.

[jspillane08]

Well I can't argue with a 150 to 208 jump with a 6% can I

[Nitrox]

Originally Posted by Mulletsoldier

I know some Ectomorphs who are extremely prone to fat gain because of carbohydrate sensitivity; in this case, your advice would bloat them beyond belief, lead to SAT, and most likely cause some gastrointestinal stress.

What do people mean by carb sensitivity and how would one go about measuring it?

[Mulletsoldier]

Originally Posted by Nitrox

What do people mean by carb sensitivity and how would one go about measuring it?

I suppose a more explicit and accurate definition would be to describe it as the level of efficiency (or inefficiency) of one's energy metabolism and glucose homeostasis. Though, carbohydrate sensitivity is easier to say! (i.e., lack of AMPk activation leading to lack of storage in myocytes, overexpression of PPAR family in adipocytes, Akt deficiency, and so on).