Despite the fact that most of the world's population struggles with excess weight, and obesity has taken a leading position in the list of diseases of the twentieth century, nowadays you can often find people in gyms pursuing opposite goals. Gaining weight for a skinny guy is by no means an easy task. The body type of such people is called ectomorphic. Since it is more difficult for an ectomorph to gain weight, special training methods have been studied and developed. There are many recommendations specifically for this type of constitution that must be followed at all times.
Ectomorph nutrition for muscle gain
Nutrition rules for an ectomorph trying to gain weight
- Reduce hunger to a minimum. Any foods high in carbohydrates and proteins are suitable for this.
- The number of meals should be increased as much as possible, and sports supplements should be taken between them. It is recommended to eat at least 6 times a day.
- Before training, it is important to “load up” with high-calorie foods rich in carbohydrates, and then take a meal or a portion of a protein-carbohydrate cocktail.
- To maintain energy, as well as to avoid the destruction of muscle fibers, you should take an amino acid complex, both full cycle and BCAAs (branched chain amino acids).
What should an ectomorph's diet contain to gain weight?
- In the morning, immediately after sleep, when the body is deprived of nutrients, you should take an amino acid complex, after which, after doing the usual morning procedures, have a hearty breakfast;
- An athlete's diet, be it breakfast or dinner, should contain complex (slow) carbohydrates . They are best obtained from cereals: rice (unpolished), buckwheat, wheat, corn and oatmeal. Also important sources high in fiber are vegetables: cabbage (all types), carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes. And also, an ectomorph cannot do without simple carbohydrates with a high sugar content - honey, baked goods, dried fruits and fruits as a snack for a quick jump in blood glucose. Do not forget that any food received is completely absorbed by the ectomorph’s body, and to prevent catabolism (destruction) a quick load of easily digestible food is necessary. Each meal includes carbohydrates at the rate of 3-4 g per 1 kg of body weight per day.
Calculation: body weight (60 kg) x 4 g = 240 g net carbs. Divide the total amount of carbohydrates by the amount of food: 240/6 = 40 g of carbohydrates per meal.
- Proteins are crushed in an amount of 2-3 g per kilogram of the athlete’s weight. Proteins are found in large quantities in: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products or protein shakes. Two to three hours after breakfast, you can make a snack of proteins and fast carbohydrates, for example, cottage cheese and nuts with honey;
- Essential sources of nutrients for the growth of new muscles are also fatty acids - Omega-3, 6, 9. Fats are consumed at the rate of 1-2 g per 1 kg of weight. Sources of fats should be: unrefined oils, nuts, fish;
- It is important not only to prepare food before training, but also after. Consume a meal of protein and carbohydrates within 40 minutes of your workout. Drink plenty of water at all times.
Read about the rules of water consumption during training in this article →
How to adjust your lifestyle
“Qualitative” weight gain in a man is impossible without a radical change in a person’s lifestyle.
To not only transform your appearance, but also improve your health, it is recommended:
- give up bad habits (smoking and drinking alcohol);
- devote proper time to sleep (at night, to replenish physical and moral strength, a man needs to sleep at least 8-9 hours);
- perform a set of physical exercises at least 2-3 times a week;
- adjust your diet by giving up unhealthy foods in favor of those containing “healthy” calories.
By working out in the gym or following recommendations at home, a man can both lose weight and effectively gain weight. This must be done comprehensively: perform strength training and adhere to the principles of proper nutrition.
With any changes in the body, it is important for a person to listen to his own feelings. If you feel unwell or have other changes in your condition, you should consult a doctor and undergo additional examination of all body systems.
Article design: Oleg Lozinsky
Recommendations for training for weight at home
An important feature of the ectomorph is the high metabolic rate, which means not only the absorption of food, but also the rate of energy loss from food during exercise. Thus, the duration of a skinny guy’s workout should not exceed one hour. Both in the gym and at home, the training program should consist more of basic exercises with heavy weights. Do not overload with a large number of isolation exercises for one muscle group (4 or more). Design your program in such a way as to work several major muscle groups in exercises at once. For an ectomorph, it is recommended to perform 8-10 repetitions, 3-4 sets. Rest between sets no more than 2 minutes.
Training program for ectomorph at home
To gain weight, it is advisable to have a barbell, dumbbells and a bench press. If you don't have a barbell, the exercises can be performed with dumbbells. Do not exceed the number of repetitions and duration of training. The program is designed for three days a week.
Day 1
- Squats.
- Farmer's walk.
- Romanian cravings.
- Shin, standing on one leg.
- Seated dumbbell press.
- Barbell row to the chin.
Day 2
- Pull-ups.
- Row of barbells (dumbbells) to the belt.
- Hyperextension.
- Barbell curls for biceps.
- Hammer grip dumbbell curls.
Day 3
- Bench press.
- Dumbbell fly.
- Pullover.
- French press.
- One-arm dumbbell extension while sitting.
Recommendations for gaining weight on rest days
As for training, you need to take precautions so as not to lose muscle mass during the training. Damage to the fibers necessary for mass growth is repaired during sleep. In the presence of proper nutrition, calculation of BJU and an excess of calories (energy), the athlete needs at least eight hours of sleep. This is a daily condition. As for days of rest from exercise, food remains unchanged in quantity and quality; you cannot reduce the amount of food on such days. The same goes for taking amino acids after sleep and taking additional protein from sports nutrition products.
Contraindications and side effects
Many people looking for a way to gain weight quickly stop at medications. This method has many disadvantages and can be dangerous.
Hormonal drugs disrupt the body's natural balance. After stopping taking these medications, a person may begin to gain weight uncontrollably or, conversely, lose it. Such drugs are especially harmful to adolescents, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.
Some people who started drinking Nutrizon experienced allergic reactions. The same effect is possible from protein shakes if a person has an individual intolerance to the ingredients.
Sportspit
- As mentioned above, an ectomorph’s morning begins with taking amino acids or a protein shake;
- Before training, take full cycle amino acids, and after - BCAA;
- After training, you can use a protein shake or gainer instead of eating;
- 30-40 minutes before training, ectomorphs are recommended to take creatine, a natural substance to increase strength and training performance.
How to gain weight for a thin man aged 26, 30, 40 and older
“At this age, you need to start by adjusting your diet and sleep and rest patterns,” Mikhail Bobrov is sure. — Get examined by a doctor, understand whether there are contraindications to exercise. I advise you to check with an endocrinologist if there is significant weight loss.” If there are no special health problems, use a ready-made training program. Otherwise, you need an individually designed program taking into account physical limitations.
If you are over 40 years old, take care of your joint health. Use less traumatic exercises, perhaps on simulators where the trajectory is set and there is less risk of breaking your back or straightening the joint too much. To increase the strength of connective tissue and restore myofibrils, our expert recommends using myofascial release, massage, mobilization techniques, and short-term static stretching after training.
conclusions
Unfortunately, this body type, the ectomorph, has the most difficulty gaining muscle mass, so strictly following all the recommendations will bring you closer to success faster. Don't expect quick results. Most professional and amateur bodybuilders, whose athletic form with an ectomorph constitution shows crazy results in gaining mass, claim that they have not resorted to the use of hormonal steroids. Know that it is impossible to gain huge muscles without using synthetic testosterone. But if you choose a healthy, but longer path - good nutrition, taking sports nutrition and heavy exercise will definitely lead to your goal.
Nobody canceled healthy lifestyle
Nutrition and exercise are important factors in promoting proper weight gain, but not following a healthy routine can seriously hinder your progress. To prevent this from happening, follow important rules.
- No stress. Weight gain will only occur if the emotional background is stable. Your goal is to increase muscle mass, and stressful situations are not only a reason to show will and gain experience in solving various problems, but also a very serious threat. Not everyone is aware that stress affects muscle growth and can lead to a halt in progress. During stress, your body produces the hormone cortisol, which prevents weight gain; this entails an increased intensity of catabolism - muscles are destroyed more and faster than in a calm situation. Hence the slowdown in sports progress, even to its complete stop. Therefore, try to stay in a positive mood and learn not to react to troubles.
- Quality rest. Sleep plays a huge role in restoring your body in a holistic way, and it is important not only for gaining weight, but also for your overall health. You need to sleep at least 8 hours in complete silence and darkness. During proper sleep, the body produces growth hormone, and the level of cortisol, on the contrary, decreases. Thanks to rest, muscles recover and grow, and you gain energy for new workouts.
- Water balance. Don't forget to drink water at least 2-2.5 liters per day. When gaining muscle mass and with a fast metabolism, the body requires more water than usual. Water is necessary for physical work and to obtain a source of energy. Also, the absence of fluid deficiency plays an important role in the process of hypertrophy of muscle proteins. And finally, if enough water enters the body, it is able to linger in the intercellular space of muscle tissue, as well as in the cells themselves (for example, in sarcoplasm), which as a result leads to an increase in muscle volume (by the way, this process is actively observed during taking anabolic steroids).
- Author: Ekaterina Kozhevnikova
