Nutrition for an ectomorph to gain weight: an approximate diet program

There are athletes whose genetics are not designed to increase muscle mass and strength. They are called ectomorphs. Nature has decreed that their metabolic processes occur at a very fast speed, which makes it extremely difficult to achieve muscle hypertrophy.

By the way, the subcutaneous fat layer in ectomorphs also grows reluctantly. We will try to help athletes with this body type and tell you what nutrition should be like for an ectomorph, so that by training you can build beautiful muscle definition.

So, what regime and diet for an ectomorph will be most effective in the fight for a beautiful, muscular body?

Diet

Growth requires calories. For an endomorph, mesomorph and ectomorph, their daily norm will be different. It often happens that a skinny beginner ectomorph needs more calories and macronutrients to gain weight than an experienced mesomorph. This is explained by the fact that due to the rapid metabolism, the body immediately processes all consumed food into energy. It is thanks to this that ectomorphs find it easier to perform aerobic exercise, such as long-distance running. Food is converted into fuel, carbohydrates (in the form of glucose) do not have time to accumulate in subcutaneous fat or glycogen.

Calculation of calorie needs

To slightly reshape metabolic processes to suit your needs, you need to competently create a diet. Proper nutrition for an ectomorph to gain weight involves a high-calorie diet with a lot of carbohydrates. Moreover, we are not talking about simple carbohydrates obtained from sweets or starchy foods. The basis should be natural, healthy products. At least 90% of the diet should consist of them; the rest, if desired, can be “finished off” with your favorite junk food.

When calculating your daily calorie intake, follow the following formula:

60 calories x body weight x daily activity level = number of calories

This formula contains 60 calories - the optimal indicator for ectomorphs and hardgainers. For mesomorphs this figure will be around 45, for endomorphs – 40.

Activity Level Calculation

It is important to correctly calculate your activity level. Take this value as 1 if you are an office worker and lead a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, or as 1.5 if your work involves heavy physical labor. The higher your daily activity level, the more nutrients you need for recovery and growth.

The bulk of your diet should consist of carbohydrates. Remember that 1 gram of carbohydrates equals 4.1 calories. To gain muscle mass, ectomorphs may need 6 to 9 grams of carbohydrates per 1 kilogram of body weight.

The second most important thing for ectomorph athletes is protein. One gram of protein is equivalent to 4.1 calories. Without it, muscle growth is impossible; the body simply will not have time to recover. Protein should be consumed at about 2 grams per 1 kilogram of body weight. Try to eat so that protein enters the body in equal portions every 2.5-3 hours, then you will constantly support protein synthesis and prevent yourself from catabolism.

There should be less fat, about 1 gram per 1 kilogram of body weight. One gram of fat contains 9 calories. This amount is enough to maintain health, because in moderation fats are beneficial for the functioning of the hormonal, digestive and cardiovascular systems.

Three body types

To understand how to build a training program, you must first determine your body type.

The American psychologist and physiologist Sheldon proposed to distinguish 3 types:

Ectomorph - thin build, difficult to gain and easy to lose weight;
Mesomorph - broad shoulders, V-shaped figure, easily gains and loses weight;
Endomorph – wide bones, easily gains weight, especially fat, but has problems with weight loss.

His idea of separating body types became generally accepted. The easiest way to determine your body constitution is to use the so-called Solovyov index : measure the narrowest place on your wrist with a centimeter.

If your measurements:

less than 16cm – you are an ectomorph;
16-18cm – you are a mesomorph;
more than 18cm – you are an endomorph.

Diet for an ectomorph

As already mentioned, about 90% of the diet for an ectomorph should consist of healthy products of natural origin. You should give preference to the products that we will tell you about in more detail.

Squirrels

Proteins are found in large quantities in chicken, turkey, beef, fish, egg whites, dairy products and seafood.

Here are some helpful tips for choosing protein-rich foods:

When buying beef, try to choose the least fatty cuts, such as rump or tenderloin. If desired, beef can sometimes be replaced with lean pork (loin). Red meat must be present in the diet.
Fish can be consumed both red and white. They are both rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus and unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids. The same applies to seafood.
Dairy products should also be included in your diet. They have a fairly good amino acid composition. It is better to buy milk, kefir, cottage cheese and cheese with a small percentage of fat content.

Carbohydrates

Optimal and inexpensive sources of carbohydrates are buckwheat, rice, durum wheat pasta, oatmeal, potatoes, vegetables, and fruits.

Preference should be given to foods with a low glycemic index so as not to provoke strong insulin spikes. Otherwise, you not only risk gaining excess fat, but also harm your pancreas.

Cereals should be selected with minimal processing. For example, short grain milled rice is not the best choice. It is better to buy unprocessed basmati rice or another variety. It's a little more expensive, but much more useful. Also pay attention to the cooking time of the cereals. If it is less than 10 minutes, then there is no benefit in this product.

Vegetables can be eaten without special restrictions. They are rich in vitamins and fiber, which will improve digestion. But you need to be careful with fruits. Many of them, such as bananas, are very rich in sugar. One banana contains up to 30 grams of sugar. It's easy to get carried away. It is better to leave simple carbohydrates for those periods when the body needs a source of quickly absorbed energy: after waking up, before, during and after training.

Fats

Egg yolks, vegetable oil, nuts, avocado, and peanut butter contain a large amount of fat.

The difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids should be clearly understood. Saturated fats are harmful to health, causing obesity and increasing levels of “bad” cholesterol. This leads to diseases of the cardiovascular system and atherosclerosis. Unsaturated fats, in turn, are healthy in moderation. They reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol, normalize cellular metabolism, and minimize the risk of developing atherosclerosis.

Saturated fats are fats of plant origin. Their consumption should be kept to a minimum. Trans fats are also dangerous to health; it is better to avoid them altogether.

Sports nutrition for ectomorph

It is often difficult to meet the daily requirement of proteins, fats and carbohydrates with natural food alone. Then sports nutrition for an ectomorph comes to the rescue. Let's look at the main products.

Protein

High-quality protein is the basis of any diet. With the help of protein, it is much easier to reach your daily protein requirement. It is especially important to take it after training, between meals and before bed (we are talking about casein). During the period of gaining muscle mass, there is no point in spending money on an expensive isolate or hydrolyzate; whey protein is quite enough. Choose products from any Western brand whose pricing policy suits you.

Gainer

Gainers, also known as protein-carbohydrate mixtures, are the most controversial sports nutrition product. Some consider them a pointless product, and some do not see their progress without it. The truth, as usual, is somewhere in the middle.

Most gainers on the market consist of two main components: whey protein and simple carbohydrates (sugar, maltodextrin, dextrose, etc.). It’s really not entirely reasonable to buy this; the same mixture can be made at home without spending extra money.

But there are other gainers that contain complex carbohydrates, and cheap and useless components, like sugar, are replaced with expensive amylopectin. Amylopectin is a fast carbohydrate that does not cause a spike in insulin, which does not lead to fat accumulation, only fast energy. This product is ideal for ectomorphs to use before or after training. Amylopectin is also great for use during training - it constantly provides energy and enhances pumping.

BCAA and amino acids

Any athletes will benefit from taking BCAA (leucine, isoleucine, valine). These are the three amino acids whose concentration is highest in muscle cells. Here is a short list of their beneficial properties:

increased protein synthesis;
reduction of catabolic processes in the body;
improving the breakdown of adipose tissue;
acceleration of recovery after training;
stimulation of insulin production.

The optimal time to take BCAA or complex amino acids: immediately after waking up, before, during, after training and before bed. However, the daily dosage of amino acids should be quite large, at least 30 grams. The ectomorph will not feel anything from the dosage of 5-10 grams stated on the packaging by the manufacturer. It is advisable to use BCAA together with another amino acid – glutamine. Glutamine is necessary for the body to maintain immunity.

Pre-workout supplements

This sports nutrition for gaining muscle mass will be extremely useful for an ectomorph. Thanks to taking this supplement, the mental attitude towards training improves, blood flow to working muscles increases, and more energy is consumed.

Many pre-workout complexes contain various stimulants (DMAA, DMHA, ephedrine, etc.). For ectomorphs, their use is undesirable, as they will “force” you to work up a sweat in the gym and spend too many calories. This will make it difficult to gain muscle mass. In addition, to get the full effect, you should consume them on an empty stomach. There is too long a break between meals (about 4 hours). This is undesirable for an ectomorph. Therefore, it is better to opt for complexes with a small amount of stimulants (100 mg of caffeine will be more than enough) and working components for pumping such as arginine, agmatine or yohimbine.

Vitamin-mineral complex

Exercising in the gym leads to a large waste of vitamins and minerals. This leads to a weakening of the body's immune system. For this reason, every athlete gets colds quite often. For preventive purposes, it is recommended to use a vitamin-mineral complex year-round, so you will be confident in your health.

Creatine

Creatine is rightfully considered one of the most effective supplements. It promotes the accumulation of ATP molecules in the muscles, which allows you to perform more repetitions and lift more weight. The most common form is creatine monohydrate, which can be purchased at any sports nutrition store at an affordable price. Numerous studies show that creatine actually helps increase muscle mass and strength. When starting to take creatine, many people recommend doing a “loading” phase, but recent research disproves this myth. It is enough to consume about 5 grams per day, and it is better to break this amount into several small doses.

What should a home workout program be like for gaining weight?

Like nutrition, the training regime for gaining muscle mass at home should also be special. In the program for ectomorphs, basic exercises occupy a central place, since they involve more muscle groups than isolated ones. The latter should be given minimal attention. Before starting a workout, be sure to do a warm-up, and after finishing, a cool-down, for example, in the form of stretching.

On this topic:

Set of stretching exercises | How to stretch correctly without pain and discomfort

The optimal frequency of training at home to gain muscle mass is 3 times a week. If you haven’t exercised for a long time, it’s better to start with 2: the first time you load the entire top, and the second time the entire bottom. For full-fledged training at home, it is worth having a horizontal bar and prefabricated dumbbells. You can consider such equipment as a suspended block trainer, TRX loops, Beres loops and various types of expanders.

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Recommendations for diet and menu planning

Focus on total calories. It's okay if sometimes there is a slight imbalance in nutrients, but the total calorie content should always be approximately the same.
Keep your fast food consumption to a minimum. For ectomorphs, it is quite acceptable to regularly consume your favorite “junk” food in small quantities. However, it is better to find a healthier alternative to this. Burgers, pizza and baked goods can be made at home using healthy ingredients.
Drink more water. This is necessary for normal hydration and maintaining water-salt balance. A person needs to consume at least 1 liter of water per 30 kg of body weight.
Don't overeat. You should feel slightly hungry every 2-3 hours, then you can easily eat the required amount of food. If you eat your fill every time, you won’t be able to fit in 6-8 meals.
Do fasting days. This will improve the functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract. Try fasting once every two weeks, consuming only water or kefir, and see the results.

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