Being an ectomorph is tough. You work your tail off and gain weight very slowly. When you finally do add some weight, you’re just a mild cold or weekend off of dieting away from losing it all. Gains come slow and they are lost quickly. But there is hope. Here are some basic rules you should follow if looking to add some mass to your frame the old fashioned way- hard work and consistency!
Weight Training
You’ve got to put in your hours in the weight room if you want to add a great deal of mass to your frame. The machine and cable exercises you may fancy so much need to fall by the wayside. Heavy compound barbell movements such as squats, bench press, deadlifts, rows, and military presses need to be consistently employed at clips of 4 to 6 sets per workout in the 6 to 10 repetition range in order to gain muscle mass and strength.
AAS
For those skinny bodybuilders seeking to add mass, the genetic ceilings faced will come early and often. Despite years of training and proper diet, 180 or 190 pounds might just be a natural ceiling for mass development. At this point, the bodybuilder has to decide whether the side effects and other risks associated with steroid use are worth it. If they are, then a small cycle of testosterone (400 to 600 mg) run for 12 to 16 weeks can results in gains of anywhere from 10 to 25 pounds of lean body mass. Each successive cycle will need to be a bit more potent, moving up to 800 mg of testosterone, then adding a small amount of Nandrolone to create a stack, or group of steroids more effective than these drugs would be individually. Eventually, the use of fat burners such as clenbuterol will come into play in order to manage the body fat that will come with these gains.
Nutrition
Aside from the use of anabolic steroids, diet is the most important factor in whether or not ectomorphs make gains in the gym. Most skinny guys are skinny because they’re not all that good at eating consistently. In order to attain mass levels of 220+ pounds, an individual needs to eat 6 or more meals per day for 3 to 5 years straight. That is some considerate consistency that most skinny trainers cannot claim. The use of high protein, high fat foods such as steak and peanut butter will lead to solid gains when used in conjunction with big piles of rice, beans, and pasta for clean carbohydrate sources. Above all, drink a lot of water and squeeze in whey protein shakes whenever possible!
Cardiovascular Training
Even if you’re looking to gain muscle mass, you are going to want to continue the cardiovascular training. This will keep your appetite stimulated, your blood flowing, and your heart healthy. Making gains in large scale mass requires a caloric surplus, and it’s true that cardio does burn a lot of calories. However, if you are able to increase your daily food consumption as a result of your increased to a point above your baseline requirements, then you will continue to make body weight gains while enjoying the health benefits of the added cardio.