Aside from proper diet and making sure that you provide your body with nutrients that will allow you to grow and gain weight, resistance training will play an important role for your gains.
An ectomorph’s workout routines should concentrate on compound weightlifting exercises like bench presses, military or overhead presses, dips, chin ups, pull ups, squats, and dead lifts. Select weights that will enable you to do 8-12 reps per set. My personal preference is 8 reps per set. Reps higher than these may tone your muscles but may not significantly signal your body into muscle growth. As an alternative, you could also do 5 reps for 5 sets.
Limit your workouts to a maximum of an hour each session. Do this for at least 2-3 times a week. Anymore than these would lead to over training and would become counter productive. Keep in mind that muscles are not built in the gym while lifting weights. Muscles are built while resting the body and providing proper nutrition after doing a short but intense work out.
With determination, a weight gain diet, and a solid weight training program you will be better equipped in the quest of gaining weight. Once results are evident, you’ll feel better about yourself and notice that your physique is a whole lot better too. This will boost additional self confidence that will help you achieve other goals in life.
Here's a link for bodybuilding exercises: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm
Best of luck.
For ectomorphs, gaining weight is very challenging. I used to be really skinny growing up. I’m 5’7 in height and remember weighting only 100 lbs way back 2004. I tried to increase my calorie intake in hopes to gain some weight since I’m tired of being a skinny guy. This was the time when Manny Pacquiao’s name started booming and he weighed 130 lbs during that time. My goal then was to at least reach the same weight that he had.
Unfortunately, I got tired of eating too much without any pay off of weight gain. It was only late last year (around August 2008) that I tried to get my passion for weight gain again. I was around 110 lbs during that time. I tried to look for books that could give me helpful tips but all I could find are literature on how to lose weight. Guess where I found the information that helped me to gain weight? Where else than the internet, thanks to Google.
At the time of this writing, I know weigh 135 lbs. It may not sound that impressive considering that I started my quest for weight gain about 6 months ago. But then again we have to put into consideration that I’m a hardgainer. 100 lbs in 2004 and only 110 lbs nearly before the end of 2008, that’s only a 10 lb difference in 4 years. With the below tips, I have gained roughtly around 25 lbs in the last 6 months. I hope it helps:
· Eat every 2-4 hours – Ectomorphs or hardgainers have very fast metabolisms which burn up calories quickly so you would want to make sure that you have a steady supply of calories in your body. The body is only capable of utilizing so many nutrients at a time. With smaller meals every 2-4 hours as compared to the conventional 3 square meals a day, there is a greater opportunity for nutrient absorption. Obviously, you would not be able to gain weight unless you provide your body with the proper amount of nutrients. To make it easier to eat more often, there are meal replacements like weight gainers and protein drinks that could substitute for food. But see to it that only a maximum of 40% of your food comes from this source.
· Meals should contain carbohydrates, protein, and fats.
· Eat vegetables and fruits - Proteins and carbs create high levels of acid loads to the blood. If this is not balanced out with the help of veggies and fruits which are alkaline rich, too much acid can result in loss of bone strength and muscle mass.
The above are some basics in dieting that has helped me gain weight. They are a bit general but I’ll make sure to give more info on each of them on future blogs. Aside from the above diet tips, I do resistance training 2-3 times a week which will most likely be the topic of my next post. Stay tuned.
Thanks.
