How to gain lean muscle mass (ectomorph)

The main problem of ectomorphs that inhibits muscle gain is fast metabolism. The body instantly burns the calories received, so representatives of this type look not just slim, but thin and “dried”. People of this physique are recommended to adhere to a special diet, be sure to visit the gym, and do not forget about the rest.

Weight gain diet

How quickly the weight of the ectomorph will increase depends on the diet. Meals should be high-calorie and at the same time balanced so that an attempt to improve appearance does not cause health problems.

The daily calorie requirement is calculated by the formula: The current body weight is multiplied by 50, in some cases by 60, if the weight of the ectomorph varies between 40–55 kg.

It is necessary to consume daily from 2500 kcal, gradually increasing the figure to 3000–3500 kcal.

Proteins account for 25% of the diet, fats - up to 15%, and the remaining 55–60% go to carbohydrates. The body will receive energy sources that can be spent on sports or something else, plus building material to increase muscle volume.

Protein suppliers will be:

• eggs (4–5 per day);
• skimmed dairy products: yogurt, kefir, ryazhenka and milk (from 1 l);
• low-fat cottage cheese (up to 0.5 kg per day);
• dietary fish (300–400 g);
• legumes: soy, lentils, beans and other;
• plus meat: recommended chicken, beef, turkey and rabbit.

Bad choice:

• processed and hard cheeses;
• semi-finished products, sausages and sausage;
• pork and lamb, from which fat is accumulated, not muscle.

Good sources of carbohydrates:

• nuts: walnuts, pistachios, wood, cedar, almonds with cashews and others (grams 100-150);
• fruits: bananas, especially when combined with milk, grapes, apples, pears and a variety of berries (up to 300 g per day);
• vegetables, both raw and steamed or boiled. Corn, potatoes, beets and carrots, spinach and various salads (up to 250–300 g per day) will do;
• cereals: buckwheat and oat, wheat and semolina, plus pasta durum;
• bread, recommended black and bran, white is not so useful.

Bad choice:

• fast food;
• sweets;
• a lot of sugar;
• jam;
• Bakery products.

Fat should be obtained from fish: salmon, mackerel, flounder and others. You can eat river varieties and seafood. It is recommended to reduce the amount of butter, sunflower and olive oil, to refuse lard and margarine.

Tip: Fiber is good, because it improves the digestive processes. But it is better for ectomorphs to focus on products of animal origin, and not to get involved in fruits and vegetables, because they do not contribute to a set of muscle mass.

General recommendations:

1. Per day should be from 5 to 8-10 full meals. The portions are small, so that the stomach has time to digest food.
2. If you urgently need to gain weight, it is recommended to use cottage cheese or chicken fillet at night 2-3 times, not to do without protein shakes and special additives.
3. Drinking a day to 3 liters of fluid, otherwise the dehydrated body begins to lose pounds earned through hard work.
4. Before bedtime, be sure to eat a pack of cottage cheese to protect the muscles from destruction.
5. To enhance the appetite, it is advised to take Echinacea tincture. Hunger for sweet apples, oranges and pears.
6. Before training it is useful to eat a portion of porridge or drink a protein shake, be sure to feed the body after exercise. If the body does not have enough energy, the muscles first suffer, and only then the fatty layer.
7. It is necessary to eat through force, even if there is no appetite. Despite the absence of hunger, the body ectomorph regularly requires calories, so you have to literally cram food into yourself.

Tip: Weekly recommend weighing, and record the results in a special notebook. Body weight should increase by at least 800 g in 7 days. If this does not happen, you need to consume more calories.

Weight menu

In order to get 50 grams of protein at breakfast, you will have to eat 2 eggs, boiled or in the form of a steam omelet, a 100-gram boiled chicken breast with a slice of black bread in one sitting, and finish the meal with a glass of milk or yogurt.

After 2 hours, add a plate of porridge, avoid varieties of fast cooking, plus milk or kefir, can be replaced with natural juice. This is an additional 15 grams of protein.

Lunch should be hearty: a portion of soup, you can fish or with meatballs, 100 g of chicken or beef, or steam salmon. Snack with black bread, up to 100 g. Plus 40 g of protein in a piggy bank.

Snack at 4 pm to 5 pm with cottage cheese (150 g) with a spoon of honey and Borodino bread. Such an afternoon snack will cost about 20 grams of protein.

Dine cereal (100 g) with milk or yogurt. At bedtime, eat 250 g of low-fat cottage cheese. Total 30–40 g of protein.

Tip: At work you can not bring a bowl of soup or a thermos with borscht, in this case, sandwiches with bran bread, salmon or cottage cheese will help out. The alternative is protein bars or shakes plus bananas with grapes.

Supplements for weight gain

Professional athletes use a variety of dietary supplements and drugs that stimulate the absorption of nutrients and muscle growth. Ectomorphs are recommended to enrich the diet:

1. Multivitamin complexes that will increase endurance, and provide the body with all the necessary components for active life.
2. Protein powders to give the body building materials for the production of muscle tissue.
3. Creatines that replace carbohydrates. The supplement replenishes the reserves of energy spent during exercise.
4. Digestive enzymes that promote the absorption of nutrients and normalize the work of the digestive tract.

There are endogenous testosterone stimulants responsible for building muscle: Ecdysterone, Tribulus and Ecdisten.

Important: Digestive enzymes should not be taken continuously, otherwise the stomach and intestines will not work out independently. Deciding to enter into the diet any of the additives, it is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations written in the instructions.

Proper training

Ectomorph must visit the gym no more than 3 times a week. Muscles recover slowly, so excessive loads do not lead to an increase, but to a decrease in weight. The first day can be devoted to training the chest with triceps and press. The second - the back and biceps. The third - the legs and the press, you can add exercises for the shoulders.

Sunset first
The press is recommended:

• lying on a horizontal and inclined surface;
• french variety and narrow hold;
• push-up, better on the bars, and extension of the arms for the triceps with a vertical block;
• breeding dumbbells in the supine position;
• lifting the body on a special bench or simulator.

Second day
Be sure to thrust:

• to the chest with the upper unit in a sitting position;
• barbell with two hands in the slope;
• camp
• dumbbells with each arm separately, with bends.

On the biceps:

• classic boom lifts, and with top grip;
• dumbbell lifts with supination.

Third day
With barbell:

• chest press standing;
• scars;
• squats.

With dumbbells:

• bench press;
• swing hands.

To pump legs, you need:

• carry out rises in the toes, using special simulators;
• to press the lower limbs;
• raise your legs in the supine position.

General recommendations

1. The duration of the training should not exceed 1.5 hours. Otherwise, the body, not accustomed to intense loads, will begin to lose weight.
2. Attend a gym three times a week, dedicate each workout to a separate muscle group.
3. The maximum number of approaches is 4. If more, catabolism is triggered in the body, which leads to the breakdown of muscle fibers, which means weight loss.
4. Be sure to rest for 1.5-2 minutes between sets. Ectomorph is recommended not to rush, especially at the initial stage, so as not to overload the body. After squats and other heavy exercises, you can relax for 3 minutes or more.
5. For large groups of muscles, it is recommended to do from 6 to 8 repetitions, for small ones it can be increased to 10. Only the lower legs and trapeze are intensively trained.
6. At the initial stage, training is based on basic exercises designed to gain weight. After 6 weeks, you can add a few insulating, so that there are relief outlines of the body.
7. Do not skip the warm-up and hitch, the duration of which is from 10 to 15 minutes.

Important: It is recommended to increase the load gradually, because the muscles grow due to the increase in weight and the number of approaches.

Lazy ectomorph - happy ectomorph

The body needs rest after intense exercise with more weight. During the load, the microscopic muscle fibers break, and during the rest period they are restored, and gradually increase in volume.

What is useful

1. Walking after work, which helps to relax, and enrich the blood with oxygen. Growing muscles need rest and nutrition.
2. A visit to the pool, but no 2-kilometer swims. It is better to splash with pleasure, or lie motionless in the water to relieve tension in the limbs and back.
3. It is recommended not to deny yourself the small joys, and arrange watching TV shows or movies with a bowl of turkey, roasted on the grill.

Important: The main task of the ectomorph during the rest is to spend the minimum amount of energy. Stir only when absolutely necessary, so that the calories are deposited in the subcutaneous layers.

What is bad
On Monday, you can’t work out 1.5 hours in the gym, and on Tuesday you can go for a boxing trip or have a bike ride with your friends. Ectomorph, who is actively involved in football and aerobics, plus attending martial arts circles or loves to ride on roller skates, deprives his own muscles of the possibility of recovery. Fibers are constantly subjected to stress, so not only do not grow, but also decrease in volume.

It is recommended to give up athletics and a bicycle for a while, and to stop exclusively on a barbell and dumbbells. After 3 months of active training, you can gradually return to previous hobbies, add flexibility exercises and for stretching.

General recommendations

1. Useful 8-10 hour sleep, during which the body is restored, and gaining energy.A tired body consumes more calories to stay active.
2. It is recommended to sleep after a hearty lunch, 30–50 minutes.
3. Stress - a bad helper in gaining weight. You can get rid of irritability and tension with the help of yoga or tai-chi gymnastics.

Ectomorphs - the lucky ones, whom nature has endowed with a fast metabolism. They can not worry because of excess weight, but due to proper nutrition and exercise they instantly turn into slender and seductive Apollo.

Video: ectomorph or how to get thin