Bulking for an ectomorph - tips/ !!

[Joebloggs91]

Hi guys,

 

I am actively trying to bulk at the gym - I have given up the cardio, and am purely on weights.

 

Has anyone got any tips or advice on the most effective way an ectomorph can put on muscle?

 

I am trying to up my diet massively too!!

 

I'm 169lbs and 6ft, 25 year old male.

 

Thanks!

Edited April 13, 2016 by Joebloggs91

[hasaquestion]

As an "ectomorph" myself, I think the differences in what constitutes optimal training based on body type are very overstated. If you want to get bigger and stronger, lift heavy with proper form and focus on functional movements.... just like everyone else.

[Emilia]

Deadlifts, squats, benchpress

 

LOADS of protein and carbs.

 

It's all about compound lifts and eating.

[fitnessfan365]

It's all about compound lifts and eating.

 

Thank you. Someone finally mentions eating. First and foremost, you need to create a calorie surplus and EAT. Start out @ 3000 and give it a few weeks. If you haven't gained any weight, up it to 3500. Give it a few weeks, etc.. When you get to the point where you're consistently gaining 1lb a week, you're at the right calorie intake.

 

Secondly lift heavy with compound lifts as already said 3x per week.

[Hopeful714]

Ditto the eating. At least 1g protein per body weight daily, plus carbs, and healthy fats. 40:40:20 ratio is a good start. Protein will feed the muscle, carbs will fuel your workouts. The heavier you lift, the bigger you'll grow.

 

The bummer is that there is no way to make lean gains. I tend to do my eating and gaining Sept-Dec. Then lean it out before summer.

 

If your having a hard time eating all those calories, check out some supplements designed to increase mass.

[SammySammy]

Ditto the eating. At least 1g protein per body weight daily, plus carbs, and healthy fats. 40:40:20 ratio is a good start. Protein will feed the muscle, carbs will fuel your workouts. The heavier you lift, the bigger you'll grow.

 

The bummer is that there is no way to make lean gains. I tend to do my eating and gaining Sept-Dec. Then lean it out before summer.

 

If your having a hard time eating all those calories, check out some supplements designed to increase mass.

 

There are so many articles and videos that say you can.

 

 

 

And many more.

 

I haven't done it, but do you think it's possible for a guy who only wants to gain 10 pounds or so?

[Emilia]

Different goals exactly, I eat clean but as a woman I'm not concerned about having a six pack - in fact a bit of body fat looks much better in my view.

 

It could run away with me easily though but increasing intensity for a little while and being careful with cycling my carbs more is usually enough.

 

Learning how to season food properly has been a really good thing, especially if you like chilli:love: it's possible to make lean meat very tasty.

[Hopeful714]

I dunno. It's hard. Really hard to gain lean mass without bulking. I've read the articles and tried different methods. It just didn't work for me. I'd load up on protein and cut the carbs but then my workouts would be weak. Everyone is different. You just need to figure out what works for you.

 

What I'm doing now seems to be going well. Eating very clean with lots of protein and most carbs from greens and yams or beans. However, once or twice a week I refeed with a big cheat meal because I need to. Last night I ate almost a whole large pizza. 7 pieces to be exact. And I'm tiny...5'4 114 lbs. But I needed to.

 

Best advice is keep at it. experiment with what works for you. Over the years I promise you will see gains and become more solid as you progress.

[Conviction]

It's actually pretty simple, yet hard at the same time for us ectomorphs. Simply put, you need to intake more calories than you put out. Eat, eat, then eat some more. I was putting down around 6000 calories a day for awhile. It's hard at first, but became 2nd nature after a bit. I'm kicking myself for stopping, as I was starting to see some gains.

 

Lifting is about 10% of it right now, diet is the other 90%.

[Hopeful714]

Not really though because your gaining weight but Its not all lean muscle mass. What isn't used by the muscle or burned off is stored as fat.

 

Then you look bubbly...and thick.....yucky!

[sorano]

You can follow the basic guide lines to gaining muscle. compound movements, not training over one hr, lots of protein, high caloric intake, you get the picture. But, there are many various workout routines. some respond well to H.I.T ( mike mentzer), training one muscle once per week, one muscle twice per week, one day on one day off, 3x a week, etc. This is when experimenting comes into play. Once you figure out what works best for you, that is when you start to gain experience.

 

High calorie diets. sure they work. But, many people tend to go old school and over bulk. IMO, increase calories as needed but once your stomach starts to grow, that is when you need to cut down the calories. I used to bulk and over did it. You start to gain the wrong mass. You gain fat. Yes I know, bulk then cut. Not really. Its easier said than done. A base of 3000 calories a day is a good start. work from there.

 

Heavy weights and compounds. More weights does increase muscle mass. over load the body and it responds by growth. The human body is lazy. It wants to stay at one level. The reason why you grow muscles is because the body is lazy. It senses a foreign stress and says oh ****, lets add muscle so the next time we come across this stress, it will be easier. so we grow. BUT, don't go too crazy and lift the world. You will create more injuries than growth. Once you start to get experience and build a foundation, you will start to learn that you do not need certain workouts to grow and lift 500lbs. Like flat bench. I know people who do not flat bench, including myself, that have a bigger chest than people who swear by it and flat bench all the time. Its confusing but you will start to see what I mean once you get acclimated to the workout world and routines. Trust me.

 

Build your foundation. DO the compound movements to start off. Don't go too heavy. you will snap more **** than do good for your body. Leave your ego at the door. check your ego at the door. Only 1% of the world sees you working out. I can build a big physique. Big arms, chest and lift light. But in the real world, nobody knows. You can lie to them and tell them I bench 400lbs. They will believe you. women? women have no clue what weight you do. They compare your strenght to them. so if they see you lifting 100lbs there like omg!!! workout smart. Don't just push the weight from point a to point b. Focus. again, LEAVE THE EGO AT THE DOOR. Nobody cares what you lift when you take your shirt off at the beach. Nobody.

 

I can go on and on. I am / was a natural bodybuilder. I went from 145lbs to 250lbs all natural. No steroids, no wild supplements. BUT, because I didnt take my own advice, I went heavy on shoulders and I tore my shoulder labrum in half. so I had to change over my life style. I quit bodybuilding and now I am going for fitness. Light light weights, massive amounts of reps. Train smart, eat right, dont go stupid heavy, and be consistent. consistency is key. Have fun and enjoy.

[JarodOner]

Deadlifts, squats, benchpress

 

LOADS of protein and carbs.

 

It's all about compound lifts and eating.

 

THIS!

 

I'm 35 boney and the way I've been putting on weight is with eating constantly... pretty much two meals whenever I eat and snacking constantly and doing compound lifts...

 

My boy and I are doing the 5x5 workout... I posted about it on here but I'm sure the mods thought I was promoting something.

 

The Strong Lift 5x5 Workout will throw some weight on you for sure.

 

The person I quoted was spot on.