Muscle Building Tips for the Ectomorph

If you do strength training , it is useful to know what type of body you have so that you can adjust your training and diet accordingly . In this article we discuss some tips for the ectomorph. An ectomorph has the body type that is most often seen on the pages of fashion magazines. They are slim boned, long-limbed, lithe and have very little body fat and little muscle. Ectomorphs tend to have fragile, delicately built bodies and find it difficult to gain weight or add muscle. Supermodels, ballerinas and basketball players most commonly fall into this group

An ectomorph is typically someone who naturally has a fast metabolism and has to work extra hard to gain muscle mass. This does not mean that the ectomorph cannot build muscle mass; the process will only take a little longer.

The body types

Everyone is naturally innate with a certain body type, we distinguished the following three:

1. Ectormorph

This is someone with a lot of effort to develop muscle mass. These are often long and thin people who can eat infinitely without getting anything. The ectomorph has thin muscles and has an extremely fast metabolism.

2. Mesomorphic

The mesomorph has the most suitable body for fitness. The forms of the mesomorph are by nature already in correct proportions. The mesomorph has a large chest and has a lot of talent to gain in muscle mass.

3. Endomorphic

This is someone with a lot of talent to put on weight. The endomorph has a low metabolism and builds muscle mass less quickly than the mesomorph. It is Often the case that an endomorphic has wide hips and a round face.

It is not that you always fall into one category of body type. No one is 100% ectomorphic, mesomorphic or endomorphic. These guidelines are only an indication to see what type of body you have, often you are a combination of the above body types.

Fast metabolism

The ectomorph has long bones, small shoulders and little muscle mass. As an ectomorph, fitness can sometimes be very frustrating. They can be very dedicated and hang around for hours in the gym without seeing a small amount of results. Although ectomorphs have a great deal of difficulty building muscle mass, they have the advantage that they have a low percentage of fat , making them naturally 'dry'.

Ectomorphs have a very fast metabolism so that they can literally eat anything they want. Because the ectomorphs naturally have a fast metabolism, it can sometimes be difficult to eat above the energy requirement. The problem is often that ectomorphs think they are eating enough, but apparently it is still not enough. If you want to build up muscle mass as ectomorphic, you will have to EAT MORE . "Eat Big to get Big"

Ectomorphs should take an example of sumo wrestlers . Sumo wrestlers have an extremely high amount of fat-free muscle mass. You would not think this at first sight, but under the thick layer of fat these are probably the most muscled athletes on earth.

Building muscle mass Ectomorphs tips

Ectomorphs therefore have to eat more daily than they need to gain muscle mass. Apart from ' overeating ', ectomorphs can follow the tips below to grow faster.

1. Focus on compound exercises

Compound exercises load multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This makes it possible to pack heavier weights and make multiple muscle groups work in one exercise. This saves valuable time in the gym. In addition, doing compound exercises has a positive influence on the human growth hormone. Below is a list of good compound exercises:

·         Squat (Click here to learn the best technique)

·         Deadlift

·         Dips

·         Pull up

·         Seated row

·         Bench press

·         Neck press

2. Take Creatine

Anyone who has difficulty in gaining muscle mass should use Creatine. With Creatine you have just a bit more strength and endurance to get the most out of your training. It is the number one supplement used by strength athletes who need to stay at the top of their game. 

Read this article on the scientific reason you HAVE to try Creatine, and how to use it to your winning advantage. It will slow down the need to EAT MORE in order to gain muscle.

3. Train more often

Ectomorphs recover faster from a workout because they carry less fat. Fat converts testosterone into estrogen; an Endomorphic person (higher fat percentage) has less testosterone than an ectomorph. Higher testosterone values ​​result in faster muscle recovery. In order to quickly build up muscle mass, it is therefore advisable to train more often for an ectomorph.

4. Correct exercise technique

This sounds obvious, but an ectomorph often wants to build up as much muscle mass as possible. As a result, they often take too much weight so that the execution of the exercise is no longer optimal.

It is important that you perform the exercises in the correct way. The posture and speed with which you perform the exercise are more important than the weight. Make sure that you have mastered the technique and then only then should you increase weights.

5. Variation in training

Constantly training the same means that your body adjusts to this and therefore no longer grows. If you want to build muscle mass you will have to continue to surprise and stimulate the body by doing different exercises. Below are some ideas that you can use to vary in your schedule.

·         Very slow execution of a 'rep'

·         Less rest between the sets

·         Train heavier than the week before

·         Increase intensity by, for example, ' supersets ' or ' dropsets '

·         Vary in number of repetitions

6. No cardio

Because as an ectomorph you already have an extremely fast metabolism by nature, it is not wise to do cardio besides the strength training. If you still want to do a form of cardio to work on your stamina, then it is best to opt for short intensive cardio sessions (HIIT).

When you want to build up muscle mass as an ectomorph, you really have to be dedicated to the sport. It will take a lot of time and will not be easy. Once you have built up a lot of muscle mass, you will have a body where many men are jealous because of your low fat percentage!