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Exercise Tips for
ectomorphs
Building
maximum muscle size and strength
The most popular gym term for e
ctomorphs is "hard gainers." It seems no matter
what they do, gaining muscle size is all
but impossible. Sure, staying lean is never a
problem, and true ectomorphs sport abs that
rival Ronnie Coleman’s or Jay Cutlers. But
that’s where the similarities end. Ectomorphs
will have to fight for ever ounce of muscle or
strength.
Ectomorphs have two factors working against
them when it comes to building muscle
size – a very high metabolism and long
limbs. Building muscle takes calories, but most
ectomorphs never take in the calories required
to build new muscle tissue. In fact they are
often in a catabolic state with their existing
muscles losing protein to supply energy
requirements. The long limbs of the ectomorphic
body doesn’t help matters either. A short
limbed person doesn’t need to build the same
degree of muscle mass as a long limbed person
in order to look “big.” It takes a lot of
muscle mass to fill in a long and lanky
frame.
So if you fall into the ectomorphic category
what can you do to increase your size and
strength?
Training for the ectomorph
One of the big mistakes that ectomorphs make is
adopting the training program of a
mesomorphic-framed individual. But ectomorphs
aren't as powerful as mesomorphs and they don’t
have the mesomorph’s great recovery abilities.
Then they make matters worse by trying to use
the same amount of weight often at the expense
of form.
The key to building muscle size and
strength for ectomorphs is to KIS – Keep
It Simple. No 20 sets per body part. No
extended high-rep sets. No fancy cable or
machine isolation exercises. Instead the bulk
of your training should consist of free weight
exercises, using heavy weight and low rep
ranges – say in the 6 to 8
range.
Instead of multiple muscle groups per session,
only hit one or two larger muscle groups. With
one or two exceptions all exercises should be
basic compound movements. With regards to
cardio, either reduce it to two to three,
20-minute sessions per week, or eliminate it
all together.
By way of recap:
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Moderate weight that allows 6-8 reps per set.
Ø
Perform just 2 to 3 exercises per muscle group
for 2-3 sets
Ø
3.Train only one or two muscle groups per
session.
Ø
4.Stick with basic compound movements and keep
it simple.
Ø
5. Eliminate or reduce cardio to two to three
20-minute sessions per week.
Suggested Exercises for
Ectomorphs
Thighs – Squats, Leg Presses
Hamstrings – Stiff-leg deadlifts, Leg
Curls
Calves – Standing calf raises, Seated Calf
raises
Chest – Barbell and Dumbell, incline and flat
presses, dips
Back – Rows, Chin-ups,
pulldowns
Shoulders – Barbell and Dumbell presses,
shrugs
Biceps – barbell and Dumbell
curls
Triceps – Lying Extensions, Dips, Narrow
presses
Abdominals – Crunches, Leg Raises, Reverse
Crunches
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