Ectomorph Workout: How To Build Muscle Mass For Skinny Guys

Home  »  Weight Training Programs  »  Ectomorph Workout: How To Build Muscle Mass For Skinny Guys By Dan Merrell, CPT   |  Comments

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If you would classify yourself as a “hardgainer” or “ectomorph” (otherwise known as a skinny guy), it’s vital that you put together a specific ectomorph workout that is going to get you the results you’re looking for.

By far, the single biggest reason why most skinny guys never see the results they’re looking for is simply because they don’t have the right workout plan in place for their body.

There is a huge difference between what it takes an average male to build muscle and what it takes you, the skinny guy. The minute you get this through your head and stop looking at all the newsstand magazine workouts is the minute you finally start moving in the right direction to success.

Until then, you’re just going to continue to spin your wheels in the gym and you may in fact get even thinner than you are now.

By understanding what must be in place in a proper ectomorph workout however, you can finally begin to get the body that you’re dreaming of.

Let’s give you the low-down on a proper ectomorph workout.

For most guys, the general approach to building muscle goes something along the lines of ‘the more, the better’. They think if they do one exercise for biceps, two will be better. If they perform three sets of squats, six will yield faster results.

But for you, the skinny guy, volume is your enemy. Due to your natural body type and your ultra-fast metabolic rate, the more volume you do, the more time you’re going to need to recover. It would literally take you a week or longer to recover from the typical bodybuilding workout you find in most muscle building magazines.

So your goal for your workouts is to significantly cut the volume. Basically, get in, go hard, get out. That should be your mantra. Lower volume means performing 4-6 exercises per workout, and doing 3-4 sets per exercise.

That’s it. As hard as it may be to believe that this will actually build muscle faster than a high-volume workout. Trust me, for your body type this is what will yield superior results.

Now with this reduced volume, you really want to keep the intensity up. This is also one of the keys to your success. If you go into the gym and perform 5 exercises where you put in a mediocre effort, you won’t see any progress.

You really need to push yourself. This is part of that ‘get in, go hard’ mantra. If the ‘go hard’ is missing, you might maintain your muscle, but you won’t build more muscle.

High intensity for you means lifting as heavy of a weight as possible. You’ll want to keep the rep ranges on the lower end of the scale, close to 5-8 reps per set and make sure that you’re lifting a weight that will have you fully fatigued by the time you reach your last rep.

If you aren’t, then it’s time to increase the weight for your very next set. Just remember that increased weight should never mean you sacrifice on proper form. Do that and you’ll just wind up injured and then you really won’t be growing.

Form is a must and once that’s in check, load on as much weight as possible while staying within the 5-8 rep range.

Moving along, the next element of success when putting together an ectomorph workout is exercise selection. You often see muscular guys in the gym doing all their ‘pump’ work. This includes moves such as bicep curls, hammer curls, barbell curls, tricep press downs, tricep kickbacks, lateral raises, and so on. Basically, movements that draw a high amount of blood into small muscles which makes them look larger.

Remember, while this may look amazing while they’re in the gym, it doesn’t last.

Instead, since you do have your limited recovery ability, you need to perform exercises that really count. That means doing movements that work as many muscle groups at once as possible. This is what will ensure that you’re able to hit every single muscle group in the body effectively and still maintain that 4-6 exercises per session range.

Smart choices include squats, deadlifts, the leg press, step-ups, lunges, bench press, incline bench press, push-ups, shoulder press, bent over rows, horizontal rows, and pull-ups.

Choose your exercises from this list only and you’ll start packing on more muscle mass pretty fast.

Finally, the last element that must be discussed with regards to building yourself an effective ectomorph workout is cardio training. Many guys often think that cardio should be added to their workout because it’ll help them stay leaner as they go about the process.

There are two main things for you to consider here.

First, do you need to worry about staying lean? I’m 99% confident you don’t. In fact, if you take a good look at yourself in the mirror right now, you’ll find that you’re almost already too lean. A burger may actually do you some good.

Ectomorphs by nature don’t put on weight very easily – fat or muscle. So staying lean shouldn’t be your main concern. At least not right now.

Second, even if fat gain was an issue, this is much better controlled through your diet than through cardio training. Guys who are doing cardio during a bulking phase should really re-evaluate their approach. Exercise in general is going to tax recovery reserves and if their muscles are broken down from the gym, what’s that cardio doing to them?

It certainly isn’t allowing them to build themselves back up stronger.

So the same thing goes for you. If you’re in the gym performing cardio, you’re not only decreasing your recovery rate (which is already lower than normal), but you’re also burning up precious calories that could have gone towards building muscle mass.

You can do one or two 20-minute sessions per week just to keep your heart healthy but keep this to a brisk walk only. Nothing more intense as it will simply work against you.

So there you have the must-know tips for designing an ectomorph workout. If you make sure that you get these in place then you can finally start seeing the progress from your workouts in the build of a more muscular body.

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Following A Weight Gain Program To Bulk Up And Build Muscle Mass

If you’re a skinny guy and you want to pack on muscle mass, then this video will outline what to look for when choosing a weight gain program.

There are certain things that all successful weight gain programs have in common…

Gaining weight and building muscle means you’ll need to hit the gym. 3 days a week is optimal for the best results.

Contrary to what most guys think, going to the gym 5 or 6 days a week is actually COUNTERPRODUCTIVE!

I don’t have time in this video to explain all the details of why this is, but you can check out the article on weight training programs to build lean muscle to see what a good weight training program looks like.

Believe it or not, 90% of your effort to gain weight will be focused on your diet.

The reason is because if you work out 3 days a week for an hour each, that’s 3 hours of weight training per week. The rest of your effort will be focused on eating and resting.

Your weight gain program should include a specific diet for you to follow and tell you WHY you are following this diet so you can customize it and eat food that you like.

The program should also give you specific details about your weight gain diet that will maximize your muscle gains.

For example, do you know the difference between getting your protein from chicken vs. cottage cheese?

What’s the difference? Cottage cheese contains casein protein, which your body will absorb at a slower rate…

This kind of protein is good to eat at night before you go to bed, because the protein will be released slowly throughout the night, keeping your body in an anabolic state LONGER and allowing you to gain weight faster.

Your weight gain program should educate you about supplements that work… and supplements that DON’T WORK.

Fact is, there are only a handful of supplements that will help you get results. Do you know which ones they are, or are you getting sucked into the hype?

I’ll tell you there’s no magic supplement that is going to automatically pack on muscle for you. At most, supplements will account for 5% of your muscle gains.

Rest is a very underrated component of most weight gain programs. Probably because it’s not “sexy” or complicated so people tend to overlook it.

The fact is, rest is when all the magic happens. It’s when your muscles grow. You don’t get bigger when you are working out in the gym. Your body grows and you gain weight as you’re resting.

So keep that in mind. Your program should go into detail about how much rest is necessary, what kind of rest you need, when to take breaks from the gym, etc.

If you’re not tracking your results then you don’t know how effective your weight gain program is.

If you step on the scale and it says you gained 5 pounds that’s great! But do you know how much of that is FAT and how much is MUSCLE?

You should use a workout log, body fat calipers, and a scale to track your progress.

In case you still haven’t found a good weight gain program yet, that’s no problem… Check out the Weight Gain Blueprint program.

Yep, that’s my weight gain program… The same one I used to pack on 38 pounds of muscle in just 19 weeks. It works. Give it a try, then come back and leave a comment and tell me how much weight you’ve gained after you use it.

Discover the 7 biggest mistakes you’re making right now that are actually keeping you skinny...

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How Long Does It Take To Build Muscle?

Home  »  Weight Gain Programs  »  How Long Does It Take To Build Muscle? By Daniel Cage, CPT   |  Comments

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If you're looking to pack on muscle mass, one thing that you may start to question after a while is how long does it take to build muscle? What's the maximum amount of muscle that you could gain if you did absolutely everything correctly?

Many guys often become very distraught when they just aren't seeing the rate of muscle gains that they thought they would from their weight-training program. They wonder if they're perhaps doing something incorrectly.

Maybe they aren't doing the right exercises in the gym or perhaps their diet just isn't up to par.

While both of these factors definitely will influence the results that you see with your muscle-building program, it's important to take some additional factors into account.

Whenever you ask the question, "how long does it take to build muscle," you really must evaluate your own situation personally. Each and every person will build muscle at a slightly different speed, so evaluating your own characteristics will help you set a goal that's realistic for your own body.

Let's take a look at the factors that answer this burning question, "how long does it take to build muscle?"

The very first element to take a look at when figuring out how quickly you'll be able to build muscle is what your past training history is. If you're someone who has been in the gym for years already, you're going to be building muscle at a much slower rate than someone who has never picked up a weight in their life.

Generally speaking, the more experience you have behind you, assuming you were using a properly planned workout program, the slower size gains will be.

Likewise, the more muscle you've already gained in the past, the slower additional muscle is going to come on.

If you were to keep building muscle at the same rate as you continued on about your program, we'd have gigantic 400-pound men walking around.

There comes a point where muscle mass gains will be incredibly slow as you reach close to your genetic potential.

The second factor to consider in terms of how quickly you can build muscle is what your body type is. If you're someone who's naturally skinny (an ectomorph), you're going to see slower muscle gain results compared to someone who easily adds muscle without a problem.

These various body types are referred to as ectomorphs, endomorphs, and mesomorphs, and by learning which body type you have, you'll be in a position to set some clear expectations.

Ectomorphs may only be able to add a pound or two of dry muscle per month while a mesomorph who is in the beginning of his muscle building career may double or even triple that in some instances.

Keep in mind when I say 1 – 2 pounds of muscle per month I'm talking about "dry muscle." The TRUTH is, with the right weight gain program, it's possible to gain more like 8 pounds of solid muscle weight per month if you include the water and glycogen weight that the new muscle tissue holds.

Endomorphs have a higher tendency to gain body fat, so while you may see the same weight gain as you would for a mesomorph, not all of it will be lean muscle tissue.

For this reason, many guys who have this body type tend to approach muscle building slower to avoid putting on excess body fat in the process.

The next thing that you also need to consider is your dietary adherence. You can really only build muscle as fast as you can eat. Stated another way, if you aren't eating more calories than you need to maintain your body weight, it's not going to matter what you do in the gym, you won't see results.

Food is an absolute must to pack on more muscle mass, so generally speaking the more you eat the faster you gain.

Realize though, that there are limitations to this. If you sit around all day long and shove too much food down your throat, you'll gain a high amount of muscle, but you'll also be gaining too much additional body fat.

Since your body can only gain so much muscle each day, excess calories consumed beyond that point will be converted to body fat.

But, by making sure you are eating enough, you can maximize your muscle gain.

You're overall recovery rate is the next thing that you'll want to consider. How fast you recover from any given gym workout is going to dictate how quickly you can get back into the gym and train once again.

If it takes you two to three days to recover fully from a workout session, this means that your overall rate of progress may be slower.

The more frequently you can train, assuming that you are in a recovered state, the faster muscle will be built.

Doing whatever you can to maximize recovery rates such as getting enough sleep, eating well, and supplementing with glutamine will all help move you in the right direction.

Finally, you also need to think about your hormonal level. Generally, guys who are in their early to late twenties will have the highest level of testosterone present in their system at this time, so are in the prime muscle building years, so to speak.

If you're already in your 30's or entering your 40's, this doesn't mean you can't still get good results, but your muscle building hormone profile will have shifted so it may be slower moving.

Understanding this and adjusting expectations accordingly will be important.

So there you have the main things to note about your question, "how long does it take to build muscle?" Most people training properly can build 1 - 2 pounds of dry muscle mass per month at the start of their weight gain program and as they advance onwards, rates of ½ pound to one pound become more appropriate.

Keep in mind you may see more weight gain than this amount (up to 2 - 3 pounds per week) due to additional muscle glycogen, water, and any extra fat added in the process, but this is a good estimate for the amount of raw muscle tissue that will be added if you're following a high-quality weight gain program.

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Workout Supplements: Get Ripped With Ease

Men with a muscular exterior attract everyone's attention around them. Just how a man would take notice of a beautiful slim woman its only natural for a woman to take notice of a muscular well built man. Body building is now easy with a number of body building supplements that help pump up the muscles for a longer time.

There is generous information available on burning fat and building muscles, but most of the information available refers to joining some body building gym, heavy duty exercise and high discipline and commitment towards building tough muscles which is out of reach for most people, who have to attend to their other work life priorities.

The best choice for building body in a shorter period of time is to take workout supplements to reduce the belly fat, increase muscle mass around the arms and back and to get ripped fast. With the help of workout supplements it is now conceivable to achieve an impenetrable iron like body. There are various such supplements that can help one get ripped in a matter of few months. Here are some powerful workout supplements:

A workout supplement with protein isolate helps to digest food faster. The isolate protein supplement aids to deliver amino acids to the muscle tissues instantly. Taking the isolate protein shake after a strenuous workout helps to build muscle mass and a lean body.

Another effective workout supplement to build a macho body is the pre-workout supplement rich in Creatine and Nitric Oxide. Creatine is the principal constituent of the molecule that stimulates exercise and physical workout. When the body is soaked with creatine it helps in all forms of training exercise for body building. It is appropriate for athletes and sports persons who require high intense burst of energy.

When creatine is complimented with nitric oxide then the muscles get a noticeable "pump", nitric oxide expands the blood vessels and allows the oxygen to flow into the muscle tissues and further into the muscle cells. Higher oxygen into the muscle cells improves the creatine delivery as well. Together, Creatine and Nitric Oxide combat fatigue and increases the energy levels in men.

Yet another workout supplement with effective results is the intake of Glutamine. The glutamine workout supplements are ideal for people who are engaged with heavy enduring physical work such as lifting heavy equipment. Continuous heavy lifting can weaken the immune system and the nervous system of a man. It can make him nauseated and sick and affect the over all metabolism.

Although food stuff such as cabbage, milk products, fish and eggs, beans, chicken and beef contain glutamine but it is not sufficient for people who are involved with heavy weight lifting activity. Therefore, Glutamine supplements can help men who are dealing with intense physical laborious weight lifting work.

Saule Health has been an authority on vitamins and nutrition for over 5 years. Covering topics from diet and weight loss to general health.

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Look Muscular and Feel Masculine With Workout Supplements for Men

Do you want a muscular, well built, iron like body? Are you fascinated by body building? It is now easy to get ripped fast; with the support of effective workout supplements body building is now achievable by self efforts without the strenuous training under a perfectionist. This is possible because of bringing home the perfectionist itself, the body building workout supplement. These workout supplements come with many advantages, it helps to increase muscle power and speed, amplifies the endurance level, relieves stress and helps in faster workout recovery.

There are many sports people who depend upon workout supplements to perform better. Particularly those who play high energy sports and games like baseball, basketball, boxing, football, hockey, rugby, soccer, softball and running. The workout supplements help to improve the endurance, speed, agility, strength and the over all performance at the game.

However, to pick the most appropriate work supplement is a flustering task with endless options to choose from. Most of these supplements are available as powder shakes or tablets in an appropriate dose. Here are some of the best supplements to get ripped fast.

Whey protein is a workout supplement that aids to refurbish muscle cells and tissues. There is a direct proportion between the muscle gain and the protein consumption. It works best when taken with carbohydrates and a well planned nutritive diet.

Another important workout supplement is fatty acids, which are found in unsaturated fats, which aid to release free testosterone in the body. This helps in muscle build up and also helps the body to absorb protein.

Multi-vitamins are rich in vitamins and minerals. These supplements replenish the essential nutrients that get exhausted during a workout session and enhance the muscle mass.

BCAA's that stands for Branched Chain Amino Acids is an amalgamation of vital amino acids that comprise 35% of muscle tissue. It helps to elevate muscle mass and power.

Creatine helps to increase the body endurance and take up physically enduring work. It boosts the muscle cells with oodles of energy. It is recommended to have enough water if one is on a creatine supplement.

Glutamine is generated naturally within the body; it helps to ease out the stress levels during the workout. It strengthens the immune system of the body.

While taking workouts supplements it is also essential to plan a well balanced nutritional diet for long term effective results. This is essential to have the required nutrients for the body that help to build muscles and a tough exterior.

Saule Health has been an authority on vitamins and nutrition for over 5 years. Covering topics from diet and weight loss to general health.

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Dymatize Elite Primal - Get To Know The Benefits

Dymatize Elite Primal is a supplement that purportedly offers protein to the body. Proteins are needed to produce hard and lean muscles. They are also needed for the burning of fats to make way for more lean muscles. Getting our daily source of protein from food sources alone is insufficient. There are times when the proteins or amino acids taken from food cannot be absorbed sufficiently. This is why we need supplements. Find out today how it can help.

It is a supplement loaded with beef proteins. Beef is a good source of protein, as you probably know. In comparison to pork, it contains less fat. This supplement features the benefits of a blend of primal beef proteins. It has also been loaded with hydrolyzed peptides and hydrolyzed beef protein isolate. They are healthy sources of proteins that can support the muscle-growing process of the body.

It supports the recovery of muscles and improves muscular strength. One of the benefits of supplementing proteins is it speeds up the recovery of muscles. Our muscles usually suffer from damages especially when we are working out. This supplement features creatine. Creatine is known for its ability to target damaged muscle tissues in the system and repair them. Creatine is also beneficial in supporting muscle strength.

It has been equipped with high grade BCAAs. Branch Chain Amino Acids play an indispensable role in the production of proteins. They also help the body recover faster from muscle tissue injuries. By working together with creatine, they help speed up the damages in muscle tissues. Also, these are the amino acids that can protect the muscles from future damages.

It contains A-AKG. One of the benefits of Arginine is that it loosens up blood vessels and makes way for better blood flow. When this happens, nutrients also flow better in the blood stream. It allows better distribution of nutrients. In so doing, your body can have more energy. You can also sidestep extreme physical exhaustion after working out.

It may even support metabolic functions. A lot of our body's functions depend on our metabolic processes. Fast metabolism is needed to prevent fat collection in the unlikely areas of the body and to speed up nutritional absorption. This supplement has been equipped with special acids that can help support metabolic functions. It may also work in metabolizing the amino acid leucine.

It is a supplement that has a good taste. It tastes good due to its Potassium content. This is a natural sweetening ingredient that will not leave an aftertaste in the mouth and will not cause damages to the enamel of your teeth.

It has features that you can benefit from. It contains proteins taken from beef sources that will help improve your body's muscle growth. It can also work in speeding up muscle recovery. Loaded in this supplement are BCAAs that support muscle growth and protein synthesis. It also contains arginine that improves blood flow. It helps speed up metabolism as well. If you are searching for a supplement that tastes good, you should consider looking for Dymatize Elite Primal.

To get a taste of Dymatize Elite Primal 2lb, visit this Dymatize supplements website for a sample.

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Dymatize Xpand Xtreme Pump - What Are The Advantages Of Using This Supplement?

Dymatize Xpand Xtreme Pump is a wonderful supplement to try simply because it has the benefits of a post and a pre workout supplement. You don't have to spend so much money because this is an all-in-one supplement that is beneficial for you. Now is the best time to learn more about the advantages of using it.

Advantage #1: It is different because it contains complete creatine content. Many other post workout supplements contain only one or two creatine components. But this one features a fusion of creatine such as creatine ethyl ester, creatine AKG, creatine ester phosphate sodium and tricreatine citrate. These are kinds of creatine taken from bioavailable sources so they are not made from chemical materials that might be harmful to the health.

Advantage #2: It offers you different kinds of arginine. If you want to improve the results of your workout, you have to look for a supplement with arginine. What is great about arginine is that it can be depended on to increase the quality of our pumps, to make our muscles look and feel fuller and to give us more strength and stamina. It improves your workout results unlike any other.

Advantage #3: It ensures the correct distribution of nutrients in the system. This is the supplement that features the benefits of Betaine. It is a kind of hydrochloric acid that has a major role to play in the core functions of our digestive system. This is needed for the proper distribution of nutrients taken from food.

Advantage #4: It has been loaded with Branch Chain Amino Acids. It is important to make use of branch chain amino acids if you are working out. That is because it can facilitate full body recovery. This supplement has Leucine that ensures faster growth and repair of muscle tissues. Its amino acids content can actually prevent catabolism to hamper the loss of lean muscle tissues. You can also find the amino acid valine in here that will support muscle metabolism. This is essential in repairing damaged tissues.

Advantage #5: It contains Xpansion Matrix. This supplement contains amino acids that will work in ensuring the recovery of active individuals. Active individuals suffer from lots of damages during workout or training. To help your body recovery completely, you need the help of this supplement.

Advantage #6: It also features the benefits of Taurine. This amino acid is needed for rapid muscle recovery. Just like the other ingredients, it does its work in repairing damaged tissues and supporting the growth of muscles. This will also ensure higher energy levels.

It can do a lot of wonders to your body. It has complete creatine components that can facilitate recovery and muscle growth. You also need this to increase your strength and stamina. With its help, you can ensure the correct distribution of nutrients in the system. Use this to supply your body with amino acids that will completely allow your body to recovery. It also features its benefits. And to ensure that you have high energy levels during the day, you need Dymatize Xpand Xtreme Pump.

Get the best prices and deals on Dymatize Xpand Xtreme Pump by visiting this website about Dymatize supplements.

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