Training program for an ectomorph: a set of exercises, nutrition for an ectomorph

Training program for ectomorph.

Most often, it is people with this body type who really want to change their figure. The whole problem is that of all three types, the ectomorph is the slowest and hardest to gain weight.

In order to avoid disappointments at the initial stage of training, correctly set goals and evaluate the results obtained, the owner of an ectomorphic body type must realize one thing:

“If you were born with the physique of Apollo, you will never be able to become Hercules.”

In Ancient Greece, both Hercules and Apollo were considered a model of male physique, only in different weight categories. Hercules is a typical mesomorph with obvious signs of an endomorph. If he had not led such an active lifestyle, it is likely that he would have swollen with fat and become a shapeless pile of fat.

Apollo is a clear ectomorph, but if he trains correctly and increases the muscle mass of his shoulders, arms and chest, he will look much better than Hercules.

You are no worse than a mesomorph or endomorph, you are different. You will never get into the heavyweight league, you can never even dream of it. Your maximum is 90-95 kg (subject to the use of anabolic steroids). However, an ectomorph athlete weighing 90 kg looks much cooler than a 150 kg carcass, which in the off-season floats with fat and becomes like God knows what.

Frank Zane

A great example of an ectomorph athlete is Frank Zane. Eight-time winner of the Mr. Olympia title in the weight category up to 90 kg. A model of aesthetic physique and a role model. This is what you can achieve by training hard.

If you are the “lucky” owner of an ectomorphic physique, get ready for a lot of long work. It will be difficult to pump up the mass, but it is possible. Only a loser will cite bad genetics as an excuse.

In addition, ectomorphs have their advantages: 1. Even a small increase in muscle mass will be immediately noticeable. 2. You don’t need to worry about excess fat, which certainly appears when you gain weight, and you don’t need to eat everything without counting calories, which representatives of other body types cannot afford. So not everything is as bad as it seems at first glance.

So, you need to understand that your training will be fundamentally different from the training of a mesomorph and endomorph. All those programs that are published in magazines and on the Internet are mostly designed for mesomorphs, that is, people who are genetically predisposed to training and easily gain weight. Therefore, everything that is written there, from the number of repetitions to the training time, does not suit you.

Why you need to do basic exercises

The more muscle groups involved in strength training, the more damage there will be, and therefore increased weight gain.

Training an ectomorph with dumbbells will give an excellent isolation effect, but you shouldn’t expect much growth from it.

In addition, basic exercises allow you to lift heavy weights, which has a beneficial effect on hormone production.

But you need to be careful when doing them. You should not immediately lift heavy weights, otherwise you may get injured.

Features of the ectomorph training program

Training time. The training should be within 1-1.5 hours. Ectomorph muscles do not have the proper endurance and long-term training will lead to weight loss.
Number of workouts per week. Depends on what you do outside the gym. If you are resting and not doing physical labor, then it is quite possible to do 4-5 workouts a week. If you have additional physical activity outside the gym, you should limit yourself to three classes per week.
One muscle group is trained no more than once a week. An ectomorph needs a lot of time to recover.
The number of approaches is no more than 3-4. This rule is. An ectomorph should not engage in multi-approach training, as this will lead to catabolism (breakdown) of muscle fibers.
The number of repetitions is 6-8 for large muscle groups, 8-10 for small ones. Low-repetition training is also an unshakable rule for training an ectomorph. Anything more than 10 is bad (exception: calf and trapezius muscles, they require more repetitions).
Rest between sets from one to two and a half minutes (when performing particularly heavy approaches, for example, squats, a little more can be done). There is no need to rush during training, it is important to recover between sets.
You need to build your training only on heavy basic exercises and use isolated exercises to a minimum.
Number of exercises per muscle group: 3 for large, 2 for small. The exception is a split in which only one muscle group is worked out in one workout.
2 muscle groups per workout. Fits perfectly into a three-day split.

To summarize what has been said: you should do short, low-rep training with good rest between sets.

What is special about playing sports for those with this body type?

Ectomorphs are people with accelerated metabolism, long and thin limbs, and thin bones. It is quite difficult for them to build muscle mass, since metabolic processes occur in the body very quickly.

By nature, ectomorphs are very “dry”, that is, the percentage of body fat is minimal. Even if an ectomorph consumes a lot of simple carbohydrates, it is difficult for him to gain excess weight.

People with this type of build also have special characteristics of the nervous system. Most often, they are often nervous and easily stressed. This also negatively affects muscle gain, since stress releases the hormone cortisol.

Important! Despite the fact that ectomorphs progress rather slowly, they can still increase their weight and strength. However, this mass will be quite dry.

Such individuals must take into account the characteristics of their body when creating a training program. Their workouts should be hard, but not too long, so as not to once again provoke the production of cortisol and muscle breakdown.

Be sure to check out: Split program: training to pump up muscles with proven effectiveness Monthly training program: rules for drawing up a plan and sets of exercises Detailed training program with your own weight at home Effective training program for gaining muscle mass 3 times a week

Ectomorph training program and recovery

In the days between workouts, limit your physical activity. You should not engage in jogging, football, etc. You should conserve energy, not burn it.

Adequate rest and healthy sleep of at least 8 hours are required. If you can and like to sleep during the day, be sure to do so. No more 40-50 minutes are needed.

Try to eat more often: 5-6 times a day (or more often) in small portions. You should never be hungry, otherwise the body will begin to burn muscles to obtain the necessary substances. Usually it begins to burn the fat layer first. But you don’t have it, or very little of it, so your body will “take over” the muscle cells.

Be sure to start your morning with a hearty breakfast. Porridge (any kind you like), you can add boiled meat to it. Breakfast is the most important part of your diet throughout the day.

Here's an example of a simple calculation of what will happen if you don't learn to eat a hearty breakfast:

Let's say you slept for 8 hours and woke up at 7 am. During this time, your body received little or no nutrients.

Then you didn’t have a proper breakfast and only ate at lunch (let’s say at 12.00).

8 hours of sleep plus (12.00-7.00=5 hours) we get 8+5=13 hours! For 13 hours your body does not receive the necessary elements not only for growth but also for maintaining normal functioning. It will not wait until you decide to eat, but will begin to take the necessary elements from muscle cells. There can be no talk of any increase in mass.

If you want to eat at night, do not deny yourself this pleasure.

Buy a gainer, it will help you gain weight. It is ideal for ectomorphs. Drink it between meals. Just reduce the recommended serving on the package by half.

If you are an ectomorph, your problem is a very fast metabolism. The body instantly absorbs and processes all substances, just as a fire in a furnace burns dry wood. Therefore, the main task is to slow it down. Try to eat foods that are digested slowly.

At night, it would be a good idea to drink casein (this is a slowly digestible protein) or eat cottage cheese. But cottage cheese, unfortunately, costs much more. Therefore, it is easier and cheaper to buy casein.

Ectomorph training and pharmaceutical support

You can give yourself an athletic, toned figure. Given your physique, this will be the maximum you can achieve. If you want to get any serious results, you cannot do without taking anabolic steroids. Due to the difficulty of gaining muscle mass, it is impossible to do without pharmaceutical support.

The emphasis should be on the “heavy artillery”: Nandrolone, Testosterone, Methandrostenolone, Anadrol. Oral medications alone will not give the desired effect, so it is better to use a combination of oral and injectable medications.

The classic combination of Nandrolone + Methandrostenolone.

Also excellent options are Sustanon (or Omnadren 250) + Methandrostenolone or Anadrol.

Do not use drugs and courses for drying and creating “relief”, such as: Winstrol (Stanozolol), Oxandrolone (Anavar), Drostanolone (Masteron) or Testosterone Propionate.

Nutritional Features

To grow muscle mass, ectomorphs must provide the body with high-calorie nutrition with a high protein content. The diet should contain at least 3 grams of protein per kilogram of weight. The following proportions should be adhered to:

20-30% proteins;
50-60% carbohydrates;
20-30%. Zhirov.

Calculating the required number of calories is very simple. The total value is calculated in such a way that there are from 45 to 55 kilocalories per 1 kg of weight. With an average weight of 65 kg, the calorie content of food per day should be 2,900-3,600 kcal. In your diet, you should give preference to foods with a low glycemic index. These products are:

durum wheat pasta;
brown rice;
buckwheat and oatmeal porridge;
whole grain bread.

Ectomorphs must take a complex of vitamins; the diet must contain vegetables and fruits. In order to accelerate the growth of muscle mass and more quickly restore energy, it is recommended to take a gainer - a mixture of protein and carbohydrates.

More about training for an ectomorph >>

Proper nutrition can be easily monitored. If during the week the weight gain is 300-400 grams, then the diet is compiled correctly and the training program for the ectomorph for growth and gain of muscle mass is also chosen correctly.
A lower figure indicates the need to make adjustments.

Ectomorph training (2 day split)

Chest, Triceps, Shoulders, Abs

Bench press 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Incline bench press 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Dips 3 sets of 10 reps
Close grip bench press 3 sets of 6-8 reps
French bench press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Standing chest press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Dumbbell swings to the sides 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Raising the body on the bench 3-4 sets to the maximum

Back, Biceps, Legs, Press

Seated lat pulldown 3 sets of 8 reps
Bent-over barbell rows 3 sets of 6 reps
Deadlift 3 sets of 6 reps
Barbell curls for biceps 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Hammer curls with dumbbells 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Barbell squats 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Calf raises in the machine (or with dumbbells in hands) 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Leg raises lying on a bench 4 sets to the maximum

Disadvantages of a three-day split

Like any training system, a three-day split is not without its drawbacks:

lack of specialization due to a limited number of workouts, so there is no possibility of dedicating an entire workout to working a specific muscle group;
the deadlift is not used - a very effective multi-joint exercise that requires a huge load on different muscle groups of the back simultaneously, which does not correspond to the principles of split.

Ectomorph training (3 day split)

Chest, Triceps, Abs

Bench press 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Incline bench press 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Lying dumbbell flyes 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Dips 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Close grip bench press 4 sets of 6-8 reps
French bench press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Triceps on the block 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Raising the body on the bench 4-5 approaches to the maximum

Back, Biceps

Seated lat pulldown 3 sets of 8 reps
Bent-over barbell rows 3 sets of 6 reps
One-arm dumbbell rows 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Deadlift 3 sets of 6 reps
Barbell curls for biceps 4 sets of 8-10 reps
Dumbbell curls with supination 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Barbell curls for biceps with an overhand grip, 3 sets of 8-10 reps

Shoulders, Legs, Abs

Standing barbell chest press 3 sets of 8 reps
Seated dumbbell press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Dumbbell swings to the sides 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Shrugs with a barbell 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Barbell squats 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Leg press 3 sets of 8 reps
Calf raises in the machine 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Lying leg raises 4 sets to the maximum

Ectomorph training (4 day split)

In this four-day split, a greater breakdown of some muscle groups was done, as well as working out all muscle groups except the back and legs twice a week. After each training day there is a rest day and after the end of the split there are 2 full days of rest. This promotes recovery and prevents you from getting into a state of overtraining. This split is suitable for athletes who have been training for at least a year. This split is not suitable for beginners for two reasons:

Firstly, there is no need for such a targeted splitting of muscle groups (for example, each bundle of deltas is worked out in a separate workout).

Secondly, for beginners, whose body is not accustomed to constant loads, there is a great danger of falling into a state of overtraining, in which the beginner can completely abandon training forever.

Chest (hard workout), Triceps (light), Front delts (light), Abs

Bench press 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps
Incline bench press 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps
Lying dumbbell flyes 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Hummer chest press 4 sets of 10-12 reps (medium to light weight. The goal is to pump the pectoral muscles).

If there is no simulator like a Hummer in the gym, choose any isolated exercise for the pectoral muscles.

Bent-over dumbbell arm extension 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps (light weight)
Triceps on the block 4 sets of 12-15 reps (light weight)
Lifting dumbbells in front of you 4 sets of 8-10 reps (medium weight)
Lifting the body on the bench 4-5 approaches to the maximum

Back, Biceps (light), Rear deltoids

Lat Pulldowns 4 sets of 6-10 reps
Bent-over barbell rows 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps
Horizontal block rows to the belt 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Deadlift 3 sets of 6-8 reps (or hyperextension 4 sets of 8-10 reps)
Concentrated dumbbell curls for biceps 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps (light weight)
Biceps curls on a block 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps (light weight)
Bent-over dumbbell swings 4 sets of 10-12 reps (medium to light weight)

Legs (heavy), Shoulders (heavy), Abs

Dumbbell press sitting or standing 4 sets of 8-10 reps
Dumbbell swings to the sides 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
Dumbbell shrugs 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps
Barbell squats 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps
Leg press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Leg extensions in the machine 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions
Leg curls in the machine 3-4 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Calf raises in a machine or with free weights 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Leg raises lying on a bench 4-5 approaches to the maximum

Triceps (heavy). Biceps (heavy), Pectoral muscles (light), Abs

Close grip bench press 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps
French bench press 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
French seated dumbbell press 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Barbell curls for biceps 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Dumbbell curls for biceps 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Hammer curls 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Dumbbell Pullover 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps (medium to light weight)
Hummer Press 4 sets of 8-10 reps (medium to heavy weight)
Raising the body on the bench 4-5 approaches to the maximum

Benefits of a 3-Day Split

This type of training has a number of advantages:

a classic, well-designed program provides maximum load on the trained muscle groups, which is constantly progressing;
at the same time, they are given enough time for full recovery (usually a week), since different muscle groups are involved on each training day; this period is enough to restore even large muscle groups;
a three-day training program can be used by athletes of different levels of training; Thus, for experienced athletes, training can be divided into light, medium and heavy; however, regardless of the level, the goal is to achieve supercompensation before each workout, then muscle mass will grow most intensively.