The Muscle Guide - ectomorph natural

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Hi guys I thought I would have a go and compiling, in one place, the collective knowledge of the guys on this forum. The idea is basically this:

1. There be 6 guides in total (ectomorph natural, ectomorph juiced, mesomorph natural, mesomorph juiced, endomorph natural, endomorph juiced);

2. Each guide be compiled by people completing the following "the thing I have learned which has helped me reach my goals/progress the most is..."

3. I, as a person in the category ectomorph natural have started this guide. People who fall into different categories can start guides for the other categories.

4. Hopefully we can collectively produce a helpful guide for anyone who wants to know how to maximize their growth.

So as to increase the chances of this experiment working I have come up with a few guidelines:

1. Please only post answers to the question posed;

2. Please only post if you fall within the category (I.e. For this thread ectomorph natural);

3. Please only post from your personal experience and knowledge (I.e. Not something you have read but something that has helped you.

Hopefully that's not too prescriptive !

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I have been in the habit of justifying any failure to make progress as being a result of genetics. Whilst ectomorphs may find muscle gain more difficult I have found when i am committed I can gain a minimum of 10lbs lean muscle per year (my trainer says ectomorphs under 30 years old should be gaining between 8 and 12 lbs of muscle per year)

[melbournebrad]

Hey all,
While I'm not huge (yet), I feel like I"m making great progress.
I am a true ectomorph, starting out at a massive 53kg some years ago - despite casual training with dumbells - now weighing in at around 76kg.

I'm starting to receive compliments and looks, so I'm finally feeling that it's all paying off.

The key? Eating! You may think you eat a lot, but really, I don't think you do.
I thought I did, but really, only 3 main meals, and even then, they weren't huge.

I make sure I'm prepared during the day - always eat a good breakfast followed by protein - have plenty of protein bars on hand (at work), and eat fruit and good amounts of protein rich foods, such as chicken in a subway sub or something.

Like I said, I'm not HUGE (yet), but feeling like I'm getting somewhere.

Oh yeah - training like a mo-fo at 5:30am most mornings will also do that too!

Here's me:
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/whippet82/

[paarke]

I know I'm being stupid, but could you explain a bit more what the categories actually are? I'm never really sure what I fit into.

[Aielyn]

Originally Posted by paarke

I know I'm being stupid, but could you explain a bit more what the categories actually are? I'm never really sure what I fit into.

In really simple terms, an ectomorph is a person who tends to be very lean, struggles to put on any sort of weight (either fat or muscle), and tends to lose weight (both types) fairly easily. When short, they tend to look scrawny, when tall they tend to look like a "beanpole". Ectomorphs tend to be the person that people complain about because they seem to be able to eat anything and stay thin, but for bodybuilding, it's the hardest type to be. Sometimes, they can be seriously thin - we're talking 4% body fat or less - without even trying.

An endomorph is pretty much the polar opposite. They tend to gain weight (typically both fat and muscle) very easily, and struggle to lose it. Endomorphs that are short tend to look very chubby, while tall ones tend to be very imposing in stature. Most seriously obese people are endomorphs... as are most powerlifters, because they usually have the ability to gain large amounts of muscle as well as fat.

A mesomorph is your "genetically gifted" type of bodybuilder category. They tend to gain muscle fairly easily, but can both gain and lose fat without too much trouble. This becomes a particular boon for competing bodybuilders, who go through off-seasons where they pack on the pounds, then cut rapidly in preparation for contests. They usually look somewhat fit even if they do absolutely nothing to maintain their body.

I've heard reference to the idea that each of the three can be associated with one of three glands. For ectomorphs, it's the pituitary gland, responsible for things like bone growth - tends to result in long, thin limbs, and fast metabolisms. For endomorphs, it's the thyroid gland, responsible for the hormones that handle storage of fats. For mesomorphs, it's the testes, and their rather natural steroid (testosterone).

One method I've heard of for determining your body type is this: with one hand, grasp the other wrist so that the thumb wraps around the base of the hand. Try to make your thumb touch your middle finger around the wrist. For an endomorph, it will generally be difficult if not impossible to touch. For an ectomorph, it will be so trivial that they could probably keep wrapping it around an extra half way around the wrist. Mesomorphs (and those who sit somewhere between endo- and ecto-morph) will tend to find that they touch without too much trouble, and will often get a bit of extra overlap, up to about the first knuckle or so of the middle finger.

The reason why this supposedly works is that neither wrist size nor hand size really varies with fat or muscle levels, but do correlate with body types. That is, even an obese ectomorph will have very slender wrists and long hands, while even very thin endomorphs will have thick wrists and short hands.

But most importantly, all three are very general categories, and most people don't fit neatly into any of the three. And most people who claim to be ectomorphs are just people who don't eat enough, while most who claim to be endomorphs just like their food a little too much. And the vast majority of bodybuilders, who people claim must be genetically gifted mesomorphs, are actually anything but (indeed, there are some that are actually ectomorphs, although jealous people don't accept that fact).

[paarke]

Thanks for that! I think that gives me an idea where I fit in.