November 25, 2009 in Articles, Supplements by James Dawson Martin

Ectomorphs: The Hard Gainers

Do you have light bone structure, small joints, and find it hard to gain weight/muscle?
You are probably an ectomorph/hard gainer – welcome to the club! It’s time to forget what anyone outside of the club has told you!

Do you watch your carbohydrate intake too much?
Do you just eat complex carbohydrates?
Do you go low carb/high protein?
Do you

Forget what you learned! You are a hard gainer. Your physique and dietary needs differ completely when compared to the big jointed mesomorph next to you!

He may be eating a salad and steak with a small serving of rice.. But that isn’t going to cut it for you! That’s not going to create the anabolic fueiling we need!

Calories – eat them up!

The majority of us hard gainers/ectomorphs needs to consume at least 4000 calories a day, sometimes as much as 5000-6000. Yes, that is a lot of calories!
With that amount, it is very hard to achieve your intake with just complex carbohydrates and protein… Plus, your energy requirements are much higher.

You also have a completely different anabolic situation than endo’s and even meso’s (people who gain fat easier and those that gain muscle easily).

We need to focus on being anabolic a lot more – focusing on extra rest, limiting cardio, heavy weight training, and high GI (glycemic index) foods that spike insulin levels/create an anabolic environment.

Mesomorphs can generally get away with limited calories, limited insulin spike/energy before training, and less sleep/rest and gain well, which is why you should never pay attention to people outside of our club..

What to do:

• Decrease the cardio and other calorie devouring activity – get just enough to be fit and healthy.
• Go heavy and intense in the weight room and decrease the volume – less sets and time in the gym.
• See that bagel – two bagels? Fill it up with that jam/jelly and have it with a protein shake before the gym. You need that insulin spike! After training? A protein shake with a couple of banana’s could do the trick.

• Taper your carbohydrates in the evening but never reduce them to zero. Eat carbohydrates even for your last meal. Eat the majority, especially high GI carbs in the morning and before/after training.. But still consume for your other meals.
• Take a good quality protein powder. I recommend some of the following:

Gaspari Nutrition MyoFusion, 5 Lbs., Strawberry & Cream Optimal Ration Of Whey Protein Concentrate & Isolate, Egg Albumen & Milk Protein Isolate!



Gaspari Nutrition REAL MASS, 5.95 Lbs., Rich Vanilla Milkshake The Complete Weight Gainer For Maximum Increase IN Muscle Mass!



• Use a good creatine product:

Gaspari Nutrition SizeOn, 1290 Grams, Wild Berry Punch Patent Pending Cell Volumizer To Induce Maximum Muscle Recovery!



Controlled Labs Green MAGnitude, 80 Servings, Sour Green Apple Increase Your Stamina In The Gym And Gain Size And Strength!

These are just a few of our club guidelines. The ectomorph club is unique. While some people are plauged by gaining weight (fat) very easily, we are the polar opposite and cannot gain weight without effort.

Remember these guidelines and remember that you are eating for two regular weight lifters!