How to Build Muscle for Ectomorphs

Today, I’m going to tell you exactly how to build muscle for ectomorphs.

And in this article, I am going to lay out every single component that’s going to make your journey of building muscle as an ectomorph as simple and easy as possible.

We are going to cover everything from how you should eat, how you should train, and often the most overlooked component of building muscle, how you should be recovering.

What’s the catch, you ask?

Just this one thing.

No, you don’t have to make 3 easy payments of $99.99 for my program.

Or buy this ridiculously expensive supplement from one of my sponsors.

All I ask is that you read the article entirely. That’s right, no skimming 😉

Alright, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way. Let’s dive in.

What do I know about how to build muscle for ectomorphs?

If you’re new here, hey, welcome 🙂 I’m Austin, but you can call me Aus for short to save yourself half a second.

I’m just a random dude on the internet who likes to write about fitness-y stuff, but it wasn’t always like that…

About 11 years ago now, I set out on the first steps of my fitness journey with the goal to build as much muscle as possible onto my frail, thin body.

I wanted to look strong, impressive, and above average.

However, I was only met with plenty of misinformation and ended up spinning my wheels for years, not getting the results I was after.

Did I give up? Hell no.

After years of trial and error, I was finally able to accomplish something 13-year-old me would have seen as a pipe dream.

**IMPORTANT** Keep in mind that even though I clearly have put on a significant amount of muscle, these pictures only represent a still image of me flexing with good lighting and a pump. It is not a perfect representation of what my body looks like most of the time.

Firstly, F*ck Your “Ectomorph Mindset”

As a former “ectomorph” myself, the only thing I can tell you is this.

You are only limited by the limits you place on yourself.

Stop thinking the reason you don’t have the results you want is that you’re a certain body type.

And no, I’m not saying that genetics don’t matter because they do.

But what I am saying is that genetics doesn’t replace consistency and hard work.

Because no matter what, you could have the best genetics in the world, but if you don’t apply consistency and hard work?

You won’t live up to your full potential and realize how much you’re actually able to achieve.

And truthfully, I think labeling yourself as a certain body type, like “ectomorph” does more harm than good.

In short, stop putting yourself into a small space that’s limiting your potential to grow. You’re able to accomplish so much more than you think you can.

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk about what an ectomorph is, how to build muscle as an “ectomorph”, and how I broke free of that stereotype and mindset.

What Is An Ectomorph?

The concept of ectomorphs originates from the ‘Somatotype Theory’ or the idea that human physiques can be classified into three types: ectomorphs, mesomorphs, and endomorphs.

This theory is as follows:

Ectomorphs are long and lean, with little body fat, and little muscle. They have a hard time gaining weight. Fashion models and basketball players fit this category. While most of us love to hate these genetically-blessed individuals, some male ectomorphs may not be thrilled with their narrow-chested frames, and some female ectomorphs long for more womanly curves.

Endomorphs, on the other hand, have lots of body fat, lots of muscle, and gain weight easily. “Football lineman tend to be endomorphs — they’re heavier and rounder individuals,” says Colby. “And they don’t have to necessarily be overweight. Both Oprah Winfrey and Marilyn Monroe are classic examples of endomorphs.”

Mesomorphs are athletic, solid, and strong. “They’re not overweight and not underweight,” says Colby, “and they can eat what they want without worrying too much about it.” They both gain and lose weight without too much effort.

Classic combination somatotypes include pear-shaped ecto-endomorphs with thin, delicate upper bodies and high fat storage in the hips and thighs, and apple-shaped endo-ectomorphs, with high fat storage in the mid-section and thin lower bodies.

–University of Houston

Although along with many other fitness coaches, I also despise putting people into boxes and labeling them with a specific body type.

However, I understand that classifying people can help in certain situations to better understand their bodily tendencies and responses, but it should never be prioritized over someone’s individual and unique needs.

I will agree that from anecdotal evidence that many people do fit within these descriptors of the three somatotypes but it isn’t as simple it appears.

Rather than thinking that each person fits into just one single category, I believe everyone’s individual bodies consist of different percentages of each of the somatotype’s characteristics.

For example:

• Those who excel in the sport of Strongman are typically higher in both body fat percentage and muscle mass so their body types appear to be primarily a combination of mesomorphic and endomorphic.
• Those who struggle with being ‘skinny fat‘ have higher than average body fat levels along with low levels of muscle mass appear to be a combination of endomorphic and ectomorphic.
• Competitive athletes typically have high levels of muscle mass along with low levels of body fat appear to be mostly a combination of ectomorphic and mesomorphic.

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. My point is that the combinations are endless and every single person can have different parts of their genetics all playing a combinative role in shaping their bodies.

But again, the reason why this information came after the last section isn’t to tell you that you’re screwed because of the hand you’ve been dealt.

Rather, it can help you set realistic expectations, but don’t let them deter you from putting your best foot forward and achieving as much as you possibly can regardless of your circumstances.

So when you’re done whining about the genetics you’ve been blessed with, keep reading so that you can learn how to actually get some shit done and start changing your physique.

The Diet To Build Muscle For Ectomorphs

Now, for many ectomorphs, one of the most common problems that come up is how fast their metabolism or high their maintenance calories are compared to how much they actually eat (and the answer might not be what you think it is…)

Most ectomorphs swear they eat so much, but in fact, don’t really eat that much. There I said it.

“But Austin, I am constantly eating soooo much food.“

To which I reply, “Okay, how many calories worth?”

“Uh, I don’t know, I don’t track it.”

And therein lies the problem.

Just like how many people who struggle to lose weight are unaware of how many calories they are eating…

Those who struggle to gain weight are in this very same boat!

How do I know this?

Because I’ve done this myself and have coached others who go through the very same thing.

I, along with so many others, used to think that I was “eating sooooo much food” until when I started deliberately tracking my calorie intake, I was surprised to find out I barely ate over 2,000 calories when my maintenance was somewhere around 2,500-2,600…

When in reality, I needed way more food than that to be in a proper calorie surplus to build muscle.

And once I started to eat more, the size started coming on, but still not exactly how I wanted it…

Although I started eating in a surplus, I didn’t really have any sort of plan. I just ate and ate and ate…

Which obviously put me in me too much of a surplus and I had put on too much body fat.

So contrary to popular belief, “ectomorphs” just like any other body type can still get fat.

No one is out here defying the laws of thermodynamics.

The simple fact is: if you take in too much energy it will spill over into storage (body fat).

So just like weight loss, weight gain should be done at the same rate, slow and steady, except in the opposite direction (obviously).

Now, keep in mind, this is not to scare you into being afraid of eating too much because if you are deliberate and controlled with your calorie surplus, good things will happen to your gains.

A good gauge for knowing if you’re eating enough is if you feel like you have the energy to train hard and you’re able to progressively lift more weight.

How Many Calories To Eat?

And then, of course, some people want me to tell them exactly how many calories to eat as if I had a clue (I don’t in case you were wondering).

In fact, nobody does, especially not those “TDEE calculators” you find online. Any “calculator” you find is a guess at best. (Admittedly yes, even the formula I use for my clients is a guess. But it doesn’t mean it isn’t helpful at all. I just have to know how much to increase/decrease depending on how their body responds.)

But one of the simplest formulas that have worked for many people that doesn’t require you to plug and chug a complicated math formula and is actually evidence-based provided by Lyle McDonald:

Bodyweight (in lbs) x 15 = Estimated Maintenance Calories. (Example: 150 lbs x 15 = 2,250 calories)

And because I know some of you are going to skim this article…

Again, this equation spits out a guess. You will most likely need to adjust depending on how your body responds. Stick with your calculated intake for 3-4 weeks. Increase by 10% if you aren’t seeing progress. Decrease by 10% if you are gaining too fast.

That’s it. It really is that simple. The hard part is just having to do the guesswork of increasing and decreasing until you figure out how many calories you need for your body.

What Foods Should You Eat To Gain Muscle?

A commonly perpetuated myth in the muscle building and bodybuilding industry is the mentality of “you need to eat big to get big.”

Which of course leads to people going on an all-out eating spree trying to shovel down as many calories as they can which gives many the excuse to eat as much fast food as they can in a 3 month period.

When in reality, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Unless you want to end up like me pictured above with a ton of excess body fat.

You see, your body can only gain muscle at a certain rate.

So what happens when you gain too fast? You’ll build as much muscle as your body allows in that time frame…and then the rest of those calories spill over into your fat stores.

So while we do want to eat more calories, we still want quality calories. This means making sure that the majority of your food choices should still be whole, nutritious sources.

Notice that I said the majority. This doesn’t mean you only have to eat chicken, broccoli, and rice 6 times a day. You can still treat yourself from time to time.

Now, with that being said, the majority of ectomorphs still struggle to get enough calories, especially those with smaller appetites (clearly from the picture above, I wouldn’t know LOL).

In order to aid this, we want food choices that are both nutritious and high-calorie dense to help with weight gain and optimal health.

While those who want to lose weight want to be eating low-calorie dense foods or foods that contain few calories for their relatively large volume…

Those who want to gain weight need to apply the opposite concept of eating high-calorie dense foods or foods that contain more calories for their relatively small volume.

This is because low-calorie dense foods will fill you up quicker which reduces your likelihood of being able to eating enough calories to be in a surplus.

Some examples of both nutritious and high-calorie dense foods are:

• Nuts
• Whole eggs
• Avocado
• Fatty fish (i.e. salmon, trout, sardines, albacore tuna)
• Bread
• Rice
• Pasta
• Fattier cuts of meats
• Nut butters
• Higher calorie vegetables (i.e. peas, corn)
• Higher calorie fruits (i.e blueberries, mangoes, figs, dates, coconut, raisins, bananas, prunes, dried fruits)

Now, as discussed in my other article, I am not a particularly huge fan of tracking macros. I believe in more just tracking calories and protein for simplicity, flexibility, and individualization.

However, when in a dedicated surplus and gaining phase, there is research showing that getting your surplus calories primarily from carbs can help with minimizing fat gain and training performance.

Therefore, my general recommendation is to get your recommended minimum intakes of protein and fat and then have the rest of your calories come from carb sources.

In these cases, it can help to use a tracking app like MyFitnessPal. If you are new to tracking calories, I recommend starting here.

Otherwise, here’s my general recommendation on how you should set your macro split:

Protein = 1g/lb of body weight

Fat = at least 20% of calories

Carbs = rest of calorie intake

And again, these are general recommendations as some people will need different distribution percentages due to their individual needs. Apply what you’ve learned here, but don’t forget to adjust.

Now that we’ve got your diet covered, we also need to remember that nutrition is not the driver of muscle growth.

While dialing in your nutrition can certainly help facilitate muscle growth, you won’t see growth or progress without applying the proper training principles.

The Training To Build Muscle For Ectomorphs

Look, as much as I wish I could tell you that there was some special, dedicated program to build muscle for ectomorphs, there really isn’t.

Muscle building goes through the same process regardless of your body type and genetics.

However, your body type genetics just simply dictates how much muscle you’re able to build overall, how fast you’ll build it, and how well you respond to certain training programs.

That being said, I have an entire article written on how to design your own training program complete with step-by-step instructions and sample workouts.

So if you want more in-depth information, check out that article. Otherwise, I’m going to keep it brief here along with the assumption that you understand basic program design.

You’ll want to pick 2-3 exercises to train every major muscle group in your body:

• Shoulders
• Chest
• Triceps
• Back
• Biceps
• Quads
• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Calves
• Core

How you want to organize what muscle groups to train each session is entirely up to you.

My personal preference is a Push, Pull, Legs split with one day covering each of these muscle groups:

• Shoulders + Triceps
• Chest + Triceps
• Back + Biceps
• Quads + Calves
• Glute + Hamstrings + Calves
• Core (optional)

The reason that core is optional is because if you’re doing a lot of compound exercises, you’re naturally going to get a ton of core work. Also, to put it lightly, I fucking hate training core.

But there are many other ways you can build your training depending on what you want to do:

• Upper/Lower
• Full Body
• Other body part combinations not listed above

Next, you’ll want to do 2-3 hard sets per exercise and anywhere from 8-12 reps per set. (Hard meaning the last 2-3 reps should feel very challenging).

And lastly, train with the intent to get stronger and do more. In other words, progressive overload. I seriously cannot emphasize this point enough.

Because truthfully, so many people can do (and actually do) so many things wrong, but as long as they’re training hard and pushing themselves to do more? They’ll see some results.

Now, keep in mind that I’m not encouraging that you chase progress at the expense of your health and vastly increasing your risk of injury, but the simple fact is: most people do not push themselves hard enough when working out.

And again, we want to progressive overload, but also while maintaining good form and proper setup & execution of the exercises. This ensures that we are training the proper muscles and reduces the risk of injury so that you can maximize the gains you’re making and continue making gains for years to come.

Train hard, but also don’t forget to train just as smart.

How To Recover To Build Muscle For Ectomorphs

A common misconception people have about training is that they think “the more work I put in means the more results I will get.”

Especially ectomorphs who are struggling to put on muscle and want the most results as fast as possible.

When in reality, this concept works up until a point.

You see, your body can only recover from so much (training) stress.

More doesn’t always necessarily mean better.

Take a good, hard look at this graphic.

Honestly speaking, training is simply another source of stress for the body to adapt to.

We see that if that stress is too low, we won’t have a high level of performance because the body doesn’t experience enough stress to adapt.

However, on the other hand, if stress is too high, we also won’t have a high level of performance because the body experiences too much stress to recover and adapt from.

Therefore, we want an optimum level of stress to maximize performance and adaptation.

“Not too little, not too much, but juuuuust right.” -Goldilocks et al.

This is why is important to keep in mind that more isn’t better, better is better.

Start looking for ways to make your training as efficient as possible rather than mindlessly adding in more work just for the sake of it.

For most people, I would suggest starting at 2 hard sets per exercise and only add more sets when you stop seeing progress to keep your training as efficient as possible.

As for how many days you should be working out, 3-4 days per week is more than enough for most people. (In case you’re bad at math, this means you should have 3-4 rest days per week)

It really depends on how you decide to split up your workouts for the week, but from an efficiency standpoint, you don’t need to be in the gym more than 3-4 times a week.

If you feel like you do, you either have too much time on your hands or just love being in the gym. In which case, still, neither of these reasons justify overtraining. If you feel like you need more days, you don’t. It likely means that you should be increasing the intensity within your current program, not add more days of training.

And to elaborate, rest days do not mean you should be doing hard, HIIT cardio…rest days mean resting.

While you don’t have to be sitting on the couch all day, you definitely should not be doing high-intensity activities.

This ensures that your muscles and central nervous system (CNS) can recover in order to be prepared to train hard during your following sessions.

Some low to moderate-intensity activity is fine like walking or other forms of cardio.

Putting It All Together

I know that was a lot so just to wrap everything together into one nice, summarized package (not that you should have skimmed or skipped parts of the article to get here, so if you did that, shame on you, go back and read through the entire thing):

• Diet To Build Muscle For Ectomorphs
  • Be deliberate and controlled with your calorie surplus to maxmize muscle growth
  • Calorie intake starting point: Bodyweight (in lbs) x 15 = Estimated Maintenance Calories
  • Macro Split:
    • Protein = 1g/lb of bodyweight
    • Fat = at least 20% of your calorie intake
    • Carbs = rest of calories
  • Food choices: majority from whole, nutritious sources; include high calorie dense foods if you struggle with getting enough calories

• Training To Build Muscle For Ectomorphs
  • Pick 2-3 exercises to train each major muscle group
  • Do 2-3 hard sets (where you lift a weight that the last 2-3 reps of your sets should feel very challenging) per exercise
  • Always strive to do more work over time while maintaining proper form, setup, and execution (i.e. increased number of reps performed, amount of weight lifted, etc.)

• Recovery to Build Muscle For Ectomorphs
  • More work ≠ more results (past a certain point)
  • Rest 3-4 days a week
  • Rest days ≠ sit on your butt on a couch day
  • Stay active with low to moderate-intensity activity
  • Recovery ultimately comes from getting enough sleep and nutrients, not humping a foam roller or soaking in bath salts (nothing against these if you enjoy doing it, but they don’t actually contribute much)

Final Thoughts on How To Build Muscle for Ectomorphs

Alright! Thanks for making it through this 3,000+ word article. It was definitely a lot of information, but I hope this helps you.

And just in case you’re still having some doubts…

Please do not think you can’t build an impressive physique that you’re proud and confident in just because of the genetics you’ve been dealt.

Because I was in your exact shoes.

I thought that I was dealt the shitty genetics hand. I thought that I wouldn’t ever be able to put on a significant amount of muscle. I thought that I would forever look thin, lanky, and weak.

However, after putting in the years of consistent, patient effort, I realized the only thing holding me back from achieving what I wanted were my thoughts.

Truthfully, I think the only genetics you need to is genetics to push yourself to do more every single day.

Remember, no matter how small the progress, progress is still progress.

So don’t listen to the doubts and bullshit excuses you tell yourself.

Just put the work in day in and day out. Be consistent. Be patient.

And watch yourself accomplish more than you ever thought possible.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, shoot me an email and I’d love to help.

Until next time,

-Aus

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• Customized nutrition plan tailored to your individual needs and goals
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The best part: you can do this from anywhere in the world.

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