The skinny man's guide to bulking up

Personal fitness trainer Scott Laidler explains how naturally thin men can easily put on muscle using a targeted workout programme                                               

     Many men find it frustratingly difficult to bulk up and gain muscle size. There is a variety of reasons for this, but they tend to boil down to one simple issue: following the wrong advice

That doesn't necessarily mean bad advice, but rather advice that is not appropriate for them. Body type is key here: most advice in fitness and bodybuilding magazines is designed to suit the few natural athletes – or ‘mesomorphs’ – among our society. Unfortunately, this means that the remainder of the population are stuck blindly following workout programs that simply will not work for them.

Getting results in the gym isn’t just about putting in time and effort. Unless your exertions are suited to your particular genetic make up, you may actually be doing more harm than good. Below is a simple guide for the naturally skinny man (called, in the business, 'ectomorphs') to develop considerable muscle mass by working to his genetic strengths.

Considerations for Ectomorphs

Body type characteristics are not limited to physical appearance. Ectomorphs have a higher ability to assimilate carbohydrates than the other body types. This means that the traditional recommended macro nutrient split of 40pc carb / 30pc protein / 30pc fat will not best serve natural ectomorphs, who have highly active thyroids and therefore require more carbs to get an insulin spike after training. That spike facilitates recovery, so not getting enough carbs leaves the ectomorph open to fatigue.

Bulking up requires a calorie surplus

To gain weight, in our case muscle, you must create a net surplus of calories over time. This is where most guys go wrong. Many men simply do not eat enough for their body type to gain and maintain significant levels of muscle mass. A daily surplus of 250-500 calories is recommended for gaining good quality muscle (too much more than this and even ectomorphs run the risk of putting on fat).

There are several comprehensive formulas that you can use to calculate your calories to an exact number, such as the Harris-Benedict Equation, but for the sake of simplicity try using the equations below:

Calorie intake = Body weight in lbs x 15 + 500 (surplus)

So, for an average 150lb man, we get: 150 x 15 = 2,250 +500 = 2,750 calories

Macros:

Carbohydrate @ 55pc = 1512 (calories) / 4 = 378g

Protein @ 25pc = 687 (calories) / 4 = 172g

Fat @ 20pc = 550 (calories) / 9 = 61g

Now that we have the required numbers, the next challenge is to set about deciding how to go about consumption. Generally because I am an advocate of intermittent fasting I recommend eating 2-3 meals per day, but in the case of an ectomorph seeking extra muscular size it may be advantageous to spread meals out throughout the day to between 5-7 meals. Doing so should combat the naturally high metabolic rate of the ectomorph – although it can be viewed on more as an option than a necessity.

In terms of food choices, Ectomorphs should not grow to rely on their fast metabolisms to keep them lean indefinitely; wholesome food choices should still be sought out.

Good sources of protein include lean meats, eggs and whey protein supplements. Carbohydrates should be sourced from slow digesting foods such as quinoa, sweet potato, brown rice and oats. The exception to this will be around workout time, where faster digesting carbs will be advantageous because of their ability to fuel a workout and trigger an insulin spike. Good sources here would be fruits, honey or delivery carbs such as dextrose and waxy maize starch.

Good healthy fats are to be founds in foods such as cooking oils, avocados, nuts and omega supplements.

Ectomorphs often have trouble consuming such a high level of calories, so a good solution to this is to introduce liquid meals. For example, healthy smoothies can be made in cost efficient way from simple healthy ingredients like honey, milk, oats, whey protein, peanut butter & fruits.

Training

Traditional bulking advice advocates a five day split routine, training a different body part each day. But this is just not optimal for an ectomorph, who should focus on shorter, strength based workouts incorporating major compound lifts such as squats, deadlfts, presses & rows.

Many of my clients have experienced great results with the following strength training split:

Day 1: Push

4 x 6-8 – BB Military Press

4 x 6-8 – BB Bench Press

2 x 5 – DB Arnold Press

2 x 5 – DB Inc Bench Press

Day 2: Pull

4 x 6-8 – BB Bent Over Row

4 x 6-8 – BB Shrug

2 x Failure – Wide Grip Pull Ups (weighted)

2 x 5 – BB Upright Row

Day 3: Legs + Abs

4 x 6-8 – BB Squat

2 x 6-8 – Deadlift

3 x 8-10 Weighted Step Ups

Ab wheel Rollout to failure

This is just an example routine – I have also observed many people experience great results with more traditional strength training programs like the 5x5 strong lifts method. It is important to keep in mind that the main goal here is to stimulate muscle size as a by product of strength gain, as opposed to the higher rep, higher volume bodybuilding methods.

Progressive overload is the name of the game. Workouts must be tracked comprehensively. Each time the desired rep ranges are met, weights must be raised in the smallest available increment for the next workout.

Naturally ectomorphs do not possess a great deal of strength and this must be cultivated over time, meaning that a considerable preconditioning phase must be implemented in order to prepare the body for the demands of the workout above.

I recommend the following resistance machine based workout:

2 x 12 Leg Press

2 x 12 Chest Press

2 x 12 Lat Pull-Down

2 x 12 Shoulder Press

2 x 12 DB Shrug

Perform the above workout twice per week for 2-4 weeks before moving onto the free weight exercises.

Cardio

Many recommend that ectomorphs completely avoid cardio during any bulk up program. I agree that distance running or any kind of sustained, moderate / intense cardio would almost certainly be counter productive to a bulking phase – but I do still recommend that some cardio training takes place, as health should never be sacrificed for aesthetics.

With endurance based cardio out of the equation, two options remain. Firstly, low burn cardio such as walking and cycling is good for heart health and should not create a negative impact on the daily calorie burn. 30 minutes 2-3 times a week is optimal for good health.

Secondly, short bursts of high intensity cardio can help maintain decent fitness levels without working against the bulk up. Track sprints and Tabata drills are both great options

Rest

As mentioned earlier, ectomorphs have a higher natural tendency toward catabolism (burning muscle as fuel), which means that rest is an important consideration. The ectomorph simply will not get away with working out as frequently and holding onto significant muscle gains as someone with a bulkier body type.

Adequate sleep and leaving at least 24 hours between demanding workouts should be adhered to as basic guidelines.

                                     Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

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