Hardgainer Workout: 3 Simple Tips to Squash Lean Genes and Gain Muscle Mass

It is not uncommon for ectomorpic individuals, also known as “hard winners,” to feel frustrated and discouraged when they begin trying to build muscle and gain weight. Having an ectomorphic body type means that our body requires a completely different set of rules and techniques when exercising. The main reason for this is due to the fact that our muscles are much more sensitive to stress and tend to break down much more quickly, plus they take longer to heal.

For an ectomorphic workout to be effective, we must take into account the way our body and muscles function and handle different types of tension and intensity. The following are 3 quick and easy to remember tips to help you start gaining the muscle mass you are working so hard for.

Rest more Lift less

It is absolutely crucial that you spend more time outside of the gym resting and making up for that time in the gym by lifting weights. It has been shown in several studies that the body of an ectomorph responds better to training sessions that last no more than 1 hour, 3-5 times per week.

Compound exercises are key

This is another very important thing to keep in mind, as we only have about an hour to train, it is crucial that we hit as many muscle fibers as possible within specific muscle groups. Remember that the more muscle fibers you work, the better the results. Compound exercises are exercises that affect more than one muscle group at a time and therefore work most muscle fibers in less time. It is for this reason that you should stick with compound movement exercises like:

-Bench press

-Squats

-Clean and press

-Skull crushers

-Curl with bar

-Military press

-I ask

-Lifts

More time under tension = more muscle gains

With an ectomorphic body type, you need to focus on lifting at a pace that allows your muscles to be under tension for a longer period of time. Most people lift with a tempo of 2 seconds to lower 0 rests and then 1 second to push or pull the weight to the starting position. However, studies have shown that increasing time under tension, especially in the isometric phase, works more muscle fibers. So instead of a ratio of 1.0.2, increasing it to a ratio of 1.0.4 would generate a lot more muscle fibers, which means more muscle growth. Other methods that would help would be to include things like:

-Supersets

-Half repetitions

-Assisted representations