Weight gaining! Harder then it seems.

[Hoofy]

oceanview said:

Hoofy said:

As others have suggested, eat more.

You can prove them wrong if you don't believe them. Log everything you eat. Aim for 4000 calories a day, eat any old st you want. You will get fat but you'll also build muscle. I used to be ectomorph but somehow I've defied science and become mesomorph. If I get too busy to train, I might attempt to defy science and become endomorph.

You can't change your basic frame structure! By that I mean your natural frame/ bone structure. Sure an ectomorph frame can add muscle but they'll always have a light, narrow bone structure the same as a true endomorph will have a naturally more stocky, rounded build with wide shoulders and hips (heavy bone structure).

Most people tend to have mixture of body types- myself I am an "Ecto/meso". I have a very light bone structure with narrow wrists/ankles but I am able to build muscle quite well particularly chest and shoulders but I've still got the light frame underneath it!

I was under the impression that your somatotype wasn't so much about bone structure but about the fleshy stuff and what happened when you ate food.

[MurderousCrow]

Hoofy said:

oceanview said:

Hoofy said:

As others have suggested, eat more.

You can prove them wrong if you don't believe them. Log everything you eat. Aim for 4000 calories a day, eat any old st you want. You will get fat but you'll also build muscle. I used to be ectomorph but somehow I've defied science and become mesomorph. If I get too busy to train, I might attempt to defy science and become endomorph.

You can't change your basic frame structure! By that I mean your natural frame/ bone structure. Sure an ectomorph frame can add muscle but they'll always have a light, narrow bone structure the same as a true endomorph will have a naturally more stocky, rounded build with wide shoulders and hips (heavy bone structure).

Most people tend to have mixture of body types- myself I am an "Ecto/meso". I have a very light bone structure with narrow wrists/ankles but I am able to build muscle quite well particularly chest and shoulders but I've still got the light frame underneath it!

I was under the impression that your somatotype wasn't so much about bone structure but about the fleshy stuff and what happened when you ate food.

The whole idea of somatotyping over-complicates the issue at basic levels in any sport / physical activity. Further it's got shaky origins as a scientific theory. Look and see the dominant personalities in almost any given sport and you'll see huge variation in body 'type'. Elite footballers - Diego Maradona v Peter Crouch? Or elite climbers - Ramon Julian 159cm, 48kg v Chris Sharma 184cm, 75kg? It's not to say skilled analysis of segment lengths, current body composition etc. are not useful in athlete development, but these principles are not necessarily overriding. Even those coaches and sports scientists still using somatotyping agree that everyone's body type is some combination of the classic endo/meso/ecto stereotypes. The idea of somatotyping introduces an irrelevant set of expectations. Train - get big - put on muscle - be stronger - look better.

[didelydoo]

MurderousCrow said:

Train - get big - put on muscle - be stronger - look better.

/end thread

[WarnieV6GT]

oceanview said:

Do you regularly change your workouts? The body can get used to a routine quite quickly so its best to keep mixing it up to keep those muscles guessing.

Edited by oceanview on Saturday 27th June 18:44

Love to know how you keep a muscle guessing?

[Hoofy]

MurderousCrow said:

Hoofy said:

oceanview said:

Hoofy said:

As others have suggested, eat more.

You can prove them wrong if you don't believe them. Log everything you eat. Aim for 4000 calories a day, eat any old st you want. You will get fat but you'll also build muscle. I used to be ectomorph but somehow I've defied science and become mesomorph. If I get too busy to train, I might attempt to defy science and become endomorph.

You can't change your basic frame structure! By that I mean your natural frame/ bone structure. Sure an ectomorph frame can add muscle but they'll always have a light, narrow bone structure the same as a true endomorph will have a naturally more stocky, rounded build with wide shoulders and hips (heavy bone structure).

Most people tend to have mixture of body types- myself I am an "Ecto/meso". I have a very light bone structure with narrow wrists/ankles but I am able to build muscle quite well particularly chest and shoulders but I've still got the light frame underneath it!

I was under the impression that your somatotype wasn't so much about bone structure but about the fleshy stuff and what happened when you ate food.

The whole idea of somatotyping over-complicates the issue at basic levels in any sport / physical activity. Further it's got shaky origins as a scientific theory. Look and see the dominant personalities in almost any given sport and you'll see huge variation in body 'type'. Elite footballers - Diego Maradona v Peter Crouch? Or elite climbers - Ramon Julian 159cm, 48kg v Chris Sharma 184cm, 75kg? It's not to say skilled analysis of segment lengths, current body composition etc. are not useful in athlete development, but these principles are not necessarily overriding. Even those coaches and sports scientists still using somatotyping agree that everyone's body type is some combination of the classic endo/meso/ecto stereotypes. The idea of somatotyping introduces an irrelevant set of expectations. Train - get big - put on muscle - be stronger - look better.

Watch TV - eat a lot - get fat. I cba with somatotypes any more.

[didelydoo]

WarnieV6GT said:

Love to know how you keep a muscle guessing?

Contract, relax, contract, relax, contract, relax, contract, relax, relax, contract. Muscle didn't see it coming.

[couzens]

Murderouscrow I think I'll purchase this book. It sounds as if it'll help sort my understanding of it all out.

My training generally consists of:

Chest - Bench press 8-10 reps x 3 sets
Incline or decline dumbbell press 8-10 reps x 3 sets
Generally finish with flys either dumbbell or on the cables

Back - Seated rows 10 reps x 3 sets or I do 4 reps at a higher weight, 6 at 5kg less 8 at 5kg less and then 10 at my standard weight.
Single arm pull downs 10 reps each arm x 3 sets.
Finish normally with t bar rows or dumbbell rows again 10 reps x 3 sets.

Arms - 3 sets of 21s on the easy bar with about 30 secs to a minute rest in between sets.
Incline dumbbell curls 10 reps each arm x 3 sets.
Reverse barbell curls 10 reps x 2 sets as I find them painful haha.
Normally finish with a drop set of lower pulls curls. Maximum of 12 reps on each weight.
Triceps - Push downs 10 reps x 3 sets
Lying triceps extensions 8 - 10 reps x 3 sets normally super settled with tricep dips.
Tricep kick backs or overhead extensions 10 reps x 3 sets.
Normally finish up with a drop set of pull downs, again maximum of 12 reps per weight.

Shoulders - Arnold press 8-10 x 3 or standing military press again 8-10 x 3.
Dumbbell lat raises 10 x 3
Alternate front arm raises 10 x 3
Finish with bent over lat raises, cable cross overs or barbell shrugs 10 x 3

Legs - Squats 8-10 x 3. I don't deadlift as my technique is terrible and it usually goes to st. I really need to try again.
Leg extensions 10 x 3
Seated leg curls 10 x 3
Standing calf raises 10 x 3 holding the last rep on each set for 30secs.
Generally finish with some dumbbell lunges.

[TurboHatchback]

couzens said:

Murderouscrow I think I'll purchase this book. It sounds as if it'll help sort my understanding of it all out.

My training generally consists of:

Chest - Bench press 8-10 reps x 3 sets
Incline or decline dumbbell press 8-10 reps x 3 sets
Generally finish with flys either dumbbell or on the cables

Back - Seated rows 10 reps x 3 sets or I do 4 reps at a higher weight, 6 at 5kg less 8 at 5kg less and then 10 at my standard weight.
Single arm pull downs 10 reps each arm x 3 sets.
Finish normally with t bar rows or dumbbell rows again 10 reps x 3 sets.

Arms - 3 sets of 21s on the easy bar with about 30 secs to a minute rest in between sets.
Incline dumbbell curls 10 reps each arm x 3 sets.
Reverse barbell curls 10 reps x 2 sets as I find them painful haha.
Normally finish with a drop set of lower pulls curls. Maximum of 12 reps on each weight.
Triceps - Push downs 10 reps x 3 sets
Lying triceps extensions 8 - 10 reps x 3 sets normally super settled with tricep dips.
Tricep kick backs or overhead extensions 10 reps x 3 sets.
Normally finish up with a drop set of pull downs, again maximum of 12 reps per weight.

Shoulders - Arnold press 8-10 x 3 or standing military press again 8-10 x 3.
Dumbbell lat raises 10 x 3
Alternate front arm raises 10 x 3
Finish with bent over lat raises, cable cross overs or barbell shrugs 10 x 3

Legs - Squats 8-10 x 3. I don't deadlift as my technique is terrible and it usually goes to st. I really need to try again.
Leg extensions 10 x 3
Seated leg curls 10 x 3
Standing calf raises 10 x 3 holding the last rep on each set for 30secs.
Generally finish with some dumbbell lunges.

I'm no expert but to me that seems like a lot of isolation work and high reps for what you want (gaining basic size and strength). Personally I would concentrate solely on heavy compound lifts for a while, i.e:

• Deadlifts
• Squats
• Barbell/T-Bar rows
• Flat bench press
• Standing overhead press (military press)
• Pullups (weighted when possible)
• Dips (weighted when possible)

They'll build that foundation of size and strength much better than all the bicep curls in the world. I would be going heavy for all of them (after warmup sets) so you reach failure around the 5-6 rep mark or even less for squats and deadlifts.

Are all your sets currently done to failure?

[couzens]

Pretty much yeah. I've been dropping the weight to finish the set in some cases also. Not sure if that's helpful or not

[crxdave]

TurboHatchback said:

I'm no expert but to me that seems like a lot of isolation work and high reps for what you want (gaining basic size and strength). Personally I would concentrate solely on heavy compound lifts for a while, i.e:

• Deadlifts
• Squats
• Barbell/T-Bar rows
• Flat bench press
• Standing overhead press (military press)
• Pullups (weighted when possible)
• Dips (weighted when possible)

They'll build that foundation of size and strength much better than all the bicep curls in the world. I would be going heavy for all of them (after warmup sets) so you reach failure around the 5-6 rep mark or even less for squats and deadlifts.

Are all your sets currently done to failure?

+1. I'd remove all the faff from your workout, look at a programme like Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5 - heavy compound lifts are key. Eat lots more, putting on some fat may be a by-product of this, but it should be fairly easy to lose this once you're up to the size you want. Although, a programme with big compound lifts (done properly) should boost your metabolism to a point where you can eat a lot without worrying about gaining too much fat.

FWIW, I'm a bit heavier than you, but if I ate your diet alongside working out, I'd probably waste away...

[chris watton]

crxdave said:

TurboHatchback said:

I'm no expert but to me that seems like a lot of isolation work and high reps for what you want (gaining basic size and strength). Personally I would concentrate solely on heavy compound lifts for a while, i.e:

• Deadlifts
• Squats
• Barbell/T-Bar rows
• Flat bench press
• Standing overhead press (military press)
• Pullups (weighted when possible)
• Dips (weighted when possible)

They'll build that foundation of size and strength much better than all the bicep curls in the world. I would be going heavy for all of them (after warmup sets) so you reach failure around the 5-6 rep mark or even less for squats and deadlifts.

Are all your sets currently done to failure?

+1. I'd remove all the faff from your workout, look at a programme like Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5 - heavy compound lifts are key. Eat lots more, putting on some fat may be a by-product of this, but it should be fairly easy to lose this once you're up to the size you want. Although, a programme with big compound lifts (done properly) should boost your metabolism to a point where you can eat a lot without worrying about gaining too much fat.

FWIW, I'm a bit heavier than you, but if I ate your diet alongside working out, I'd probably waste away...

+2
All of those above are important, the rest are garnish by comparison. The heavy compounds will make you big everywhere, which is what you want - the isolations, for the most part are for people who are already big and want to address muscle imbalances.

Deadlifts are as important as Squats and Bench Press too, so do not skip those.