Thread: ectomorph

I usually try to stay around 8-10 reps. You want lower reps for sure when bulking. This is what worked for me for sure. I put on right around 30lbs in 3 months with this method. Make sure you do lots of dips, wide grip pull ups, squats, and deadlifts. Get all these in your workout and you will get massive gains for sure. Also try to use as many free weights as you can.

I can go in much more detail if necessary. This is one category where I know exactly what to do. I can even help layout a diet plan if necessary and give you a pretty close range where your calories and protein will need to be. I leave in 3 minutes but I can check back tomorrow with any of your other questions. Eat, lift very heavy, and eat again, then eat again...

yeah just a rough workout for bulking would be great with sets and reps etc if you can spare the time. So you say 8-10 is the best range for you?

I went from 165 to 195. I always change my workouts up. I eat 6 meals per day. I'd Do sets 5 sets of 5 on your Main exercises ( Bench, squats, Dead Lift) Make it hard to get those last two reps in, Push it. Pull ups, Dips are a must in my opinion. Add weight if you can. I do 4 Sets of 8-10 on the secondary movements, like incline press, and upright rows.

Originally Posted by beginnerbb

yeah just a rough workout for bulking would be great with sets and reps etc if you can spare the time. So you say 8-10 is the best range for you?

8-10 reps MAX on the main heavy exercises. A lot of the times I would average 6-8 reps in the beginning sets and much lower toward the last set. I would not do any more reps than 8-10. You want to lift very heavy and usually on my very last set of each workout I would fail but make sure you have a spotter. Basically I always push my very last rep to failure. Also as I said above make sure you do dips, wide grip pull ups, squats, and deadlifts. All free weights if you can. Do as as little cardio as possible if you want to bulk up.

For the diet. Start by adding up your calories per day. Also what do you weigh? What is your height? What is your age? What is your goal weight? What activities do you do per day? Athletic? The more athletic you are and the more activities you do per day, the more calories you will need. I work at an office so I am sitting on my butt all day and I still needed this to gain weight:

Working in an office
4,000-5,000 calories per day.
6-7 meals per day or whatever fits into your routine
300-350 grams protein
Lots of water

If you are really active you will need more calories than that. After you add up your calories add at least another 1,000-2,000 to that to start out with and increase that after a couple weeks until you are eventually around 4,000-5,000 calories. This is what worked for me and it worked very well as I said in my previous post. I was 141lbs now I am 180lbs. Make sure you eat lots of chicken, steak, fish, everything loaded with protein at each meal. Try to eat as many good calories as possible and avoid junk food like chips. Also make sure you drink lots of water. Drink protein shakes as a substitute anywhere you cant get in enough protein. 2 scoops is usually good for at leas 50 grams of protein.

If you have any more questions let me know. I can even list the bulk up diet I used if necessary to give you a start. But make sure you answer the questions in this thread first.

Body type doesn't necessarily matter, as everyone is built differently genetically. Gains will come after trial and error.

Theoretically, any rep range can build mass. It all depends on diet, rest, genes, etc. I tend to put on more muscle in the 3 x 10 area, for instance.

Best to mix up your rep ranges. Don't let someone sell you on "this lift at this rep range, all the time". You should periodize, meaning regularly (but not TOO frequently) change ANY OR ALL training variables. Even the slightest changes in grip and stance make a world of difference.

I just tried sumo deadlifts for the first time 2 weeks ago and I will never be the same. All that is a deadlift with a wide stance and narrow grip, but it feels like a world of difference.

i have trained in rep range 5-8 for the last couple of months, ive just had a week and a half break as i'd gone months without a week off but i think i hit a bit of a wall with 5-8. do you think its worth trying 8-12 for a few weeks/months? The only reason i ask about bodytype is because i know they have different %'s of the different muscle fibres.

Originally Posted by beginnerbb

i have trained in rep range 5-8 for the last couple of months, ive just had a week and a half break as i'd gone months without a week off but i think i hit a bit of a wall with 5-8. do you think its worth trying 8-12 for a few weeks/months? The only reason i ask about bodytype is because i know they have different %'s of the different muscle fibres.

It never hurts to change up your workout a little bit once in a while. As an example: I usually go a couple weeks chest then triceps on chest/ tricep day. Then for 1 week switch it up and actually do triceps then chest. It is indeed backwards and yes that will mean you will probably have to lower your weight for chest but its not all about the weight. A good solid pump or workout is what means the most to me. Dont let lowering weight get you down. I have noticed where you place your grip makes a huge difference too. Wide grip compared to narrow grip by just a couple inches will work a totally different muscle group more than the other. Wide grip bench works the chest, narrow grip bench works more of the triceps. Just mix it up once in a while and see how it works out. Try different things, different routines, different sets, reps, or even try new workout movements. You dont want to run the exact same routine every single time week after week after week. That would bore me to death.

Phineas got me started on a periodized program over the winter and I put on about 30 lbs in 3 months. Quite a bit was muscle too. I was on Mdrol for 6 weeks of it too of course, but it still worked. May want to look into that.