It is possible to build muscle, but only with good carbohydrates and heavy lifting.

– ADJUSTMENT TIP:Deadlifts and other compound lifts are key to successful muscle building for an ectomorph.

Lean is good, but more muscle is better. However, extra hours of exercise in the gym may not give satisfactory results.

What’s going on?
Studies reveal that some people do not respond well to strength training. Successive tests performed on the group listed on page 20 indicated that there was no improvement in the regulation of myogenin, a gene vital to promoting muscle metabolism, of the worst “responders”, while other people subjected to the same training program experienced improved levels of up to 65 percent. This, however, should not disappoint you. Not everyone responds the same way to different training routines, and by adjusting training intensity, frequency, or volume, poor responders will see superior results.

Big mistakes you’re making
You are already skinny and using the treadmill would be pointless. Long, slow workouts will get you nowhere. Also, too many bicep curls and other isolation movements in your weight training offer only minimal results. You should focus more on compound movements like the bench press, deadlift, and squat, which work more muscles while providing a hormonal boost to build muscle. Isolation movements are still beneficial, although they should complement your main training. You should spend about 80 percent of your training working on your major muscle groups.

To do
Four sets of compound movements of approximately 8 to 12 repetitions. However, efficient muscle development does not require hours of exhausting gym. It’s a waste to exercise 5 days a week, as this only speeds up your metabolism too much, making it harder to build muscle. Try to do 3 quality sessions per week, keep your post-warm-up training period to a maximum of 45 minutes.

changing your diet
The good news is that you don’t need to be strict on carbs, as blood glucose spikes are what you’ll need for your muscles to absorb protein efficiently. Eat brown rice and other foods rich in complex proteins, maintaining at least 2 grams per kilogram of body weight. Compared to mesomorphs, ectomorphs must strictly follow adequate protein intake as exceeding the limit will increase their metabolism rate and slow muscle growth.

Additional food for thought
Proper nutrition proves to be equally important to smart training ectomorphs when it comes to building muscle tissue. More than endomorphs and mesomorphs, adequate intake of supplements is essential. Carbohydrate and protein shakes are most advantageous when taken before, during and after training sessions.

smart moves
Ectomorphs should treat the deadlift like their best friend. If you have long arms, this will be easy and will engage your whole body, so expect to pack on mass. However, while taller guys could still benefit a lot from squatting due to their build, it will be more difficult particularly when going below parallel due to their long limbs. If you are tall and have long arms, leg presses would be a good alternative.