Ectomorphs are people that tend to have a naturally lean build, with narrow shoulders and a small waist and wrists. They’re usually tall with a low body fat percentage, and rapid metabolism that’s constantly burning calories.
Ectomorphs usually struggle to build muscle mass and gain weight in general no matter what they eat. So, if you’re an ectomorph, you probably ask yourself these questions: “Can Ectomorphs eat junk food?”, “Can Ectomorphs eat whatever they want?”
Although a diet consisting mainly of junk food will let you be in a calorie surplus which helps in gaining weight, over time it will contribute to a lack of vital nutrients and vitamins that prevent health issues.
If you’re struggling to gain weight or muscle mass as an Ectomorph and came to the conclusion that the only way to do it is by eating junk food, then you’re probably wrong.
Here are five ways you can gain weight and muscle mass even if you’re an Ectomorph:
Table of Contents
Break Those Mental Limits
Everything is connected to our brain. Even if you have the perfect diet or the perfect workout plan but you keep thinking that you’ll never gain weight or muscle mass, then it’s probably never going to happen and you’ll never see good results.
“My body is perfect the way it is and it’s going to become a lot better”. Constantly keep these positive words inside your head and I guarantee that you’ll instantly start seeing a change. Because stress is a huge factor when it comes to muscle growth potential.
Adapt You Diet
In order to see results, you’ll need to have a diet that’s well adapted to your Ectomorph body type. Due to your rapid metabolism that will constantly burn calories even during basic activities, you’ll need to always have a calorie surplus. And by that, I mean consuming 4000 to 4500 calories per day that’s not mainly consisted of junk food, but instead mostly of clean food. This way, your diet can also contribute to providing your body with the needed nutrients and vitamins.
Here is an article on the best diet plan for Ectomorphs.
Lift heavier weights During Workouts
And this is assuming you already work out which is the most important thing to do if you’re serious about gaining weight and more specifically, muscle mass. And the best advice I can give you that worked great for me is to not be shy of those big bad heavyweights. They are the key to a rapid increase in muscle growth. So, focus on slowly and persistently adding weight to your workouts week by week. The number of reps I recommend is doing 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps on each exercise. So, make sure to use the weight that will make you hit failure during your 8th rep.
Drink More Water
Did you know that almost 80% of muscles consist of just pure water? Constantly having a water bottle with you should be your top priority. Not only during your day but also during your workouts. Not only does this help your body and muscles stay hydrated, it can also aid in digestion, prevent constipation, normalize blood pressure, and will help you get a nice juicy muscle pump during your workouts.
Tip: Make sure to sip water instead of just chugging it in one go. It prevents you from being overloaded and can be more practical for the digestive system.
Eat Before and After Your Workouts
Eating before each workout (45 min to 1 hour before) will give your body enough energy to function to its fullest potential. It will also give you a nice pump which is essential in order to increase muscle mass.
And after your workout, your body and muscles will be craving for protein. In fact, eating right after a hard workout session will instantly make your body digest food and send those nutrients right to your torn-down muscles in order to heal them. So don’t let your hard work go to waste, and take advantage of that golden timeframe to give your muscles enough energy to be ready for another war in the gym.
You can also check out my Ectomorph weight gain guide for more useful information.
Don’t be fooled by the number of calories contained in junk food and blindly eat them to gain weight. It may help you to be in a calorie surplus, but you’ll constantly be lacking some of the most important nutrients and vitamins that your body needs in order to have a healthy lifestyle. Instead, follow the above weight gain tips and you’ll get the same results -if not faster- as just eating junk food.
So, can ectomorphs eat junk food? well, now you know the answer.
