Weight Gain Workout for Ectomorphs
Post to lurking ectomorphs:
I got to thinkin the other day that probably there are a few thin guys on the list that could use a new slant in there training. I recall back in my humble beginnings standing a couple inches over 6 foot and weighing a little more than a buck and a half. I've been told not to stand sideways lest I blend in with the natural resources.
Man! I wanted muscles.....big muscles.....I was doing routines that the local kids were doing, you know the usual 3x5 benches and 3x5 bb curls etc..always using the same weight. Well a few months go by and I'm now 3 pounds bigger. Whoa look out!
To make a long (and probably boring) story short I revamped my whole mental outlook and workout routine to the philosophy of BIG!! I would eat BIG, lift BIG and get BIG. Regular diet and strict reps with low weight just wasn't in the plans any more.
I found out that with a little body mechanics I could move more weight. If I got 6 reps out with 135 lbs. on the bench with a little arch I could do 2-3 more. I started to put together pyramid sets on all exercise 12, 10, 8, 6, 4. By doing the first half of the reps strict then loosening the form to get the last half out I could use more weight then ever. Yea sometimes that last rep I would look like I was impersonating that bridge in Brookline but Hey! Darn it! I was going to get those reps with that weight! Now this goes quite contrary to the normal opinions on lifting weights but we're not normal we're skinny! Later on I see some guy named Joe Weider ( anybody ever heard of him?) incorporates this training as a new principal and calls it the "cheating principal".
Ahh yes...ecotmorphs unite! No longer must we envy the meso's strength and build. We can get there also with this new "principal". I'm not talking about doing your first rep of a barbell curl with the intention of doing reverse grip cleans. Get the first 4 reps out strict small swing on the next 2 and whatever to get out the last 2.
Don't worry you'll be hearing everyone coming by telling you how much your going to be hurting yourself, the best way to train is with a strict style blah, blah blah...... forget it, your young, your warmed-up psyched and focused. Control the "cheating" and it will help develop your tendon and ligament strength to support the heavier weight. Do the basic exercises in pyramid form and eat to keep the metamorphosis going. I posted my earlier diet before, but it basically came down to 2 gallons of milk a day and a dozen eggs plus the other meals with the family.
Got the ideas guys? Go do it........!
Guy
To which Dave responded:
And then there are the cowboys who ride the weights like they were busting broncos. No pirouettes, no prancing, no pussy-footing around. After all, we're lifting weights here. This is not nuclear science. Hit the gym floor and slam the stuff around. Guy, you're onto something: aggression direction, the primitive principle, injury before form for rapid learning.
Just a wild guess - - bet you don't wear HotSkins.
Keep it alive,
The Bomber
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You can ask your questions of Guy and the gang in the forum here
Here's a 8-week program from Guy, too
Dave's book Brother Iron will help you with your training—here's an excerpt