I have always been an active person, being involved in martial arts ever since I was 8. In that sense, I have never been sedentary or out of shape. However, due to my ectomorphic somatotype, I am a naturally skinny and weak individual.
Putting on weight has always been an issue for me, and I have remained borderline underweight throughout most of my childhood and teenage years. But one day I finally decided to change that.
Click To Enlarge. I have remained borderline underweight throughout most of my childhood and teenage years. But one day I finally decided to change that.
How I Did It
My freshman year in college, I started visiting the gym in an attempt to add some mass to my pathetic frame. Like most novices, I didn't have a single clue as to what proper training was and would naively center my workouts on bicep isolation exercises. It never even dawned on me to train my lower body.
This lack of knowledge, combined with poor nutrition and terrible sleeping habits, greatly hindered my progress. Standing at 5'9," I went from 121 pounds to 126 pounds in the span of my entire freshman year. I was discouraged.
That summer, I decided to start from scratch and give bodybuilding another shot. I spent countless hours reading about nutrition, resting and proper training.
Armed with my newfound knowledge, I managed to get up to 136 pounds just by tweaking my diet (which was mostly a matter of eating A LOT more food than I used to) and doing bodyweight exercises. I was starting to feel hope again.
In late October 2010, now a sophomore in college, I decided to step back into the gym and really apply myself to the sport of bodybuilding. I attacked my workouts with consistency and unbridled intensity, and the results finally came. I stand today at 5'9", weighing in at about 152 pounds.
I have come to appreciate my ectomorphic somatotype, since it allows me to put on mass while staying shredded. My long-term goal is to weigh in at a lean 185 pounds, and I now know that I am capable of reaching any goal that I set for myself.
Click To Enlarge. I spent countless hours reading about nutrition, resting and proper training.
Supplements
People who are new to the sport of bodybuilding are often confused as to whether or not they should use supplements. First, it is important to realize that supplements are exactly what their name entails: supplements to an already sound diet. They aren't magical products that will make muscle appear out of nowhere.
If you have your nutrition down, then yes, supplements can give you that extra edge and help fill in small deficiencies (but they are by no means necessary. You do not need supplements to gain muscle).
I am currently on a 5-day split, but during my first 3 months of training I used a 3-day full body routine that revolves around squats. I highly recommend that any beginner go on this routine during their first months of training, especially if they are hard-gainers like me.
During the 3 months on this routine, I went from 136-to-150 pounds, and increased my bench from 90-to-145 pounds , my squat from 110-to-210 pounds, and my deadlift from 170-to-300 pounds.
The routine works as follows: every workout, complete 5 sets of 5 reps for each exercise. If you manage to do this, increase the weight on that lift by 5 pounds on the next workout. If you can't get all 5 reps on each set, stay at that weight until you do.
Wait 48 hours between each workout (for example I'd workout Monday/Wednesday/Friday).
Chinups: 3 sets to failure (this is an assistance exercise - don't add weight each week)
Alternate between workout A and workout B every time you go to the gym (so some weeks will be ABA and other weeks will be BAB). If you have a good diet and you get enough sleep, then this routine WILL work.
Don't worry about overtraining, your body will quickly get used to squatting 3 times a week. You should easily hit the 200-pound squat and 300-pound deadlift on this program, and I wouldn't switch to a 5-day split until you get that solid foundation. Trust me on this one, it works.
Suggestions For Others
If you are serious about transforming your physique and are willing to put in the effort, the results you will reap will be enormous.
Not only does bodybuilding allow you to develop your physique and increase your strength, it also teaches you what it means to be a disciplined, dedicated and determined individual in all aspects of life.
Your self-confidence will skyrocket and you will forge a strong sense of character. You will start enjoying successes beyond those achieved in the gym.
Along the way, you will most likely get made fun of for being a "health freak" by some people. You might even get called a narcissist or an obsessed individual. Ignore these comments and the people who make them. They are just trying to put you down because of their jealousy at being unable to change and improve their own lives.
Let them dwell in their self-denial. Stay focused, persevere in your training, and most importantly, be patient. In time the results will come. If you truly believe in yourself, your dreams will become realities.
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