You Got to Have Faith

"I found your workout plan for ectomorphs on Bodybuilding.com a few months ago (Hypertrophy Training for the Ectomorph- The 10-8-6-15 Program), and it has really worked wonders for me. I am not sure that I am a complete Ecto, but I am 6'4" and have always been somewhat of a hard gainer.

 "After a few months following the plan in the article, I have seen tremendous results. My question for you is whether or not I should switch up the workout every 12 or so weeks, or should I just stick with the plan as it is? I am sure you are quite busy, but I was hoping that you might have the time for some feedback.

 "I also just wanted to thank you for the helpful program. When I first found the article, I was a bit skeptical, and it took something of a leap of faith to switch from my 5-6 day a week super intense workout regimen, to the program you suggested. I am glad that I did. Also, the 3 day a week workout cycle is a lot more practical for my life schedule. Well, thanks a lot."

 Sincerely,
Mike B.


My Answer: I'm glad you took a leap of faith, Mike. When I wrote the Hypertrophy Training for Ectomorph article, I knew I was addressing a major need among bodybuilding enthusiasts, but even I was surprised at the reader response to the article. Of all my articles, this one is the most popular. It just goes to show you that all things being equal, the best program is often the simplest.

To answer your question, stick with the program for as long as you are making progress. Twelve weeks, however, is a very long time, so do switch to a different program at the end of that time period.

Comments

619 said…
I try to limit myself to an hour in the gym each work out, but I don't think that with this program I could. Do you think that doing say the squats and then another exercise while I rest that body part would be bad. That way I could ensure that I finish in an hour. Also, would cardio be bad during the off days? Thanks for sharing your ideas.
March 30, 2009 at 9:24 PM
J said…
If you need to do cardio, then in between workouts is fine. If you're focusing on size gains, however, then cardio will hamper your size gains somewhat.

As far as fitting the program within an hour, staggering the sets would fine. So doing a set of squats, resting for 90 seconds, then doing a set of laterals, rest for 90 seconds, back to squats, and so on and so forth.
March 31, 2009 at 6:01 AM
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