Creating Bodybuilding Programs That Work

Q: I was wondering which of your books (if any) focuses the most on training for ectomorphs?

You requested that I send some back-ground information on your blog's contact page (but I am not sure it is necessary to my question since I know that I am an ecotomorph).

Sex: Male
Age: 35
Sleep: usually 8-10 hours daily

Eating: I have a tendency to forget to eat especially when I am extremely busy. My eating habits are not the best since I grew up with fried foods, large portions. But I do not eat nearly enough protein. Usually eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and have a tendency towards sugared things.

Exercise: Varies on and off. I am usually either all (too much) or very little. I hike sometimes, sometimes use the treadmill, stationary bicycle, and elliptical machine, and occasionally swim.

Weights: It has been a while since I have done these, so I cannot even tell you specific names of some of the exercises, sets, or reps. But I have a tendency to try to research lifting techniques and get lost/frustrated and lose interest after a while. I can supply more information if necessary about the actual exercises that I can recall.

Medical: have borderline blood pressure.

Thanks in advance,
Rohelio


My Answer: All bodybuilding books to some degree are for ectomorphs, because all bodybuilding books are about gaining muscle. Although all of my books are about muscle building, I would recommend that you purchase my first 2 books (The Articles and Neo-Classical Bodybuilding). 

When in doubt, always start at the beginning with the basics. These 2 books not only present you with a variety of workout programs, but they also explain how to create bodybuilding programs that work. Once you understand what makes a good workout program, then you're going to be a little bit more disciplined and consistent with your training.




   



Q: Hello. I just saw your blog, which I found very impressive. Very good articles that help people reach out their goals. I read the Hypertrophy routine, and I noticed you wrote that cycling reps within a week is much better than within 2 weeks. We should do like 15 reps on Monday, 10 reps on Wednesday and 8 reps on Friday.

My question is how do I progressively load? Isn't the mesocycle longer than it would normally be? I would really appreciate some help here. Thanks for the time.

Best regards,
Paulo


My Answer: Paulo, I'm not sure what's your question. In the Hypertrophy Training for Ectomorphs program, you pyramid the weight in one workout. I don't recommend periodizing the reps throughout the week in that program.

You can certainly create a program where you do 15 reps on Monday, 10 reps on Wednesday and 8 reps on Friday. Periodization of the repetitions throughout the course of a week is a great way to add variety in your workouts. Plus it maximizes your muscle growth, because you're hitting a variety of muscle fibers.

By the way, a mesocycle lasts several weeks to a few months. A microcycle lasts 1-4 weeks.

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