Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below I have a hard time gaining muscle and getting stronger. I'm thin, but flabby. The thing is, I can gain weight, just not muscle. In general, people think of me as an ectomorph, but I don't really have abs, or that super lean, ripped appearance--does this mean I'm just a thin endomorph? Or an ecto-endomorph?
so what exactly is a hardgainer?
- Thread starter skinnyfat
- Start date
i have never been into this defining of body types.
to many just use it as an excuse "I cant gain wiegth, because im a hardgainer" what they forget is there only eating 2000 cals a day.
Just try to be the best you can be is my motto. I always complained and on occasion still do that i got shit genetics (okok, all the time
). But hey i did put on 30 pounds too so its all possible 
to many just use it as an excuse "I cant gain wiegth, because im a hardgainer" what they forget is there only eating 2000 cals a day.
Just try to be the best you can be is my motto. I always complained and on occasion still do that i got shit genetics (okok, all the time
). But hey i did put on 30 pounds too so its all possible riskybizz007
New member
I used to be a hardgainer... a prime Ectomorph... then i tried THE BEAST!! Yes the bottle w/ the vicious looking ape on it, and i became a 233 pound animal. 
j/k
Hardgainers just don't gain weight because of their high metabolism. In a way they are blessed w/ that high metabolism so they can cut up faster than the endomorph. I used to be an ectomorph and a hardgainer, then i learned about diet and training and kicked myself in the gym and w/ diet and made the results i was looking for. Jaap is right, it's all about diet. And you're never going to get where you want to be if your diet is not in check.
j/kHardgainers just don't gain weight because of their high metabolism. In a way they are blessed w/ that high metabolism so they can cut up faster than the endomorph. I used to be an ectomorph and a hardgainer, then i learned about diet and training and kicked myself in the gym and w/ diet and made the results i was looking for. Jaap is right, it's all about diet. And you're never going to get where you want to be if your diet is not in check.
Yeah, I know you have to eat more to gain weight, but I don't even know if that's what I should be doing. I am skinny, but I have this layer of flab--not a ton, but enough to obscure definition. I see this layer of fat, so I assume I should be cutting. I don't know if I am really an ectomorph-type. If I eat enough, I can gain weight, but it isn't all muscle.
Is it possible to be an ecto-endo? I mean I've heard of being an ecto-meso or endo-meso, but I wanna know why I'm skinny, weak, AND fat all at the same time, and what I can do to stop it. It's rediculous.
Is it possible to be an ecto-endo? I mean I've heard of being an ecto-meso or endo-meso, but I wanna know why I'm skinny, weak, AND fat all at the same time, and what I can do to stop it. It's rediculous.
riskybizz007
New member
bro are you new to lifting. It sounds like you are, or maybe the picture you are portraying of yourself is inacurate. You need to find yourself a good diet you can stick to. If you want to avoid fat, you have to regulate carb intake. Many times i don't or may not change protein intake, fat intake changes very slightly, but carbs is what i either increase or decrease according to my goals. If you are new to all of this you will make incredible gains your first 6 months, even by eating crappy. The muscle will come w/ time, dedication, and proper dieting. If you're worried about the fat, like i said lower your carb intake, and maybe 1 day a week have a cheat day. Other than that you can try running after you lift or running on empty stomach. Slowly start increasing intensity and duration of your cardio. Most important thing to do is listen to your body. You will see changes in your body, if you see too much fat gain then do diet modifications. That's what it's all about. You see when thing work for you and when they don't. And when they dont' you need to modify. Keep us posted.
peace for now
peace for now
Thanks, Risky Business. I gave you some karma.
Anyway, I've been training for a decent amount of time. When I first started, I was basically lifting only, and doing little cardio. I made some gains, but never was able to get big, strong, and ripped. Two years ago I started running, just for fun, and doing some intervals, and really started to like running, and have continued to lift while increasing my mileage. I guess my body just loves running--I get runner's high much more than I get a pump in the gym. Now, I am much more goal-oriented towards my running, but I would like to have that paper-skin look, which I think should be possible given my high cardio training, even though pure size may be difficult (the Bruce Lee look is what I want). My diet always has been low fat, though now I eat much less carbs and a lot of protein, and have had results, but haven't been ripped to shreds.
Anyway, I've been training for a decent amount of time. When I first started, I was basically lifting only, and doing little cardio. I made some gains, but never was able to get big, strong, and ripped. Two years ago I started running, just for fun, and doing some intervals, and really started to like running, and have continued to lift while increasing my mileage. I guess my body just loves running--I get runner's high much more than I get a pump in the gym. Now, I am much more goal-oriented towards my running, but I would like to have that paper-skin look, which I think should be possible given my high cardio training, even though pure size may be difficult (the Bruce Lee look is what I want). My diet always has been low fat, though now I eat much less carbs and a lot of protein, and have had results, but haven't been ripped to shreds.
My experience has been if I do too much cardio I lose a lot of muscular size and strength. I know they say this is a myth but for me it is a fact. You might want to try HIIT training as outlined in Bill Phillips Body For Life... DO some sprinting instead of all that long distance work. If you look at the typical marathoners physique it is almost devoid of muscle. Look at sprinters and you will quickly see the difference. Also lift with intensity, get plently of sleep, and eat clean (no processed crap). Put on the muscle first then cut up second, to put on the muscle you have to eat big! This will crank up your metabolism and make cutting up much easier.
Hope this helps
Hope this helps
Thanks, The Shit.
What confuses me is that I do a bit of intensity stuff. I run 10-12 x 400 once a week, run a dozen 200s once a week, do mile repeats, and all of my steady runs are on hilly trails with some pretty big climbs, so during certain portions of the run, I am working very hard. I know even my moderate mileage has probably eaten at whatever muscles I have, but I like running too much to stop. While I feel like a clown in the gym, I actually feel like I "belong" when I'm on a run, even though I'm by no means fast or anything.
Anyway, I put on 20 lbs, which is more than enough "bulking" for me. I ate pretty clean, but ate almost as much as I wanted, and lifted hard, but got fat.
What confuses me is that I do a bit of intensity stuff. I run 10-12 x 400 once a week, run a dozen 200s once a week, do mile repeats, and all of my steady runs are on hilly trails with some pretty big climbs, so during certain portions of the run, I am working very hard. I know even my moderate mileage has probably eaten at whatever muscles I have, but I like running too much to stop. While I feel like a clown in the gym, I actually feel like I "belong" when I'm on a run, even though I'm by no means fast or anything.
Anyway, I put on 20 lbs, which is more than enough "bulking" for me. I ate pretty clean, but ate almost as much as I wanted, and lifted hard, but got fat.
riskybizz007
New member
i think it comes from too much running. Somebody made the analogy b/w a runners body and a sprinters body. Very different. Runners are much more flabby and less muscular where sprinters are more musclular and a lot of them are pretty ripped. I think it's the running probobly eating at your muscles and leaving fat where it is. In essence your fat may not be being burned as much as muscle when you run.
i think riskybizz is right well more or less.
The running is making it hard for your body to build more muscle. Because to do this it needs a lot of cals and time and effort, if you run a lot your not giving it that chance your depriving it off cals and the time and effort it needs to build muscle. It spending those cals on recovering from the running.
Its also a consideration that to get that ripped look, i found that for me that wasnt attainable until i had build a significant amount of muscle mass. I was a skinny bastard before i got into bb, and was trying as hell to get those washboard abs. But i was just like you flabby but thin. Then when i got serious about eating and diet, i gained a lot of mass, and last summer i had my first ever set of washboards
The running is making it hard for your body to build more muscle. Because to do this it needs a lot of cals and time and effort, if you run a lot your not giving it that chance your depriving it off cals and the time and effort it needs to build muscle. It spending those cals on recovering from the running.
Its also a consideration that to get that ripped look, i found that for me that wasnt attainable until i had build a significant amount of muscle mass. I was a skinny bastard before i got into bb, and was trying as hell to get those washboard abs. But i was just like you flabby but thin. Then when i got serious about eating and diet, i gained a lot of mass, and last summer i had my first ever set of washboards
My End Over Mad her
New member
it's the diet more than likely
look at bruce lee he ran sooo damn much
and did soooo much martial arts it was crazy
and on top of that did weight training
and he was cut like fuck
i think you need to just change the diet up
look at bruce lee he ran sooo damn much
and did soooo much martial arts it was crazy
and on top of that did weight training
and he was cut like fuck
i think you need to just change the diet up
DanielBishop
New member
I think the classification system is kinda screwed up. We studied it at university.... didn't make too much sense to me.
Endomorphs are short and stocky, ectomorphs are tall and thin....
.... so what if you're short with short limbs, but also very slender? I never figured it out.
I'd say I'm ectomorphic, and I have a very difficult time gaining muscle.... but at the same time, I naturally carry a lot of bodyfat and find it very easy to put on. So the metabolism thing confuses me.... I get the worst of both worlds.
Stupid genetics. Thanks a lot, dad.
Endomorphs are short and stocky, ectomorphs are tall and thin....
.... so what if you're short with short limbs, but also very slender? I never figured it out.
I'd say I'm ectomorphic, and I have a very difficult time gaining muscle.... but at the same time, I naturally carry a lot of bodyfat and find it very easy to put on. So the metabolism thing confuses me.... I get the worst of both worlds.
Stupid genetics. Thanks a lot, dad.
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