ectomorph?

[jolter604]

So taking my kid to the doctor and the doc says hey a fellow ectomorph.So I went on line and read up on it and now I am reading that ectomorphs need less sets,is this true.i do about 12 to 15 sets a muscle,on line it is saying 8 sets is more than enough for a ectomorph.I am using test right now but off test should i do less sets to see better gains?would I see better gains from less sets?any one else a ectomorph with some experience?

[Khazima]

I'm an 'ectomorph' and I respond best to high volume, so right off the bat I'd say bullshit. These categories of person are irrelevant because there is such a wide variance between each type, I've gone from ectomorph to what some would call mesomorph, so should I change my volume to suit that? No, I should keep doing what I did to get to 'mesomorph' status.

[Docd187123]

So taking my kid to the doctor and the doc says hey a fellow ectomorph.So I went on line and read up on it and now I am reading that ectomorphs need less sets,is this true.i do about 12 to 15 sets a muscle,on line it is saying 8 sets is more than enough for a ectomorph.I am using test right now but off test should i do less sets to see better gains?would I see better gains from less sets?any one else a ectomorph with some experience?

Don't be fooled into being out into a box or labelled with a useless label. Do what you need to do to get the results you're after. All that body type BS is just that BS. If you looked into the history of the guy who came up with the classifications you'd have a field day laughing your ass off. Bottom line if something isn't working, make changes until it starts to work. When it stops working make more changes. Don't just make a change bc an arbitrary labeling system tells you you need 8.38743 sets instead of 9.

[Buster Brown]

You need to find what works best did "you". This does cone with some trial and error and we all go through especially in the beginning.

[jolter604]

yeah i feel like my routine works for me i just wanted to know if i could get more.reading all that stuff they were saying about sets and reps had me like wtf.i have been at this for a while now and i will keep my workouts the same.

[Buster Brown]

yeah i feel like my routine works for me i just wanted to know if i could get more.reading all that stuff they were saying about sets and reps had me like wtf.i have been at this for a while now and i will keep my workouts the same.

You do need change in your program and that IS important. For gaining size you will want to keep your reps in the 6-8 range on your working sets. Some higher reps (8-10) for your accessory work and........Viola! Start off with one good high Rep warm up so you don't get hurt. Avoid an injury at all cost and do a proper warm up....try doing abs first.

[jolter604]

yeah i have been working my abs every other day on this cycle,i have to change up my program every week or i do not get as sore.i just read that ectomorphs only should do like 8 sets per muscle,i do like 10 to 14 so i thought i was over training.

[Buster Brown]

yeah i have been working my abs every other day on this cycle,i have to change up my program every week or i do not get as sore.i just read that ectomorphs only should do like 8 sets per muscle,i do like 10 to 14 so i thought i was over training.

I am an ecto/endo myself. Some of my back routines are 20 sets while others are 12-16. Small muscles get broken up so day 1 of triceps may be 10 sets and the other day may be 6-8. My back routine btw would cover lower back as well.

[Docd187123]

yeah i have been working my abs every other day on this cycle,i have to change up my program every week or i do not get as sore.i just read that ectomorphs only should do like 8 sets per muscle,i do like 10 to 14 so i thought i was over training.

Don't use soreness as an indicator of a good workout.

[Buster Brown]

Don't use soreness as an indicator of a good workout.

This is true in the sense that you need to give a routine 8-12 weeks before changing it up. Part of your soreness could just be lactic acid build up. Soreness does feel great, I will agree! By the end of a training cycle I may not get the soreness that I did in the beginning but because I track my sets, reps and weights used I have gotten stronger which is progress.

[Docd187123]

This is true in the sense that you need to give a routine 8-12 weeks before changing it up. Part of your soreness could just be lactic acid build up. Soreness does feel great, I will agree! By the end of a training cycle I may not get the soreness that I did in the beginning but because I track my sets, reps and weights used I have gotten stronger which is progress.

What I was trying to say, like you point out in the last sentence, you can get stronger and bigger and never experience soreness. It's not a pre-requisite for good training. It can hinder training if the soreness is bad enough to hamper your mobility and workouts. If I take a layoff from the gym I'm sore that first week or two back. After that I rarely if ever get sores but just like you I track my workouts so I know progress is being made.

[600@50]

Don't use soreness as an indicator of a good workout.

I have however found soreness as a good indicator of what muscles or part of a muscle are being worked by a specific movement. Particularly works well for isolation movements.

[Buster Brown]

What I was trying to say, like you point out in the last sentence, you can get stronger and bigger and never experience soreness. It's not a pre-requisite for good training. It can hinder training if the soreness is bad enough to hamper your mobility and workouts. If I take a layoff from the gym I'm sore that first week or two back. After that I rarely if ever get sores but just like you I track my workouts so I know progress is being made.

Yes, I agree. Being sore to the point you are crippled and it effects another workouts progress is not the goal. I think your numbers should be what gauges your progress and when you are at a point of diminished return, consider changing it up. I think OP is just having a hard time weeding through all the information that's out there that can get you pointed in a million different directions.

[Docd187123]

I have however found soreness as a good indicator of what muscles or part of a muscle are being worked by a specific movement. Particularly works well for isolation movements.

Of course, but just because a muscle or part of a muscle is worked by a specific movement, and because of this possibly sore, still does not mean you got a good workout in. Simply using the muscle enough to cause soreness is not enough to warrant an adaptation to training.

[kelkel]

Don't just make a change bc an arbitrary labeling system tells you you need 8.38743 sets instead of 9.

Yep. That would be like imitating a pro's routine because it worked for him.

Don't use soreness as an indicator of a good workout.

Exactly. You can get sore doing push-ups......

[600@50]

Of course, but just because a muscle or part of a muscle is worked by a specific movement, and because of this possibly sore, still does not mean you got a good workout in. Simply using the muscle enough to cause soreness is not enough to warrant an adaptation to training.

The point is to see what muscles or part of a muscle is worked by doing a specific movement. For instance by doing a tricep pushdown with a straight bar works what part of your tris verses a rope. Maybe a bad example but you should see the purpose. That way you can target what you need to bring up and what movement works that area for you. No mention was made as to soreness equaling a good workout. This statement was strictly about how to target areas you want to work.

[Docd187123]

The point is to see what muscles or part of a muscle is worked by doing a specific movement. For instance by doing a tricep pushdown with a straight bar works what part of your tris verses a rope. Maybe a bad example but you should see the purpose. That way you can target what you need to bring up and what movement works that area for you. No mention was made as to soreness equaling a good workout. This statement was strictly about how to target areas you want to work.

Then I misread your original post. My mistake.

[600@50]

No problem Doc. All is good.

[Buster Brown]

The point is to see what muscles or part of a muscle is worked by doing a specific movement. For instance by doing a tricep pushdown with a straight bar works what part of your tris verses a rope. Maybe a bad example but you should see the purpose. That way you can target what you need to bring up and what movement works that area for you. No mention was made as to soreness equaling a good workout. This statement was strictly about how to target areas you want to work.

I find that to be a useful gauge as to what is being targeted. For example I recently started doing cambered bar presses and I noticed they really hit deep in the pec/front delt area from the extra stretch.......perfect, just where I wanted it to hit.