2 Tips to Help Skinny Athletes Build Muscle Mass

Skinny athletes can build major muscle mass, although many times they are hard-gainers. If you are naturally skinny, you are technically an ectomorph.



Ectomorphs are slim or linear in shape. They often lack muscle tone and sometimes have postural problems of the vertebrae (scoliosis is an example). Therefore, weight training is very important just to begin building an athletic, muscular frame. Because of their high metabolisms, ectomorphs often have to eat more just to maintain weight.

Here are 2 tips to help you build muscle mass on a skinny frame:

1. Many times, skinny athletes don't eat enough to build muscle mass. Its not uncommon for skinny athletes to need up to 5000 calories a day to build muscle. Remember, you have to maintain a caloric surplus (eat more calories than you burn) to gain weight and build muscle. On the days you workout, you have to eat even more food.

Did you know you need to eat within 30-45 minutes to feed your muscles after a tough weight training workout? Do you know what you should eat before and after your workout?

Post-workout nutrition is important to help your body recover from intense weight training or speed work. Replenishing your body's fuel will optimize your tissue's repair and growth. And, it will help you recover and get ready for your next workout.

2. Skinny athletes also need to lift heavy weights to build muscle (full body lifting, 3 days a week). Using supersets are effective for skinny athletes. Lifting with high repetitions is not enough. Recovery time, for muscle repair and rebuilding, is also important for skinny athletes, such as 2 days rest between heavy weightlifting sessions.

Concentrate on compound strength exercises to build large muscle groups. Squats, deadlift, rows, pullups, bench press and barbell lunges are some examples.

Are you a skinny athlete? There's hope for you to build a strong, athletic body. This will make you a better player.

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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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