While many of us struggle with losing weight, those with an ectomorph body type may find it virtually impossible putting on the pounds no matter how hard they try. They may be envied by the overweight population, but not everyone with the ectomorph body type wants to stay that way. Fortunately, an ectomorph can gain weight by combining a suitable exercise and eating plan.



Ectomorphs are characterized by their thin or fragile appearance with delicate bone structure and little muscle definition. Without much body fat they can be more susceptible to certain health problems. Sporty ectomorphs however, are able excel at endurance activities such as long distance running and cycling.

If you have the classic ectomorph body shape and want to gain weight, the healthiest way of doing this is to focus on shifting your body type towards the mesomorphic shape. Mesomorphs tend to be more athletic and muscular in appearance and are generally considered to have the healthiest body type. Therefore, to gain weight you should concentrate on developing your muscle definition through an exercise and eating plan.

Exercising might not seem the most obvious way of gaining weight since it's normally associated with losing it. To avoid this happening, you'll need to keep cardiovascular type exercises to a minimum. This includes limiting activities like running, dancing and swimming, which raise your heartbeat making you burn off calories as a faster rate.

Instead, concentrate on resistance training by doing repetitive exercises such as lifting weights and press-ups. These will help you build muscle mass and gain weight at the same time. And developing your muscle tone will help you achieve a healthier and fitter looking body shape, while increasing your metabolic rate and providing you with more energy. Further benefits of resistance training are stronger bones, giving you a reduced risk of developing osteoporosis as well as lowering your blood pressure and resting heart rate.

If you're unsure about which type of exercises you should do, a fitness gym is the perfect place to start. Along with having a wide variety of resistance training equipment, a gym instructor can help you develop an exercise and diet plan while showing you the most useful training exercises for developing specific muscle groups. They will also record your weight, body fat and muscle mass so you can track your progress while training.

The other important step towards gaining weight is of course, eating more calories. It may seem obvious, but rather than simply gorging on fatty, unhealthy foods, you need to eat food which will help you effectively build and maintain new muscle growth.

Your diet should include a balance of 40 percent protein, 40 percent carbohydrate and 20 percent fat. Protein is vital for building muscle mass while carbohydrate will provide you with the energy you'll need to do your resistance training. You need to include enough fat in your diet to ensure you produce sufficient testosterone, an important hormone for muscle growth.

Eating small but frequent meals with a low GI value throughout the day will help keep your blood sugar stable while providing you with a slow and steady release of energy. Foods such as peanut butter, lean steak, fish oils and lots of fruit and vegetables are all highly recommended. Because protein is very filling, you might find it difficult consuming enough calories in one meal. Drinking high protein meal replacement drinks can help as they're packed with vitamins, minerals and are calorie rich so should prevent you losing weight.

Gaining weight when you have an ectomorph body type can be difficult. However, by focusing on resistance exercises and eating a diet rich in protein and carbohydrates you can gain weight while achieving a fitter and more defined body shape. As well as feeling more energetic, you’ll benefit from reduced health risks. It will take time and dedication and you may have to work harder at maintaining your new shape, but the benefits will be well worth the effort.