Ectomorph with problems. :(

I've been thin, long limbed, and small-muscled since I was little. I'm a 5'8" 20 year old female, and I'm anywhere between 120-125 pounds. I can eat what I want whenever I want and not gain an ounce. If I miss just a meal or two, I lose weight.

Before I get any envious replies telling me I've got nothing to complain about, there's a downside. I have some problems which affect my Tae Kwon Do training.

I simply can't gain muscle mass. The other high ranks are mainly guys that have 60-100 pounds on me, so it really sucks to spar sometimes. I also have flat feet (I have to wear orthotics in class now), and a more recent come-and-go tendinitis issue with my knees. I've also got Marfan-like tendencies (unnatural joint flexibility and the like).

I guess I'm asking for help in the sense that I want to do what I can to prevent injuries with my specific body type in mind. My worst injuries have been joint related (I've sprained my ankles a few times and I tore my MCL almost a year ago). What can I do to get stronger and stay safe? Any tips related to anything (diet, training, attitude) would be appreciated!

 

Ok if you want to put on weight you are simply going to have to knuckle under and eat more than you burn every day. That's going to mean eating more than you are comfortable with. I used this calculator:

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

And the information you provided me with and assumed a level of exercise of 3 times per week. The calculator says you need 1888 calories per day to maintain your current weight. I would recommend taking in about 2500 calories per day, split between 5 meals. My advice to you is the same as anyone else. Make your meals about 500 calories each, and consume mostly lean protein and fruits and vegetables. You could probably use some carbs too if you want to put on weight.

Additionally, how the weight goes on is going to be dependent on what kind of activity you are doing. Taking Taekwondo may help you put it on as muscle, but I doubt it. If you really want to pack on some muscle, you'll want to start lifting hard. That means the big 3: deadlifts/squats, bench press, pullups, 5 sets, 5 reps. That should help you to achieve hypertrophy and put on weight.

 

What have you already done to try and increase muscle mass?

 

That would be a good question.

Another good question would be:

What is your diet like right now?

 

Thanks for the advice so far.

In the morning, I usually have a bowl of cereal or a bagel with cream cheese. Lunchtime is either at work or at school, and that's either a TV dinner, a big salad, or a sandwich with lots of cheese and meats. I usually have a cookie or something to go with it. Dinner can be just about anything... more than anything I guess I'm kind of a pasta freak. I eat a lot of mac 'n' cheese with hotdog in it, and I usually have a green vegetable with dinner. If I crave a snack during the day and I'm at home, I tend to eat canned fruit. Oh, and I drink a lot of G2 and lemonade.

On the subject of what I do to gain muscle mass, right now I really don't do much. Before I get into it again I wanna make sure I go the right way about doing it. In the past though, I'd have a schedule that involved a variety of pushups, situps, leg raises, and the use of free weights. The improvement I saw was minimal. I gained some tone, but not much else. Come to think of it I was probably taking in more calories then than I am now. :/

 

Sounds like you already know what you need to do, you just need a bit of a push and encouragement that you're doing the right thing. So to keep it simple:

1. Eat more. You're only eating three meals a day, try to make it four, five or even six if you can, and eat lots of calorie dense foods like cheese, nuts and healthy fats. Drinking whole milk is another good way to get extra calories if you're not feeling hungry. Plan ahead and prepare meals in tupperware containers if need be.

2. Train to get as strong as you can. You body will adapt by (amongst other things) putting on extra muscle to cope with the stress. There's tons of links to good routines here. A few rules of thumb: Use free weights. Do mostly (or even only) compound exercises. Don't try to do too many exercises in one session (I rarely do more than three). Leave at least a day's recovery between sessions. Aim to train 2-3 times a week.

 

Squat squat squat squat squat

Even if you won't gain much mass, your legs will get so much stronger its ridiculous.

 

Thanks for the advice, guys!

Is there any way I can get the extra calories without stuffing myself though?

 

Well, try to get your foods as calorie dense as you can. But avoid fastfood and processed crap if you hold your digestive system at any value at all.
Dairy products, chicken and fish are your friends.

(for the record, i'm a 6-foot, 145 pound beanstalk and if i stop eating everything which won't run away fast enough i drop to 135)

 

lol, I feel your pain. Thanks for the advice. With the tendinitis problem I may have to hold off on the squats for now. I've been doing better though; I'll try some soon and see how it goes.

Thanks Frodocious - the next time I go to the store I'm gonna look for stuff to spruce up my meals.

So far I've been getting peanut butter into some of my meals and I've started lifting again. I'll let you guys know how it goes!

 

If you are wanting to gain muscle mass......steak. Chickens, fish, Turkey, yeah. Of course. But you also want steak. A lot of it. Normally in the evening.

I agree with what was said above about avoiding processed food. It's pretty simple, the closer something is to nature, the slower (simple) carbs it is. Takes longer for the body to process it. That cereal you are eating...any way you could replace it with Steel/Irish Oats? Or regular oats? Most cold cereal is heavily processed (there are exceptions, of course) Also add 3-4 egg whites and about 3 whole eggs to your breakfast. An occasional fruit topping to the oatmeal is good also. That meal gives you: fiber, protein, natural fruit sugars (occasionally), and it's all slow carbs, so it will provide energy over a longer period of time. That's the kind of planning you have to have for a 'hard gainer' like yourself for each meal, 4-6 meals a day, like said above also.

Assuming you have normal kidney function: look at adding in some Whey protein shakes throughout the day and a Casein shake at night. That will support your muscle recovery during the day, and the Casein will prevent your body from breaking down your hard earned gains in muscle at night in order to feed itself.

Just a couple of different pointers for your diet there. Then your routine will need to be just as planned out.

 

Thanks you two!

Haha, this is gonna be weird for me. It's hard for me to go outside of my food comfort zone. You know, I don't think I've even had cottage cheese before.

And what's Casein?

 

Ohh, okay. Thanks!

I wonder if stuff like that is available in stores in my area. I'll have to look around.

 

Oh.

£11.98 is about 18 US dollars right? I found a converter calculator online, I just wanna make sure it's accurate... That way if I see something the next time at the store, I know I'm not getting ripped.

 

In the US I'd recommend www.bodybuilding.com for proteins..Although they do have the biggest selection I've seen and it can get a bit heavy to work out which is best...

They're cheap, quick and reliable, and the protein selection is amazing..

Try them.