Benefit is they gain weight easier and their skeleton, perhaps, may be able to carry more muscle given it's anthropometric measurements than someone with a narrow frame.
Member
Are there benefits for "easygainers" ?
Hey Jordan,
Is there any correlation between being someone that gains fat easily and muscle gain?
Or, in general, are there actual benefits for endomorphs? I know no one likes that term anymore but stay with me.
I started SS in September while moderatly cutting, no prior experience with the big lifts except a year spent curling in my gym's squat rack.
I never bulked in my life but things are going ok so in a few months I want to grow, I have a gym at home and I flexibly work from home: the perfect environment.
But there's a problem, I pack fat quite easily.
I've been consciously controlling my appetite since I was twelve, I'm the guy that looks at a cake and gets fat.
Plus I've been gifted with a big appetite. Dad is the same, granma too.
So I was wondering, since no one likes the term endomorph, if there are resources, tips and suggestions you might have for people that pack fat easily and have a big appetite. The ones that describe bulking as "normal eating".
I'm asking since I see advice for "skinny guys that can't gain weight no matter what" everywhere but little information for people like me.
I've see a post by Andy in the archives where he wrote "It has also been my observation that the natural fatties tend to have much larger appetites to go along with a seemingly lethargic metabolism." and "To get very fat all I had to do was "eat normal" and not do cardio. Normal foods and normal sized portions makes me abnormally fat. ".
That quote gave a tremendous amount of hope, and made me looking even deeper.
As a bonus question I'd like to know if there's is some non anecdotal, scientific evidence describing the easygainer body type (and the set-point theory).
Thanks
STATS
MALE, 27
PHOTO: Image View - TIS
Height: 6 feet (184 cm)
Weight: 174 lbs (79 kg)
Bench: 121 lbs (55 kg)
Press: 77 lbs (35 kg)
Squat: 121 lbs (55 kg)
Deadlift: 154 lbs (70 kg)
✓ Member
Benefit is they gain weight easier and their skeleton, perhaps, may be able to carry more muscle given it's anthropometric measurements than someone with a narrow frame.
Member
While we're on this topic, Jordan, Let me ask this: Would easygainers, such as the OP, benefit from increased muscle mass and strength in the metabolic long-term to help stave off fat provided they keep their gains from their LP progression?
Member
I can relate to a lot of this. A lot. Big appetite, slower metabolism. I wish I had known about SS when I was 21 (42 now). I wish someone had pulled me aside and said, "just get strong and here's how you do it."
Here's the deal. You just need to train, hard, for a long length of time. Not 90 days, not 6 months, but 5 years. Tighten up your nutrition, eat your protein and put in the work over time. Get your squat past 405, your bench over 300, your press over 200, and your deads over 500. You'll be fine if you do this. You'll also figure out that as you get a lot stronger, you can eat a lot more than you can as an un-muscled newbie. It takes time. A lot. And hard work. A lot.
Member
Thanks for the reply.
Do you know any scientific studies about this subject?
I'm interested in learning more about two things, basically:
1) What's physically and physiologically going on at both ends of the spectrum: skinny kids with no appetite and people that gain fat easily and are cursed with a big appetite.
2) if there's a link between the ability to gain weight easier and muscle potential. How that translates to muscle, I mean.
Member
Wow, I had the exact stats as you when I started SS 4 months ago. My lifts were a bit better to start since I trained for a couple years before SS, mostly cutting followed by lean mass phases which didnt do a whole lot for me.
I started working out almost 2 years ago at 6', 27 years old, and weighting 195 and looked very similar to your photos. Never touched a barbell before that and all my lifts sucked. I spent the first 6 months cutting down to 150 based on advice from another program. I had faint abs, but overall looked terrible. I even had people think I was recovering from chemo. The following year I went on a lean mass phase, got up to 170lbs then cut back down to 160 then lean mass again to 175. At the end of that my lifts still sucked. I still looked terrible and I was extremely frustrated and thinking I had medical problem that were undiagnosed since my progress was not near what it should be.
About that time I said fuck it. I'm going to see a SS coach. I started the program. I started eating normally. By that I mean what you said; healthy food, normal portions, and are when I was hungry. In those 4 months I went from 175lbs to 207lbs. My lifts have been PRs pretty much every workout. I weigh almost 20lbs more than when I started 2 years ago and am obviously a lot more muscular. I still have a belly, but my pants are a size lower than when I was 190lbs when I started.
I continue to eat "normally" and I continue to gain 1-2lbs a week. What's interesting is I keep getting bigger, but I don't look fatter. Your body just grows all over, and a lot of it is muscle so it's not all going to your belly and love handles.
You notice a lot of changes. Your pants and underwear will fit a lot tighter around your quads, you'll start noticing you actually have rock hard muscle on your pecs, and you can flex them. Your arms get bigger and your shirt sleeves fit a little tighter.
So here's my recommendation. Do the program. Go all in. If you gain easily like me, just eat the way you normally do. Make sure to get in a lot of protein and healthy foods though. Don't worry about getting fat. Just focus on increasing the weights every workout. That's all that matters right now. If you're like me you need to change what motivates you from having a good body composition to just getting stronger. All I care about right now is that my lifts go up -- the rest doesn't matter yet, I'm too weak to have a good body if I cut, I need to get a lot stronger first.
Here's my 4month progress on SS
Squat 135 --> 225
Bench 155 --> 190
DL 225 --> 275
Press 95 --> 115
Hope that helps
Member
benefits:
I can gain weight and muscle with less food, saving time and money
when skinny lifters buy pants they complain they need to size up for their thighs, but the waist is too large. I don't have that issue....
speak of, all pants fit like compression pants
there are often fewer competitors at the SHW range, meaning more medals for me
newtons third law may come into effect on some lifts
we have a lot of leg to bounce off in the squat
man boobs can reduce range of motion in the bench press
no one expects you to run anywhere
surprise people with a single pull up
etc etc
✓ Member
Not really, no. Thicker skeleton- may produce more muscle mass potential overall and this could be a benefit in some regards.Originally Posted by Darkroman
About what?
I'm interested in learning more about two things, basically:
This is a very volatile space in the research. I can't answer the question at this time, however.1) What's physically and physiologically going on at both ends of the spectrum: skinny kids with no appetite and people that gain fat easily and are cursed with a big appetite.
Huh?2) if there's a link between the ability to gain weight easier and muscle potential. How that translates to muscle, I mean.
✓ Member
Are these kilos? What am I missing?
Member
Interesting. After that answer you gave me I did some more research and it seems that RMR (resting metabolic rate) is based more on total bodyweight and not just LBM. Even increases in bodyfat have an indirect increase in RMR due to organs growing somewhat in proportion to increase in lipid storage. In any case, I don't know what your thoughts are about this. Maybe you can give some of your insight into this and confirm if this is more or less accurate? And thoughts on the whole TDEE thing?
Posting Permissions