If you’re a naturally skinny guy, bulking up can feel like trying to sneeze with your eyes open: Impossible.
But what if I tell you it doesn’t have to be that way? That you can pack on slabs of muscle, too?
The 60-day plan below is designed specifically for ectomorphs, or “hard gainers.” It focuses on making you bigger and stronger.
To steal a line from strength coach Greg Nuckols: “To get stronger, you need to get bigger. And to get bigger, you need to get stronger. Training for one without the other doesn’t really make sense for most people.”
So in this routine, you’ll perform only a handful of big-muscle movements: squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. You’ll do these a lot. Every. Single. Workout.
(For more great new workouts and hundreds of exercises, check out the Workout Center.)
That doesn’t mean you always have to “go heavy” with each exercise, every workout. But you won’t stray from them for 60 days straight because these are the movements that force your muscles to grow. They’re the exercises that will make it easier to overload your body as you grow stronger.
You might be thinking, Doing the same exercises over and over again sounds boring. And, sure, it might be. But exercise ADD doesn’t work. Boring works. For most guys, most of the time, staying consistent with the big lifts is going to create the best path to success.
Are you ready to say bye-bye to the skinny guy? Then let’s get started. But first, some ground rules. In order to get the best results, you need to follow these in addition to the workout plan.
The Rules
1. Limit your “cardio” to 1 to 2 per week. I’d never say to omit it altogether, but if putting on size is your goal, expending more calories is not going to help you. Performing one or two 30-minute sessions per week is more than enough. Do cardio on non-lifting days.
2. Eat! No, you’re not eating enough. (Find out What and When You Should Eat to Build Muscle.)
3. Eat more.
4. Do the 60-Day Skinny Man's Transformation Plan on the next page. Don’t alter the program in any way. Don’t add anything or take anything out. Follow it to a T.
Want more tips that can transform your body and build strength? Check out The Better Man Project, the new cutting-edge book from the Editor-in-Chief of Men's Health. It's a jam-packed user's guide to every aspect of a man's life, with more than 2,000 body hacks and fitness, nutrition, health, and sex secrets. All to make you a better man in every way that counts.
The 60-Day Skinny Man’s Transformation Plan
Do this: Perform each pair of exercises as a superset. Do one set of the first exercise, rest for the prescribed amount of time, and then do one set of the second exercise. Rest if noted, and then repeat. Continue until you’ve completed all of the sets for each exercise in the pair.
When you see a letter without a number next to it—such as “D”—do the exercise as a straight set. That is, do one set of the exercise, rest for the prescribed time, and then do another set.
Rest at least one day between workouts. Schedule a maximum of three training sessions per week.
WEEK 1
Follow set and rep prescriptions laid out below.
Day 1
A1. Barbell Back Squat: 3 sets of 5 reps
A2. Chinup: 2 sets of AMRAP (as many reps as possible). If you can’t perform a chinup, do a band-assisted version.
Rest 1 minute between exercises. Rest 90 seconds after the superset is complete.
B1. Dumbbell Bench Press: 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps
B2. Dumbbell Single-Arm Row: 3 sets of 10 reps per arm. Hold a 2-second pause at the top of each rep.
Only rest when needed. Rest 90 to 120 seconds after the superset is complete.
Related: RIPTENSITY—Fast Bodyweight Workouts From Men’s Health That Are So Intense, They Rip Away Body Fat!
C1. Barbell Straight-Leg Deadlift: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
C2. Cable Core Press: 3 sets of 10 reps per side
Only rest when needed. Rest 90 to 120 seconds after the superset is complete.
D. Dumbbell Farmer’s Walk: 3 sets of 40-yard carries
Rest 1 minute between each set.
Day 2
A1. Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 5 reps
A2. Chinup: 2 sets of AMRAP (as many reps as possible). If you can’t perform a chinup, do a band-assisted version.
Rest 1 minute between exercises. Rest 90 seconds after the superset is complete.
B1. Trap Bar Deadlift: 3 sets of 8 reps
B2. Dive Bomber Pushup: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Only rest when needed.
Rest 90 to 120 seconds after the superset is complete.
C1. Dumbbell Goblet Squat: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
C2. Barbell Bent-Over Overhand-Grip Row: 3 sets of 5 to 6 reps. Hold a 1 to 2 second pause at the top of each rep.
Only rest when needed. Rest 90 to 120 seconds after the superset is complete.
D. Dumbbell Reverse Lunge: 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps per leg
Rest 1 minute between each set.
Day 3
A1. Sumo Deadlift: 3 sets of 5 reps
A2. Single-Arm Landmine Press: 2 sets of 8 reps per arm
Rest 1 minute between exercises. Rest 90 seconds after the superset is complete.
B1. Barbell Front Squat: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
B2. Single-Leg Hip Thrust with Shoulders on Bench: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
Only rest when needed. Rest 90 to 120 seconds after the superset is complete.
C1. Close-Grip Bench Press: 2 sets of 12 to 15 reps
C2. Barbell Bent-Over Underhand-Grip Row: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Only rest when needed. Rest 90 to 120 seconds after the superset is complete.
D. Face Pull: 2 sets of 20 reps
Rest 1 minute between each set.
Week 2: Add one set to both exercises in superset A1-A2 for days 1 to 3.
Week 3: Add one set to both exercises in superset A1-A2 for days 1 to 3.
Week 4: Add one set to both exercises in superset A1-A2 for days 1 to 3.
Week 5: Follow week 1's rep/set protocol for superset A1-A2 for days 1 to 3, but use a heavier load. Strive to use more weight every week from here on out.
Week 6: Same as week 2.
Week 7: Same as week 3.
Week 8: Same as week 4.
