An ectomorph is a naturally skinny (and often lanky or tall) person who has trouble gaining weight, whether in the form of muscle or even fat. On the other side of things, the somatotype known as endomorph often finds it quite easy to gain weight or put on some amount of muscle. Finally, between those two on the somatotype scale is the mesomorph, who is a naturally muscular person, and for them, gains in muscle and reduction in body fat come rather easily provided they train and eat well. But back to those hardgaining ectomorphs.
I know ectomorphs get frustrated because the majority of society is focussed on losing weight when all they want to do is gain some. But let me remind you that being lean is not a terrible thing in athletic performance and sport because ultimately, if you have low body fat, strong muscles, and lots of gusto, you likely have one of the most important aspects of most sports: power-to-weight ratio.
But if you're a hardgainer and you have a goal of adding a few more pounds of muscle to your body, the good news is that it definitely can be done—with some effort. Most hardgainers I have worked with can add 10 to 15 pounds of muscle with a moderate amount of focused work. It’s after that 15 pounds where it gets more and more difficult to continue gaining and even harder to maintain.
If you have low body fat, strong muscles, and lots of gusto, you have one of the most important aspects of sports: power-to-weight ratio.
If you really want to put on some meat, here is where I would encourage you to start.
