Walking is not often suggested in the context of building muscle as an ectomorph. Your leg muscles only grow enough to support your weight, and burning calories seems (and is) counter-productive when you’re struggling to eat enough food.
Then why do I love starting the day with a 40-60 minute walk, mixed in with a short swim?
Because it leaves you feeling great.
And that, I think, is too often overlooked. As you move towards strength you lose sight of what truly matters to you – improving the quality of your life – and get too caught up in the numbers of how much you weight, or how much lean mass you’ve put on.
You don’t need to become a cardio freak. I’m certainly not. But there is value in bending the “rules” of ectomorphic strength training to find fulfilment in your life.
After spending the first hour or so of the day exploring the local area, and admiring the waking world I feel full of energy and excited to move forward with my life. Granted, this doesn’t always constitute strength training (there is more to my life than building muscle after all), but the point is simple and obvious: when you feel great you’ll do great things.
Start the day well, love your life and don’t feel constricted by the expectations and preconceptions of the strength training industry.
You may also want to read The Joy of Walking.
