which type of regiment is best for ectomorphs/hardgainers?

a 5 6 or 7 day split plan where each muscle group is worked on a separate day?
a 3/4 day split plan where a few muscles are worked on the same day?
or a 3 day full body workout where every muscle group is worked per day and consisting of mainly compound exercises?

this is for an intermediate lifter

ok, well if you dont like the word hardgainer then you can just call it somebody with an ectomorph body type, somebody who naturally has less muscle :/ same thing but whatever


yes, i am talking about an intermediate lifter who would fit those guidelines

I started off at 155lbs, at 6'1", 21 years old...

I'm now 245lbs (cutting to 230 over the next 6 months), pull 600lbs, rep 300 on the bench, with 19.5" arms (pumped), with narrow wrists and ribcage, so, I believe I started off ectomorphic.

my training when I started was, two way split, training three times per week, never more than 6 exercises per day, never more than 3 work-sets per exercise; increase the weight slowly, at most 5lbs at a time, sticking within a certain rep range.

once I got stronger and the load was heavier (450lbs in the deadlift + -), I went to a three way split, training three times per week.

as I got stronger, I'm now on a three way split, training twice per week, doing 1-2 sets per movement....

the only non-compound movements I do are side-laterals and arm movements (strict barbell curl, tricep extension); everything else is

deadlift, leg press, box squats, bench, row, t-bar row, chins, pullups....

add weight slowly, stick within a 5-10 rep range (upper body), 8-15 (legs), and keep at it; the only thing which beats consistency is steroids (and im 100% against the use of steroids, hormone therapies, drugs, stimulants and other chemicals)... consistency beats creatine, glutamine, etc etc

Starting strength / Stronglifts and a lot of food.