Did you know that there are 3 main body types?
Your body is very unique and usually falls into one of three of the categories below:
- Ectomorph
- Mesomorph
- Endomorph
The thing that determines your body type, from birth, is genetics. Now, I am not a whole believer that genetics plays a role in EVERYTHING fitness wise. However, when it comes to your framework and shape-it certainly can! You cannot pick your body shape, but there are things that you can do to help or enhance the body shape in which you've been given.
Let's breakdown the 3 different body types further so you can figure out which category your body falls into.
Ectomorph
An ectomorph is your typical "skinny person." This body type finds it very hard to gain weight due to a fast metabolism and it may seem so hard for ectomorphs to put on an ounce of muscle. This body type needs an excess of calories to put on weight so supplements such as a weight gainer, high carb drink, or protein powder would be very beneficial to this group. It is also recommend that this group should eat before bed to prevent muscle catabolism during the night (use casein protein). Generally, ectomorphs can lose fat very easily which makes cutting back to lean muscle easier for them.
Physical Traits:
- Narrow hips and clavicles
- Small joints (wrist/ankles)
- Thin build
- Stringy muscle bellies
- Long limbs
Do…
- Train with compound moves
- Get enough protein
- Use isolation moves as ‘finishers’
- Overemphasise isolation moves
- Do too much cardio
- Ectomorphs have to work harder on the weights in order to gain a toned physique.
Diet:
- eat a greater percentage of high carb foods all throughout the day.
- eat more carbs during/post workout than any other time of the day.
- carbs should include some starchy, whole grain, unprocessed carbs that are eaten at every other meal, while veggies and/or fruits should be eaten at each meal.
- use High Calorie weight gainer shakes to help build mass.
- Eat more, more frequently, aim for 6-8 meals spread over the course of the day, and always eat breakfast!
Training:
- Strength Training with limited Cardio is best.
- it is recommend to use simple routines with heavy compound movements and minimal isolation movements per muscle group.
- Rest time should be kept between 2-3 minutes as much as possible.
- Take at least 1 rest day in between the last lifting day, and the optional superset day.
Mesomorph
This body type will be your athletic looking guys and gals or those who were gifted a natural athletic physique. Gaining or losing weight is absolutely easy to them and it can go either way. The mesomorph body type responds the best to weight training. Gains are usually seen very quickly, especially for beginners. The downside to mesomorphs is they gain fat more easily than ectomorphs. This means they must watch their calorie intake. Usually a combination of weight training and cardio works best for mesomorphs. Personally, I am a Mesomorph and I can attest to this!
Physical Traits:
- Wide clavicles
- Narrow waist
- Thinner joints
- Long and round muscle bellies
Do…
- Train like an athlete
- Time your workouts
- Set personal bests
Don’t…
- Take your body for granted
- Eat whatever you like
Diet:
- Eat a mixed diet, consisting of balanced carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, with a macronutrient split of 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat can work well.
- Low-fat proteins such as nonfat Greek yogurt, Kefir, eggs, poultry and seafood build strong muscles and encourage muscle growth.
- Complex carbohydrates such as spinach and other green vegetables, whole grain foods and low-sugar fruits provide the mesomorph with enough energy to make it through demanding workouts.
- High-fiber foods such as beans increase feelings of fullness, and these items can help to avoid sugary binges.
- Mesomorphs also tend to have a moderate carb tolerance, meaning you should likely minimize high starchy/sugary carb foods outside the workout window, except after an overnight fast such as for breakfast. This means you’d try eating some higher carb/starchy carb foods in the morning, as well as during/post exercise. The rest of the meals would consist of less dense carb foods and more lean proteins, veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds.
Training:
- Multiple weekly resistance training sessions using moderate to heavy weights with limited rest between sets, help mesomorphs build size.
- Do upper and lower body compound exercises using two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions each, resting between 30 and 90 seconds after each set.
Endomorph
The endomorph body type is solid and generally soft. Endomorphs gain fat very easily. Endo’s are usually of a shorter build with thick arms and legs. Muscles are strong, especially the upper legs. Endomorphs find they are naturally strong in leg exercises like the squat. When it comes to training endomorphs find it very easy to gain weight. Unfortunately, a large portion of this weight is fat not muscle. To keep fat gain to a minimum, endomorphs must always train cardio as well as weights. Usually supplements may not be needed as long as the person has a high protein intake in their diet.
Physical Traits:
- Blocky
- Thick rib cage
- Wide/thicker joints
- Hips as wide (or wider)
- than clavicles
- Shorter limbs
Do…
- Train with intensity
- Watch your carb intake
- Build your shoulders
Don’t…
- Do endless crunches
- Jog for hours
- Drink sports drinks
Diet:
- Stick to a higher fat and protein intake with carbohydrate intake being controlled and properly timed after exercise, with their ideal intake around 25% carbs, 35% protein, and 40% fat.
- Avoid high carb/starchy carb foods outside the workout window (including breakfast). This means only proteins, fats, veggies and fruits outside the workout window.
Training:
- Train using cardio as well as weights.
- Workout as often as you can without overtraining. Around four days of weight training throughout the week will ensure that the "afterburn" increased metabolic response from each training session will then spill over into taken rest days.
- Include cardio into each workout, and no matter if an endomorph is bulking or cutting, weight training should be the main focus. An increased amount of muscle mass will increase their base metabolic rate, decreasing their chances of storing/holding onto fat.
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