Know Your Body Type Part 2: What Works Best For Each Body Type

In my previous post, I broke down the 3 body types, and what characterized each of them. Hopefully you now have a better understanding of what body type you mostly resemble. What you probably want to know most is what works best for your body type, and I am going to tell you now! As a disclaimer (and an important one), let me state that the information I am about to share is based solely off of what has worked for me, and the clients I have worked with. There is no guarantee that these methods will work for you, they are simply a guide, and ideas for you to try. Here we go...

Ectomorph

• The ectomorph has very little fat and does not have to worry too much about gaining fat. If you are looking for fat loss, you are not an ectomorph, and you can skip over this section. The ectomorph, or "classic hard gainer" is usually focused on putting on muscle, since this is the biggest challenge for an ectomorph. With a super fast metabolism, it is hard for the ectomorph to keep weight on, regardless if it is quality lean muscle or fat. Since most people are looking for ways to speed up their metabolisms, this next statement will probably sound crazy; in order to gain quality muscle, the ectomorph needs to actually slow down their metabolism to a degree. This is done by high calorie intake, and burning less than is consumed.
• Ecto's have very different nutritional needs than an Endo (other end of the spectrum). While all body types need sufficient lean protein to build and maintain lean muscle, the Ecto actually needs a very high carbohydrate intake, and a moderate "good" fat intake. If an ectomorph does not ingest enough quality carbs and fat for energy, the protein ingested for muscle growth will end up being burned off for energy requirements. After that protein is gone, the body will start breaking down muscle to use for energy (since there is little stored fat available), and not only will an ecto not gain muscle, but they will also lose some of their current muscle. As an ecto myself, when adding mass I try and consume 20 calories per pound of body weight. Of course the overall number will go up as my weight increases. I also try to get at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.
• Ectomorphs who are trying to gain muscle need to be very cautious of the amount of cardio they do. Of course we know that the heart is a muscle, and the way we exercise the heart is done best with cardio. Unfortunately, cardio is just going to have to be set aside for the time being, if an ecto wants to gain weight. Ectomorph's need to burn as little calories as possible, and excessive cardio is just going to burn more calories, causing the already high calorie consumption to have to be increased even more. I tell ecto's "put the cardio on hold for now, and when you reach a desired weight, then you can slowly implement cardio into the routine." By cardio, I am referring to heavy cardio. An ecto can still do light cardio and warm ups (in the range of one hour per week) and still be ok.
• Ectomorph's need to lift heavy in order to gain muscle (this usually goes for all body types, but more so with the ecto). The muscles have to be broken down significantly, and nourished with quality nutrients in order to stimulate growth during the repair process.

Mesomorph

• I won't spend a ton of time here, since meso's have a fairly easy time of putting muscle on, and stripping fat away. If you are a meso, experiment with calorie ranges until you find what works. If you put on a little fat during the muscle building process, you should not have too much trouble stripping the fat off with extra cardio. Just make sure to keep the protein intake up, so you do not burn muscle also. If you are unsure if you are a mesomorph, or for more information regarding  mesomorph's, contact me with any questions you may have.

Endomorph

• Endo's have the hardest time losing weight and keeping fat off, so many of you will show the most interest in these tips. For the endo, "I can just look at fatty/sugary foods and gain weight" is a classic statement. It is true, that as an endo, you do not have the luxury of eating whatever you want. But like I have said in previous posts, decide where your priorities lie. If you are determined to lose weight and tone up, then you are just going to have to accept the fact that heavy carbs, sugars, and fats will not be a part of your diet for a good while.
• Endo's need to do a lot of cardio. Calorie burning is a top priority, because you don't want to give your body any extra chance to store unnecessary calories. Keep the cardio way up, and no less than 3 days a week. This does not mean walking at a leisurely pace for an hour. You need to shock your system, and make your body work harder than it is used to. If you are not, at the very least, breaking a sweat and have an elevated heart rate, you are certainly not working hard enough. Try interval training when running or biking. Keep carb intake low, with carbs coming from quality complex sources such as whole grains and vegetables. Absolutely no "white stuff," i.e. white rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, and so on...

I am sure I have probably left some stuff out on accident, so if you have any questions whatsoever, please contact me so I can address them! Hopefully you have a much better understanding of some things you can try to reach your goals, no matter what they are. Good luck on the journey, and stay tuned....