In this article:
» Intro
» Setting realistic expectations
» The 3 main male body types
» Ectomorphs traits
» How to train, eat and supplements for Ectomorphs
» Mesomorph traits
» How to train, eat and supplements for Mesomorphs
» Endomorph traits
» How to train, eat and supplements for Endomorphs
Unfortunately, body types aren't often addressed when it comes to mainstream fitness. Mainly because it would be too close to the truth and if the goal of the company is to sell a product, service or magazine, a broad statement like get a six-pack in six weeks is far better for sales than, if you're an Ectomorph and have been training for 3 years, have sub 10% body fat already and are willing to train for 5 hours a week for the next six weeks, you can get a six-pack. Endomorphs, unless you're willing to forgo your health, happiness and sanity, you can forget it.
The truth is, Identifying your body type is extremely important when it comes to setting realistic and attainable health and fitness goals. While you may wish to have the body of Brad Pitt in fight club, if your physique more closely resembles that of Vin Diesel, you may be setting yourself up for failure before you've even begun.
Setting realistic expectations
As a personal trainer, My first job when working with a new client is always to set realistic expectations and to establish attainable goals for the individual based on their body type, fitness background and level of commitment. It always breaks my heart when I have to tell a client that their goal of being Lebron James when they're white, 5.2, and stocky is unrealistic. But, but, but. Nothing. I'm sorry, but even with all the hard work, sacrifice, and even surgery in the world, you cannot have a body type that isn't your own. It's simple Genetics!
Now… all of this isn't to say that you can't have your best body, it just means, it might not look exactly like you thought. Instead of fantasizing about something you can't have, focus on something that you can! That starts with identifying your body type and learning to accept it. Once you've done that you can start making a plan to more effectively help you reach your fitness goals.
The 3 Male Body types
1. Ectomorph
2. Mesomorph
3. Endomorph
The 3 body types above, Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph are the most typical and easily identifiable male body types. It's important to keep in mind that not everyone fits directly into one of these 3 categories. More often than not, you'll find that men have a combination of either 1 and 2 or 2 and 3.
By identifying which body type category you fall into, you will be much better equipped to create an effective diet and exercise plan and set more realistic and attainable goals that pave the way to better results.
Here's your guide on how to train, eat and supplements for each of the male body types.
Ectomorphs like Frank Medrano are typically very thin with a small build, small joints, and very lean muscle. They tend to have long limbs, thin shoulders, a flat chest and find it very hard to gain weight. They are often able to eat whatever they want and have to eat regularly to satisfy a big appetite and a speedy metabolism.
Related Article: The Skinny Guy Series: How to Maximize Muscle Building
Typical Ectomorph traits
A small frame and bone structure
A Flat chest
Small shoulders
Thin
Lean muscle mass
Find it very hard to gain weight
A very fast metabolism
Often hungry
How to train for an Ectomorph
Due to the small frame and bone structure associated with most ectomorphs, proper planning and consistency are key when it comes to building muscle and carving out a strong and lean physique. If you let your guard down, even for a brief time, you may find your results disappear quickly.
Strength training
Workouts should be short and intense with a focus on exercises that promote maximum muscle recruitment. Center your workouts around compound exercises such as Squats (front and back), Deadlifts, Bench-press, Pull-ups, and Dips and compliment those with bilateral exercises such as Bulgarian split squats, Dumbbell shoulder press, Dumbbell chest press, Single-arm bent-over row, etc. Finish off your workouts with isolated work in the areas you feel need it most (arms, abs, calves, etc).
While it's always a good idea to use a combination of different rep ranges for better all-round health and performance, prioritize muscular failure for growth within the 8-12 rep range.
Cardio
If your goal is to get swole, keep cardio to an absolute minimum, at least in the early stages. Anything that burns off additional calories when your focus is muscle gain can curtain your efforts. If you can't live without your morning runs, make sure to eat something beforehand and take a BCAA Glutamine supplement to prevent muscle breakdown.
Skinny Guy BULK UP training plan
If you’re still unsure of how to train for your body type, fear not!
How to eat for Ectomorph
When your goal is to pack on size, go big or go home should be your motto! Ectomorphs tend to have a very fast metabolism, which, can cause envy from a lot of people. The reality however is that it can be a real struggle, especially when having to eat so much can feel more like punishment than a reward.
Aim for 6-8 meals a day and make sure to get a good serving of protein before bed to prevent muscle catabolism (Fatigue and muscle loss) during the night.
Prioritize carbohydrates at every meal (around 50-60% of your overall calories) and eat lots of calorie-dense foods like nuts, greek yogurt, avocados, olive oil, and full-fat dairy. If you're a smoothie man, chuck in some of the above ingredients for added calories without the excess chewing!
You can't really overeat as an ectomorph so go wild.
Skinny Guy BULK UP meal plan
If the idea of eating 3500+ calories a day still has you scratching your head, fear not!
Supplements for Ectomorphs
While I don’t recommend taking supplements to replace a healthy and balanced diet, they can be extremely useful, especially for Ectomorphs. If you're eating a well-rounded and balanced diet but the thought of another serving of white rice, broccoli, and chicken breast is enough to make you dry heave, you may want to consider investing in a mass gainer to help you hit your macronutrient targets for the day.
Pre-workout and post-workout aim for a 3:1 ratio of Carbs to Protein.
Like the legend that is Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mesomorphs tend to have a medium to large bone structure, big muscles, and a naturally athletic physique. It's the ideal body type for bodybuilding as they tend to find it quite easy to gain muscle and lose fat. They are naturally strong.
Typical mesomorph traits:
Athletic
Hardbody
Well defined muscles
Rectangular shaped body
Strong
Gains muscle and fat fairly easily
Moderately fast metabolism that caters well to muscle growth and fat loss.
How to train for a Mesomorph
With the ability to build muscle and burn fat fairly easily, Mesomorphs tend to have a slight genetic advantage (over the other two body types) and a little more leeway when it comes to their training program.
Strength training
Workouts should be a moderate length (around 60 minutes) and should focus on compound exercises that promote maximum muscle recruitment. For optimal muscle growth, the majority of exercises should prioritize muscular failure within the 8-12 rep range. It's also vital for Mesomorphs to incorporate lower reps (3-5) for strength gains at the start of workouts and higher reps (12+) and smart training techniques like drop and pause sets at the end of workouts to really burn out the muscles and keep that metabolism revved up.
Keep rest times between sets in line with the corresponding rep ranges you’re using. Low reps (1-5) 90 – 180 seconds, medium reps (8-12) 60 – 90 seconds, high reps (12+) 30-45 seconds.
Cardio
Mesomorphs can be prone to fat gain if not diligent so make sure to incorporate some cardio workouts into your routine, especially when you're trying to lean up. For optimal fat-burning conditions, keep your cardio sessions to around 30-60 minutes and at a moderate intensity (around 60-70% of your maximum heart rate).
To calculate your optimal fat burning zone: take your age and subtract it from 220, then take 60-70% of this number.
How to eat for a mesomorph
As Mesomorphs can be prone to fat gain if not careful, it's important to not go overboard when it comes to food, especially carbohydrates. In general, Mesomorphs respond better to higher-protein diets. That said, your macronutrient timing and split should be applicable to your specific fitness goals at any given time.
Lean BULK diet plan for Mesomorphs
If you’re still unsure of how to train for your body type, fear not! We’ve created a fully comprehensive lean BULK diet plan for Mesomorphs looking to add significant lean muscle mass whilst minimizing fat gain.
Supplements for a Mesomorph
Again, while I don’t recommend supplements to replace a healthy and balanced diet, they can be extremely useful to help you hit your health and fitness targets. To prevent muscle breakdown and improve your body's fat-burning potential, you may want to consider an All-natural Fat burner and BCAA Glutamine supplement before your cardio workouts.
Post strength training, aim for a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein for optimal recovery.
An Endomorph has a solid frame but is quite often soft. They gain fat very easily and are usually a short build with thick arms and legs with very strong muscles, especially the upper legs. They tend to be stronger and are able to lift more than Ectomorphs and Mesomorphs, especially for exercises such as Squats and Deadlifts.
Typical Endomorph traits:
Round physique
Gain muscle and fat very easily
Generally short stocky build
Find It hard to lose fat
Slow metabolism
Muscles Poorly defined
How to train for an Endomorph
As Endomorphs tend to gain fat fairly easily, building muscle whilst minimizing fat gain should be the main focus of your workout program.
Strength training
A typical strength training program shouldn't differ too much from that of a Mesomorph's. That means 4-5x strength training sessions per week with an emphasis on compound exercises that recruit and generate the biggest bang for your buck. Workouts should prioritize muscular failure in the 8-12 rep range for optimal muscle growth and high reps (12+ reps) towards the end of your workouts to keep your metabolism charged up.
Keep your rest times short (30-60 seconds).
Cardio
This is where an Endomoph's training program will most likely differ from the other 2 body types. Cardiovascular activities will be key to creating a calorie deficit to promote a healthy body composition and keep body fat to a minimum.
When it comes to your cardio training, the 2 most popular options for Endomorphs are:
1. Perform your cardio workouts at the end of your strength training routine. By hitting strength training first, you deplete your body's glycogen stores so that when it comes time to do your cardio, your body will need to tap into and convert fat for fuel to sustain your workout.
2. First thing in the morning in a fasted state.
More and more research is coming out to suggest that fasted cardio might be the best solution for fat burning. Much like doing cardio after your strength training, when your body is in a fasted state, glycogen stores are depleted so that when you do start cardiovascular exercise, your body has to draw energy from elsewhere. Fat stores tend to be the most readily available after glycogen.
Cardio workouts should be fairly long (45-60 minutes), at a moderate intensity (around 60-70% of your maximum heart rate). This will help optimize fat burning even further.
Note: As Endomorphs are the most prone of the 3 body types to gain weight, it's really important to stay physically active. While you may be smashing your workouts, if you have a very sedentary job or lifestyle, it's going to be a real struggle to keep a healthy body composition. I know it's a lot but try to make sure you're doing something active every day.
Related article: Fasted cardio. What is it? Does it work? Is it right for me?
How to eat for an Endomorph
Unfortunately, Endomorphs tend to be sensitive to insulin so it's important to try and keep carbohydrate consumption low. Just like the balance and the fine line between how much you eat for muscle gain whilst minimizing fat storage, the balance between the macronutrient split and carbohydrate consumption can have a big effect on the look and feel of your body.
When you do eat carbohydrates (with the exception of post-workout) go complex and get the majority from high fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole-grain sources (brown rice, pasta, bread, etc)
Stay away from refined grains.
Supplements for an Endomorph
Again, while I don’t recommend supplements to replace a healthy and balanced diet, they can come in extremely useful to help you hit your health and fitness goals. To prevent muscle breakdown and improve your body's fat-burning potential. You may want to consider a Fat burner and BCAA Glutamine supplement before your cardio workouts.
Post strength training, aim for a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein for optimal recovery.
References
Schoenfeld, Brad MS, CSCS: Strength and Conditioning Journal: February 2011
Bob Murray & Christine Rosenbloom: Fundamentals of glycogen metabolism for coaches and athletes. Nutrition Reviews VR Vol. 76 (4) Pages: 243–259
ACE, How to Eat & Workout for an Endomorph Body Type by Tiffani Bachus, R.D.N., and Erin Macdonald, R.D.N.
