27TH APRIL 2019
Understanding Different Body Types
As a simple model, there are three basic body types: mesomorphs, the lucky few who have a naturally athletic physique and then there are the rest of us!
The rest of us are broken down into two camps. Ectomorphs, who struggle to gain weight and most importantly muscle, and endomorphs, who struggle not to gain weight. So if you are not lucky enough to be a mesomorph what should you do?
Ectomorphs: It's all about calories and more specifically protein calories. If you are not progressing in the gym this is the first place to start. Track your daily calories and protein intake daily to ensure you are eating enough to support the results you want.
When it comes to training, stick to big compound movements to maximise the release of anabolic hormones, lift heavy for low reps, keep increasing the weight wherever possible and avoid high volume work. Follow these basic rules and the results will follow.
Endomorphs: Again it's all about calories, but this time too many. If you are not progressing in the gym this is the most likely cause. Track your calories daily to ensure you are not consuming too many. It’s very easy to underestimate the amount of food you eat in a day. Try a ketogenic diet, this involves severely reducing carbohydrate intake and using fat as your primary energy source. There are lots of studies showing the positive effects on health by following the ketogenic diet.
When it comes to training, resistance work is highly effective when combined with extended periods of cardio. If you get bored easily or are on a clock try adding HIIT (High Intensity Training) to your work out, it can really help with fat reduction and insulin resistance.
The key here is to identify your body type and to tailor your diet and workout to your specific needs, it’s the only way to get the results that you want.
