Male body types – Ectomorph, Mesomorph or Endomorph?

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Among body types, there are also those that are truly least predisposed to increased physical activity. However, there is one caveat: this only happens at the start. In the future, a properly tuned organism is able to show outstanding results, outperforming any of its competitors in terms of somatotype. We are talking about an endomorph body type. In this article we will look at who endomorphs are and how the disadvantages of a slow metabolism become a benefit for an athlete.

General information

So, an endomorph is a person with an extremely slow metabolism and thin bones. There is a misconception that all fat people have inherently slow metabolisms.

However, this is not entirely true. Often, gaining excessive body fat has nothing to do with your physique, but, on the contrary, contradicts it. Excess weight, as a rule, is more associated with metabolic disorders that arise as a result of frequent violations of the principles of healthy eating.

Endomorphs are not always overweight. Due to their low metabolic rate, they rarely feel serious hunger and can literally eat crumbs from the main table.

People of this type arose due to evolutionary processes: endomorphs often had to starve. As a result, they acquired phenomenal endurance and outstanding adaptive characteristics. However, for these reasons, their muscle mass is gained more slowly than glycogen reserves, and burned first. These are typical reactions of the body, in which optimization processes predominate.

Body types of men according to Chernorutsky

The classification of figures according to Chernorutsky is similar to the description of the main characteristics of Sheldon.

Hypersthenics

People who belong to this type have:

• wide chest;
• high fat content;
• medium or short height;
• an elongated body, against which the arms and legs appear short;
• high or average body mass index;
• good character;
• high aperture position.

Hypersthenics are prone to gastrointestinal diseases , have difficulty building muscle mass and suffer from poor thyroid function

In addition, they have a slow metabolism, increased cholesterol and blood pressure .

Normosthenics

Considered the ideal of all body types. People included in this category have:

• high metabolic rate;
• proportional physique;
• strong ligaments and tendons.

Normosthenics can successfully realize themselves in sports . They quickly pump up muscles, as they are not prone to systematic accumulation of fat.

Normosthenik

Asthenics

Asthenics are not prone to gaining excess weight , as they have a fast metabolism. That's why they always remain thin. Asthenics also have:

• elongated face shape;
• fragile bones;
• narrow shoulders and waist;
• long arms and legs;
• tall or average height;
• low aperture position.

Also, people belonging to this category are prone to psychological disorders

At the same time, they experience various gastrointestinal diseases , low hemoglobin and blood pressure levels.

Advantages of somatotype

Endomorph - who is it really in sports? As a rule, these are powerlifters with huge waists and impressive strength indicators. In general, endomorphs have a number of advantages over other body types. Some features of the self-type, when used correctly, are especially relevant for maintaining a figure for women.

1. Ability to maintain shape. A slow metabolism is not only a curse, but also an advantage. After all, it is thanks to it that catabolism can be significantly slowed down and a favorable anabolic background can be created.
2. Less energy consumption. To get started, endomorphs only need a small impulse. Their performance increases even after light loads.
3. Less financial expenses. Endomorphs are like Japanese cars - they consume a minimum of fuel and drive very far. They do not require an extreme calorie content of 5-6 thousand kilocalories. It is enough to add 100 kcal to the regular menu to start metabolism.
4. The ability to easily tolerate any diet without further slowing down your metabolism. Since the body is already optimized for hunger, it will easily begin to burn fat reserves even on the most extreme diets. Further slowing down of metabolism is simply impossible, due to its speed on the verge of a basal minimum.
5. Reserve for accelerating metabolic processes. If it is necessary to dry out or lose most of the weight, ecto- and meso- may have problems. Endomorphs will never have them. After all, they have overclocking potential. Endomorphs accelerate their metabolism up to 5 times, which leads to almost complete elimination of excess fat.
6. Huge reserves of cholesterol. This allows you to synthesize more testosterone. Have you noticed that bearded people are generally plumper? They also use excess hormones for training. More testosterone - more muscles - more strength!

Ectomorph

Ectomorph - thin build. It is characterized by: a thin-boned skeleton, thin long muscles, low levels of subcutaneous fat, high metabolism, and usually increased activity of the nervous system.

Minuses. Building muscle mass is difficult and takes a long time.

Pros. Over time, with a certain persistence and desire to develop their body, this type has the best chance of becoming the owner of an aesthetic, athletic figure.

The most famous ectomorph athlete is the three-time Mr. Olympia" Frank Zane. With a height of 177 cm, his weight never exceeded 90 kg. Moreover, the volume of his biceps was only 44 cm. Of course, today, with such modest data, he would not have received this title, and would not even have qualified for this tournament. However, if he had at his fingertips the achievements of current pharmacology and modern training methods, he would have easily gained an additional 12-20 kg of muscle mass.

An example of this is modern athlete Dexter Jackson. With a height of 170 cm, his weight reaches almost 105 kg. Of course, he is not a muscle monster, but, nevertheless, he looks impressive and managed to win the most prestigious bodybuilding title “Mr. Olympia" in 2008.

Ectomorph training program

The main problem of an ectomorph is that he lacks the strength and endurance for long-term training. His muscle mass will increase very slowly.

It is advisable to train using a split system. To do this, conditionally divide your body into 2 parts. During one workout, work on 1-2 muscle groups, which will allow you to “reach” the target muscles and lead to muscle growth. For example, on the first day, work on pushing muscle groups: quadriceps, chest, triceps. The next day - back, biceps. Or work on your upper body on the first day, and on your lower body on the second. The body can be divided into 3 parts. Then on the first day, for example, work on the chest and biceps, on the second - on the legs, on the third - on the back and triceps. It is advisable to use 1-2 basic exercises and one isolating exercise for each muscle group.

Train in 3-4 sets of 6-8 repetitions. Rest between approaches in basic exercises is 3-5 minutes, in isolating exercises 1-2 minutes. Rest 10-15 minutes between exercises for different muscle groups. At this time, you can take a protein shake or gainer and massage the working muscles. The workout should be quite intense, but short, no more than an hour (including warm-up and cool-down, which take 10-15 minutes).

Aim to increase the intensity of your workouts by increasing the training weight, sets, and reps. Include plenty of strength training in your workout to maximize muscle growth.

Ectomorph muscles take longer to recover. Therefore, between workouts you must have a rest day, and after three such workouts, every other day - 2 days of rest. Listen to your body. If you feel that this recovery time is not enough, try training 2 times a week. This is important because the ectomorph needs to avoid overtraining, which leads to slower muscle growth.

Training systems must be varied every month. For the first 3-6 weeks, work in a strength style. These are short, intense workouts using only basic exercises (1-2 exercises for each muscle group). Dedicate the next 3-6 weeks to actively gaining muscle mass. Perform 1-2 basic exercises and 1-2 isolation exercises. Between the 2 training systems there should be a break from training with weights for at least a week.

In the summer, it is better to completely switch to training with your own weight: push-ups, pull-ups, flexibility exercises and stretching. Don't give up on volleyball, basketball, football, etc. For especially “stubborn” people, those who can no longer live without a rocking chair, I advise you to lift weights 1-2 times a week. To stay in shape, it is enough to perform basic exercises on the main groups: chest, back, legs.

You shouldn't give up aerobics completely. Exercising 2-3 times a week for 20-30 minutes (fast walking, running, swimming, cardio equipment) will have a beneficial effect on the state of the cardiovascular system.

Ectomorph diet

Let's just say your success is 70% dependent on nutrition. If you are a typical ectomorph, you will have to eat a lot, and even a lot, since the main goal is weight gain. Moreover, preference should be given to carbohydrate foods, it should be at least 50% of the daily diet. Choose complex or plant carbohydrates: rice, oatmeal, beans, lentils, durum wheat pasta, various vegetables, including potatoes. But it is better to reduce the consumption of simple carbohydrates, such as sugar, sweets, rolls, jam. They are quickly absorbed into the blood and give a feeling of fatigue.

Protein should be consumed at the rate of 3 g (minimum 2 g) per 1 kg of body weight. Eat lean meats, chicken breasts, turkey, fish. The percentage of protein in the ectomorph's diet should be 20-30%. Don't give up dairy products, but watch the fat content. Fat intake in the diet should not exceed 30%. Now kefir, yoghurts, milk, cottage cheese with a fat content of no more than 1% are sold. You need to eat 5-6 times a day in small or medium portions. You need to drink at least 2.5 liters of water per day. Distribution of calories as a percentage: proteins – 20-30%, carbohydrates – 50-60%, fats – 20-30%.

Supplements

You can't do without additives. They significantly facilitate the task of increasing muscle mass and reduce the time to achieve results by at least half. The most important rule is to take multivitamins. Nowadays you can find vitamin complexes in the pharmacy, the intake of which can fully provide the body with useful substances. Due to increased fitness loads, the therapeutic dose of vitamins can be doubled.

The best supplements for an ectomorph are protein shakes or gainers (protein-carbohydrate mixtures). You need to drink 2-3 cocktails a day. The first cocktail is between breakfast and lunch, the second and third – before and after training.

Take creatine. The best choice is its transport systems. Creatine should be taken in courses, according to the recommendations. The body needs it because its reserves are quickly depleted during training. Creatine will help restore lost energy and also gain muscle mass faster.

It would not be superfluous to take stimulants for the production of endogenous (i.e., produced by the body independently) testosterone: “tribulus”, “ecdysthene” or “ecdysterone”. Also, if financially possible, consume complex amino acids, BCAA amino acids and glutamine with each meal as recommended.

Since the calorie content of your diet can increase several times, it is advisable to take enzymes after main meals for better absorption. It is important to remember a few things when taking them. First, enzymes are not taken constantly, but in courses. According to the doctor's recommendations. Second, some dietary supplement manufacturers enrich their protein powder or gainer with enzymes. In this case, additional enzyme intake is not necessary.

You can choose sports nutrition for your body type using our Calculator:

Additional tips for an ectomorph

1. People with this body type should try to avoid stress and learn to relax through yoga, meditation, massage, etc. You can try qigong and tai chi. Cortisol surges caused by stress slow down progress. If you don’t want to do yoga, you can get by with a simple but effective exercise. To do this, you will need 10-30 minutes alone with yourself, away from strangers and noise. During this time, try to completely relax: close your eyes, inhale through your mouth and exhale slowly through your nose. You should feel the muscles relax and become heavy. Imagine all the stress leaving your body and dissolving into thin air.
2. It is necessary to minimize activities that require large expenditures of energy.
3. Get a full night's sleep. You need at least 8 hours of sleep to curb your high metabolism.
4. Also try to sleep during the day: from 30 minutes to 2 hours. This will restore your strength and also additionally stimulate the body's production of its own growth hormone.

Body Flaws

Endomorphs, as well as other types, have their disadvantages, which for most become a stumbling block when achieving serious results in sports.

1. Predominance of fat layer. Yes, yes... No matter how much we talk about the fact that a slow metabolism is an advantage, most people do not know how to use it. Therefore, most endomorphs suffer from excess weight.
2. Long recovery between workouts. A slow metabolism slows down recovery processes between workouts. As a rule, this means that you cannot train more than 3 times a week, at least without the use of additional stimulation from the hormonal system through the use of AAS.
3. The presence of increased load on the heart muscle. Excess weight and a large cholesterol depot are problems for most endomorphs. The heart works at elevated frequencies all the time, sometimes on the verge of fat burning. Therefore, endomorphs often suffer from heart pain. It is very easy for them to get a “sports heart”, so endomorphs should approach cardio exercises with extreme caution and constantly monitor their pulse.

Important: despite the external characteristics and descriptions of all three human somatypes, you need to understand that in nature there are no pure endomorphs, mesomorphs, or ectomorphs. This is unprofitable from an evolutionary point of view. It is quite possible that you have key characteristics from each somatotype, mistakenly classifying yourself as one of them. But the main mistake is that most overweight people blame their somatotype for everything, which is fundamentally wrong. Most often, obesity is a consequence of disrupted eating plans and an unhealthy lifestyle, and not at all the result of a tendency to gain weight.

Body types according to Sheldon

The Sheldon method body types are currently considered the most popular.

Endomorph

An endomorph is distinguished by the presence of fat deposits . The fact is that people in this category suffer from slow metabolism , so it is most difficult for them to get in shape.

People tend to accumulate fat, which makes it much harder for them to exercise or bodybuild.

Distinctive features:

• broad shoulders;
• high aperture position;
• short arms, legs and neck;
• rounded chest shape.

In order for endomorphs to get in shape, they are advised to eat smaller meals , lead a healthy lifestyle, exercise and rest.

Endomorph

Mesomorph

It is considered the most sporty option. Mesomorphs can easily build muscle mass . Such people often engage in bodybuilding . Mesomorphs have:

• strong tendons and bones;
• relief muscles;
• broad shoulders;
• medium or tall height;
• proportional body;
• fast metabolism;
• a good appetite;
• stocky figure.

Ectomorph

Such people have a rather slender, lean body.

It is quite difficult for them to gain muscle mass . The fact is that they have an accelerated metabolism. But among ectomorphs there are those who manage to pump up their muscles .

Ectomorphs have:

• thin and fragile bones;
• narrow shoulders;
• long limbs;
• natural thinness and angularity;
• large supply of energy;
• medium or tall height.

Ectomorph

Typical characteristics of the somatotype

Before defining an endomorph, you need to pay attention to how such a somatotype, unprepared for sporting achievements, appeared. The physique of an endomorph, like a mesomorph and an ectomorph, is the result of long-term evolution.

Almost all modern endomorphs are, to one degree or another, descendants of people from the northern lands. In the north, people led a predominantly nomadic lifestyle, and their main food was fish or herbivores. As a result, meals were unstable and infrequent. To adapt to constant hunger, the body gradually slowed down its metabolism and brought optimization processes to a new level. Therefore, to saturate, an endomorph needs significantly less energy than any other type. Endomorphs age more slowly and are rather sedentary in their lifestyle.

Endomorph training

Unlike ectomorphs and mesomorphs, endomorphs are not required to follow their training plan. Their muscle fibers are in perfect balance, allowing the athlete to increase both speed and strength, as well as endurance. This means they can easily adapt to any type of training set.

For the best effect, it is better to create periodization:

• low-volume intensive in a circular type;
• high-volume pumping as a split.

This way the endomorph will develop more evenly and achieve better training results. However, unlike other types, they do not need to undergo any special training.

But their most important advantage, which allows you to train at the limit of strength, is the predominance of fat burning over glycogen burning. Endomorphs easily lose excess fat during cardio training, since the body, as a result of evolution, more easily breaks down the fat layer in accordance with its main evolutionary purpose.