Ectomorph Body Type

Since posting my last blog “New Year, New You” I have been getting a lot of questions regarding what the best type of meal or exercise plans to follow are for each body type.  This is a very important to know if you are looking to achieve maximum results with your wellness plan so I will be posting a 3 part series to recap each body type and give a few diet and exercise tips to help kick off your program!

 

Ectomorphs

Description:

This body type is very petite and thin. The bones are light and the muscles are extremely small. The physique is most times rectangular or linear. This gives them that straight up and down appearance. It is very difficult for Ectomorphs to gain weight. This will be true of both fat and muscle. These are the people that have been skinny all of their life. This is due to an extremely high metabolism. They can eat basically anything and never gain weight or get fat.

Workout Tips:

  • Work out each muscle group once a week with heavy weights. Do two to three basic exercises for each body part.
  • For each exercise perform three to four sets, six to ten repetitions for each set.  Basic push-ups, squats, step-ups and rows work well.
  • Cardio should really be kept to a minimum as you want to use your calories to build more muscle.

Diet Tips:

  • Don’t skip meals and avoid junk food or anything that’s fried.
  • To build muscle mass you will need to eat a lot more than you would normally.
  • Eat complex carbohydrates like multi grain bread, rice, pasta, granola, and dried fruits. The key is to eat more calories than you burn.
  • Go with six small meals a day to keep fueling your muscles.
  • Eat one gram of protein for every pound you weigh.
  • Don’t let your fat intake go any higher than 30%.
  • Get plenty of rest, and make sure that your muscles stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

It is very important to remember, most people aren’t going to fall neatly into one of these categories. If it sounds like you’re more Endomorph than Ectomorph, follow the Endomorph guidelines and see how it works for you, you can always adjust as you need.