How to Train For Your Body Type?

There are three general categories of Male & Female body types: Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph

Although there are three clear body types, it’s important to be aware that these aren’t set in stone. Most people share the characteristics of two body types, such as a mix of Mesomorph and Endomorph where you gain muscle quickly but also put on weight easily if you relax your diet. Or the dream combo: a muscular mesomorph who can strip fat rapidly from just a couple of HIIT workouts. If that’s you, try not to rub it in everyone’s face.

Below you’ll find everything you need to know to identify your own body type – or mixture of types – and learn what you should be doing in the gym, where you might be going wrong, what moves make the biggest difference. At the very least, you’ll better understand why your body is the shape it is and know how to get the best out of your genetic make-up.

Ectomorph Body Type

Ectomorphs are good at processing carbohydrates into energy and your fast metabolism means that you burn off fat easily. The downside is that you struggle to bulk up because your fast-twitch fibers are underdeveloped. To become more muscular, you need to keep cardio sessions to a minimum and focus on intense workouts using compound exercises to maximize growth hormone release. 

Mesomorph Body Type

You have the body type that finds it easiest to add new muscle and you don’t tend to store much body fat. Mesomorphs tend to take their naturally athletic builds for granted, which can result in diluted workouts and poor diets. Keeping in peak physical condition is often tempered by a scattered approach to eating and training. The key here is to make the most of your body shape. That means following a progressive plan that will make you stronger and more athletic by increasing your power without getting too bulky.

Endomorph Body Type

Endomorphs are adept at storing fuel, with muscle and fat concentrated in the lower body. The endomorph is the hardest body type to have in terms of managing your weight and overall fitness, but to get a more balanced physique, you should focus on developing your shoulders and stripping away excess fat from your lower body. A low- to medium-intensity cardio plan will help you shift fat.

Ectomorph Training

Strength Training with limited Cardio is best for Ectomorphs, and it is recommend to use simple routines with heavy compound movements and minimal isolation movements per muscle group. Since strength training also burns calories. You can incorporate a shock technique day using super-sets.

Rest time should be kept between 2-3 minutes as much as possible. Take at least 1 rest day in between the last lifting day, and the optional super-set day.

Mesomorph Training

Mesomorphs are naturally strong and respond quickly to exercise. Multiple weekly resistance training sessions using moderate to heavy weights with limited rest between sets, help mesomorphs build size. Do upper and lower body compound exercises using two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions each, resting between 30 and 90 seconds after each set.

Endomorph Training

When it comes to training, Endomorphs find it very easy to gain weight. Unfortunately, a large portion of this weight is fat and not muscle. To keep fat gain to a minimum, Endomorphs must always train using cardio as well as weights. Endomorphic bodybuilders need to get their butts to the gym as often as they can without overtraining. Around four days of weight training throughout the week will ensure that the "after burn" increased metabolic response from each training session will then spill over into taken rest days. Include cardio into each workout, and no matter if an Endomorph is bulking or cutting, weight training should be the main focus. An increased amount of muscle mass will increase their base metabolic rate, decreasing their chances of storing/holding onto fat.