The Ectomorph, Endomorph and Mesomorph There are three different physiques that the human body can be classified into.
They are the ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph.
The ectomorph is a slim body type that contains little body fat and muscle.
A person with this body type will have a hard time building muscle.
The endomorph is a round body type.
People with this body type usually have trouble losing weight, but gain muscle easily.
The mesomorph is a muscular body.
A mesomorph gains or loses weight pretty easily.
They are also able to build muscle quickly.
The Hardgainer The majority of people who lift weights have an ectomorphic body type.
Another word that you often here when discussing ectomorphs, is "hardgainer".
A hard gainer is someone that can't seem to make any gains despite working out as hard as they can for 6 weeks or more.
I Think I'm A Hardgainer.
What Should I do? For hard gainers to make progress, it is necessary for them to change their diet and workout plan.
The diet should consist of 50% carbs, 25 % proteins and 25% good fats.
The number of calories being taken in must outweigh the number of calories being burned in order to gain weight.
The rule of thumb for hardgainers is to take in 12-24 calories per pound of total body weight.
This should all be split into 5-8 meals a day.
Workouts should be kept under an hour and thirty minutes.
This is because testosterone levels and growth hormones begin to drop after an hour and thirty minutes of strenuous muscle activity.
The general rep range for gaining mass is 3-4 sets per exercise of 8-10 repetitions.
There should also be no more than 90 seconds of rest between sets.
This is to increase the intensity level of workouts.
There should also be very little cardiovascular exercise done.
This is to lessen the number of calories being burned.
By following these guidelines you are taking the first step to building more muscle.