Body types and Training Differences

The Ectomorph Training:

The extreme ectomorph's first objective is gaining weight, preferably in

the form of quality muscle mass. He will not have the strength and endurance

for marathon training sessions, will find that muscle mass develops

very slowly, and will often have to force himself to eat enough to

ensure continued growth. Therefore, for the ectomorph I recommend:

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1. Include plenty of power moves for a program that builds maximum

mass. Yourprogram should tend toward heavy weight and low reps (in the

6- to 8-rep range after proper warm-up).

2. Learn to train intensely and make every set count. That way you

can keep your workouts relatively short and still make substantial gains

(perhaps 14 to 16 sets per major body part rather than 16 to 20). Make

sure to get enough rest between sets and give yourself enough time to recuperate

between workouts.

3. Pay careful attention to nutrition; take in more calories than you

are accustomed to, and if necessary, use weight-gain and protein drinks to

supplement your food intake.

4. Remember, you are trying to turn food energy into mass, so be careful

not to bum up too much energy with excessiveamounts of other activities

such as aerobics, running, swimming, and other sports. Some cardio

exercise is both desirable and necessary for good health, but anyone who

spends hours a day expending large amounts of physical energy outside the

gymwillhave a lot more trouble building muscle while in the gym.

The Mesomorph Training:

The mesomorph will find it relatively easy to build muscle mass, but will

have to be certain to include a sufficient variety of exercises in his program

so that the muscles develop proportionately and well shaped rather than

just thick and bulky. Therefore, for the mesomorph I recommend:

1. An emphasis on quality, detail, and isolation training, along with

the basic mass and power exercises.Youbuild muscle easily,soyou can begin

working on shape and separation right from the beginning.

2. Mesomorphs gain so easily that d1ey don't have to worry much

about conserving energy or overtraining. A standard workout of 16 to 20

sets per body part is fine, and you can train with as much or litde rest between

sets as suits you.

3. A balanced diet with plenty of protein which maintains a calorie

level that keeps the physique within 10 to 15 pounds of contest weight all

year long. No bulking up 30 to 40 pounds and then having to drop all of

that useless weight for competition.

The Endomorph Training:

Generally, the endomorph will not have too much difficulty building muscle,

but will have to be concerned with losing fat weight and then being

very careful with diet so as not to gain that weight back. Therefore, for the

endomorph I recommend:

1. A higher proportion of high-set, high-repetition training (no lower

than the 10- to 12-rep range), with very short rest periods so as to burn off

as much fat as possible. Doing a few extra sets of a few extra exercises

while you are trying to get lean is a good idea.

2. Additional aerobic exercise such as bicycle riding, running, or

some other calorie-consuming activity. Training in the gym burns calories,

but not as much as cardio exercise done on a continuous basis for 30 to 45

minutes or more at a time.

3. A low-calorie diet that contains the necessary nutritional balance

. Not zero anything, but the minimum amount of protein,

carbohydrates, and fats, with vitamin and mineral supplements to be certain

the body is not being deprived of any essential nutrients.