TRAINING FOR YOUR BODY-TYPE

TOPIC: How Can You Design A Workout According To Your Body Type?

Hate it or love it, specific body types are a reality that has a serious impact on your training regimen. They can be a useful tool, but for many people, it can actually be a tough barrier to overcome.
Take for example the proverbial "Skinny Sticks and Bones" guy who can't even gain an ounce of muscle no matter what training routine he is attempting. In this case, it takes serious dedication and hard work to overcome this obstacle.
Then, there are the people who seem to just be gifted, adding on muscle with greater ease despite eating burgers n fries everyday, and seemingly not to gain much fat. Yes there are body types that are empowering, allowing you to train with greater intensity, frequency, and all the while adding on muscle and strength easier.
As you might know the three main body types are the Ectomorph, Endomorph, and Mesomorph. However you should note that not everyone is JUST one body type. There are mixes of a few body types. For example you can be in-between an Ectomorph and Mesomorph, or an Endomorph and a Mesomorph. You have to look in the mirror and see what kind of body type you are, and this will help:
1. The Ectomorph:
This is a common body type which is characterized by a thin build with relatively little muscle and fat as well. Persons with this body type have a very tough time gaining any kind of weight, muscle or fat. Also, for most cases this body type is not able to take a high amount of athletic/training stress (i.e. Heavy amounts of weight training, cardio etc.).
The only real advantage to this body type is the minimal fat gain that one will experience while trying to put on muscle because for most cases this body type has a very high metabolism.


2. The Endomorph:
This is the opposite of the Ectomorph, that is a body type which is more large and rounded body. Usually the fat levels are high but these people do carry quite a bit more muscle than the Ectomorphs.
The Endomorph usually has trouble losing weight, particularly fat. However they have an easier time gaining muscle as well as fat which is a downside. Most people in this type have a slow metabolism, hence their high body fat percentage.
3. The Mesomorph:
This is the best of both worlds. These people are very athletic and are characterized by a muscular frame with relatively low amounts of body fat. They don't have much trouble losing fat and at the same time they can gain muscle easily. They too like the Ectomorph have a higher metabolism that lets keep their fat levels in check.
Before I get into the workouts let me say this - It is possible to change your body type. However here's the catch: It takes tremendous amounts of work. For example an Ectomorph with consistent training and good meal planning can become a Mesomorph.
I'm sure you've seen it, the skinny freshman who leaves grade 12 as a muscle beast. Or more commonly the overweight and obese people who have achieved a fat loss resolution. So keep in mind, you're not "stuck" in your body type forever.

Workout Design
How Can You Design A Workout According To Your Body Type? Be Specific.

When designing a workout for your body type there are a few main points that you have to consider which I will list in each category. If you don't keep these things in mind, your workout regime may be counterproductive.


Training For The Endomorph:

Let me just say, if you're an Endomorph, weight training will be a lot easier. That is, if your main goal is weight training. First of all, Endomorphs have the ability to put on muscle fast, but this also comes at the expense of fat gain.
Secondly, they are also generally more suited to the stresses of weight lifting since it is anaerobic in nature. Endomorph's are not as well suited to aerobic activity since it requires more endurance.
Since many Endomorph's are carrying around extra weight in the form of fat, they have low endurance. Therefore they don't really have too many disadvantages going for them when talking about weight training. Even so there are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Endomorphs Can Start Off Weight Lifting At Higher Intensities
That's right, Endomorph's usually have decent muscle mass covered by fat, and their bodies are more suited for the strenuous weight training. Because of this, these types can usually start off at higher intensities without risking overtraining.
Just keep in mind that just because you have this advantage doesn't mean you can attempt the most grueling and advanced bodybuilding workout there is. Like everyone, you have to train your recovery systems and muscles to BETTER handle the stress weight lifting. But if your just beginning, you should start off slow. Just to get your muscles used to the weight lifting.
Once you notice your not as sore after your workouts, then increase the intensity and experiment a LITTLE bit with some techniques such as going to failure, drop sets, supersets, trisets, rest pause training etc. Just don't go overboard.
2. The Key To Achieving A Good Physique Is Dropping Fat And Preserving Muscle
Because this is a bodybuilding site, I will talk about training in terms of that. I'm assuming most people in this body type are wanting to lose fat and achieve a good physique. Well then the key is losing that fat while preserving as much muscle as possible. There are a few ways to do this
HIIT or high intensity interval training is the best way to preserve as much muscle as possible. As you might know, cardiovascular activity is catabolic, meaning it burns muscle.
The thing with HIIT is that it is relatively short and high intensity, about 15 -20 minutes max. Therefore, very little muscle is burned. Also because it is high intensity, its burns more net calories than long 30-60 minute runs which a lot of people do when trying to lose fat.
HIIT Articles:
What Is The Best HIIT Workout? - A Workout Of The Week
Spring Training - High Intensity Intervals. - By Dave Draper
High Intensity Interval Training! - By Jeremy Lapro
To do HIIT you pick an exercise such as sprints. After you warm up you start off with doing 1 sprint for 20-30 seconds. This is followed by 1 minute of medium paced running. You repeat this until you have done 12-15 intervals or about 15-20 minutes worth of cardio.
Lifting weights while doing muscle is actually a great way to burn more calories to hasten the time you are spending in weight loss. This helps in two ways. First off all it actually burns more calories than cardio, OVER a longer period of time (A couple days). This will help you get through your fat loss stage quicker.
The less time you are in the fat loss stage, the less muscle you will lose. Also it keeps your muscles working, so right when your finished you weight loss program, you can immediately begin a higher intensity weight lifting program without having to start off slowly.
Here is a way to fit in your HIIT cardio with your weight program:
Monday - Legs, lower back
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Chest, triceps - HIIT cardio after the workout or spaced a couple hours away from workout
Thursday - Back, biceps, traps - HIIT after workout or spaced a couple of hours from workout
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Shoulders, abs, wrists - HIIT after workout or spaced a couple hours after workout
Sunday - HIIT cardio
The goal here is HIIT at least 3-4 times per week as well as weight sessions. However there are a few main things you should consider:
Never do cardio before weights. This is a bad combo. The thing is cardio will use up your glycogen stores. Therefore when it comes time to workout, you will have limited energy resulting in a compromised workout. You might lose fat but your workouts will suffer a great deal.
Rather, if you have to do cardio and weights on the same day try spacing them out as far as possible. So, doing weights in the morning and cardio in the late afternoon or vice versa. Just allow for enough time to recover.
Another option is doing cardio right after weights. This has an advantage of burning more fat. The reason is because your glycogen stores are all used up, so therefore your body looks to your fat to burn as energy. Keep in mind though weights take a lot out of the body. So your cardio might suffer just a little bit.
The last thing you should never do is cardio and leg workouts on the same day. I've tried this and it does not work. You feel terribly wobbly, unbalanced, and your legs tire extremely fast. Try spacing cardio as far away from leg workouts as possible, because doing cardio on super sore legs sucks.
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Training For The Ectomorph:

This is probably the hardest training program to design. I don't want to discourage these people but there aren't a whole lot of things going your way if this is your body type, so yes you will have to be patient and train hard. So let's look at what we have to consider for the Ectomorph:
Very hard pressed to gain weight, in this case muscle
This body type is not "Tailored" for high frequency weight training
This body type does not fare well in high intensity weight training
Excessive intensity or frequency in weight training is likely to result in overtraining. In other words, it is much easier for this body type to develop the overtraining syndrome.
Looking at those points, it paints an ugly picture. To gain muscle, it's quite obvious that you must workout with intensity and frequency. But this body type is not good at handling any of those! Therefore these are a few key points you have to keep in mind when designing a workout:
1. The Key Is Starting Off Slowly:
The key to training an Ectomorph is starting off slowly as much of a pain as this seems. Trying to increase intensity and frequency faster won't work, you'll end up either being overtrained, burned out mentally, or frustrated.
As a matter of fact overtraining might even result in reduced muscle mass and strength. Plus each time you do not succeed it lowers your confidence about being able to gain some decent muscle. Also do not add more sets than necessary for your workout. Doing so will not increase gains. Each progressive set decreases in intensity since you get more fatigued, therefore
2. When Starting Off, Keep It Simple:
If you're starting off, then keep it simple. I can remember how many times I've said this but complicated programs don't mean they are "Good". If you over complicate things then you're more likely to make mistakes and try the wrong training methods.
3. Keep Workouts Under One Hour:
This helps an Ectomorph in two ways. First of all it prevents overtraining which is a very important factor. Training over one hour increases the chances of overtraining since it taxes the recovery systems so much and adds unnecessary stress to the body.
Secondly, 30-45 minute workouts are more intensive since more is being done in less time. For example if I had 20 sets to do, and I did them in 30 minutes as oppose to one hour, that 30 minute training session will be more intensive. This will in turn help better promote muscular hypertrophy.
4. Changing The Exercises:
Changing the exercises is another key point to increase hypertrophy. If you keep the same workout for over 2 months, it is likely your body will adapt to those exercises. In this case you will hit a plateau and all your hard work will be in vain because you won't be making nearly as much progress as when you initially started.
5. Consistency:
Keep a consistent schedule. This is probably one of the best things you can do to increase your likelihood of gaining more muscle. If you keep missing workouts, then you will never train your body to handle the stress of weights.
In essence, you won't ever be able to handle the higher intensities of more advanced and better programs. As well, if you keep missing workouts, you won't be training your recovery systems. This is important if you're trying to increase your workout frequency without overtraining.
6. Form, Form, Form:
Ok, this requires that you let ego go. Even if it means your curling 8 points to keep good form and technique. The thing is Ectomorphs are generally weak and have little muscle mass. Therefore, if you load up the weight and start curling and arching your back like a bridge, you're WAY more likely to get injuries and muscular problems down the road. Weaker muscles have a greater chance of getting injured, you should already know that.
Sample Program:
Here's a sample program to get you all started:
So here is what the program will help you do:
Progressively increase your body's tolerance to weight training
Progressively increase your body's recovery rate (Doing this will help you increase workout frequency)
Initiate strength and muscle gains.
The program will consist of:
12 week plan which is divided into three stages
Each stage increases in intensity and frequency
Short 30-45 minute workouts. The longer the workout, the more likely overtraining will occur. Also shorter workouts promote muscular hypertrophy.
Weeks 1-4:
Between each set rest a maximum of 1 minute. Try to shoot for 30-45 seconds if you can.
The intensity in each set should be such that after each set your muscles feel quite fatigued. So on a scale of 1-10 (10 being failure) you should be at about 6-7.
Do not go to failure each and EVERY set. However it is acceptable to perform till failure on a FEW occasionally sets. Ectomorphs aren't designed for real heavy training yet. Also do not try techniques like drop sets, rest pause training, eccentrics etc. This is an easy route to overtraining if your body isn't prepared for it.
Training Split:
Monday - Legs, lower back
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday - Shoulders, abdominals
Friday
Saturday - Chest, upper back
Sunday
* Quick Note: You might be saying, where is the workout for the arms? I recently learned less than 5% of your muscle is in your arms. For the Ectomorph were trying to gain as much muscle as possible without increasing workout frequency too much.
Does it really make sense to add in another workout just for your arms, which has less than 5% of your total muscle? If you're an Ectomorph trying to gain muscle, I'm assuming you're not a professional bodybuilder, therefore workouts for the arms aren't terribly important. Beside, your arms will be worked when you do chest, back, and shoulders. I've seen people with fantastic results who don't have a separate workout for their arms.
Monday - Legs, Lower Back
Barbell squats - 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Leg press - 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Dumbbell lunges 2 sets x 8-12 reps
Single legged calf raises 2 sets x 8-12 reps
Good mornings 2 sets x 8-12 reps
Back extensions 2 sets x 8-12 reps
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Monday.
Thursday - Shoulders, Abdominals
Shoulder press 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Lateral raises 2 sets x 8-12 reps
Bent over lateral raises 2 sets x 8-12 reps
Weighted decline crunch 3 sets x 12 reps
Decline reverse crunch 3 sets x 12 reps
Plate/dumbbell twist 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Thursday.
Saturday - Chest, Upper Back
Barbell bench press 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Dips 2 sets x At least 6 - Get assistance if needed
Cable crossover 2 sets x 8-12 reps
Chin ups 2 sets x 6-12 reps (If you cannot do these then switch to bent over two arm long bar row 2 sets x 8-12 reps)
One arm dumbbell rows 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Seated row 2 sets x 8-12 reps
Behind the back shrugs 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Saturday.
Weeks 5-6
Like before try resting 30-45 seconds to try to keep workouts at 30-45 minutes.
Intensity should be increased from the first stage. Now your muscles should be even more fatigued after each set. On scale of 1-10 your muscles should feel 7-8 or 7-9 (10 being failure).
At this point you should be trying to go to failure on more sets than before. This will increase the intensity for more muscular hypertrophy. Just don't do it on every single set. Also if you do not feel your ready, then don't do them.
Training Split:
Monday - Legs
Tuesday
Wednesday - Shoulders, Traps
Thursday
Friday - Lower Back, Abdominals
Saturday - Chest, Upper Back
Sunday
Monday - Legs, Lower Back
Wide legged barbell squats - 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Deadlifts - 3 sets x 8-12 reps (Use lighter weight to get the motion and technique correct first)
Dumbbell lunges 2 sets x 8-12 reps
Single legged calf raises 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Seated calf raises 2-3 sets x 8-12 reps
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Monday.
Wednesday - Shoulders, Traps
Arnold dumbbell bench press 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Standing low pulley lateral (Deltoid) raise 3 sets x 8-12 reps
External rotation 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Dumbbell shrug 3 sets x 12 reps
Barbell upright row 2 sets x 12 reps
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Wednesday.
Friday - Lower Back, Abdominals
Stiff legged dumbbell deadlift 4 sets x 12 reps
Cable crunch 3 sets x 12 reps
Flat bench lying leg raise 3 sets x 12 reps
Dumbbell side bends 3 sets x 12 reps
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Friday.
Saturday - Chest, Upper Back
Incline dumbbell bench press 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Dumbbell flyes 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Wide grip pushups (With plate on back if needed) 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Narrow grip chin ups 3 sets x At least 6 - Get assistance if needed
Wide grip lat pull down 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Bent over dumbbell row OR incline bench pull 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Saturday.
Weeks 9-12:
30-45 second rests are a must
30-45 minute workouts are the standard
At this point you will have been training for 2 months. Given you've been following the program CONSISTANTLY and training hard it is time to once again time to increase the intensity. Going to failure should be a regular thing 1-2 times per 3 sets. Just not every set.
You can also start experimenting with techniques such as supersets, drop sets, rest pause training to increase intensity. But use these sparingly, never on every set. Even experienced weight lifters would overtrain if they used these techniques for every set. In the following workout I have included some possible techniques to use.
Also because you've been training for 2 months and can take more weight lifting frequency and intensity, it's time to add in some arm workouts. The thing I said before about arm workouts it not being necessary is because someone with an Ectomorphic body type just starting to lift doesn't need to spend time on a separate workout for the arms which contains less than 5% of your total muscle mass.
As you get more experienced, arm workouts become more important to get muscular arms. Even so, I have met a select few who still insist they don't need to workout their arms (They just rely on back and chest workouts). If that doesn't work for you then don't do it, but if you don't include arms and get fantastic gains and you like it that way, then keep doing it.
Training Split:
Monday - Legs, Lower Back
Tuesday
Wednesday - Chest, Triceps
Thursday - Back, Biceps, Traps
Friday
Saturday - Shoulders, Abs, Wrists
Sunday
Monday - Legs, Lower Back:
Narrow stance barbell squats 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Hack squats or lunges 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Barbell deadlifts 3 sets x 8-12 reps
One legged calf raises 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Calf raises on calf raise machine or leg press machine 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Good mornings 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Monday.
Wednesday - Chest, Triceps
Wide grip bench press 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Incline dumbbell flyes 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Cable crossover 2-3 sets x 8-12 reps (Drop sets on the last 2 sets are optional)
Close grip bench press 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Skull crushers OR parallel dips 2-3 sets x 8-12 reps
Single arm reverse grip pushdowns 2-3 sets x 8-12 reps (Drop sets on the last two sets are optional)
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Wednesday.
Thursday - Back, Biceps, Traps
Wide grip chin ups 3 sets x 6-12 reps
One arm dumbbell rows 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Wide grip seated row (Done with lat pull down bar) 3 sets x 8-12 reps (Drop sets on the last two sets are optional)
EZ bar close grip bicep curls 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Incline inner biceps curl 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Cable hammer curls with rope attachment 2-3 sets x 8-12 reps (Drop sets on the last two sets are optional)
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Thursday.
Saturday - Shoulders, Abs, Wrists
Triset for all heads of shoulder
Barbell military press 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Lateral raises 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Lying Rear Delt Row 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Weighted sit ups 3 sets x 12 reps
Knee / Hip Raise On Parallel Bars 3 sets x 12 reps (Use weight if needed)
Russian twist 3 sets x 12 reps (Use weight if needed)
Superset For Wrists
Wrist roller 3 sets x 12 reps
Standing palms up barbell behind the back wrist curl 3 sets x 12 reps
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Training For The Mesomorph:

This is the best body type to be in. Most people in this category have been weight lifting for quite some time or are either involved in sports that require great physical exertion, not including the pure endurance sports such as marathon running.
Lets look at the advantages the Mesomorph's have:
1.Their bodies are actually designed for the stress of weight lifting.
2.They can handle high intensities very well.
3.They can handle high frequency training well because they have good recovery systems, this is most likely because of the fact that they are advanced lifters or athletes.
4.Their bodies are physically stronger and therefore less prone to injury. Because of this they can attempt advanced programs.
From here the only place to go is up, and to be honest, it would be pointless to have a sample workout schedule. First of all, there are millions of options and I don't want to limit your possibilities. The thing is you have to decide what kind of workout is best suited to you.
For example there are thousands of different kinds of workout programs you can attempt:
1.High frequency training
2.Hypertrophy specific training
3.Max-OT training
4.German Volume Training
5.Mark Riptoe Program
6.Vince Gironda 8x8
7.Mike Mentzer Heavy Duty HIT Program
8.S.A.I.S Mass Building Routine
9.3x3 Training
10.Abbreviated Training:
11.Bulgarian Training
12.Dual Factor Hypertrophy Training (DFHT)
13.Pendulum Training
These are just a few of the THOUSANDS of programs that exist out there. There are probably a few that you will just love and some that you will just hate. It's just a matter of finding the correct programs for YOU and tweaking them to suit your own needs.
Given all these kinds of workouts. There are still just a few things to keep in mind when choosing your workout program:
1. High Intensity Is A Must:
One article by Lee Labrada said if your not going to failure on every set, your not training hard enough. While I don't agree with this, it does have a point. The main thing you should get from this is, your muscles should be very tired after each set.
If you can do 2 more reps, then you're not pushing yourself. Unless otherwise specified by the training program, you should be going close, or at failure on nearly every set.
2. Weight Lifting Techniques Will Boost Your Progress:
Techniques such as drop sets, rest pause training, eccentrics, forced reps, burns, negatives, supersets, etc are very important. Most advanced trainees will use at least one or a couple of these techniques. They are great to boost intensity and overload your muscles to a greater extent. The more stress your muscles are under, the more they will become stronger and grow to respond to that extra stress.


3. Changing Workout Styles, Reps, Exercises, And Speed Of Reps Is Essential:
Firstly changing your exercises is probably the most important of all. This ensures your body doesn't adapt to the exercises. If your body does adapt, it won't get as good of a workout from that exercise, and your progress plummets.
Changing the reps is second most important in two ways. First of all it prevents your body from adapting to a certain rep range and more importantly it works different muscle fibers. If all the different muscle fibers are worked, it provides greater muscular growth, rather than if you just worked one muscle fiber.
The speed of reps isn't really essential to change, but it will help you change your workout so your body is always being challenged and making progress. For example, some repetitions you can perform fast and others you can go fast up and slow down, or just the whole rep slow.
Experiment with different speeds to see which gives you good progress. Milos Sarcev is an advocate of this kind of training.


Lastly changing the workout style is an important point you should consider. For example if you just did hypertrophy specific training, you will get bored of that kind of training. Also your body can get used to it very easy if that's all you've been doing for a year. Different workout programs challenge and exert the body in different ways that will increase your progress and make your body more physically able.