Call or Chat now! Everything you want to know about our top-rated Study Programs are just a call or click away. Do you look more like a marathon runner than a swimmer? Would you describe yourself as long and lean, willowy or wiry? Is it difficult for you to put on muscle mass? If you said, "yes" to any of these questions, then you most likely have an ectomorph body type.
Models who grace the covers and pages of most fashion magazine tend to have an ectomorph body type. In addition to being tall, they have a thin build, long limbs, small joints and thin bones. Many are flat chested and don't have much junk in the trunk. Although they appear skinny, they can actually have higher body fat than one might expect.
Ectomorphs have a difficult time putting on muscle mass because their metabolism has a tendency to run higher than other body types. Ectomorphs have a fast metabolism, which is both a blessing and a curse. A high metabolism makes is easy to get lean, and it can seem as if they can eat whatever they want and not gain weight. However, with age, their metabolisms will slow down, primarily due to low muscle mass, which can result in an unhealthy gain in body fat.
The best diet for an ectomorph is one that is higher in carbohydrates and calories. Approximately 50 to 60 percent of calories should come from carbs, 25 percent from protein and 25 percent from fat. The key is to still eat a healthy, balanced diet rich in nutrients. Just because you have an ectomorph body type, doesn't mean you should use that as an excuse to eat everything, including junk food.
About 30 to 60 minutes before a workout, make sure to eat or drink a fast-digesting carbohydrate and some protein, such as fruit or toast with almond butter and jam. These nutrients will help keep you energized throughout your workout.
If your exercise lasts less than 60 minutes, hydrate with water. Your post-workout meal should be consumed 30 to 60 minutes after your workout. That means, by the time you complete your eighth rep, you are incapable of completing a ninth rep due to muscle failure or fatigue.
That is a good thing! The tension being put on the muscle from the weight is optimal within that rep range. Whereas, if you notice yourself completing your eighth rep with enough strength to pump out a few more reps, that is a sign that you need to increase the weight. Simple as that! Cardiovascular activity has amazing benefits for heart health among a long list of other benefits.
Among these benefits include an increased metabolic rate , which means an easier time maintaining your weight or losing weight as the case may be. My point exactly! Ectomorphs have a relatively more efficient metabolism and are at a disadvantage when it comes to adding size because of that. Therefore, proceed to engage in cardio, but do so sparingly. Stick to the simplest forms such as walking, jogging, or playing your favorite sport.
Again, and I cannot stress this enough: you need to stay in a positive energy balance. And cardio will make it harder to do so. Limit each cardio session to 20 minute intervals while maintaining a low intensity throughout. This balance will provide all of the essential benefits cardiovascular activities have to offer without compromising muscle growth.
Making time for sleep is one of the most underrated factors in developing a healthy body composition or gaining muscle. It is easy to become anxious for gains that you try to do everything at once, leaving no time for friends, family, and most important… sleep!
Sleep is vital because during your sleep, muscle recovery is at its most efficient. Without adequate sleep, your body will break muscle down faster than it can repair. When you adopt a diet and exercise plan, consider adopting a resting plan as well. Make time for at least hours of sleep each night where your body can properly recover from your workouts. For all of you busy ectomorphs who chose to skim this article and jump straight to the good stuff in the conclusion, here is a summary of the most important points all ectomorphs should remember:.
It is important to understand that no matter which body type you have, you can achieve any fitness goal you set your mind to.
The negative stigma associated with a certain body type only exists if we create it for ourselves. All body types will have its advantages and its disadvantages; what separates us is our will and our discipline to put forth the proper planning and positive mindset needed to succeed.
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Black Friday???? Schedule your demo before Dec 2! Excellent for us ectomorphs, more penny for you buck! It is also important to eat lots of fresh fruit and veg. In the UK the government recommends we eat 5 portions of fresh fruit or vegetables a day. Seeing as you will be eating more than the standard portion of 3 meals a day, I would recommend you try to double that.
Fruits and vegetables are essentially carbohydrates so add them to your total. They also provide anti-oxidants to keep you fit and healthy. This may look odd but remember, you are a ectomorph your nutritional requirements are not the same as the average bodybuilder. In order to determine exactly how many calories you need, you can also try to take your weight in lbs and multiply it by 17 to For example, a lb man would do the calculation of:.
These figures will depends on you activity level during the day but they can be used as a starting point. If after a week you have gained no weight, increase your calories by or Here is a sample diet including some supplements. The supplements are exactly that, items which supplement your diet.
Remember, you need to eat to grow big. Used effectively they can help but by no means are they the be all and end all of gaining muscle. This diet is just a sample of what has worked best for me. Feel free to change any of the meals round to meet your own macronutrient profiles. Make sure however, your post and pre-workout supplements remain the same.
I recommend you write down everything you eat. This can be difficult at first especially finding the calories in a large potato or a portion of rice but Bodybuilding. This method gives you a base from which you can add and remove calories from your diet, based on your needs. Learn more as he shares his knowledge View all articles by this author.
The fundamentals behind gaining weight are simple. Eat more calories than your body burns off. Meal 1. Protein Shake. Flaxseed Oil. Meal 2. Scrambled Eggs. Oat Bran. Meal 3. Large portion. Meal 4.
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