Training for Endomorphs

*See below

I was always the fat kid, the little chubby guy who waddled around. But I was always the strong kid. Wrestling and playing around with the other kids, I could toss around the other kids for fun. It wasn’t until high school that I grew, slimmed out and some muscle definition finally took place. For someone who took pride in being strong, I am quite happy that I was born an endomorph.
    Try taking your thumb and index finger, then wrapping it around your wrist. If you can’t do it, you’re likely to be on the endomorphic side of the spectrum.
    An endomorph is a somatotype that is described as having a wide and thick (but “stubby”) bone structure, especially the hips and shoulders. Also, they are prone to gain weight (fat and muscle) and be more “pear” shaped, when compared to an ectomorph or mesomorph. Their muscle is most efficient in strength and power related training as opposed to muscular endurance where ectomorphs shine. The biggest downside of this body type is the ability to lose fat. It’s is significantly harder for a endomorph to shed of excess pounds and increase muscle definition. Thus, giving endomorphs a softer look.
    Now it is rare to get a pure endomorph, as people are usually a combination of multiple of somatotypes,  but I will try to give a couple of tips on training as an endomorph.
    Dieting needs to be on lockdown if an endomorph wants to maximize muscle and minimize fat. Arnold once said that it doesn’t matter what you eat, as long as you eat a lot of it. This does not apply to a endomorph. A high protein, low fat diet is necessary to keep fat as low as possible. Try to cut out any unnecessary fats or unclean carbs, and if necessary don’t ingest too many carbs. If you check out my BMR article instead of bulking with a 1.5% increase,  try a 1.35%, even if you’re extremely active. The article can be found at:
http://t-y-blog.blogspot.com/2011/12/be-more-responsible-bmr.html
    Cardio. Cardio. Cardio. If you really want to get defined and keep body fat down, you will need to have cardio as a staple for your program, even during a bulk cycle. A solid 40 minute cardio session 3-5 times a week will be beneficial. If you really want to be define, stick to some HIIT sessions. Interval sprints have been shown to be the best when it comes to calories and eventual fat shedding. Don’t be worried about losing muscle, it shouldn’t be an issue for the average endomorph, unless you’re truly starving yourself.
    Hopefully if you follow these basics tips, you can keep the beer belly off and still be the king or queen of power and bulk in the gym. Two simple rules, clean diet (CLEAN) and cardio.

Any question or comments feel free to email me.

Tyler Pritchard
CanFit Pro Personal Training Specialist and endomorph
tylerrpritchard@gmail.com

*Image from: http://squiogue.wordpress.com/2008/09/22/ectomorph-mesomorph-endomorph/