What Is The Best Workout For An Endomorph?
What is the best workout for an endomorph? Endomorphs are at a disadvantage because their bodies carry more fat and resist most efforts to get rid of it. Here are some great workouts and foods to help you lose the fat!
The Question:
Endomorphs are at a disadvantage because their bodies carry more fat. In addition this extra fat seems to resist most efforts to get rid of it.
What is the best workout for an endomorph? Be specific.
How does an endomorph's workout differ from a mesomorph and ectomorph's workout?
What are some good foods for an endomorph?
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What Is An Endomorph?
An endomorph is an individual who has "a heavy rounded body build often with a marked tendency to become fat".1 In bodybuilding lingo - an endomorph is a person whose bulking period is marked by a large amount of fat gain in addition to muscle gain, and whose cutting period is marked by a long and difficult attempt at fat loss.
These trainees need to take extra care in planning their training and diet, as their tendency to gain fat compounds the challenges of bodybuilding.
What Is The Best Workout For An Endomorph?
Frequency
Endomorphic bodybuilders need to get their butts to the gym as often as they can without overtraining. Four days of weight training throughout the week will ensure that the afterburn increased metabolic response from each training session will spill over into all rest days.
One or two cardio days should also be included throughout the week. However, no matter if an endomorph is bulking or cutting, weight training should be the main focus. An increased amount of muscle mass will increase their base metabolic rate, thereby decreasing the chance of storing/holding onto fat cells.
Weight Training Should Be The Main Focus Of An Endomorph's Workout.
Here are a few sample week-long workout plans:
High Frequency - 6 Gym Days
- Day 1: Chest/Triceps
- Day 2: Back/Biceps
- Day 3: Cardio
- Day 4: Shoulders/Calves/Abs
- Day 5: Quads/Hams/Glutes
- Day 6: Cardio
- Day 7: Rest
Medium Frequency - 5 Gym Days
- Day 1: Chest
- Day 2: Back/Shoulders
- Day 3: Cardio
- Day 4: Rest
- Day 5: Biceps/Triceps
- Day 6: Legs
- Day 7: Rest
Low Frequency - 4 Gym Days
- Day 1: Chest/Back
- Day 2: Rest
- Day 3: Biceps/Triceps/Shoulders
- Day 4: Rest
- Day 5: Legs
- Day 6: Cardio
- Day 7: Rest
Workout Content
The exercises that an endomorph selects for their workouts need to be compound, high-intensity exercises. Exercises with the maximum amount of muscle recruitment, such as squats, increase potent muscle-building hormones significantly. Plan your workout around these basic movements, with isolation exercises after stabilizer muscles have been exhausted.
Some good, high muscular recruitment exercise selections for each body part:
Chest:
- Bench Press (Incline, Decline, Dumbbells)
Back:
- Deadlift
- Bent-Over Barbell Row
Legs:
- Squats
- Leg Press
Biceps:
- Barbell Curl
- Preacher Curl
Triceps:
- Weighted Bench Dips
- Skull Crushers
Shoulders:
- Dumbbell Overhead Press
- Military Press
Abs:
- Weighted Hanging Leg Raise
- Cable Crunch
Keep the set range to 12-20 sets (3-5 sets per exercise), depending on your intensity level and ability to recover. I am a big fan of going to failure, but don't abuse the technique. Pick a weight that allows you to fail at 8-12 reps (the "magic rep range").
After each workout, hit your cardio machine of choice (preferably the treadmill - that fat-burning king) and crank out 15-30 minutes of cardio. After weight training, your muscles will be depleted of their preferred energy source (glycogen) and start consuming adipose body tissue for energy. Opt for interval training (2 minutes slow, 1 minute fast, etc), as this type of training has been shown to elicit the greatest hormonal response.2
How Does An Endomorph's Workout Differ From Other Body Types?
An endomorph's workout should not differ greatly from those who gain muscle easily without significant fat gain. People of all body types should be pushing themselves to the limit and performing no more than 20 sets per body part, to reduce the risk of overtraining.
People Of All Body Types Should Be Pushing Themselves To The Limit.
The only difference should be the added cardio at the end of an endomorph's workout - mesomorphs and ectomorphs do not need to complete this cardio, as their bodies naturally don't store fat readily.
What Are Some Good Foods For An Endomorph?
Carbohydrates
- Whole Grain Breads
- Pasta (contrary to popular belief, even white flour pasta has a low Glycemic Index value - nearly all varieties have a Glycemic Index under 50. Remember that the GI value rises with increased cooking time, however, so order your pasta al dente - that is, slightly firm).
- Yams (not sweet potatoes, which possess a slightly higher GI value (59 to yams' 37) due to a high maltose content3).
- Beans
- Fruits (usually an excellent source of fructose, which primarily replenishes liver glycogen. Don't go overboard, though - the liver can only store about 100g of glycogen4 , and excess will spill over into adipose body tissue).
- Brown / Wild Rice
Protein
- Protein powders (specifically whey & casein - soy protein is known for its heart-protecting benefits, but may increase estrogen levels5).
- Eggs (opt for the whole egg, which has a higher biological value than just the egg white6).
- Poultry
- Lean beef (think flank, round, and loin)
- Pork (specifically tenderloin)
Fats
- Monosaturated Fat: shown to be beneficial in [promoting muscle-building] hormone levels7 (good sources: macadamia nuts, avocados, olive oil)
- Polysaturated Fat: great for overall health. Include the superpower omega-3 fatty acids (good sources: walnuts, fatty fish, flax seed/oil)
- Saturated: do NOT be afraid of saturated fat - it beats even monosaturated fats in [normal] testosterone [support]7. Consume about 20% of your daily fat total from saturated fat sources (good sources: egg yolks, beef, coconut oil - which is an amazing source of medium chain triglycerides)
Conclusion
Remember, don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate results. Your body stores fat more readily, so you will need to make up for that drawback with intensity, consistency, and commitment. Good luck, and happy training!
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