If It Fits Your Somatotype (Bodytype) - IIFYS - Ectomorph, Mesomorph, Endomorph

What's your bodytype?

ECTOMORPH - what we called "skinny" or the typical hardgainer in muscle parlance.

* delicate build

* long, thin arms and legs

* fast metabolism

* little bodyfat

* takes longer to build muscle

Bulking For Ectomorphs: So You Think You're A Hardgainer? By Derek Charlebois

 

MESOMORPH - what we called "cocky" or the lucky mofo who looks at weights and gets muscle.

* rectangular shape in men, hourglass in women

* naturally muscular

* minimal bodyfat

* can easily gain or lose weight

* builds muscle quickly

Bulking For Mesomorphs: Gain Lean Body Mass! By Derek Charlebois

 

ENDOMORPH - what we called "big boned" or the dude who gains muscle but an equal amount of fat.

* round shape and softer overall

* short, full arms and legs that taper to slim wrists and ankles

* slow metabolism, difficulty losing weight

* great deal of bodyfat

* builds muscle easily

Bulking For Endomorphs: Gain Lean Body Mass! By Derek Charlebois


These are not written in stone since you could be ecto-meso or endo-meso or some weird combination inbetween.

According to Arnold Schwarzenegger:

"Ectomorphs should use lower volume (2-3 sets per exercise), more weight and fewer reps (5-8), and should minimize cardio, in addition to increasing overall food intake, especially protein.

Endomorphs should perform more sets (3-4 per exercise) and higher reps (10-15), with cardio receiving high priority and caloric intake moderated.

Mesomorphs can stick to 3-4 sets per exercise, with reps falling in the middle, at around 8-10. Cardio is also suggested, as mesomorphs typically aren't as lean as ectomorphs."

According to Men's Heatlh each bodytype should consider the sport that they are participating in:

Ectomorph                  Mesomorph               Endomorph
---------                            ---------                     ---------
Cycling                          Sprinting                  Walking
Basketball                      Cycling                     Cycling
Long-distance                Football                    Swimming
  running                        Ice hockey                Alpine skiing
Nordic skiing                 All skiing                 Basketball
High jump                     Basketball                 Ice hockey
Pole vault                      Track events             Ice hockey
Tennis                           Windsurfing              Rowing
Volleyball                      Racquetball              Football
Weight training              Baseball
                                       Weight training

According to The Summer Stud transformation. by Karen Orsi in Muscle and Body magazine here are the two month eating plans for each bodytype.

Body Type	Month 1	Month 2
Ectomorph	20 cal/pound	22 cal/pound
Mesomorph	18 cal/pound	19.5 cal/pound
Endomorph	15 cal/pound	16 cal/pound

Here are the macronutrient breakdowns for the first two months.
Body Type	Month 1	Month 2
Ectomorph	35% protein, 40% carbs, 25% healthy fats	37% protein, 38% carbs, 25% healthy fats
Mesomorph	35% protein, 35% carbs, 30% healthy fats	37% protein, 33% carbs, 30% healthy fats
Endomorph	40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% healthy fats	42% protein, 28% carbs, 30% healthy fats

Sources:
Mello, Lori. "A tale of bodytypes: expert advice on tailoring your training to suit your genetics. (Women's Training)." Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness Aug. 2002: 200+. Military and Intelligence Database Collection. Web. 6 Dec. 2012.

McGlashan, Lara. "Appetite for construction: are you a hardgainer? Take a seat at our mass-building round-table expert nutritional advice. (Nutrition)." Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness Oct. 2002: 96+.

Stoppani, Jim, and Mark Thorpe. "The hardgainer's supplement guide: getting big despite your genes may seem impossible, but we're about to rewrite your genetic code." Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness Dec. 2007: 118+.

Mannie, Ken. "Hard facts on hard gainers: a coach's guide to genetic endowment." Coach and Athletic Director Aug. 2010: 10+.

LIFT FOR TOUR BODY. Hyson, Sean. Men's Fitness, Sep2010, Vol. 26 Issue 7, p29-29.

Schwarzenegger, Arnold. "A dip in the gene pool: don't let genetics get in the way of building a great physique." Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness Nov. 2003: 214. Military and Intelligence Database Collection. Web. 6 Dec. 2012.

Berg, Michael, and Jim Stoppani. "The 5 in 5 gain plan: FLEX has a plan to help you pack on five pounds of lean muscle mass in five weeks. You in?" Flex Mar. 2008: 146+. Popular Magazines. Web. 6 Dec. 2012.

Custom bodywork.(cover story) Zinczenko, David Men's Health (10544836), Jul/Aug93, Vol. 8 Issue 5, p40