THE_GAME
Elite Member
Bodytype Workout
Match your training to your bodytype for maximum gains
By Jimmy Pena, MS,CSCS
Lift weights and get big? If only it were that simple! Bodybuilding is an inexact science, where students play scientist by experimenting on themselves, tinkering here and there with the training and dietary variables to achieve optimum results. Some labor hours each day in the gym, lifting heavy weights for set after set, while others with speedy metabolisms can usually get out in half the time -- and have their cake and eat it, too. What's responsible for such a wide variety of training and nutritional strategies that still lead to success as a bodybuilder? Genetics.
But you already knew that. What you may not know are some of the specific strategies you can use to accelerate your progress. As in metamorphosis. Whether you were born a little on the chubby end (and putting on mass was never a problem) or you're a wiry hardgainer (who seems unable to pack on anything at all), you'll need to make some adjustments in your workouts to suit your individual genetics.
First, let's recap. The true ectomorph is lean and thin with low levels of both bodyfat and lean muscle tissue. The ectomorph has a fast metabolism, which makes it very difficult to gain muscle. On the other end of the spectrum, the endomorph has a big, wide bone structure and a slower metabolism. For this person, gaining weight is easy but losing fat isn't, so actually seeing muscle gains is difficult. Finally, there are those genetically gifted mesomorphs. For the true mesomorph, muscle gains come relatively easy as opposed to the other two bodytypes. These individuals usually make the best bodybuilders and have a relatively easy time shedding unwanted bodyfat. But that doesn't mean they can coast.
The Ectomorph
Ectomorphs have very high metabolic rates, making it very difficult for them to gain both muscle and strength. This is a very frustrating situation for many people. As six-time Ms. Olympia Cory Everson points out, "The trouble that the ectomorph faces with gaining weight is just as important to him or her as it is to an obese person who's trying to lose unwanted weight."
Because the ectomorph faces a greater challenge than does the mesomorph in gaining muscle, it's important for the ectomorph to be patient with muscle gains when resistance training, says Brett A. Dolezal, PhD, director of the Center for Resistance Training Research at North Dakota State University, Fargo. "Body mass gains will be relatively slow, no more than about 1-2 pounds per week [at peak]," says Dolezal. Putting on weight any faster will result in an increase in bodyfat. Dolezal notes that you can't expect to continue putting on weight at that rate for more than just a few months, optimally. For the long haul, he says that weight gain should likely occur at an even slower rate, to guarantee that most of the gain is muscle.
"In terms of a resistance-training program, ectomorphs should adhere to the typical hypertrophy phase of training; that is, the 8-12-rep max range," says Dolezal. "The key to maximizing anabolic hormone release and subsequent muscle gain is to train with higher volumes and moderate loads."
IFBB pro Milos Sarcev takes a slightly different view. He believes in training to stimulate all types of muscle fibers, whether or not you demonstrate characteristics of predominantly one particular bodytype. That means, says Milos, training a muscle using very low-repetition sets (using a weight that allows you to do six reps max), then changing the angle or exercise and using moderate-repetition sets (10RM), and again changing the angle and using high-repetition sets (15 reps minimum), all on the same muscle in the same workout. "That way, you're sure to cover all your bases," says Milos.
His approach is based on the fact that not all skeletal muscle fibers are identical. The processes by which muscle fibers produce the energy necessary for contraction differ from one fiber to another, and the ability of a fiber to produce energy influences its resistance to fatigue. Thus, what Milos prescribes is to train to stimulate as many different muscle fibers as possible using different repetition levels because certain fibers will respond better in those specific ranges.
Where Dolezal, Sarcev and Everson come together is their belief that the ectomorph should limit high-intensity cardiovascular work. Cory advises: "Maybe 20 minutes, three days per week instead of every day. They might do low-intensity aerobics like walking or riding the stationary bike."
Along with cutting down on prolonged intense cardio, Cory also stresses slowing down the training pace in the gym. "Take lots of rest, up to a minute and a half," she recommends.
Finally, ectomorphs should stick to the basic mass-building movements that hit major muscle groups and deep muscle fibers. Squats, presses and deadlifts work many major muscle groups at once, providing a keen muscle-building stimulus. Isolation-type exercises, on the other hand, don't provide that. (You'll still need to do some, for muscle groups like calves and arms.)
Don't get discouraged if your gains come slowly; just start making more adjustments in your training and dietary programs that relate to your bodytype. Be patient and watch out for overtraining, because doing more will certainly yield less.
Exercises
*Do basic compound movements like the bench press, squat and row for deep fiber stimulation.
*Avoid isolation exercises (cable crossover, leg extension) that work smaller amounts of muscle mass.
Sets & Reps
*Do up to about 10 sets for larger bodyparts; 6-8 for smaller. More sets burn more calories; go intense for just a few.
*Don't take your warm-up sets to failure.
*Do a wide range of reps but focus on the 6-10 range, which is optimum for putting on size.
Intensity
*Fewer reps means going heavy. That's a high-intensity workout.
*Rest a little longer so you're thoroughly recuperated between sets for heavier lifting. Take up to a minute and a half between sets for smaller muscle groups to as much as 4-5 for something like heavy squats.
*With a training partner, try forced reps to shock your body into growth, but only on your heavy sets, and don't overdo them.
Frequency
*With high-intensity training, you'll get sore. Train that bodypart again only after muscle soreness has disappeared.
*Train each bodypart once per week. Again, burning too many calories by adding more workouts is counterproductive.
*Get lots of rest between workout sessions.
*Try to maintain some variety in your workouts by doing something slightly different each day (go a little heavier, add reps, try an advanced training technique, etc.).
Cardio
*Too much aerobic activity will hinder your muscle gains. That includes your activities both in and out of the gym.
*Use light walking or biking for your aerobic needs just a couple of days per week. Keep those sessions within reason.
Match your training to your bodytype for maximum gains
By Jimmy Pena, MS,CSCS
Lift weights and get big? If only it were that simple! Bodybuilding is an inexact science, where students play scientist by experimenting on themselves, tinkering here and there with the training and dietary variables to achieve optimum results. Some labor hours each day in the gym, lifting heavy weights for set after set, while others with speedy metabolisms can usually get out in half the time -- and have their cake and eat it, too. What's responsible for such a wide variety of training and nutritional strategies that still lead to success as a bodybuilder? Genetics.
But you already knew that. What you may not know are some of the specific strategies you can use to accelerate your progress. As in metamorphosis. Whether you were born a little on the chubby end (and putting on mass was never a problem) or you're a wiry hardgainer (who seems unable to pack on anything at all), you'll need to make some adjustments in your workouts to suit your individual genetics.
First, let's recap. The true ectomorph is lean and thin with low levels of both bodyfat and lean muscle tissue. The ectomorph has a fast metabolism, which makes it very difficult to gain muscle. On the other end of the spectrum, the endomorph has a big, wide bone structure and a slower metabolism. For this person, gaining weight is easy but losing fat isn't, so actually seeing muscle gains is difficult. Finally, there are those genetically gifted mesomorphs. For the true mesomorph, muscle gains come relatively easy as opposed to the other two bodytypes. These individuals usually make the best bodybuilders and have a relatively easy time shedding unwanted bodyfat. But that doesn't mean they can coast.
The Ectomorph
Ectomorphs have very high metabolic rates, making it very difficult for them to gain both muscle and strength. This is a very frustrating situation for many people. As six-time Ms. Olympia Cory Everson points out, "The trouble that the ectomorph faces with gaining weight is just as important to him or her as it is to an obese person who's trying to lose unwanted weight."
Because the ectomorph faces a greater challenge than does the mesomorph in gaining muscle, it's important for the ectomorph to be patient with muscle gains when resistance training, says Brett A. Dolezal, PhD, director of the Center for Resistance Training Research at North Dakota State University, Fargo. "Body mass gains will be relatively slow, no more than about 1-2 pounds per week [at peak]," says Dolezal. Putting on weight any faster will result in an increase in bodyfat. Dolezal notes that you can't expect to continue putting on weight at that rate for more than just a few months, optimally. For the long haul, he says that weight gain should likely occur at an even slower rate, to guarantee that most of the gain is muscle.
"In terms of a resistance-training program, ectomorphs should adhere to the typical hypertrophy phase of training; that is, the 8-12-rep max range," says Dolezal. "The key to maximizing anabolic hormone release and subsequent muscle gain is to train with higher volumes and moderate loads."
IFBB pro Milos Sarcev takes a slightly different view. He believes in training to stimulate all types of muscle fibers, whether or not you demonstrate characteristics of predominantly one particular bodytype. That means, says Milos, training a muscle using very low-repetition sets (using a weight that allows you to do six reps max), then changing the angle or exercise and using moderate-repetition sets (10RM), and again changing the angle and using high-repetition sets (15 reps minimum), all on the same muscle in the same workout. "That way, you're sure to cover all your bases," says Milos.
His approach is based on the fact that not all skeletal muscle fibers are identical. The processes by which muscle fibers produce the energy necessary for contraction differ from one fiber to another, and the ability of a fiber to produce energy influences its resistance to fatigue. Thus, what Milos prescribes is to train to stimulate as many different muscle fibers as possible using different repetition levels because certain fibers will respond better in those specific ranges.
Where Dolezal, Sarcev and Everson come together is their belief that the ectomorph should limit high-intensity cardiovascular work. Cory advises: "Maybe 20 minutes, three days per week instead of every day. They might do low-intensity aerobics like walking or riding the stationary bike."
Along with cutting down on prolonged intense cardio, Cory also stresses slowing down the training pace in the gym. "Take lots of rest, up to a minute and a half," she recommends.
Finally, ectomorphs should stick to the basic mass-building movements that hit major muscle groups and deep muscle fibers. Squats, presses and deadlifts work many major muscle groups at once, providing a keen muscle-building stimulus. Isolation-type exercises, on the other hand, don't provide that. (You'll still need to do some, for muscle groups like calves and arms.)
Don't get discouraged if your gains come slowly; just start making more adjustments in your training and dietary programs that relate to your bodytype. Be patient and watch out for overtraining, because doing more will certainly yield less.
Exercises
*Do basic compound movements like the bench press, squat and row for deep fiber stimulation.
*Avoid isolation exercises (cable crossover, leg extension) that work smaller amounts of muscle mass.
Sets & Reps
*Do up to about 10 sets for larger bodyparts; 6-8 for smaller. More sets burn more calories; go intense for just a few.
*Don't take your warm-up sets to failure.
*Do a wide range of reps but focus on the 6-10 range, which is optimum for putting on size.
Intensity
*Fewer reps means going heavy. That's a high-intensity workout.
*Rest a little longer so you're thoroughly recuperated between sets for heavier lifting. Take up to a minute and a half between sets for smaller muscle groups to as much as 4-5 for something like heavy squats.
*With a training partner, try forced reps to shock your body into growth, but only on your heavy sets, and don't overdo them.
Frequency
*With high-intensity training, you'll get sore. Train that bodypart again only after muscle soreness has disappeared.
*Train each bodypart once per week. Again, burning too many calories by adding more workouts is counterproductive.
*Get lots of rest between workout sessions.
*Try to maintain some variety in your workouts by doing something slightly different each day (go a little heavier, add reps, try an advanced training technique, etc.).
Cardio
*Too much aerobic activity will hinder your muscle gains. That includes your activities both in and out of the gym.
*Use light walking or biking for your aerobic needs just a couple of days per week. Keep those sessions within reason.
