The Ectomorph Body Type Explained
Understand The Ectomorph Physique, How to Train & Eat.
The Ectomorph Physical Characteristics
People with Ectomorph body types are tall and have a thin build. Such people have long limbs, small joints, and thinner bones. This is a body type that you find mostly on the covers and pages of fashion magazines. Some famous people with Ectomorph bodies are Bradley Cooper, Mathew McConaughey, and Toby McGuire. Due to their tall stature, people with Ectomorph body type appears thin, but they have higher body fat than you can imagine. People with this body type have a tough time putting on muscle mass because their metabolism works at a higher rate than other body types. Due to this characteristic feature, the Ectomorph body type is often called “hard gainers” in the fitness world.
Diet – Under The Ectomorph Metabolism
Due to their fast metabolism, Ectomorph body type is both a curse and a blessing. It keeps them lean and gives the impression that they can eat whatever they want without getting fat. But eventually, with age, their metabolism slows down and this leads to many complications including an unhealthy gain of body fat. When it comes to diet, Ectomorphs should look for a diet rich in carbohydrates and calories. The majority of the calories for Ectomorphs should come from carbohydrates and the rest should come from proteins and fat. To maintain their body mass, Ectomorphs should eat every few hours. To gain weight, they should add at least 500 additional calories to their diet.
This may sound yummy to many but the key to a healthy lifestyle is to eat right. Just because you have an Ectomorph body type doesn’t mean you stuff your body with unhealthy junk food. Prefer snacks that are nutrient-rich such as nut butter. For Ectomorph body type, it is recommended to choose a warm meal over a cold meal for better digestion.
How To Train For an Ectomorph Body Type
Ectomorph body type should pay important attention to the pre-workout and post-workout nutrition. At least half an hour before working out, they should eat or drink fast-acting carbohydrates along with proteins. It is important for people with this body type to stay hydrated before and during the workout. If your workout session lasts for more than an hour make sure to consume some carb in between the exercises to keep your energy levels up to the mark. Post-workout, make sure to consume your meal within an hour of the workout session. This meal should be highly rich in carbohydrates with protein in the ratio of 3:1 or 4:1. This is very important to repair the damaged muscle fibers post-workout. It will also replenish the glycogen levels in your body that were consumed during the workout.
When it comes to muscle building, people with Ectomorph body types are at a disadvantage. Only with a dedicated training and nutrition plan, they will achieve their dream body. Ectomorphs whether they want to become a body-builder or build a healthy lean body will get benefit from consistent weight training. Due to their lean physique, Ectomorphs naturally excel at cardio. They have an edge over other body types in endurance-related activities. This is why most people with Ectomorph body type prefer cardio training over weight training. It is important for Ectomorphs to understand that the key to muscle gaining is to do minimum cardio and maximum weight and strength training.
