We are not all the same when it comes to muscle hypertrophy. The difference lies in the speed of our metabolism. The faster, the faster the ingested calories are burned. Keep in mind that regardless of morphotype, everyone has the opportunity to progress in bodybuilding by adapting their diet.
Ectomorph body type.
An ectomorph person is slim, has a fine bone structure and long muscles. Their metabolism is very fast, this means that gaining muscle is more difficult than for other individuals. The advantage of this morph in bodybuilding is that the bodybuilder does not need to do fat burning exercises to achieve good muscle definition. By simply reducing your calorie intake below your daily caloric expenditure, your body will naturally have needs. You will have no choice but to go directly to your fat reserves.
Actually this morphotype is not beneficial in bodybuilding but in endurance sports. The body already consumes a significant amount of calories to maintain the subject’s current weight. To build your muscles, you need to eat a lot and regularly to exceed your resting caloric needs. A snack every 3 hours is perfect. You should also consume carbohydrates and fats! If your body is lacking in these nutrients, your protein will play the energy role and you can kiss your muscle growth goodbye.
It is not because you are an ectomorph that you will not progress in bodybuilding. This morph has advantages that mesomorphs do not have, such as flexibility or innate muscle definition. You will progress as you eat more calories. As for training, an ectomorph is more exposed to overtraining because his joints are more fragile but also because this body is difficult to satisfy. Ectomorphs must get enough sleep; The recovery phase should not be taken lightly!
Mesomorph body type.
This type of morphology is perfectly suited for bodybuilding. A mesomorphic person has broad shoulders and a sculpted chest. His joints are stronger than those of the ectomorph and his bones are thicker. Therefore, handling heavy loads is not a problem. Generally a mesomorphic individual has a little excess fat and good muscle mass without doing sports. This muscle mass is an advantage when starting bodybuilding because it opens the door to more complete physical exercises such as dips or squats.
The metabolism of the mesomorphic individual is set at the correct speed. This means that there is a good balance between the calories provided by food and the calories burned by the body. Therefore, the mesomorphic individual can choose to grow or lose weight based on their calorie intake. Knowing that you have the ability to play with your weight, you can gain muscle while staying lean. However, be careful not to consume too many carbohydrates so you don’t gain weight unnecessarily.
As for training, mesomorphic bodybuilders can perform more intense training because they are not as exposed to overtraining as ectomorphic bodybuilders. However, they did not have the flexibility of the latter.
endomorph body type
Endomorphic people are covered with apparent fat. His bone structure is heavy and his resting heart rate is low. An endomorphic individual must not forget to work on their resistance in parallel with bodybuilding to limit the risk of cardiovascular problems. The heart is a muscle and should not be overlooked!
The metabolism of endomorphic individuals is slow and therefore promotes weight gain. They are predisposed to gain muscle thanks to their constant nutritional excess, but also fat. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the intake of carbohydrates and fats without reducing the intake of protein. In an endomorphic individual, the amino acids present in the blood are many and have not found their usefulness. A workout can damage the fibers of a muscle group. Amino acids are then used to regenerate these fibers and increase muscle volume. The amount of protein used to repair muscles will not be stored as fat. In other words, practicing bodybuilding gives a new destination to proteins and prevents them from gaining weight (increased metabolic activity).
Doing long sets can work on body fat and promote weight loss. It’s best to do 3-4 long sets at 60% RM before starting short sets at 70% RM. Consider doing cardio exercises in addition to muscle exercises.