You’re likely an endomorph if you’re naturally podgy with a pear-shaped or round body. Building a lean, muscular physique is achievable with the right approach to the endomorph workout.
As a fitness expert with over three decades of experience, I’ve worked with countless endomorphs struggling to build lean muscle and shed fat.
In this comprehensive article, I’ll share my proven strategies for endomorphs to add lean muscle mass while stripping away unwanted body fat.
These tactics have helped my clients transform their physiques, and they can work for you too.
Understanding Somatotypes: Your Body Blueprint
Somatotypes, or body types, were first proposed in the 1940s by William H. Sheldon, Ph.D., MD.
As a trainer, I’ve found these classifications invaluable in creating tailored fitness programs:
- Ectomorphs: Naturally lean and struggle to gain weight.
- Mesomorphs: Athletic and respond well to training.
- Endomorphs: Tend to gain weight easily and have a harder time losing it.
Most people aren’t purely one type. You likely have a dominant type with characteristics of the others.
For example, Marilyn Monroe was an endomorph, but she maintained a shapely figure.
Overcoming Endomorph Challenges
Years of training endomorphs revealed these common hurdles:
- Difficulty managing weight
- Challenges in balancing muscle gain with fat loss
- Lower insulin sensitivity
The Insulin Factor
Insulin sensitivity crucially affects fat loss in endomorphs. Here’s why:
- Endomorphs typically need to release more insulin to process glucose.
- This leads to longer periods of suppressed fat oxidation.
- The result? An increased tendency to store fat.
The Endomorph Mindset: Overcoming Mental Hurdles
As a trainer, I’ve seen many endomorphs struggle with psychological challenges:
- Frustration with slow initial results
- Discouragement from past diet failures
- Negative body image
Strategies for Success:
- Focus on non-scale victories (e.g., improved energy, better-fitting clothes).
- Practice positive self-talk and visualization.
- Set realistic, achievable short-term goals.
- Celebrate small victories consistently.
Optimizing Caloric Intake for Endomorphs
Calorie balance is crucial for endomorphs. My approach is as follows:
- Calculate your maintenance calories using an online calorie calculator.
- Add 250-500 calories to your maintenance level.
- On workout days, aim for the higher end (e.g., 2,750 calories) on rest days, stick to the lower end (e.g., 2,500 calories).
Strategic Carbohydrate Consumption
- Limiting fast-acting carbs to control insulin release.
- Consuming carbs strategically: breakfast, pre- and post-workout.
- Aiming for 35% of total calories from carbs.
Protein: The Muscle-Building Foundation
Protein builds muscles. You need a constant supply of amino acids in your bloodstream. Set the goal of consuming 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
That means a 90-kilogram guy should take 144 grams of protein every day. You can use a combination of whole foods and supplements to meet your daily protein requirement.
Your body was designed to digest real food, so most of your protein should be in that form.
However, a protein shake per day can make things more convenient. Consume a fast-digesting whey isolate shake after your workout to get those amino acids directly to the target muscle.
Protein Guidelines:
- Consume 1.6g protein per kg body weight.
- Eat protein every 3 waking hours.
- Aim for 35% of total calories from protein.
Top Protein Recommendations:
- Eggs
- Whey Isolate
- Chicken
- Lean beef
- Tuna
Balancing Fat Intake
A 1/3 saturated, 1/3 monounsaturated, and 1/3 polyunsaturated fat breakup is recommended.
You can optimize your health, body composition, and performance by balancing your fat intake this way.
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Fat Intake Guidance:
- 30% of total calories from fat.
- Balance saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats equally.
Top Fat Sources:
- Walnuts
- Coconut Oil
- Avocado
- Salmon
- Whole eggs
Frequent, Smaller Meals: The Key to Metabolic Control
Eating small but frequent meals is considered better than eating three big meals. Eating irregularly makes you prone to eating more than required.
Avoid overeating by eating smaller, more frequent meals. Consuming smaller meals enables better control of insulin secretion.
A 400-calorie meal will also cause less insulin to be released than a 1,000-calorie feast, regardless of the macronutrient content.
Meal Frequency Tips:
- Eat 4-5 meals per day, each containing around 400 calories (adjust to meet your calorie goal).
- Better insulin control through frequent, smaller meals.
Endomorph-Optimized Weight Training
Endomorphs will find it easier to gain muscle mass than ectomorphs. However, they will also be more likely to gain some fat simultaneously.
So, though both endomorphs and ectomorphs should use similar exercises, the endomorph will get better results in terms of lean muscle gains with a higher rep scheme.
The emphasis should be on muscular endurance training rather than pure strength and hypertrophy.
Essential Exercises for Endomorphs
- Squat
- Deadlift
- Dumbbell bench press
- Pull-up
- Lunge
- Bent-over row
- Military press
- Alternate dumbbell curl
- Skullcrusher
Endomorph-Specific Workout Split
Workout A:
| Squat | 3 x 10-30 |
| Lunge | 3 x 10-30 |
| Deadlift | 3 x 10-30 |
| Military Press | 3 x 10-30 |
Workout B:
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 x 10-30 |
| Pull-Up | 3 x 10-30 |
| Bent-Over Row | 3 x 10-30 |
| Alternate Dumbbell Curl | 3 x 10-30 |
| Skullcrusher | 3 x 10-30 |
Perform each workout twice weekly, with at least 48 hours between sessions.
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5 Advanced Training Hacks for Endomorphs
Hack #1: Develop a Mind-Muscle Connection
Lift with laser-like concentration. First, develop a solid mind-muscle connection.
If you are doing squats, for example, concentrate on your thighs. Let nothing else matter.
Be in the moment. While engaging your brain with the body mechanics of the movement you are performing, you need to, at the same time, switch it off for the part that is trying to curtail your workout.
You know that part that is always attempting to interfere with your set with the following rationale:
- You’ll get injured
- Hurry up or you’ll miss that appointment
- Don’t overtrain
We all have that voice inside, and it’s always trying to get us to do less than we should. Never negotiate with it. Instead, do the opposite — tell yourself what you’re about to do is easy.
Hack #2: Lift Your Sternum
Many exercisers go into a lift with rounded shoulders and their backs hunched. This is a very immobile position. By lifting your sternum, you will be extending through the thoracic spine.
Think about bringing the sternum up, so it is level with the ground. Doing so will set your shoulder blades in the right spot for curling and overhead lifting.
Hack #3: Pull with Your Elbows
While doing a pulling exercise, such as the lat pull-down, don’t think about pulling with your hands.
If you do, you are likely to pull down using your wrists. To focus on your lats, you need to pull with your elbows.
When doing the lat pull-down, think of your hands simply as hooks and concentrate on pulling down with your elbows.
As a result, your elbows will move down and back beyond the level of your lats.
Hack #4: Brace Your Core
You must contract your core when performing exercises like the deadlift or military press.
To accomplish this, pull down your lats as the first cue. Imagine performing pull-downs with your arms straight.
Squeeze the chest now. This will give you trunk rigidity, helping you deadlift or perform overhead movements with more weight.
Squeeze your glutes as tightly as possible while at the top of the exercise (such as in the upright position of the deadlift).
You will attain a complete hip extension if you do this. Again, you’ll be more stable and able to lift more weight.
Hack #5: Squeeze the Bar
Whether you’re using a machine, a dumbbell, or a barbell, you should use a vice-like grip.
Squeeze your fists as hard as possible. Doing so will enable you to activate your stabilizer muscles.
When you squeeze the bar, the force will transmit up your arm. This makes it easier for you to perform an upper-body lift safely.
Cardio Workouts for Endomorphs
As an endomorph, you should get into the habit of performing some form of cardio exercise 5-6 times per week.
Doing so will help burn stored fat while increasing your heart’s ability to pump more blood.
This will also improve your oxygen uptake. Both these factors will improve your body’s fat-burning capability.
Workout Day Cardio
On your weight training days, you should do some form of low-intensity steady-state (LISS) cardio.
This will help to warm up your body before you hit the weights.
I recommend a 10-minute session on the treadmill or stationary bike. Perform your cardio at 60% of your maximum heart rate.
Rest Day Cardio
On your rest days, do a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session.
HIIT burns more calories in less time and keeps your metabolic rate elevated for up to 48 hours.
Here is a 15-minute HIIT cardio workout to perform on your rest days:
- 2 Minutes Warm-Up at 50% of Maximum Effort
- 1 Minute Sprint at 90% Effort
- 1 Minute Recover at 60% Effort
- Repeat 6 Times
- 2 Minutes Cool Down
HIIT Cardio Guidelines:
- Warm-up: 2 Minutes at 50% Max Effort
- Sprint: 1 Minute at 90% Max Effort
- Recover: 1 Minute at 60% Max Effort
- Repeat 6 Times
- Cool-down: 2 Minutes at 50% Max Effort
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Supplementing Your Endomorph Transformation
5 Must-Have Supplements for Endomorphs
- Whey Protein
- Creatine
- Beta-Alanine
- Green Tea Extract
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Conclusion
If you have an endomorph body type, you have the potential to achieve a lean, muscular physique. The key is to align your training, nutrition, and lifestyle with your genetic blueprint.
By adopting the strategies outlined in this article, you can transform your body and life. Remember, consistency and perseverance are your allies on this journey.
Train smart, eat right, and stay committed to your goals. You’ve got this!