Ectomorph - profile characteristics. What diet, training and supplementation should ectomorphs use?

Somatotype, or type of body structure

American psychologist William H. Sheldon created in the '40s. XX century typology of somatotypes, that is, types of body structure, dividing them into three types depending on the intensity of the traits, namely the silhouettes, such as:

ectomorph,
mesomorph,
endomorph.

The somatotype of the human body structure is usually assessed using the Heath-Carter formula, which takes into account parameters such as body height, body weight, thickness of skin folds, arm and calf circumferences, and bone width.

Although the division of somatotypes was created for the needs of psychology, over time, began the combination of body typology with specific predispositions in the field of proper diet and training.

According to the theory, characterizing your own body structure can be helpful in choosing the right supplementation, as well as in diagnosing problems related to the lack of progress in the gym. Discovering your own body type can also help you achieve the desired training results.

Today, let's focus on one of three somatotypes, namely the ectomorphic type of figure. Who is an ectomorph and what property distinguish it?

Ectomorph - who is it?

An ectomorph is a person with an elongated and slim figure who usually has long limbs and narrow arms. It is characterized by accelerated metabolism, which makes ectomorphs often struggle with the problem of weight gain and give the impression of limp people. This is the type of person who is often said to be able to eat anything and still not gain weight.

Ectomorph features - what is the characteristic of ectomorph?

How to recognize an ectomorph? This somatotype can be recognized thanks to a slender figure, as well as thanks to features such as:

narrow hips,
narrowly spaced shoulders,
slim face and long neck,
narrow waist,
narrow hands and slender fingers,
flat and poorly muscled buttocks,
protruding shoulder blades,
flat and fine chest,
long and thin limbs,
ripped bones,
tiny wrists,
tendency to adopt a stooped body posture.

In addition, ectomorph is a person with accelerated metabolism and good intestinal peristalsis, which is distinguished by low levels of body fat. This is a type of figure, which is also associated with difficulties associated with gaining muscle mass.

Diet for ectomorph

Since ectomorph is the owner of a slim figure, which owes primarily to rapid metabolism, increasing body weight or muscle mass is a challenge for a person with this somatotype.

Therefore, the question "how to gain weight?" most often it sounds from the mouth of ectomorphs. However, it is not a good solution to base on fast food, processed food, sweets or salty snacks. Contrary to appearances, the ectomorph cannot afford more than others. Excess of unhealthy food in the diet of people with this type of figure can lead to abdominal obesity, that is, the deposition of adipose tissue within the abdomen, and as you know, visceral obesity is not beneficial to health, because, among others, it may increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases or type II diabetes. Therefore, although the diet for ectomorphs should be distinguished by an increased supply of calories, in the menu should appear high-energy, nutritionally dense and at the same time, healthy dishes and products.

Ectomorph diet - rules

The ectomorph diet should focus on building muscle mass, taking into account the appropriate supply of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Meals consumed by ectomorphs should be healthy, nutritionally dense and properly balanced, and the entire menu should be distinguished by increased caloric content. It is worth including cocktails, mousses and smoothies in the diet to easily increase energy intake during the day. A good solution may be to include in the menu also products such as protein-carbohydrate supplements.

In addition, the ectomorph should eat meals frequently, keeping in mind the regular and constant times of their consumption. Should be avoided snacking between meals. The ectomorph diet should be dominated by complex carbohydrates, the source of which is, for example, wholemeal pasta, brown rice or wholegrain bread, as well as high-protein products such as lean meat, fish, legumes and milk and dairy products. It is important not to forget also about healthy fats - the menu should include vegetable oils such as olive oil or rapeseed oil, as well as seeds (e.g. pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds). An extremely important element of the ectomorph diet are also vegetables and fruits, which provide the body with valuable vitamins and minerals.

The ectomorph should follow a diet with excess energy and strength training to increase muscle mass and develop a figure.

Training for ectomorph - how should ectomorph exercise to increase muscle mass?

Physical activity in the life of people with a slim body is also extremely important. In the case of ectomorph, training should be well deliberate - too many repetitions or training days in the exercise plan can contribute to the opposite effect.

The ectomorph should train according to the principle of high training loads and small amounts of repetitions in the series. Strength training, which takes into account the gradual increase in weights, is necessary to develop your dream muscle mass. During ectomorph exercises, it is worth using equipment such as barbells or dumbbells. In addition, it is important to thoroughly exercise and reduce cardio efforts in the training plan - aerobic effort can lead to the use of hard-earned muscle tissue for energy purposes and lead to the intensification of catabolic processes, and also for weight reduction.

During the week, the ectomorph should exercise 3-5 times, including 3-4 exercises for smaller muscle groups and 5-6 exercises for larger muscle groups in the training plan. A good solution among people with this type of figure can also be FBW training, which is a whole body training that activates all muscle groups during each training unit and takes into account complex exercises, also called multi-joint exercises.

Ectomorph training - exemplary exercises for ectomorphs

squats with barbell,
classic deadlift,
decline barbell bench press,
lifting the barbells sideways,
reverse barbell rowing,
seated overhead dumbbell press,
military press,
dumbbell rowing,
a walk of a farmer with a dumbbell on the side of body.

Ectomorph - regeneration

One of the advantages of ectomorphism in the context of shaping a muscular figure is the rapid regeneration of the body. Compared to other somatotypes, the ectomorph needs the least time to return to a state of full training readiness.

The ectomorph should take care of sleep hygiene, paying special attention to the duration of sleep and the quality of night rest. Too short sleep can negatively affect the hormonal balance, which among ectomorphs is often dysregulated. In addition, sleep and rest are excellent ways to calm the nervous system, which can protect the body from overload and the negative effects of intense exercise.

Dietary supplements, such as creatine monohydrate, may be helpful in the development of muscle mass, which may facilitate the increase of non-fat body mass.

Ectomorph supplementation

A training ectomorph, whose action is aimed at building muscle mass, should also pay attention to appropriate dietary supplements, which sometimes may be helpful in achieving the goal. What supplementation can make it easier for an ectomorph to increase muscle mass?

Due to the fact that the ectomorph is struggling with the difficulties associated with increasing body weight, and in addition has a rapid metabolism, the best dietary supplement for the training ectomorph seems to be creatine monohydrate, which can facilitate the growth of non-fat body mass, and in addition can promote the gradual increase of the load used during exercise.

In the case of ectomorph, it is also worth considering the inclusion of carbohydrate-protein supplements in the daily diet, e.g. gainers, which can provide the body with the right portion of calories, while not burdening the digestive system. In addition, gainers can help build muscle mass and achieve the desired goal.

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Natalia Goździak

Copywriter - nutritionist. Bachelor's degree in sports dietetics She graduated from the Academy of Physical Education in Poznan, while her master's degree in dietoprophylaxis and dietotherapy - from the University of Physical Education in Poznan. at UP in Poznań. However, she treats the principles of healthy eating primarily as valuable guidelines, rather than strict rules that must be strictly followed. Knowledge in the field of copywriting, on the other hand, she draws from courses and industry literature, but since the best way to learn is to practice. learning is practice, she spends many hours each day playing with words and creating new, unique content. content. Privately, she is passionate about photography and can't imagine life without books.