Exercise Tips for Endomorphs

Building muscle and losing fat  

If you fall into the endomorph category you’ll have challenges that the ectomorphs and mesomorphs can’t relate to. While building muscle maybe easy, losing fat will probably be a life-long struggle. One of the misconceptions about weight training programs for endomorphs is that they should be composed of high rep sets – 15-20 or more. But this is based on false information. Doing higher reps will not somehow magically burn the fat away from any particular area. Only diet and cardio (and boosting the metabolism through weight training) can accomplish this. Endomorphs should perform a combination of isolation and compound exercise for 2 to 3 sets of medium reps – say in the 10 to 12 range. This range is beneficial for both building muscle as well as boosting metabolism (please see weight training programs for endomorphs for specific programs). Try to keep your rest intervals between sets down to 20 to 30 seconds. This will keep your heart rate elevated and provide a cardio effect as well. 

As losing fat will probably be your primary concern, cardio is a must. Start out with two to three 25 to 30 minute sessions per week and gradually increase it to 30 to 45 minute sessions at least four to five times per week. If you are carrying excessive weight, start out with a slow walk on a treadmill, or go for a slow to moderate ride on a cycle. Both will put less stress on your joints than one of the more challenging cardio machines such as the steppers or ellipticals. As time goes on you can either increase your pace on the treadmill or bike, or switch to the stepper or elliptical. Most people do a combination of both. 

Although it’s not a big deal, you may want to do your weight training before your cardio. The body primarily burns stored carbohydrate for the first 10 to 15 minutes of exercise and then switches to your fat reserves. So in a typical 30-minute cardio session, you’ll only be burning fat for the last 15 minutes or so. But if you start your workout with weight training, all your carbohydrate reserves will be used up. You’ll then start burning fat right from the beginning when you hop on the treadmill or cycle.  

By way of recap: 

Ø       Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10- to 12 reps for each weight training exercise 

Ø       To maximize building muscle incorporate a combination of isolation and compound exercises into your routine 

Ø       Only rest 20 to 30 seconds between sets 

Ø       Start out with two to three cardio sessions of 20 to 30 minutes and gradually increase to four to five, 30 to 45 minute sessions. 

Ø       For the first few weeks use the treadmill or cycles for your cardio 

Ø       Experiment with doing your weight training before your cardio exercise. You’ll still be building muscle but may find it easier for losing fat.