Today's Tip: Diet & Exercise Tips for Endomorph Body Types

So let's review...Endomorph body types have naturally broader and thicker builds, slower metabolic rates and sensitivities to insulin.  Remember, insulin sensitivity is a term used to describe people who require relatively normal or low levels of insulin to process glucose. Endomorphs tend to carry more fat and tend to be rounder in shape than mesomorphs or ectomorphs.  They have no trouble gaining weight - either muscle or fat - but often struggle with losing weight.  However! Endomorphs CAN change their body type and become leaner with the right diet, regular aerobic exercise and a strength training program that promotes fat loss and muscle growth. 

Exercise Tips
Losing body fat is typically the primary goal for this body type, and they tend to carry their excess fat in the abdominal and lower back region. Although they may have a more difficult time losing fat, when they engage in heavy strength training they can easily gain bulk. For many this is not a desired outcome, and thus it is recommended that endomorphs do more intensive cardio to lose fat.

 

Regular aerobic exercise is necessary to help burn excess body fat on an endomorph body frame. Beginners should start with 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity at least five days a week such as brisk walking.  In addition, beginner training for endomorphs should consists of whole body workouts that progressively move to split exercise routines. You should change up your training program often and hit abdominals at the start of each workout. Your goal is to increase metabolism while reducing body fat. When a basic 30-minute walk is no longer challenging, add intensity such as more vigorous walking, jogging/running, incline walking or lap swimming. The key is to continue to increase the intensity of your exercise or your body will get used to it and no longer respond to the activity.  Keep in mind that two minutes of moderate-intensity activity is equivalent to about one minute of vigorous-intensity activity. Your goal is to do long-distance, low-impact exercise to burn off extra fat and slim your hips.

In addition to aerobic exercise, endomorphs should strength train 3-4 times a week to help increase muscle tissue and elevate their overall metabolism.  Muscle tissue requires more energy to be sustained than fat tissue, thus building extra muscle tissue will help you burn more calories each day even when you are just sitting.

Most trainers advise endomorphs against using heavy weights. Instead, it is recommended that they use moderate weight with a higher number of reps - 12-20 - as opposed to the 10-15 recommended for the general population to reach failure. Do 2-3 exercises that target all the major muscle groups 3-4 sets. When training, they should minimize the period of rest in between sets to no more than 60 seconds. This will keep heart rate high enough to remain in a fat-burning zone. Additionally, performing more compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, pushups & pullups will increase the intensity of the workout and help burn more calories.

 

Diet Tips
Endomorphs benefit from a lower carbohydrate diet with an emphasis on healthy fats. Eating 25% complex carbohydrates, 35% protein and 40% healthy fats suits this body type and helps prevent fat storage. Endomorphs have the lowest carbohydrate tolerance and should only consume starchy (whole grain) and non-sugary carbohydrates after exercise to optimize fat loss.

One of the physiological mechanisms that cause endomorphs to gain fat easily is insulin sensitivity, and the best method to overcome insulin sensitivity is by controlling carbohydrate consumption: Limit starchy carbohydrate intake to either first thing in the morning or following a weight training session, when they are needed the most. Starchy carbohydrate sources include sweet potatoes, oatmeal, brown rice, whole-grain bread or pasta or fruit. Non-starchy vegetables are low in calories and are packed with vital nutrients and fiber. These carbohydrates can be consumed in unlimited amounts throughout the day. Good sources include spinach, green beans, broccoli, asparagus, peppers and onions. Total carbohydrate intake should be between 20 to 40 percent of your total daily calorie intake.

A balanced healthy diet is very important for the endomorph in order to keep metabolism raised and the appetite controlled. Therefore, eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day that are high in protein and non-fat foods. In order to help control overeating, eat slowly to allow your hunger mechanism to kick in (which takes about 20 minutes). Stop eating after one portion and avoid junk food and late night snacks. When you do require a snack, eat healthy low fat foods such as fruits, vegetables, non-fat yogurt, etc. You should also drink a lot of water which helps to maintain a high metabolism, increase calorie consumption and flush toxins from the body.

Many weight-loss diets advocate avoiding meat due to its fat content. The problem typically is, it's not fat but carbohydrates that are the main source of calories in your diet, and you need more healthy protein and fat. Meat is rich in protein & low in calories, with only four calories per gram, and it also has a natural appetite-suppressant effect. As an endomorph, you have a naturally large appetite, so this is particularly important.

There are advantages and disadvantages to all three body types.  Work with yours and its uniqueness, and enjoy the ride!