by Karen Lirio

Any sound eating plan, and well prepared training program, can help you achieve your goals. But if you really want to up the ante then training for your specific Body Type can give you the edge. Below are the basics, but this is definitely something that you should consult an exercise professional on if you want to give it a go 

Ectomorph (Ruler Shaped)

Characteristics: Fragile, thin, flat chested, delicately built, young in appearance, tall, lightly muscled, stoop-shouldered, large brain, trouble gaining weight, with slow muscle growth.

Weight Training: Heavy (4-10 reps) and slow (1-2 mins rest between sets). Preferably free weights. Short sessions with a long recovery between them. Compound movements are preferable; isolated only to finish. Females generally tolerate endurance training better than weight training.
Cardio: Little to none. If required use high tension cycling, incline walking, running, jogging, steppers or stair climbers.
Nutrition: Complete, frequent & healthy meals, snacks and drinks. More carbohydrates, and more frequently than the other body types. Replace some of the protein in a High Protein Diet with carbohydrates. Include as many carbohydrates as required to stop weight loss.

Mesomorph (Hourglass Shaped)
Characteristics: Athletic, hard and muscular. Very mature appearance, rectangular shaped, thick skinned, upright posture, gains and loses weight easily, grows muscle quickly.

Weight Training: Moderate to heavy (8-15 reps) at a moderate pace (45-90 sec rest). Explosive movements. Super Sets, Compound Sets, & Giant Sets can produce significant gains. Long sessions, done often. Avoid overtraining with rest, recovery and variety. Females can cycle between 12-15 reps and 25 reps, using both compound and isolated exercises.

Cardio: Needed to control fat gains. 30mins, 3 times per week. Moderate to high intensity. Use interval training, rather than steady state sessions, to avoid muscle loss. High speed cycling and brisk walking suit females.

Nutrition: Clean & nutritious food, high in protein. Avoid weight fluctuations to ensure muscle gain & retention.

Endomorph (Pear, Apple or Spoon Shaped)
Characteristics: Soft Body, flabby, underdeveloped muscles, round shaped, over-developed digestive system, trouble losing, weight, gains muscle fairly easily.

Weight Training: Moderate (12-20 reps) and fast (30-60sec rest). Circuit Training, Super Sets and Compound Sets are beneficial for enhancing the metabolism. Pear shaped females need more cardiovascular training than weight training, which can be as little as 3 times per week for the whole body. Pear shaped females can be trained with moderate to heavy compound weights for the upper body and light, circuit style or high repetition training for the lower body.

Cardio: Often and regular. At least 30-40 mins, 5 times per week. Pear shaped females should do 45-60mins of steady state and interval training as often as their fitness level allows; everyday and more than once per day if possible. Walking & running on flat ground is ideal.

Nutrition: Low in carbohydrates and high in protein, Low enough in calories to encourage fat utilisation. Small, frequent meals.