IT’S IN YOUR GENES
IDENTIFY YOUR BODY TYPE TO MAXIMISE YOUR POTENTIAL
The idea that human body types are genetically pre-set is nothing new. Plato mentioned it in e Republic (380BC), and 19thcentury philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche referred to the idea in e Antichrist years before the American psychologist William Sheldon popularised three broad ‘categories’ of body in the 1940s.
Since then, it has become widely recognised that most people have a body type that marks them as either an endomorph (big with high body fat), an ectomorph (lean) or a mesomorph (muscular). Over the past decade, science has discovered more about the genetics behind it all – and what you can do about it. Read on to discover how you can get results, whatever your genes.
ENDOMORPH
ARE YOU THE TYPE?
If you have trouble shifting weight, the chances are you’re an endomorph, characterised by a relatively high amount of stored fat, a wide waist and large bone structure.
WHAT’S GOING ON?
e good news is that, evolutionarily speaking, you’re a badass: when food was scarce, natural selection favoured humans with fat-storing metabolisms. e bad news is that now sofas and milkshakes are readily available, those genes are scuppering you. Some experts suggest heredity accounts for up to 70 per cent of your BMI.
WHAT YOU MIGHT BE DOING WRONG
First, the good bit: if it’s not your bag, there’s no need to spend hours plodding away on a treadmill.
“e rst thing I tell people trying to lose weight is to ditch the long, slow, steadystate cardiovascular work,” says trainer Will Purdue. “en I’ll get them doing more interval-based conditioning to strip away fat. Sprints and box jumps are great, but if you’re heavy to the point of being worried about your joints, then moves like the sled push are slower but just as intense.”
And if you’re doing hundreds of crunches to try and shift your gut, stop. “Spot-reducing fat just doesn’t work,” says PT Mark Hughes. “You need to lose it all over to see results around your waistline.”
WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING
“Combine hypertrophy work with conditioning to strip away unwanted body fat,” says Purdue. “If you’ve got the time, a four-day split is an e ective strategy.” Also incorporate two or three short, sharp cardio sessions – like the four-minute Tabata workout on p81 – to speed up the fat- ghting process.
WHAT TO EAT
You’ll have to watch what you eat more strictly than people with other body shapes. “Get most of your carbohydrates from vegetables,” says Purdue, “and steer clear of too many simple carbs (white bread etc.).”
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WHAT ELSE?
“ere’s evidence that extra weight around the midsection indicates high stress levels,” says Purdue. “So try to get plenty of sleep and avoiding overtraining.”
Go easy on the ‘sports drinks’, too. “ey’re full of carbs and they’ll spike your blood sugar through the roof, adds Purdue.”
MONEY MOVES
“Get used to using your body,” says Purdue. “Press-ups and pull-ups are obvious choices, and moves that re up your whole body – like the Turkish get-up – are worth a spot in your weekly routine.”
THERE’S NO NEED TO SPEND HOURS PLODDING AWAY ON THE TREADMILL”
IF YOU’RE A MESOMORPH, YOU’VE HIT THE GENETIC JACKPOT, BUT YOU CAN STILL MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR DNA WITH SOME TACTICAL TRAINING”
MESOMORPH
ARE YOU THE TYPE?
If you are, you’ll know it from the jealous looks. Mesomorphs look well built without setting foot in a gym, and pack on muscle the instant they pick up a dumbbell. If that sounds like you, you’ve hit the genetic jackpot – but you can make the most of your DNA with some tactical workout tricks.
WHAT’S GOING ON?
It’s all to do with satellite cell-mediated myonuclear addition – or, in layman’s terms, the number of cells surrounding your muscle bres and your ability to add more by training. In one study of 66 people, the top 17 ‘responders’ experienced a 58 per cent gain in muscle cross-sectional area, while the bottom 17 gained nothing. If you’re a good responder you’ve got a head start, but losing fat and training e ciently can work wonders.
WHAT YOU MIGHT BE DOING WRONG
“Mesomorphs often won’t train as hard as they can,” says Hughes. “I usually give them timed workouts, to give them goals to aim for and raise their workout intensity.”
WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING
“Standard strength training will work for mesomorphs, but I also get them to train athletically,” says Purdue. “So I might do sprints, box and vertical jumps or other plyometrics. ey respond well to low reps and power moves. Alternatively, interval sprints will pump up their metabolism and strip away fat.”
WHAT TO EAT
Although the usual caveats apply, the good news is that your body will respond well to whatever healthy food you put into it. “You can eat a moderate amount of carbs,” says Hughes. “And err on the side of more when it comes to protein.”
WHAT ELSE?
“Mesomorphs respond well to creatine,” says Hughes. “It will aid their recovery from athletic workouts and help them work out harder.”
You should also factor in recovery days: “Although the explosive nature of athletic workouts minimises the eccentric [lowering] portion of your moves, which helps stave o muscle soreness, some light movements on your rest days will help keep you fresh.”
MONEY MOVES
“Your body will respond well to power moves,” says Purdue. “Try pairing a strength move with a power move that works the same muscles: deadlifts with power cleans, for example.”
ECTOMORPH ARE YOU THE TYPE?
You’ve got the build of a marathon runner: lean, but short on muscle. It can be hard to pack on size despite hours in the gym.
WHAT’S GOING ON?
e same research that’s so attering to mesomorphs shows that some individuals fail to respond to strength training. e worst ‘responders’ in the study mentioned previously saw no change in their regulation of myogenin – a key gene responsible for muscle growth – while others on the same programme saw theirs spike by 65 per cent.
WHAT YOU MIGHT BE DOING WRONG
“Ectomorphs often gravitate to long, slow distance work, but it’s the worst thing they can do if they want to change their physiques,” says Purdue.
Equally, while it may be tempting to pack your routine with classic bodybuilder moves, that would be another mistake: “I often see ectomorphs focusing on isolation moves, whereas big, compound movements such as the squat will involve more muscles and give you the hormonal boost that helps build muscle. Isolation moves can still be used, but only to supplement the big lifts.”
WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING
“Compound movements, sets in the 8-12 r“”ep range, and quite a lot of volume are what you’re looking for,” says Purdue.
Your training plan should include supersets, tri-sets, giant sets, drop sets and density sets – all excellent ways of keeping the volume high. Another option would be German volume training, which prescribes 10 sets of 10 reps in key moves such as the bench or squat. Try to stick to four workouts a week.
WHAT TO EAT
Good news: you don’t have to steer clear of carbs. “Ectomorphs respond well to carbohydrates, which spike blood sugar and help to drive protein to their muscles,” says Hughes. “Stick to the complex kind, such as sweet potatoes and brown rice.”
WHAT ELSE?
“It’s important for ectomorphs to use supplements properly,” says Hughes. “I’d advise a carb/protein shake before and during your workout, and either another one or a good meal after.”
MONEY MOVES
e deadlift is your best friend: it uses the entire body, so it’ll pack on mass. Although squats and benching will do wonders for your physique, taller ectomorphs might nd them di cult. “Your longer levers might give you trouble getting below parallel in the squat,” says Purdue. “at’s when I recommend the leg press.”