Endo-Meso Body Type Info

Last day at work tomorrow!! I'm a bit sad to leave all the members I've gotten close to but really excited to move on to a new season in my life. I know for sure I'll have move time and energy to keep up with SP.

Officially failing miserably at the 40-30-30 thing but I am not defeated especially after doing some research on my body type. Wouldn't you know that that ratio is supposedly perfect for my body type. Apparently (well kind of obviously really) I have a endo-meso body type and from what I'm reading it's actually pretty cool. Here are some portions of an article I read online at www.fitflex.com/body-typ
e-bodybuilding.html . Now I have to take some of this advice with a grain of salt because I think it is really intended for hard core builders who need to shred fat down to nothing and right now, that's not me. I was really encouraged by the article and it gives me some insight on how to get the results I desire.

The Endomorph/Mesomorph - This is a person who obviously carries characteristics of both endomorph and mesomorph. Such a person is perfect for bodybuilding because he or she probably possesses the structure and carriage of the Mesomorph and the tendency to retain muscle like the endomorph. Building and retaining muscle is not the problem. But because they are part Mesomorph, they need to follow a program that will constantly hone a harder and leaner physique. Endo/mesos are big-time water-holders - particularly if they lean toward the side of the endomorph.

Training: Their training should consist of a lot of fairly heavy high-rep work. They need to do plenty of detail and finishing exercise while they are concentrating on the basics - for example, concluding a leg workout with lunges or cable extensions, or doing a great many heavy sets in order to actually somewhat overtrain. I can't say that overtraining is not possible for this type because it is. But overtraining won't occur nearly as soon as it does for an ectomorph, who needs to watch that at all times. The key to this kind of training is variety. Change exercises, use lots of supersets and giant sets, or vary the number of sets.

Diet: Diet is probably the most important consideration for a combination endomorph and mesomorph. Endomorphs in general - whether combo or straight endo - almost always have a tendency to be carbohydrate sensitive and must monitor their intake at all times. Because you are a water-holder, you hold onto your glycogen stores for dear life, so a "cycle diet" is the best kind. One day may be low in carbohydrates (naturally diuretic) and higher in protein, and the next day may be moderate in carbs and moderate in protein. This type usually responds well to fats in the diet to replace carbs used as energy, and on two days of zero carbs with a higher fat diet can get to their glycogen stores much more quickly. The point is that the endo/meso doesn't burn glycogen out of the muscle for a very longtime, and it would take anywhere from three to six days to deplete it all depending upon bodyweight. They can fill up in a day two. Remember, when glycogen is burned too "efficiently" (doesn't burn fast), it is hard to get the fat- loss process going. By "cycling" the diet, you can control fat-burning and muscle loss much more easily. Don't be afraid - if you are this type - to get your carbs down low. You have plenty of them stored away. Remember, you are a water-holder, and carbs can carry three times their weight in water. You'd be a good candidate for a desert island with no food for five days whereas an ectomorph would probably curl up and die!

Cardiovascular: This is another important area to focus your efforts of change on. An endo/meso can look very soft and not appear lean when too many sessions of cardio are done too often and for too long. You are best with the hard ride that lasts maybe 25 to 30 minutes, or two shorter sessions daily if you are running low on time. You are really better off dieting harder and doing less aerobics in order to get lean. Call me crazy, but it's true. And you thought that you were a two-long-sessions-per-day person! Also, you are much better suited to doing your resistance training in an aerobic manner. Don't worry - you won't lose muscle by doing this. An ectomorph would lose two to three pounds a day, but you won't. If you can work toward this goal, you can greatly cut down on those hour sessions on the bike that you have been doing. If that has been your practice, you must already know that at times you look as if you haven't ever ridden a bike in your life!

Great article. If I find more stuff I'll share tomorrow. Got to wake up at 5am tomorrow so I'd better get some sleep.
Later,
Sue