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3 Diet and Fitness Tips: A Guide for Ectomorphs

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Are you the type who can eat anything without worrying about fitting in those tight jeans?

If yes, then you probably also have problems with putting on muscle mass and your friends (who secretly envy you) like to describe you as wiry.  

While there isn’t anything wrong with being the thin one in your group, the current beauty standards promote a more muscular and plump physique. So, if you have an ectomorph body type, it can be frustrating to try to fit in without any results. 

But don’t be discouraged! There are ways for you to pack a bit more muscle or put on some meat on your bones. It’s just that you have to do things a bit differently due to your fast metabolism (which is both a blessing and a curse).

Fitness Tips

Ectomorphs are often called hard gainers because they don’t put on muscle mass easily. This is due to their fast metabolism, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have a high body fat content.

That’s why to stay healthy and even gain some contours, it’s important to keep training. In fact, it’s best to follow a special ectomorph workout plan since these are designed to target muscular growth in people with higher-than-average metabolism.

As a general rule, ectomorphs are better at endurance activities, which is why they’ll often prefer cardio training vs weight lifting. However, if you do want to stimulate muscle growth, you should limit cardio to about 30 minutes, three times a week.

On the other hand, you must develop a weight training routine and use heavy weights. Talk to a fitness trainer and establish together the maximum weight you can lift (safely) in order to promote muscle growth. Also, it’s important to complete at least three to five sets of 10 to 12 repetitions for each muscle group.

Diet Tips

Your high metabolism will not stay as active throughout your lifetime. In fact, as you age, it will slow down (especially if you have low muscle mass) which will most likely lead to increased body fat.

Also, even at your peak, you may still have high body fat, which is why it’s best to avoid fats. The best diet for an ectomorph is high in carbs (your metabolism handles those pretty well) and calories. In your case, around 50% of calories should come from carbs and only 35% from protein. Plus, it is recommended that you eat often (every two or four hours) but with a focus on healthy ingredients.

Your diet should include healthy starchy carbs (like the ones from oats, quinoa, sweet potatoes and brown rice, and more), fruits, and vegetables. You should also have a few nutrient-dense snacks handy (nuts & seeds) to replenish your reserve whenever there’s no time to eat a proper meal.

Overall, it’s important to maintain a healthy and well-balanced diet, with plenty of nutrients. Also, stay as far as possible from junk food – these are quite fatty, even though they may not look like it. Having a fast metabolism doesn’t give you a green light to bad dietary habits (if you want to stay healthy throughout your lifetime).

Key Takeaways

Ectomorphs should avoid fatty foods and practice physical activities focused on weight training. Plus, it’s best to eat often, but try to work with small sizes to avoid overeating. While you do need a higher caloric intake, it’s rather easy to lose sight of how much you eat on a daily basis.

And, now that you know how to get the body shape you want, here are a few fashion tips to look absolutely fabulous! After all, most models have an ectomorphic body type, so why not take advantage of your natural build?