When you're looking to get in shape, finding the right exercises to suit your body type is key to a successful workout. Tanita Europe's Personal Trainer Golan Horesh reveals how you can determine whether you're an Ectomorph, Endomorph or Mesomorph, and shares his top exercise tips so you can get the most out of your fitness plan.
Tailoring your workouts to your body type can lead to better results
Body type: Ectomorphs
Ectomorphs are characterised by a slim body type. They are normally long-limbed and have very little body fat and muscle. They tend to have fragile, delicately built bodies and can find it difficult to gain weight or add muscle.
Best workout: Toning
If you’re an Ectomorph, it is likely you will want to tone up. For this reason, building muscle should be the focus of your training and I would advise short 30-45 minute training sessions which incorporate multi joint compound exercises like squats, pressing and deadlifts to yield the best results.
The key to toning up is to life four to six reps for each exercise. When working in this range, you should work with a weight which is 80 per cent of your one rep max, so for example if you can lift 100kg for one rep, your rep range will be 80kg. This is what your starting weight will be for the set of 4 - 6 repetitions per exercise. Aim to do this three days per week with a day off in between workouts to allow full recovery.
There are three different body types
Body type: Endomorphs
Typically a bigger build with little muscle definition, endomorphs can struggle to lose weight.
Best workout: High Intensity Interval Training
Endomorphs can usually work at a higher intensity, and should take full advantage of this by incorporating both HIIT cardio and weight training into workouts. I would advise incorporating weights in the form of a metabolic circuit, using big compound lifts like squats, chest presses, lunges and overhead presses in reps of 12-15 to get the heart rate up and the muscles using up as many calories as possible.
After three to five rounds, jump on a treadmill, bike or rowing machine and perform ten minutes of high intensity exercise to really spike the metabolism before leaving the gym. This type of workout will also allow you to take advantage of EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) which is enhanced according to the duration and intensity of the workout, increasing the number of calories burned exercise.
There are a range of exercises that can help you make the most of your workouts
Body type: Mesomorphs
Mesomorphs are muscular tend to have a high metabolism making it easier to burn fat. They also have responsive cells making it easier to build muscle.
Best workout: A mixture
If you’re a Mesomorph, you should mix up your workouts to keep the body guessing. The world is your oyster when it comes to exercise and your body type will do well with almost all training protocols from basic sets to circuits, as well as endurance training to HIIT. The key here is variety and to push yourself. Mesomorphs have a tendency to coast through training and therefore don't always reach their true physique potential, so a little motivation such as training with a friend or mixing it up your workouts is all that's needed.
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