Nutrition is the biggest part of any workout plan. If you don't have proper nutrition, your exercise routine is not going to provide you with the greatest benefits.  For endomorphs this is even more important.  One of the main reasons that endomorphs find it easy to pack on weight but hard to lose it, is because their body has a higher sensitivity to carbohydrates and insulin than other types.  This makes it so that those higher carb foods such as bread, pastas, pizza, and other grains will be converted to sugar and stored as body fat quicker.  This ends up causing the higher body fat percentage that we don't want. As an endomorph the reason why its so important to have proper nutrition, is because due to having a higher body fat percentage, you are at higher risk for certain diseases such as, diabetes, infertility, certain forms of cancer, gallbladder conditions, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and depression.  I am not trying to tell you that you need to cut all carbs out of your diet in order to lose weight.  In fact doing that, like some fad diets require, will have horrible effects on your body and will make it hard to keep off the lost weight. 

Rather, a healthy nutrition plan for this body type should focus on more of an even distribution of macronutrients, with carbohydrates coming mostly  from vegetables and smaller amounts of unrefined, high-fiber starches, like quinoa. Aim for a macro % of around 30% carbs, 40% proteins, and 30% fats. By decreasing the carbs you are eating, you are lowering the amount of sugar stored, by increasing the proteins you intake, you are helping your body stay full longer to help with any cravings, and without some fat, the body would shut down(as long as they are healthy fats).  




Exercising

Well having a nutrition plan is all well and good, but how am I supposed to train? Good question! As an endomorph, most likely your fitness goal is to lose body fat and gain some lean muscle mass. By exercising, you can increase your metabolism in order to burn more fat.  By including both a weight program and a cardio program, we can better burn fat while maintaining or increasing our lean muscle mass.  

Cardio
The dreaded word itself....cardio...not many like it, even fewer endomorphs. Even though, it is still an important part of a well-rounded fitness regime.  If you don't have a lot of time to workout, HIIT training is your best bet. HIIT stands for high intensity interval training. As the name states, it is a high intensity cardio session. The good thing, is you only need 15-30 minutes 2-3 times a week to benefit you.  An example HIIT workout would be:

30 minutes on Elliptical,
90sec slow pace
60 sec fast pace
alternating between the two until time.  

Now if you can't handle the intensity of HIIT training, don't fret, its not for everyone.  Steady-state cardio is still a great option you will just need a little more time. 30-60minutes 2-3 times a week will be perfect to help you loose weight.  

Weight Training
My favorite!   This is my favorite part of any exercise program!  In order to maintain or increase the amount of muscle you have, you will need to place your body under physical stress.  Benefits of this include, increasing your base metabolic rate(burn more), build lean muscle mass, and can help the body to burn more fat than carbs.  Some tips in order to build a good program are:

• Focus on your large muscle groups first(Legs, Back, Chest,etc)
• Perform 2-5 sets  with 12-15 reps each set
• Focus on compound exercises that use multiple joints 
• Circuit training can keep your Heart Rate up, while also shaving off time from your workout.

Conclusion
While it may seem like an insurmountable wall to get in shape as an endomorph, it's not!!! By making some of these changes in your lifestyle, you can start seeing some positive changes.  If you have tried but struggle to stick with it, or just don't even know where to begin, then sign up for a custom plan! I will meet with you, set up a workout plan built around your time and needs, while also helping to keep you accountable along your journey. You don't have to do it alone, let me be your partner! 

​http://www.bentrained.com/body-type/

Have you struggled with losing body fat? Do you gain weight super easy? Or are you one of those dreaded people who can eat all day and not gain a pound? There is science behind all this! It all is based off your body type. Lets break it down

What Do We Mean By Body Type?
The term body type refers to an idea theorized by Dr. W.H. Sheldon way back in the 1940s. He came up with the idea that there are three body types (somatotypes).  He called then endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph. 
1.Endomorphs Characteristics:

• Slow Metabolism
• Wider body Stocky Frame
• Stores fat in the lower half of the body
• More muscle, but also more fat
• Strongest of the three types
• Struggles to keep fat off

 
2.Mesomorphs Characteristics:

• Store weight around the middle of their bodies
• Have a natural athletic build
• Easy to build muscle
• Easier than endomorphs to lose fat

 
3.Ectomorph

• “Hard Gainer”
• Generally Long and Lean
• Built like a runner
• Fastest Metabolism
• Delicate Frame
• Hard to gain muscle and fat

​Can You Be Only One?
Back in the 40s, it was thought that once your body type was figured out, that was it…there would be no changes. We now know, that as you get older, your metabolism changes which makes it harder to lose weight.  We also know that there is no one-size-fits-all. For instance, I am a endomorph, but I show the frame of a mesomorph.  

What Do You Do Now?
All this information is well and good, but what do you do with it?  Well, the first step is to find out what body type you are! Click on the button below to be brought to a wonderful quiz by bodybuilding.com.  You will be asked a few questions, and from them, you will be told what your body type most likely is! From there, we will dive on in during future blogs about how to train specific body types and also how to eat for each body type!