I know exactly what you’re thinking! You’re probably a struggling Ectomorph that’s putting so much time and effort into your training routines but you’re barely gaining any weight. You have everything in check but no matter what you do, you can’t seem to put on any fat so your logical conclusion is that Ectomorphs burn fat more easily. Or in some cases, you could be an Ectomorph that recently started to gain too much weight and wondering the same thing.
Compared to the other body types, Ectomorphs tend to burn fat more easily. And that’s due to their rapid metabolism that’s constantly burning tons of calories even during basic activities which will always leave them short-handed in terms of energy storage. This results in your body using other sources of energy such as fat.
In this article, we’ll talk about the different reasons why Ectomorphs tend to burn fat more easily as well as some ways to help prevent it.
Table of Contents
Why Do Ectomorphs Burn Fat Easily?
Here are some of the main reasons why Ectomorphs burn fat more easily compared to other body types:
Fast Metabolism
As I mentioned in the beginning, All Ectomorphs tend to have a rapid metabolism that’s constantly burning calories. This means that even during basic activities like going up the stairs, lifting a table, practicing sports, or even walking, Ectomorphs will burn more calories compared to the other types. This shortage in calories will result in using fat as a different source of energy to fuel the body. Hence why the majority of Ectomorphs appear to be skinny with almost no body fat.
Training too much
Another important aspect of burning fat more easily is overtraining. If you’ve already read some of my previous articles, you know that I always recommend that Ectomorphs shouldn’t overtrain. And by that, I mean only training for about 2 to 3 days per week, and never two times in a row. The extra rest time you take between sessions will give your body enough room in terms of energy to not think about using fat to fuel itself. And even during these training sessions, you don’t want to train for over 45 minutes. Because after 45 minutes, the body will naturally start to use fat as an energy source.
That’s why I highly recommend following my Ectomorph training plan as well as my Ectomorph home workout guide to train according to your body type.
Doing Cardio
I know that cardio has a lot of benefits, but it’s not really compatible with Ectomorphs. They already have a tendency to burn fat naturally, so adding cardio to that will only make you burn fat unnecessarily. As an Ectomorph, I recommend doing cardio only one time per month to take advantage of its benefits while avoiding its weight loss potential.
Not Eating Enough
This should be obvious, your body will automatically start to burn fat if it doesn’t find fuel. And the best way to naturally fuel your body is to give it enough nutrients and to start implementing a diet that’s adapted to your Ectomorph body type. This diet needs to provide you with a calorie surplus. This means that you always need to be eating more than your body needs to avoid all probability of ever using fat as a source of energy. And calorific needs depend highly on how active we are. So this is also one of the most important factors to consider in terms of burning fat more easily.
Read this article If you’re wondering whether or not Ectomorphs can eat whatever they like.
Body Composition Matters Too
If we take two Ectomorphs with the same weight, The one with the higher amount of muscle mass will burn more calories than the one with the lower muscle mass and thus burn more fat. To put it simply, the more muscular you are the more your body needs energy in order to maintain its composition. So make sure you’re giving it enough energy to avoid all sorts of fat loss.
Genes
Besides having a particular body type, genes also play a huge role in terms of fat loss and body weight in general. So in terms of genetics, there is a chance that you could easily burn fat despite your body type. That’s because skinny people have fewer genetic factors that are known to increase your chance of becoming overweight. But nonetheless, that doesn’t mean that you should just give up just because of genetics. There are other several factors that control your weight gain or loss.
How To Prevent Weight Loss As An Ectomorph
So now you know the factors that control whether or not Ectomorphs can burn fat easily. So naturally, doing the opposite of those will help in preventing weight loss. For starters, adjust your daily habits by increasing your calorie intake, eating more often throughout the day, reducing your cardio, increasing strength training, and reducing stress. And in your diet, you should implement more proteins, eat healthy fats, and add complex carbohydrates.