Ectomorphs or “hard gainers” as people like to call them have one of the most interesting body types. Not only is it hard for them to gain any weight, but it’s also super easy for them to burn calories at a fast rate due to their rapid metabolism. You may think that this is a blessing, but in reality, it can also be a curse. I have an Ectomorph body type and I’ve struggled to gain weight and build muscles my entire life until I decided to join the gym and change my life for the better. Did you know that training according to your ectomorph body type will provide much better results than training in a generic way?
If you look in the mirror and see a tall, lean, and usually skinny body then you probably have an ectomorph body type since those are some of the most common body traits of an Ectomorph.
But what is an Ectomorph Body Type?
Ectomorphs are generally slim, thin, and lean. They tend to have a sleek body frame with small shoulders and hips, very low body fat, and often find muscle gain really difficult.
As I mentioned in the beginning, I grew up with an Ectomorph body type and it was definitely one of the hardest things that I had to overcome in my life. No matter how much I ate, I couldn’t gain any weight, and no matter how much I trained, I couldn’t build any muscles. Even after joining the gym, I barely saw any results during my first year of training.
However, the best thing about this body type is that if you overcome the first year of struggles and manage to build momentum in terms of training and you start to see some change in your physique, then you have the potential to reach one of the best shapes ever.
Why? Well, think of it this way, if you manage to reach an impressive physique, then the task of maintaining it and improving on it will be much easier because of your rapid metabolism (you won’t need to follow a strict diet) and your low body fat percentage (since the majority of Ectomorphs tend to be lean).
What Other Body Types are there?
The majority of today’s experts agree that there are three body types: ectomorphs, endomorphs, and mesomorphs, each body type comes with its own genetic benefits.
- Endomorphs: Have lots of body fat and muscles and tend to gain weight easily.
- Mesomorphs: Or as I like to call them “The middle type”, they’re not overweight nor underweight, generally strong and they can gain and lose weight easily.
But you’re here to learn all there is to it about being an ectomorph so let’s dive right in!
What Makes the Ectomorph Body Type so Unique?
If you have this type of body, then consider yourself one of the luckiest few! Here is why:
Metabolism
ECtomorphs, or as I like to call them “Energy power plants” have an extremely fast metabolism, which means they can quickly transform carbs into energy. This translates to having that famous lean look as opposed to the other body types.
Physique
Ectomorphs have the best-looking physique and look the most aesthetic. With a small waist and a large back giving that Awesome V look. There are many ectomorphs athletes and models that look amazing simply because they have a low body fat percentage that allows their muscles to appear strong and big.
Diet
This is the absolute best part, ectomorphs can eat anything they want without any consequences, their fast metabolism will always make them look lean so they don’t have to ever worry about gaining fat! However, that doesn’t mean that you can eat junk food all day long and think that nothing’s gonna happen. Not only is that super unhealthy, but you’ll also eventually become fat if you develop bad eating habits.
Conclusion:
If you have an Ectomorph body type and are struggling with being skinny, here’s what you should expect if you decide to start training:
- During the first year of your fitness journey, don’t expect much since nothing significant will happen in terms of building muscles. You’ll have to work as hard as you can with little to no results if you seriously want to change your body (it’s challenging at first, but as soon as you get the hang of it, it becomes a lot easier)
- After the first year, you become more accustomed to training and you actually start seeing results which will motivate you more to keep going. Because of your natural metabolism and low body fat percentage, you’ll appear lean and shredded with a nice six-pack.
- After the second year, you’ll already have an impressive physique, and progress will be slow but sure which is gonna constantly motivate you to keep going. The most important thing is that you don’t quit!