Looking around the gym, you’ve likely noticed people with all different body types — some you might want to emulate, others you might want to avoid. You’ve seen the big-boned guy who likes to bench 400, but doesn’t want to take his shirt off. Or the girl who can eat anything without gaining a pound. And then there are the people who are just naturally muscular without having to lift much more than their water bottles. But it would be foolish to see someone with the body type you want and immediately start copying their workout plan, because everyone is born naturally with a specific body type. These body types are the direct results of genetics from our parents and grandparents, and while we cannot reverse the way we were born, there are certain, targeted steps we can take to change. But first, you have to figure out where you’re starting from.

Who Am I

If you find yourself stuffing your face constantly and lamenting, “I just can’t gain any weight,” you are most likely an ectomorph. An ectomorph is usually on the tall side and is skinny as a rail. Because ectomorphs boast fast metabolisms, it’s very hard for them to put on weight, no matter what they eat. Consequently, these people are commonly referred to as “hardgainers.” I myself am naturally an ectomorph who has spent the better part of my adolescent and adult life trying to change that.

If you’re the type of person who complains, “I can’t even look at a chicken breast without gaining five pounds,” you are most likely an endomorph. Commonly described as “big-boned,” endomorphs have a hard time leaning themselves out. The good news for you is, it’s easy for you to put on muscle — it’s just an issue of cutting off the fat to expose that six-pack hiding underneath.

If you’ve ever been told that “You can do absolutely nothing and still look jacked,” then congratulations, you’re a mesomorph. Like a good majority of pro-athletes (and all those guys you saw fighting in “300″), you’ve been blessed with the physique (or at least can easily attain the physique) that everyone else covets — muscular and ripped without really having to work hard at all. Next time you see your parents or grandparents, give them a hug, a kiss and say thanks for making you the best morph possible.

How To Change It

Guess what, ectomorphs?  That growth spurt you’ve been waiting for to turn you into a hulking freak of nature? It ain’t coming. If you really want to put on some solid size you’re going to have to lift harder than anyone else and eat until you feel like you’re going to throw up.  Yeah, at some point in your life, gaining weight may get easier, but then you have to worry about it turning into fat weight.  If your goals are to put on mass and look like a mesomorph here’s what you do: 1) Lift way harder than you thought you were lifting. Whatever you are doing is not enough, unless you are enlisting the help of a substance. (Do I have to even name it?)  2) With your big movements (bench, squat, etc.) stick with lower reps (8 at the most), higher sets (4+) and get ample rest in between exercise sets. 3) Eat, eat and eat some more.  Don’t stuff your face with three double-cheeseburgers after a workout, but crush some food.  I gained 25 pounds in three months by drinking two 1,200-calorie shakes a day, on top of what I was normally eating — one after each of my workouts in that day. (Yeah, I was doing two-a-days.)  And here’s a warning: if you thought putting the weight on was hard, it’s was even harder to keep it on. If you’re an ectomorph, there’s truly no rest for the weary. Look up these workouts: German Volume Training, Escalating Density Training, Insider Contrast Method.

Here’s the game plan endomorphs: don’t eat anything and consistently tour the cardio section of the gym.  Okay, that was sarcasm, so don’t worry, you don’t need to invest in your own personal elliptical machine. You guys do have to chill out a bit on the eating.  I know you think that you can just spend an hour lifting and an hour doing cardio, and it will all be good.  But has your body composition ever really changed when you did that?  First, you need to cut out carbs that aren’t fruits or vegetables and reserve the fruits for the morning rather than at night. If you have to eat starchy carbs, go for quinoa or brown rice.  Do not starve yourself, but split up your meals into a bunch of small snacks.  The same goes for your workouts. It would be better to do 4 sessions at 15 intense minutes-a-piece each day, as opposed to two hour sessions. The important thing for you guys is heart rate.  This means that you need to get that heart rate up very high (85-90% of your max) each workout.  Really intense (heavy) lifting will get your heart rate up, or doing ballistic or plyometric movements (jumping or throwing med balls). I don’t care what gets your heart rate up, the key is getting it there and keeping it there for a few minutes. Recover only back to about 65% of your max heart rate, then get back to work. Since you want to still look muscular when the body fat comes off, I suggest getting your “cardio” sessions in your weight lifting by moving some heavy stuff really fast. On the days you do “cardio” cardio, don’t always stick with an hour on an elliptical.  Do some interval springs by going out on a track and sprint 100 meters then walking 100 meters a few times.  If that is too intense, then go for a 100 meter sprint and 200 meter walk or whatever works for you. Look up HIIT, or Escalating Density Training.

Considering the title of this little section is “How Do You Change It,” it’s almost pointless for me to write anything for the mesomorphs  The way you “change it” is by eating like a dummy and not lifting at all.  Since you are already an optimum body type you have to work to lose it.  If you are blessed with the mesomorph body type, then it is easy for you.  Just try to be kind to all the endo- and ectomorphs in the gym, and please make use of the body you were given. Put in some hard work every once in a while, even though it doesn’t have to be as intense or as long for you as it is for us.

Now that you know your body actually has a scientific type, realize you are not alone.  I hope you have been doing the stuff that I recommended for a while, but if not, start tomorrow.  Until next time… Let’s Morph!