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Ever wonder why some guys can train in the gym day after day, month after month, year after year, suck down raw eggs and protein powder and pop every bodybuilding supplement pill they can get their hands on...and BARELY see any progress?!
And what about the guy who seems to go to the gym, just look at the weights, follow it up with a diet of Twinkies and cheesecake and somehow add an inch to his biceps in the process?
Frustrating, right?
While bodybuilding magazines and "guru's" would love for you to believe that building muscle is as simple as "performing this exercise for this many reps", it's actually a very PERSONAL process and YOUR bodybuilding results will depend on many factors...including the body you were born with!
Here's what I mean...
I don't have to refer you back to 9th grade Biology class to remind you that not everybody is built with the same "body type".
Whether you were called "scrawny" or "big boned", "skinny" or "fat", or you were blessed with the body of a Greek God, everyone has a body that has inherent "gifts" and "limitations" when it comes to bodybuilding and building muscle.
Therefore, following the exact same diet and doing the exact same exercises can yield entirely different results for each person based upon their specific body type.
But building up muscle mass and achieving an ideal body for bodybuilding is actually quite easy...as long as the understand these differences, what YOUR specific "body type" is...and how to diet and exercise accordingly.
BODYBUILDING BY "BODY TYPE"
There are three basic "body types" that all people fall into, based mostly on the body that they were born with.
These three classifications are called the "Ectomorph", the "Mesomorph", and the "Endomorph".
An ectomorph body is characterized by a thin, delicate stature, and men in this category usually have trouble gaining weight and muscle mass.
A mesomorph body is one that has no trouble gaining or losing weight, and adding muscle mass for men with this body type is usually easy.
Endomorph bodies are typically large, soft, and round, and men in this class will usually have trouble losing weight and slimming down their stature.
By following a bodybuilding program that focuses on specific physical and dietary guidelines based upon your body type, men of all three classes can easily achieve lean muscle growth, enhanced fat burning...and the body of their dreams.
Here are some powerful training and nutrition tips for each body type to help you achieve your goals:
ECTOMORPH BODYBUILDING TIPS:
Men with an ectomorph body should follow certain exercise routines in order that focus primarily on "mass bulding" while avoiding their body's natural desire to stay thin.
As any "skinny guy" knows, that's not an easy task!
To maximize your mass building efforts, activities other than weight lifting and strength training should be avoided, since they will only burn calories and make it harder to gain muscle mass.
All energy should be focused on weight training exercises, and for the ectomorph, more is NOT necessarily better.
Ecto's can quickly find themselves "overtrained" and their body will struggle with keeping up with an intense training session that outpaces your ability to recover and grow new muscle.
Stick with heavy weights for about 6-8 repetitions using compound exercises and rest for 2 to 3 days between training in order to allow their body to recuperate between training sessions.
The best weight training exercises to perform are the dead lift, squats, and reverse grip lat pull downs to focus on your largest muscle groups to give you the most bang for your bodybuilding "buck".
Incline bench presses can also be very beneficial, since they can work several major muscle groups all at the same time.
MESOMORPH BODYBUILDING TIPS:
Men with a mesomorph body type usually dont have much trouble gaining or losing weight, as long as they stick to a regular exercise routine that includes both weight training and cardiovascular exercises.
Strength training should be done 2 to 3 times per week, with cardiovascular exercises being done every day that strength training isnt or for a short time at the end of each workout.
This exercise routine can be changed based on the specific body each individual is looking for, so those looking to gain extra muscle mass may want to increase their strength training to 4-5 times a week if needed.
Men with this body type need to make sure they keep their exercise routines regular, since they tend to take their "gifted" genetics too much for granted and missed workouts or extra calories can undo all of the hard work they put into having their ideal body.
ENDOMORPH BODYBUILDING TIPS:
Exercise is essential for those with endomorph bodies since they typically have trouble losing weight and keeping it off.
The exercise routine should focus primarily on weight training since building muscle will actually allow them to burn more fat.
Muscle is your body's fat-burning "engine" and for every pound of muscle you add, you burn an extra 14 calories per day without any extra effort.
To kickstart additional fat loss to see the "hidden" muscle you'll be building, be sure to include aerobic exercise, which should be performed 5 to 7 times a week for at least 30 minutes at a time.
While skinny guys need more time to recover and give their body's time to grow, the endomorph needs to keep his body in an "active" mode as much as possible to keep burning the fat.
Therefore, increasing the number of training sessions you perform each week will help you keep your body in a constant fat-burning state and help you shed the extra body fat.
