Endomorph: What is an endomorph body type?

We all come in different shapes and sizes, referred to as our body type.

 

You can be healthy or unhealthy with any body type. Just because you are “skinny” doesn’t mean you are healthy, and just because you are “curvy” or “big-boned” doesn’t mean you are unhealthy.

But the shape of your body can be telling of your overall health and how easily you can lose weight, put on muscle, and get in better shape. 

This body type theory originated way back in the 1940s by a psychologist and scientist named William Sheldon. His research determined there are three body types based on bone structure and body composition.

• Endomorphs
• Mesomorphs
• Ectomorphs

There are no doubt outside factors that contribute to your body type, such as lifestyle, gender, age, and even hormones. But Sheldon concluded that body types are mainly inherited (genetic.)

Because of this, reaching weight loss and fitness goals may be achieved faster and easier using an individualized diet and exercise plan that is BEST for your genetics. 

No, you can’t change your genetics or bone structure, but you do have some control over changing your body type! It’s not necessarily fixed. Research has shown that diet and training can influence your body type, allowing you to transform over time.

No matter your shape, size, or genetics —  you can achieve the health and fitness goals you desire. You just may need to eat and train in a specific way that will help you work with your body, rather than against it.

Today we are focusing on the ENDOMORPH body type.

This body type is known to be the hardest to have in terms of managing your weight and overall fitness. We will tell you how to know if you have an endomorph body type and the best way to eat and train to achieve the best results. 

WHAT IS AN ENDOMORPH BODY TYPE

If you find yourself to be more round and on the heavier side, hold on to more body fat than muscle, tend to gain weight fast and lose it slowly, and/or weight loss has been a struggle most of your life — you are likely an endomorph.

Here are a few key traits of ENDOMORPHS:

• High levels of body fat
• Big-boned, stocky, wide, or curvy
• Round or apple shaped
• Wide waist and hips
• Shorter arms and legs
• Can’t “get away” with overeating or eating whatever you want
• Trouble losing and/or keeping weight off
• Puts on weight or muscle easier in the lower half of the body 
• Can develop strength much easier than losing fat
• A slower metabolism

If you are an endomorph, that doesn’t automatically mean you are less healthy than other body types, but it does mean that you may have to work a little harder to lose excess body fat. 

Endomorphs may also benefit from supplementing with quality thermogenics that can help boost the metabolism and aid in helping burn stubborn fat faster and easier.

WHAT TYPE OF DIET IS BEST FOR AN ENDOMORPH

Endomorphs often need to be a little bit more strict with their diet than other body types, and because of a potential overproduction of insulin, the endomorph body type likely doesn’t manage carbs as well as the other body types.

In short, this means if you are an endomorph, you may function best by eating high protein, moderate to high fat, and lower carbs. 

That is NOT to say you should avoid carbs if you are an endomorph! You just need to be mindful of how many calories come from carbs and focus on eating whole-grain fiber filled carbs instead of refined ones. 

Some examples of these types of carbs include:

• Sweet potatoes
• Quinoa
• Brown rice
• Beans
• Oats
• Whole Wheat Bread
• Low/Moderate GI Fruits

You can see the best calorie range and macro breakdown for an endomorph body type by using the macro calculator in the V Shred app for iOS or Android.

In addition to a higher protein and lower carb diet, some excellent supplements for endomorphs include:

• A quality thermogenic to help give boost the metabolism
• A nighttime thermogenic to keep fat burn going virtually 24/7
• A pre-workout to help bring intensity and extra calorie burn to workouts
• Turmeric to help speed up recovery time and aid in fat burn

To take out all the guesswork of which supplements are best for an Endomorph and get the best bang for your buck, you may want to look into going with a Fat Loss Stack — like this one.

WHAT TYPE OF EXERCISE IS BEST FOR AN ENDOMORPH

If you are an endomorph, it is key to include a proper weight training program that will help you build more calorie-burning muscle. You will also need to include a little more high-intensity cardio than other body types.

Don’t let this discourage you! It’s still totally possible to reach your goals in a healthy, sustainable, and timely manner — you just need to be strategic. 

For endomorphs, some research concludes that it is most beneficial to include compound exercises and circuit style training.

Compound exercises utilize several muscle groups at once.  Some compound exercise examples include:

• Deadlifts
• Squats
• Pushups
• Bench Press
• Lunges

Circuit training isn’t a specific exercise; it’s a training style where you use short but intense bouts of exercise routines with very brief resting periods in-between.

Doing your workouts “circuit style” gets your heart rate up higher than other training styles. The higher your heart rate, the more calories you burn – which is vital for endomorphs! 

Being an endomorph means you have low muscle mass, so you CANNOT neglect resistance training!! But because fat loss is a priority for the endomorph body type, you will need to prioritize cardio.

Any cardio is better than none, but the best cardio for an endomorph is said to be HIIT (high-intensity interval training.) 

Here are a few examples of short HIIT cardio workouts that are perfect for beginners but can also be adapted to all fitness levels. 

The V Shred programs Fat Loss Extreme for Women or Fat Loss Extreme for Men are  great examples of this combo of training and cardio.

 

ARE YOU AN ENDOMORPH?

One of the best ways to determine your body type is to look in the mirror and, without judgment, give yourself a good honest look. 

That said, our eyes can play tricks on us, making it hard to decipher what we really see in the mirror. Some people can even fall into two different body types.

That is why we created a FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ that anyone can take that will help you determine what body type you have.

It’s only a few questions; you get your results instantly and will even be given free tips for the ideal workout style and diet for your lifestyle and goals!

You can take it HERE! 

WHAT IF YOU AREN’T AN ENDOMORPH?!

Make sure and check the blog over the next couple of weeks! We are going to talk in-depth about the other two body types – Mesomorph and Ectomorph!