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The best exercises for your body type

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Andi Schregh
The best exercises for your body type


These 8-Minute Pre-Breakfast Workouts Will Help You Get Lean, Says Trainer  — Eat This Not That


Ectomorph


The ectomorph faces the toughest challenge of all when it comes to building muscle mass. Ectomorphs tend to be very low in body fat by nature and have no problem showing off sharp muscle definition, even if their diet is anything but "clean". But when it comes to getting fat as an ectomorph, let's just say it's a lot easier said than done.


If you're struggling to build muscle, your training choices should focus on basic compound movements to get the most bang for your buck, so you can use maximum load and recruit multiple muscle groups large and small to that time.


Here are the five best exercises for the hard gainer!



1. Weight bench


Since the 1940s, bodybuilders have called the flat bar bench press the king of upper body exercises, and with good reason. The flat bench activates all upper body compression muscles (pectorals, front deltoids and triceps) in one motion.


Why use a dumbbell instead of dumbbells or a machine? The bar is one solid piece rather than two separate pieces and is easier to handle when loaded with heavier weights. Therefore, even if you can bench press 200 pounds for 10 reps, it's very unlikely you can do the same 10 reps with a pair of 100 pound dumbbells.


Greater muscle loads correspond to greater gains. So why not just load up a machine with even more weight than you could use with a barbell? The machines do not require any basic activation and maintaining balance and coordination improves the difficulty of the exercise. The dumbbell bench press requires good balance and core activation, while allowing the upper body muscles to lift maximum loads.



2. Crouch


Squats work every muscle in your lower body, including your glutes, quads, hams, and even calves. If you could only do one exercise for your lower body, it would be squats.


Based on what you've learned about the higher taxes in the bench press leading to higher profits, you might be wondering, "Why not the leg press instead?" Like the machine example above, leg presses are far too easy to perform compared to squats. They require very little core stabilization and no upper body strength.


That's why guys who can't get a good reputation even with 315 pounds in squats can load a leg press with 700-800 pounds. Squats require you to work hard, using your entire lower body and core to push yourself down and up with a heavy barbell in your back. There's a reason squats have built millions of powerful bikes!



3. Deadlift


The deadlift is the closest thing to a total body workout. The first half of the movement is basically a squat, except you're holding the bar in front of you instead of over your shoulders.


This different load distribution engages the entire back complex in the exercise, from the trapezius to the latissimus and back extensors. These back muscles not only stabilize the bar when it is lifted, but also aid in pulling once the bar is past your knees.


Add to that the fact that the deadlift is the toughest exercise, the single exercise you can add the most weight to, and you'll see why it's a must for anyone struggling to build muscle mass.



4. Military dumbbell press


Ectomorphs tend to have narrower shoulders, so they should be strengthened using the most effective methods. If you're struggling to scale your shoulders, the seated dumbbell press is the way to go.


Similar to the barbell bench press, the barbell in this exercise allows you to lift heavier weights, but also requires a certain level of balance and coordination. Sit down and let your shoulders work!



5. Dumbbell rows


Back thickness is what most ectomorphs lack, and barbell rows are the best way to fix that. Dumbbell rows force the lats to work hard while fighting gravity to bring the weight back towards the body as you bend over.


And again, dumbbells trump dumbbells, machines, and cables for maximum muscle stimulation.


Endomorph


Each body type has advantages and disadvantages. Although the ectomorph can often be shredded with minimal effort, they generally struggle to grow to any size. The endomorph has the opposite problem: getting fat is child's play, but losing fat and staying lean is an ongoing challenge.


In terms of building an aesthetic body, endomorphs have another difficulty which is structural in nature. Many endomorphs are pear-shaped: narrow shoulders and wide waist and hips. The ideal physique is always V-shaped: broad shoulders and thin waist, the opposite of endomorphs.


Therefore, endomorph exercises should be modified to develop a larger upper back and shoulders, while minimizing core and thigh involvement to reduce hip girth and constriction.



1. Lateral Raise


The key to broad shoulders is to maximize the development of the medial deltoids. This is best achieved with side lifts. I would go so far as to recommend two different types of lats for any shoulder workout, like in a set of dumbbell raises with another set of machine or cable pulleys.


It would also be a good idea to add a few wingers at the end of another extra split during the week, eg. B. Chest. This way your deltoids are already primed to help with heavy lifting, so they can make the most of the extra lateral work.



2. Front Squat


Regular squats are phenomenal exercises, but they can be challenging for the endomorph. This is because squats put a lot of pressure on the glutes and hip flexors, and these areas are already overdeveloped areas for this heavy body type.


To avoid further development of the glutes and hips, choose front squats. They put more emphasis on the quads, so you don't have to worry about blowing out half of your X-frame.



3. Incline press


Since the goal of this morphology is to bring out the greatest power, the incline press takes precedence over the flat bench press. The lean angle helps develop the upper chest into a thick frame to complement the look of wider shoulders. The only way to build this type of rig is with lots of heavy volume, so load up the bar and train hard and hard.


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4. One-Arm Dumbbell Row


While barbell rows are the best way to build thick, wide lats, they do require core recruitment to maintain good posture and avoid rounding your lower back. Anything that affects the core also causes it to grow, which can and often results in a bigger belly. Since the classic endomorph body type already has a naturally thicker waist, the bent over dumbbell row wouldn't be the best option.


The best exercise for this body type is the one-arm dumbbell row. This exercise still isolates the lats, but since you're leaning against the bench, you don't run the risk of thickening your core.


To completely eliminate the core from the equation and focus on pure lateral contractions, try doing single or double arm rows with the dumbbells pointing down on an incline bench.



5. Wide pull-ups


The wide-grip pull-up is the best upper back builder. Since the pull-up is traditionally a bodyweight exercise, it forces your upper back muscles to lift a lot of weight, promoting better muscle growth. The wide handle adds width and height to your upper back.


If you're one of the many people who can't even do pull-ups due to lack of strength, high body weight, or both, you can still use variations of this exercise to strengthen and tone your muscles. in your body


Assisted pull-ups and lateral pull-ups offer the same benefits as wide-grip pull-ups, and you can adjust the weight to gradually increase the strength. Work hard and imagine getting a bigger back with every rep!



Mesomorph


Congratulations! If you're a mesomorph, you've hit the genetic jackpot, and just about any kind of hard, hard training will result in a great physique.


But even within this blessed fellowship, there are many physical imbalances that require careful exercise selection.



1. Incline Dumbbell Press


Even in men with impressive physique, underweight breasts are more common and breasts with the same upper chest thickness are rare.


Incline dumbbell presses are good, but most lifters struggle to recruit their upper pecs. Therefore, the anterior deltoids take over.


Using dumbbells makes it easier to target your upper pecs and create a better mind-muscle connection during exercise. Dumbbells require more balance and coordination. They also allow for a greater range of motion compared to the barbell, allowing for stronger, more isolated contractions.



2. Hack Squats


Dragging legs are common in the general lifting population. Few with decent legs have the kind of external quads that provide exceptional lower body definition.


The best exercise for developing the outer quadriceps, especially the vastus lateralis, is the squat.


Squats can be hard on the knees, so try not to go too heavy or too low. Pick a weight that will allow you to do 12-15 parallel reps at first, and as your knees adjust, you can increase the weight over time.



3. Lateral raises with dumbbells


Again, large anterior deltoids are common, but lateral deltoid development is less pronounced. Rarely do you see a serious lifter whose hamstrings even remotely match the other two deltoids.


The back deltoids, even when used consistently, usually go off track at the end of the shoulder workout where they are unlikely to be hit properly.


To fix this, train your posterior deltoids with barbell rear raises for as many sets as the front and side raises. And don't wait until your workout is over - if you have a muscle you need to grow, do it first if you have the energy and focus to help it grow!



4. Romanian Deadlift (RDL)


Big quads aren't common, but big hamstrings are even harder to find. Most of us work our hamstrings after being destroyed by explosive quads for about an hour, doing a few mediocre sets of prone leg curls before the leg day is over.


Barbell RDLs performed with a slight bend in the knee are unprecedented for strengthening the hamstrings. Do your RDLs first on a full day or a separate day dedicated to working the hamstrings separately from the quadriceps.



5. Seated calves


If you think well-developed hamstrings are hard to come by, big calves are like unicorns: there are few, if any. Certainly, calf training has a large genetic component and it takes very little effort to build monster calves.


However, most of us never get the most out of what we have through half-hearted training and, let's face it, neglect. A few sets of standing calf raises are not enough. Standing exercises work the gastrocnemius, the diamond-shaped part of the muscle that is visible from the outside. If your goal is to have impressive calves, target the shovel-shaped soleus muscle below.


The only way to train the soleus is to fully bend your knees, like a seated calf raise. Add a few heavy sets of 15-20 reps to your routine, along with standing calf raises and toe presses on a leg press. As with the back deltoids, if you want bigger calves, make it a priority!


There you have it, the five best exercises for your body type. Start incorporating them into all your workouts and watch your body grow and evolve, getting closer to personal perfection!

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