The Ecto-Endomorph Diet and Workout Guide

We are all unique and our bodies react to diets and workouts differently. However, there are some similarities based on your body shape. Each of us can be grouped in either of three broad body types (aka somatotypes). They are mesomorphs, ectomorphs, and endomorphs. Some people are purely one body type while others are a combination of two body types.

If you’re an ecto-endomorph your body has traits shared by both ectomorphs and endomorphs. Ecto-endomorphs are hard gainers that have trouble gaining muscle in their upper bodies like ectomorphs. But they can easily accumulate fat in their lower bodies like endomorphs.

Ecto-endomorphs are close cousins to the skinny-fat body type.

Physical Characteristics of Ecto-Endomorphs

Ecto-endomorphs are typically pear-shaped. They are naturally slim at the top and wide at the hips and thighs.

They have a small bone structure with long, thin limbs. They have fat accumulation around the chest, belly, butt, and thighs.

Ecto-endomorphs have a relatively slow metabolism, making it difficult to build muscle and burn fat. They usually have a high body fat percentage. Many fit into the category of normal weight obesity. As a result, they are at a greater risk of developing diabetes, gall bladder conditions, high blood pressure, heart disease, hormonal imbalances, hypertension, and depression.

Weight Management Challenges Faced by Ecto-Endomorphs

Each different body type requires different diet and workout plans for muscle building, fat burning, and improving overall health. For ecto-endomorphs, an efficient weight management and fitness plan should include weight training, moderate cardio, and a low-carb high protein diet full of all natural foods.

Ecto-Endomorphs Diet

The struggle for ecto-endomorphs is finding a way to lose those extra pounds in the mid-section while strengthening their upper body. They, therefore, need a diet that will speed up fat-burning while growing and maintaining muscle.

Some diet types that fit an ecto-endomorphs pursuit for health and fitness include a Mediterranean diet, paleo diet, Keto diet, or my favorite, the steaks and eggs diet.

Here are some diet tips to get you started toward a more balanced, stronger frame:

Protein

Eat plenty of protein-rich foods. Aim for at least one gram per pound of body weight daily. Some great sources of protein include:

Beef, pork, and lamb
Poultry meat and eggs
Fish
Beans, peas, and lentils
Yogurts and cottage cheese

Fats

Eat a moderate amount of dietary fats. In the absence of carbs, fats provide the fuel your body needs. Healthy dietary fats absorb vitamins while also protecting your brain and heart health. They also help in mood regulation, mental acuity, improving satiety, and fighting fatigue.

Avoid artificial trans fats and saturated fats, like those found in seed oils. Some sources of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats include:

Natural plant oils

Cold-pressed, natural, non-hydrogenated oils such as avocado oil and extra virgin olive oil
Vegetables such as kale, spinach, and Brussels sprouts
ALA-rich oils such as nuts and seeds
Nuts such as pistachios, cashews, pecans, and Brazil nuts
Flax and chia seeds provide anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats
Algae and kelp.

Animal Fats

Fatty meats such as beef, lamb, and pork.
Fish sources such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, herring, trout, oysters, anchovies, and sardines.
Eggs
Whole-fat dairy products such as whole milk, cream, butter, and cheese.

Cooking oils

Cooking oils such as lard, tallow, and ghee.

Fat Supplements

Omega-3 supplements work best. A capsule a day can provide 200-400mg of EPA and DHA

Carbohydrates

To effectively lose weight, you need to regulate your carbohydrate intake even more strictly than other nutrient groups.

Though carbs are rightfully demonized, not all carbs are bad for your weight loss journey. Your body breaks down carbohydrates to glycogen which your cells use for energy production.

Your muscles need glycogen to grow. Without glycogen, your resistance training can be a struggle. Consuming the right carbs can support intense exercise sessions and even in maintaining your hard-gained muscle.

Complex carbs provide sustained energy without spiking glucose levels. This is important to avoid insulin resistance and associated conditions such as diabetes. Sources of healthy complex carbs include:

Oats
Quinoa
Legumes
Vegetables
Sweet Potatoes

Carbs to avoid:

Bread and baked goods
Pasta
Cookies and cake
Sugary drinks such as processed juices, energy drinks, and carbonated drinks.
Wine and beer

While a zero-carb or low-carb diet is great for burning fat, you can use carb-cycling methods to grow muscle. This means you consume higher quantities of complex carbs on your active days and avoid carb intake on rest days.

Ecto-Endomorph Workout Guide

Ecto-endomorphs typically have a difficult time gaining muscle or burning fat. In many cases, they will resort to workout plans for either gaining muscle or burning fat. What if I told you you can successfully do both at the same time?

Exercise is essential for an ecto-endomorph working on reshaping their body. Because of their naturally slow metabolism, ecto-endomorphs require a life-long workout plan that is effective and sustainable without overtraining.

An ecto-endomorph training regime should include regular resistance training, bodyweight workouts, and steady-state training for cardio.

Bodyweight workouts

Bodyweight exercises are easy to implement and can be done at home without equipment. They build up your strength and stamina without taking up too much of your time.

Bodyweight exercises improve your mobility and stability. They set you up for success in the gym. They stimulate your muscles to adapt to weighted exercises, to grow bigger, and to become stronger. In fact, in your first few weeks and months, you can significantly grow muscle and burn fat with bodyweight exercises only.

The best way for an ecto-endomorph to gain from a bodyweight workout program is to set up a morning exercise routine. Here is a sample plan:

Immediately after getting out of bed before your shower and grooming, do these exercises:

Push-ups
Squats
Crunches
Dips
Planks
Burpees
Pull-ups
Step-ups with knee raises

Resistance Training

Even though you can build muscle and burn fat with bodyweight exercises only, an ecto-endomorph needs resistance training for more effective, faster, and sustainable long-term results.

For the best resistance training program for ecto-endomorphs, I suggest circuit training. This involves quickly rotating through a series of exercises targeting different body parts.

Circuit training is a full-body workout that combines weight training and cardio. This is the perfect recipe for an ecto-endomorph transformation to a lean, well-balanced muscular frame.

Advantages of circuit training for ecto-endomorphs include:

Faster fat-burning results
Growth in strength, balance, mobility, and flexibility
Trains speed and agility
Shorter workout times for busy people
Longer rest periods because you spend less time in the gym
Improved stamina and endurance
Each session offers a full-body workout
Keeps things interesting because no two sessions need to be the same
Improves mood
Perfect for ecto-endomorphs of all levels of fitness

A step-by-step example circuit training workout session for a beginner could look like this:

1. One set of squats then rest for 60 seconds

2. Two sets of lunges (one for each leg) with 60 seconds rest in between

3. One set flat bench press with 40 seconds of rest

4. Bench press incline then decline. One set each with 40 seconds rest in between

5. One set military press with 50 seconds of rest

6. One set of barbell rows with 45 seconds of rest

7. Two sets of dumbbell rows (one for each hand) with 30 seconds rest in between

8. two sets of barbell bicep curls with 30 seconds rest in between

Cardio Exercises

Ecto-endomorphs need manageable and sustainable cardio exercises they can do every day. The best option for long-term results would be steady-state training.

These are cardio exercises you can do every day for the rest of your life, even on days when you don’t feel like exercising.

Pick an enjoyable activity and schedule a time, especially in the evening. Maintain a steady pace and dedicate at least 45 minutes each day. Some examples include:

Long walks in the park at a moderate pace.
Swimming
Enroll in a dancing club or dance to YouTube videos at home
Cycling outdoors or indoors
Jogging
Rowing
Elliptical machine

Other Factors to Consider for Ecto-Endomorphs

Watch less TV. Don’t be a couch potato. Move around, even when in the house or at the office.
Spend less time on electronic gadgets. Switch off your computer after work and limit your social media to 30 minutes each day.
Don’t binge-watch workout videos. Watching such videos gives you the same dopamine boost (happy hormones) as actually working out, without the fitness benefits. You can easily waste hours watching while your fitness journey remains stagnant.
Hire a trainer to guide your progress.
Track your macros to ensure you’re eating the right foods.
Document your physical gains so you can tweak your workouts and improve your weak areas. Use weighing scales, tape measures, photos, and video poses and compare them with your previous week/month’s results.

Summary

People with an ecto-endomorph body type gain fat easier and take longer to build muscle. They tend to have a slow metabolism and most got that way out of poor diet choices.

Ecto-endomorph body transformations require a long-term sustainable plan that incorporates weights and cardio. My top recommendations involve a morning bodyweight exercise session combined with circuit training at the gym. Incorporate a steady-state cardio session for later in the day.

For your diet, limit your carbs, maximize proteins, and consume a moderate amount of fat. Some suitable diet plans include a paleo diet, Keto diet, or Mediterranean diet. Choose a diet and workout plan that can become a lifelong lifestyle plan.