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The mesomorph body type, one of the three somatotypes, stand out for their ability to gain muscle mass relatively easily and maintain a balanced physique with a medium bone structure.
Mesomorphs in simple terms, are known as the ‘middle body type’ bookended by endomorph and ectomorph somatotypes. This body type is often associated with qualities such as strength, power, and agility, making mesomorphs naturally adept at various physical activities and sports.
It’s important to remember that we all come in different shapes and sizes, and the key to nailing your fitness goals is understanding and embracing your body types.
Understanding The Mesomorph Body Type
The mesomorph body type is typically characterised by a naturally athletic build, with a well-defined musculature and a medium-sized bone structure. This body type often finds it easier to gain muscle and maintain a lean physique compared to ectomorphs and endomorphs.
What Are Common Characteristics Of Mesomorphs?
Mesomorphs typically possess a balanced, muscular physique. Some of their most notable characteristics include:
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Medium-sized bone structure: Mesomorphs usually have a medium bone structure, which offers a great foundation for muscle development.
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Higher muscle mass: They have a higher percentage of muscle mass, which typically means their physique is often well-defined even without extensive training.
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Efficient metabolism: Mesomorphs tend to have a relatively efficient metabolism (though, not as fast as ectomorphs), allowing them to burn fat more easily while gaining muscle.
Examples of famous mesomorphs include Serena Williams and Chris Hemsworth.
How to Structure A Workout If You’re a Mesomorph
Mesomorphs tend to respond well to a combination of strength training, cardio, and flexibility exercises due to their natural athleticism and balanced physique. However, if you’re a mesomorph looking to target specific muscle groups or achieve a certain goal, you’ll need to follow a specific training plan.
Here are a few workout exercises to consider depending on your fitness goals:
Strength Training For Mesomorphs
Strength training is crucial for mesomorphs as it leverages their ability to gain muscle easily. Incorporate a mix of compound movements and isolation exercises to target different muscle groups.
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Frequency: Aim for 3-5 strength training sessions per week.
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Exercises: Include compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and pull-ups, which work multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Add isolation exercises like bicep curls and tricep extensions to focus on specific muscles.
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Repetitions and sets: For muscle growth, perform 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions per exercise. For strength, use heavier weights with 4-5 sets of 4-6 repetitions.
Cardio Workout Plans
Cardio is important for heart health and maintaining a healthy body fat percentage. Try to incorporate both steady-state and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in your cardio plan.
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Frequency: Include cardio 2-3 times per week.
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Types of cardio: Mix steady-state cardio (like running, cycling, or swimming for 30-45 minutes) with HIIT sessions (short bursts of intense activity followed by rest, such as sprinting or circuit training).
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Duration: HIIT sessions can be shorter, around 20-30 minutes, while steady-state cardio can be 30-45 minutes.
Flexibility And Recovery
Flexibility exercises and proper recovery are vital to prevent injury and improve overall performance.
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Stretching: Incorporate dynamic stretching before workouts and static stretching after workouts. Aim for at least 10-15 minutes of stretching per session.
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Yoga or Pilates: Consider adding a yoga or Pilates session once a week to enhance your flexibility and core strength.
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Rest days: Make sure you have at least 1-2 rest days per week to allow your muscles to recover and grow. Active recovery, such as light walking or stretching, can be beneficial.
The above guidelines should help point you in the right direction for structuring an effective workout plan tailored to your personal health and fitness goals.
Dieting As A Mesomorph
How you choose to approach your diet depends on your health and fitness goals. However, given their efficient metabolism and ability to build muscle easily, mesomorphs will benefit the most from a diet that supports muscle growth, provides sufficient energy, and promotes overall well-being.
Again, your approach to dieting depends on what you’re looking to achieve. With that in mind, let’s look at some basic diet tips for mesomorphs with different fitness goals. If you’d like to know about what your diet should look like, head over to our diet and nutrition page.
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Improving Muscle Gain
Mesomorphs typically find it easy to gain muscle, but a calorie surplus can make it easier to build muscle while keeping energy levels high. Training for muscle gain can be intense, so consuming more calories than you burn and focusing on nutrient-dense foods ensures you have the energy available to build muscle while recovering from your training, and getting essential vitamins and minerals needed for normal body processes.
- Protein: You may need to up your protein intake – aim for about 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight to support muscle repair and growth.
- Carbohydrates: Include plenty of complex carbohydrates like whole grains, oats, brown rice, and sweet potatoes in your diet. These types of food will provide sustained energy for intense workouts.
- Fats: Don’t shy away from healthy fats from sources such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil, as these are important for keeping your energy levels up.
If you struggle eating enough food, try eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day. This will help maintain energy levels and provide a steady supply of nutrients to your muscles while ensuring you can get enough calories.
Want to pair up your diet with a training plan? Take a look at our workout plan for gaining muscle.
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Targeting Fat Loss
If your goal is to reduce body fat while maintaining muscle mass, creating a moderate caloric deficit by consuming slightly fewer calories than you burn is essential. This allows your body to use stored fat for energy, resulting in weight loss. However, avoid excessive calorie deficits or fad diets – losing weight too fast can result in muscle being lost rather than fat, and can negatively impact your overall health.
To keep satiated while dieting, make sure to include plenty of high protein foods, low calorie but high volume food like fruit and veg, and healthy fats.
Focus on a high-protein diet to preserve muscle mass while reducing carbohydrate intake to help control calorie consumption is important here. Avoid refined sugars and stick to healthy fats as they will help keep you satiated and support metabolic functions.
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For General Healthy Living
If you’re simply looking to maintain a healthy diet and weight, stick with a balanced and varied diet. Focus on including more whole, minimally processed foods to get the most nutritional value. This means prioritising fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats in your meals and snacks. Everything in moderation is key, so include your favourite foods throughout the week too.
For more diet advice, you might find our article on covering what you should eat to reach your goals helpful.
Common Myths and Misconceptions About Mesomorphs
If you’re familiar with somatotypes, you might have heard a few common myths and misconceptions that surround mesomorphs – especially when compared to ectomorphs and endomorphs. We’re here to debunk a few of these and set the record straight!
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Mesomorphs can rely solely on genetics
This is arguably the biggest misconception around mesomorphs. While genetics play a significant role in determining body type, relying solely on genetics is not enough to achieve fitness goals. Mesomorphs, like everyone else, need to engage in regular physical activity, diet properly, and maintain a healthy lifestyle to hit their goals and remain healthy. While genetics may provide an advantage, they are not the only factor in achieving and maintaining fitness.
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Mesomorphs don’t need to do cardio
There’s a common belief that mesomorphs can focus solely on strength training and ignore cardio exercises. However, cardiovascular exercise is important for overall health, including heart health, endurance, and fat loss. Incorporating a mix of cardio and strength training is crucial for mesomorphs to achieve a balanced and comprehensive fitness routine.
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All Mesomorphs are naturally athletic
Again, while many mesomorphs may exhibit a natural inclination towards physical activities and sports due to their build, not all mesomorphs are inherently athletic or even interested in sports. Fitness and athleticism also depend on personal interests, motivation, and training. Mesomorphs, like any other body type, can vary widely in their athletic abilities and preferences.
Let’s build your mesomorph workout plan
Whether you’re looking to build muscle, cut down or generally get fitter and healthier, having a plan to stick to is always a great way to achieve your goals. While it’s useful to familiarise yourself with your somatotype, it’s equally important to listen to your body and make adjustments based on your individual progress and needs.
If you’re not sure where to start, or want to have the best start to your fitness journey, please feel free to speak to one of our personal trainers to discuss a tailored workout plan.
Alternatively, head to your nearest PureGym today to start maximising your mesomorph potential!