I have pretty much determined that I fit the description of a mesendomorph body type, which has been driving me crazy for awhile now. I eat super healthy, about 6 times a day, about 1600 calories. I work out 5 to 6 times a week about 1 to 1.5 hours a day. I have tried everything from weight training to cardio, to high intensity cardio and all types of exercises. I'm really familiar with working out, but I am wondering if anyone knows of good routines for mesendomorphs. It's really frustrating because it takes me almost a month to get some details showing in my abs and as soon as I stop working out and having a couple of cheat days that whole months worth of work is gone and I have to start from the beginning. I'm at a pretty good weight 147 lbs usually, I'm about 5'7 and somewhere around 19 to 20 percent body fat I am assuming, although I never have gotten it tested to know for sure. I take a thermogenic pre workout called Thermovex, really good stuff, and cycle on and off abut every 2 weeks. Other than that I don't really take anything I cut majority carbs out of my diet and eat mostly protein. I have pretty broad shoulders, which sucks, and my arms are kind of thick even though I stopped working them out for months. I can probably stare at a weight and my arms will get bigger, even though it is not necessarily lean muscle mass. I have tried everything to tone my arms down and cut, but nothing works they only get bigger. I can lost fat really easily but can gain it just as easily, if not easier. I usually feel bloated in my stomach area and have tried cutting out gluten and dairy, but still feel it all the time. Is there anyway to find routines or nutrition plans that can help me lean more towards a different body type??? I feel like I do everything right and if I had a different body structure id be on my way to becoming a pro fitness model or something. Please let me know because it's really frustrating to have this lingering layer or fat that won't leave no matter what. I don't feel I need to lose weight per say, because I believe for my frame I should be between 142 and 160 pounds, and I have a decent amount of muscle. When I start losing too much, my face starts to looks weird. I really just want to tone down my arms and get rid of this layer of fat that does not want to let me cut down. It's so hard to maintain such a strict diet and not get results like I should be. Any advice? Characteristics -Perhaps the naturally strongest body type, these individuals range from the short and stocky to big and tall…generally speaking these individuals hold a higher amount of body fat naturally but when clothed don’t really look fat, even untrained, they still have naturally broad shoulders, and hold more body fat evenly throughout the body rather the gut area -Excellent muscle building genetics -Gains fat fairly easily but can lose a fair amount of fat easily as well -Generally mesendomorphs are Olympic lifters, some power-lifters and strong men -Square or slightly rounded face, still has a predominate jaw -Slower natural metabolism -Metabolism is effected little by lean mass gain -Have much narrower hips then endo’s (often the difference between the two) -Thick bone structure -Rigid diet is needed to get lean, extreme diet is needed to remain ultra lean Training Tips -Mesendomorphs have little to no trouble gaining mass so workouts can be custom built to focus on weaker areas -Diet is important for these individuals to stay lean, as they tend to quickly accumulate body fat but they tend to hold extra fat well -Cardio should be used w/bulking, to minimize fat gain -Cardio should be used while cutting -Extreme diets fail to work as well on these individuals as the body likes to slow its metabolism if starving; eating small frequent meals is needed to achieve low body fat level Natural Enemies -Perhaps the only rival to the Mesomorph in terms of strength gain and size gain Mesendomorphs, tend to become stronger quicker then Meso’s due to there extra bodyweight helping stabilize major lifts, with rigorous diet and training Mesendomorphs can basically become temporary Mesomorphs
I can truly identify with what you are feeling, I am also mesendomorph and I understand what you mean when you say the littlest slip makes it seem like you are right back to square one. By the very nature of our genetics we have big hips and wide shoulders. The good news is our body can train and cut faster then most types, it is thought by some to be genetically superior. So let me share with you what I have learned that is working for me. Stop basing your success on what the scale says, take your measurements (all of them) and use that as your guide, the scale will fluctuate but that don't mean you are not getting results. For me the scale did not budge but I lost 5" on my thighs. When fat changes to muscle it has weight, more weight then fat so get over the scale. You are literally re-shaping your body, the contour is changing and the weight will drop eventually. There's no need to fixate on it. For what it's worth remember the guys usually try bulking up why do you think that is? Mix your routines with cardio to give you a more sleek appearance, I do 15 minutes at the start and 15 minutes at the end with one day all cardio. I also have broad shoulders, and I want a feminine shape, which luckily I have a nice hour glass shape. Do leg work, serious legs, squat till the cows come home, Hip flexors, extensions, ride that bike hard and do not worry about the weight, use lots and keep stacking on weight. I easily leg press my body weight and then some, I was afraid I would get huge legs. Instead they look better defines and shapely. My calves were bigger before I started weight training and my butt looks fabulous. The first place I saw results when I started training was my glutes. Work abs every single day, learn as many different routines as you can so you don't get bored. Do at least one day arms & shoulders, you can do more. I use lighter weight more reps, I do a ton of toning with free weights. I know you asked this question long ago but I think an answer from a woman thats been there and gets it is very important. This is perhaps one of the most common concern woman have when they start weight training.
