Endomorph Weight Training Questions

[TheRegime]

I have always read that low rep high weight builds muscle. But lately Ive been focussing on getting my weight training geared towards my body type. For an endomorph it says do HIIT and eat low carbs which is a given, but I have also read a lot lately that endomorphs should do high rep lower weight exercises with little rest in between.

I am currently super setting my assistance work at 3x10 switching betwen 2 exercises at a time. With my main lift for the day(bench, military press, deadlift, squat) I do 3x5 for 3 warmup sets and 3 heavy sets.

Should I be changing it to lower weight higher reps? Any endomorphs care to share some tips on what worked for them?

Thanks in advance and reps to those who help.

[nzbenf]

what are you wanting to achieve? do you just want to get bigger?

[TheRegime]

I want to build strength over size. Size will come later.

[NotoriousMrB]

I have also read a lot lately that endomorphs should do high rep lower weight exercises with little rest in between ...
Should I be changing it to lower weight higher reps? Any endomorphs care to share some tips on what worked for them?

I want to build strength over size. Size will come later.

Muscle tissue is ... muscle tissue. It gets stronger from progressive overload. Do an extra rep this week, or put an extra plate on the bar this week, or do both -- ****totypes are irrelevant. Your "endomorph" muscle tissue will respond by getting stronger, just like the muscle tissue on the "ectomorph" standing next to you, waiting to squat in the curl rack.

Whatever you're reading to indicate otherwise -- stop reading that nonsense.

[nzbenf]

The only difference between an endo and meso, is that you are going to have to work harder, and probably eat more. I don't know what you have been reading, but to build muscle you want to do higher reps (no higher than 15) and your body needs carbs to build that muscle, so a low carb diet is not going to help either, strength training is lower reps, so you are on the right track in that sense (real strength training is getting close to your 1RM so no higher than 6 reps). As far as HIIT, that is great for weight lose but if strength is your main goal you need to be hitting the heavy weights, having rest inbetween and eating properly.

If you look at my progress pics, I was pretty endo. I did next to no cardio or HIIT. Just heavy weights.

[ironwill2008]

Muscle tissue is ... muscle tissue. It gets stronger from progressive overload. Do an extra rep this week, or put an extra plate on the bar this week, or do both -- ****totypes are irrelevant. Your "endomorph" muscle tissue will respond by getting stronger, just like the muscle tissue on the "ectomorph" standing next to you, waiting to squat in the curl rack.

Whatever you're reading to indicate otherwise -- stop reading that nonsense.

^^^^ This.

Drop the name tag; it'll only limit your ability to move forward.

[adamdavidson47]

Muscle tissue is ... muscle tissue. It gets stronger from progressive overload. Do an extra rep this week, or put an extra plate on the bar this week, or do both -- ****totypes are irrelevant. Your "endomorph" muscle tissue will respond by getting stronger, just like the muscle tissue on the "ectomorph" standing next to you, waiting to squat in the curl rack.

Whatever you're reading to indicate otherwise -- stop reading that nonsense.

This. It's weight lifting common sense.

^^^^ This.

Drop the name tag; it'll only limit your ability to move forward.

I always laugh when I read "I'm an endomorph or ectomorph". I sometimes think those are lablels created by personal trainers that have no clue.

[ironwill2008]

I always laugh when I read "I'm an endomorph or ectomorph". I sometimes think those are lablels created by personal trainers that have no clue.

The three '****totypes' come from an old psychology theory. How they ever crossed over into weight training/bodybuilding is anyone's guess.



Once I figured out that calling myself an "ectomorph" just gave me a convenient excuse to hover under 140 pounds and not making any real progress, I started eating right, forgot all about the "ectos are easily overtrained" BS, and started to actually move forward.

[Ninetysix]

The only difference between an endo and meso, is that you are going to have to work harder, and probably eat more. I don't know what you have been reading, but to build muscle you want to do higher reps (no higher than 15) and your body needs carbs to build that muscle, so a low carb diet is not going to help either, strength training is lower reps, so you are on the right track in that sense (real strength training is getting close to your 1RM so no higher than 6 reps). As far as HIIT, that is great for weight lose but if strength is your main goal you need to be hitting the heavy weights, having rest inbetween and eating properly.

If you look at my progress pics, I was pretty endo. I did next to no cardio or HIIT. Just heavy weights.

Notsureifsrs...

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nut...-you-need.html

[nzbenf]

Im still a big believer in carbs. For numerous reasons, but i'm not going to go into it.

[juiceboxx03]

Once I figured out that calling myself an "ectomorph" just gave me a convenient excuse to hover under 140 pounds and not making any real progress, I started eating right, forgot all about the "ectos are easily overtrained" BS, and started to actually move forward.

Repped. People need to stop with this ectomorph endomorph nonsense and just train hard, eat right, and sleep.

[TheRegime]

And that is why I come here. Thanks for the advice everyone. Totally changed my mind back to normal. Ill go back to eating big and lifting big. Thanks reps all around. Will rep everyone on recharge.

[IDrinkBloodLOL]

That "low reps for strength/size" crap is BS.

You are right to question it.

Also, "strength without size" is impossible. You do not see WSM competitors who are not huge because you cannot be strong without being big.

Let's stop and get physiological: You have muscle size (cross sectional area) and neuromuscular recruitment (percentage of muscle fibers in the muscle that contract when you try to lift something). Low reps generally only improve neuromuscular recruitment unless you do a ****load of low rep sets, like 10x3 or 30x1 for example, all max effort. But usually, the way most people train low rep sets, they're just improving the efficiency with which their bodies fire a muscle. This process occurs very fast, and only takes a few weeks to get your muscles firing near 100% of their fibers when you contract them.

This results in rapid strength gains that plateau off abruptly - reason being that past a certain point, you need to get bigger before you can be stronger. A certain amount of volume is needed to achieve hypertrophy, but honestly you can achieve good results in terms of strength by training with a "hypertrophy rep range" (quoted because I don't believe in that chit) to get huge, then maxing once a month or so.

Your idea of getting "strong first and big later" is not going to happen because you need to get big before you can be strong. That's just physiology.