• Endomorph – ‘fat’
• Mesomorph – ‘built’
• Ectomorph – ‘skinny’

Endomorph – ‘fat’

Endomorphic people often have a bigger or increased fat storage, a wider waist and larger bone structures.

Mesomorph – ‘built’

Mesomorphic people have low fat levels, wide shoulders, a narrow waist and naturally put on muscle easier.

Ectomorph – ‘skinny’

Ectomorphic people have long and thin limbs and low fat storage. They are not predisposed to build up muscle or store fat.

So what does all this mean?

First of all, even if you are not predisposed to build up muscle easily don’t worry. With the right workout and diet anyone can build up muscle. Also most modern scientists view this model of thinking about body structure as outdated – Constitutional psychology (the theory that suggests these three types) was developed in the 1940′s by an American called William Herbert Sheldon.

Compound Exercises

Compound exercises are ones that use more than one muscle group. Two good examples are the deadlift, squat or pull up.

Isolation Exercises

Isolation Exercises are ones that focus just on one muscle group. For example Dumbell curls, for your biceps.

Why are Compound Exercises Better for Putting on Muscle for Hardgainers?

Firstly, and this is ultimately one of the deciding reasons why compound exercises are more effective, is that people just don’t have time to spend 45-60 mins in the gym every day. Doing a couple of compound exercises in half the time is just as effective as doing many different isolation exercises.

But the reason that hardgainers really benefit from compound exercises is that because it uses multiple muscle groups and uses them very effectively.

Rather than tiring out your body doing loads of isolation exercises, doing a ‘few’ compound exercises – which will be of a heavy weight in most cases – will really work your body overall. When you are really working your entire body more testosterone is released. And we all know that testosterone is great for building muscle.

(image credit)

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Reason #1: Deadlifts are handy ‘in real life’

Once you start deadlifting you will start to notice that whenever you lift anything heavy it is similar to doing a deadlift. You may have found lifting large objects hard before. Once you get your weight up in deadlifts, anything large and heavy that you move outside of the gym will be easy and feel natural.

Reason #2: Deadlifts can be done by yourself

Bench press, squats and many other compound exercises are not really safe without a spotter. Deadlifts are though – if anything goes wrong you can just release your grip and let bar fall.

Reason #3: Deadlifts use more muscle groups than any other exercise

Deadlifts work a whole chain of muscle groups, all in a simple action.

• Quads
• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Lower Back
• Middle + Upper Traps
• Abs
• Lats
• Calves

Reason #4: Increased Grip Strength

When you do a Deadlift, your hands must grip and hold onto a large amount of weight. With squats your hands are there to make sure the bar doesn’t fall. With bench press and shoulder press there isn’t an awful lot of grip strength involved (when compared to deadlifts). All that weight held tight in your hands means your grip strength will go through the roof.

Reason #5: Overall Muscle Increase!

The main and major reason that deadlifts will help hardgaining bodybuilders is that it really helps build up muscle!

The main part of the deltoids that will broaden your shoulders are the side delts – the lateral deltoids.

If you want broad shoulders you have to work your lateral deltoid muscles. Unfortunately in most peoples workout schedule they do not include enough exercises for their lateral deltoids.

Exercises to work your Lateral Deltoids and make you look wider

The main exercise to work these muscles are Lateral Raises.

(image credit) To do a lateral raise follow these instructions:

• stand with a shoulder width stance
• Hold a dumbell in each arm with your arms down by your waist
• Raise your arms to the side to just above shoulder level
• Return your arms back to by your waist

This is the main and key exercise for broader shoulders. You can replace dumbells with a cable machine, but dumbells are typically regarded as better.

1: Vitamin A

Although it is often well known for being good for your vision, Vitamin A is important for muscle growth, as it helps with the synthesis of protein. Any bodybuilder knows that this is important – after all, muscle is what it is all about. It also helps with the production of Glycogen, which is how the body stores energy.

It also helps protect you from infection as boots your immunity.

Sources of Vitamin A:

• Carrots
• Butter
• Liver
• Eggs

2: Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

Thiamine is very important for bodybuilders because it helps with protein growth. Everytime you work out or exercise you need thiamine to help make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is used to help transport oxygen to your muscles.

Sources of Thiamine (Vitamin B1)

• Chicken
• Fish
• Nuts
• Bananas

3: Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Niacin, or Vitamin B3 is very important for energy production. Sometimes bodybuilders use a type of Niacin called Nicotine Acid which makes veins more vascular.

Sources of Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

• Chicken
• Nuts
• Eggs

4: Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps absorb calcium. Without the correct amount of calcium your body will not be able to do full contractions of your muscles. It also helps with the absorbsion of phosphorus, which is used to make ATP (which transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism).

Sources of Vitamin D

• Whole Egg
• Beef Liver
• Cod Liver Oil
• Tuna
• Sardines

5: Vitamin E

Like Vitamin A, it is a fat-soluble vitamin. It uses fats in order to be used, and it also means it can be stored in your fat cells.

Vitamin E is used in the protection of your cells. Vitamin E helps to protect the cell membranes (outer ‘skin’ of each cell). Because of this it leads to faster repairs and faster growth of muscle.

Sources of Vitamin E

Most Vit E sources are high in fat.

• Vegetable Oils – e.g. sunflower oil
• Almonds
• Spinach