BODYBUILDING 202:
Intermediate Course for the Average Soft Body (Endomorph)

Yet another happy Arthur's Hall reader finds success with Arthur's diet and exercise advice. Photos courtesty of Cliff Yablonski and WWE.

Here is the long awaited follow up to my past bodybuilding articles. This is “Bodybuilding 202: Intermediate Course for the Average Soft-body” ( or endomorph). This article is targeted to the guys who get in the gym five times a week but have not been able to get rid of that whale like layer of fat that covers your entire body.

I know, I know, you are thinking to yourself “I am not fat I am big boned”… well that is partially true. you do have big bones but I am sorry to tell you that you are a bit on the fat side. Being an endomorph has terrific advantages, generally speaking you are above average in strength and you do look big. The tough part for you guys is the fact that guys who weigh fifty pounds less than you appear to look bigger because defined muscle looks bigger than soft, round muscle. Take heart men, here is the program that can help you shed some of that fat so that you can actually see the muscle that you are training....READ ON!!

Diet for Endomorphic Body Types
As you well know by now, eating is critically important in the pursuit of a better physique. It is more important than any supplement or workout program...without the correct diet you are wasting your not-so-precious time. As an endomorph, you tend to have a barrel chest, shorter arms and legs and a stubborn layer of body fat that shrouds your muscles from the light of day. Endomorphs tend to look big in full sweatshirts and pants but when the tank tops and shorts come out, you look, well... fat. Even if you have a terrific amount of muscle (which many of you do) it is very hard to distinguish it from the blubber that surrounds it.

Endomorphs tend to enjoy weightlifting due to the fact that they are typically stronger than their non-endomorphic friends early on (in high school for instance). It would seem that when looking at the American public that most of us are endomorphs and this is not true. Most people are just plain fat...a true endomorph can emulate their friends in the gym and at the dinner table and yet they are softer...if this is you, you are endomorph. If you play around in the gym and do not eat right and you are fat, you should stop being lazy and do what it takes, many of you will find that you are not endomorphs at all.

As I mentioned before, endomorphs get strong very quickly and their genetics allow them to be some of the strongest men in the world. In fact, most of the world's greatest power-lifters are true endomorphs. This is not true when looking at bodybuilding or World's Strongest Man events, a majority of them are true mesomorphs. I am 6'1 and 295 right now but I am not an endomorph. I am an ecto-mesomorph. My ectomorphic traits are extremely long arms and a fairly shallow chest. I have a mesomorphic build generally, with tremendously broad shoulders, short legs, large hands and good athleticism. The reason I mention this is to illustrate that just looking at yourself or someone else does not tell you the whole story. The easiest way to figure out your body type is to think about what you looked like at age 16-19. If you were thin and weak, you are an ectomorph. If you were athletic, strong and a bit on the thin side, you are a mesomorph and if you were soft, strong and slow footed, you are an endomorph.

Now that you know how to figure out where you stand let's talk about diet. As a endomorph, you love food. Your body tells you to eat and you do. That is not a bad thing, but it is when you eat like the average American. In a perfect world an endomorph would eat about 15 calories per pound of bodyweight, for example: a 200 pound weightlifting endomorphic guy should eat about 3000 calories per day. The more important thing to consider here is where that 3000 is coming from. Unlike the ectomorph, and to a lesser extent, the mesomorph, you must be careful with what you eat. You should eliminate sugar from your diet entirely (with the exception of pre and post-workout drinks). Dairy products are generally a no go for you also. The majority of your protein consumption (1.5 g per pound of bodyweight) should be from egg whites, chicken and tuna. Eating a ton of red meat is not a good idea either. Here is a sample daily diet...I will use the same template as I did in previous articles.

Meal 1 (Here is your chance to eat, take advantage of it)

• 8 egg whites
• 1 cup of oatmeal (no fruit, no sugar...use Splenda if you need it to be sweetened..... Momma's boy)

Meal 2

• 6-8 oz chicken breast
• 2 slices whole grain bread (not wonder, not almost whole grain...get it!!)

Meal 3

• Repeat Meal 2

Meal 4 (or Pre-workout Meal)

• Whey Protein with ½ cup oats
• 8 oz of juice or Gatorade

On the way to the gym

• Take creatine and glutamine with no more than 12 oz of sugary drink

Post workout Meal

• Protein Shake from Gym (not one of those protein “smoothies” that are just sugar laced milk protein)
• Protein source should be Whey Protein Isolate with 20 g carbs or glycerin.

Meal 6

• 1 can of tuna
• As much salad as you can eat (no dressing fat boy)
• ½ cup oats

Meal 7

• 40g whey protein or 8 egg whites

What this diet gives you is enough protein to build muscle but does not overwhelm your slow metabolism with needless calories. As an endomorph, your biggest enemy is the empty calorie. You just plain can't do it. You will feel hungry but if you want to see your muscles or any type of vascularity, this is what you have to do.

Workout Program for the Soft-Body
This is where the rubber meets the road. If you can handle the diet, good for you! I am proud. Now when you get to the gym you are going to have to let go of your predisposal toward heavy weights and short sets. The key to bodybuilding is to do something that your body does not want to do. Let me give you an idea of what I am talking about. Ok, we all know that you short armed, barrel-chested dudes can bench a lot of weight. Good for you, you will not be bench-pressing from here forward… at least not for weight.

When I go to the gym, it never fails that some soft dude is pounding away on the bench with a shitload of weight (more than I can lift) and yet he looks like a fat troll but inevitably he thinks he is strong so he keeps doing it. His knowledge of weightlifting stopped in high school so he does five sets of five on the bench and messes around with the other weights in no particular order or sequence. DON'T BE ONE OF THESE GUYS!! If you are one of these guys, just know that ten years from now you will look the same as you do now.

Overall, the endomorphic body is great at creating force in short bursts. The average endomorph can always do more weight but has a hard time adding repetitions. This is because your muscles do not use oxygen well when they are forced to switch from anaerobic to aerobic (without oxygen vs. with oxygen) they crash hard. This being said, you make changes you must change the way your body works. The result is you getting ready for rep ranges that you have never messed with and will not like. You will also have limited rest between sets, so no more bench press, wait five minutes, bench press... that shit is over for you. Here is the workout plan...

With all exercises unless noted, rest is limited to one minute between sets. Also, unless noted, repetitions should be done at medium to slow pace (1 second positive portion, 2-3 second negative portion)

Day 1- Chest

• 5 sets incline dumbbell press (no less than 10 reps) 10-25 reps.
• 4 sets decline press (Hammer Strength is preferable, if not with a bar) 10-20 reps
• 3 sets cable crossovers (do not just move the weight, the exercise must be done slowly) 12-20 reps
• 3 sets dumbbell flys 15-20 reps
• CARDIO (That's right big boy, time to get on the treadmill) 30 min uphill walk (No, not elliptical or bike...no excuses)

Day 2 - Back

• 3 sets cable pulldowns 15-25 reps
• 3 sets machine rows (if no machine use dumbbells) 10-15 reps
• 3 sets cable rows 12-20 reps
• 3 sets pullovers with cables
• CARDIO - 20 minutes uphill walk (Heart Rate 140-160)

Day 3 - Legs

• 4 sets leg press 20-30 reps
• 3 sets hack squat 15-20 reps
• 3 sets leg extensions 25-50 reps (that's right 25 to 50 reps, haha)
• 3 sets straight leg deadlifts 10-15 reps
• 3 sets leg curls 20-30 reps
• 3 sets seated calf raises 20-30 reps
• 3 sets standing calf raised 15-25 reps
• No cardio, you will be wasted from this workout if done correctly.

Day 4 - Shoulders

• 4 sets machine military press 15-25 reps
• 4 sets lateral raises 20 reps
• 4 sets rear delt flys (bent over lateral raises) 20 reps
• 3 sets upright rows 10-15 reps
• CARDIO 45 min uphill walk (HR 120-140)

Day 5 - Arms

• 3 sets seated dumbbell curls 10-15 reps
• 3 sets concentration curls 15-20 reps
• 3 sets machine curls 10-15
• 3 sets reverse curls (hands over the bar rather than under) 10-15
• 4 sets cable pressdowns 20-30 reps
• 3 sets dips (as many as you can do)
• 3 sets one-arm dumbbell extensions
• CARDIO - 20 minutes (HR 140-160)

-arthur@arthurshall.com