Taking the Fourth, Part 2 Print E-mail



3. Metabolism

Ectomorphs are famous for their remarkably speedy metabolisms. If you've ever heard someone say that their metabolism is so fast that they can eat whatever they want without gaining weight, you can bet they're either an exercise addict or an ectomorph.

But while it's common to think that the ectomorph has a screaming baseline resting metabolic rate, unless there's an underlying thyroid hyperactivity, ectomorphs probably don't have remarkably different resting metabolisms than the rest of us. So what gives? Well, the answer's pretty NEATliterally. NEAT stands for nonexercise activity thermo-genesis, and it could explain why ectos have such a difficult time gaining weight. We all know that vigorous exercise burns a lot of calories, but apparently there's a lot to be said for the amount of calories you burn during everyday tasks such as running errands, doing laundry, and even fidgeting. According to a recent study, it seems that some people are better at this than others. Researchers fed a group of 16 normal adults an additional 1,000 calories above their daily energy needs. Although the average weight gain for the group was 10 pounds, the amount of weight gained per individual varied from 2, all the way up to almost 16 pounds!

Interestingly, because all of the subjects were similar in terms of both basal metabolic rate (metabolism while lying in bed and not moving) and the energy burned during the digestive processes, the differences in weight gain were attributed to varying rates of NEAT. In fact, it's been estimated that subjects less likely to gain weight when overfeeding can burn up to 69 percent of the excess energy intake as heat. That means there's not much left for storage as fat.
Of course, an elevated metabolism, regardless of its explanation, is only part of the equation. It's been our experience that most ectomorphs simply undereat when trying to gain size. We consult with ectos all the time who tell us that they "eat like a horse," or "eat everything in sight" only to recall a diet that barely has enough calories to sustain a gerbil, a really small gerbil. What they fail to realize is that it's not just about how often or how much they need to eat; it's also about the quality of the nutrients they're taking in. Who cares if you eat six times a day if your diet consists mainly of snack foods and anything off the dollar menu at Mickey D's? Both the amount and the diversity of food you'll be eating on our program are going to be a far cry from what you're putting into your body now. Trust us though; the results will be worth it in the end.

4. Muscle/Tendon Length Relationships

Another crucial factor in determining your ultimate potential to build size and strength is the length of your muscles in relation to your tendons (tendons hold muscles and bones together). Generally speaking, longer muscles are stronger than shorter muscles because they have a greater cross-sectional area (i.e., they've got more protein capable of generating force).

But stop! We know what you're thinking. You're long and lean, so your muscles must be long too, right? Nice try. Ectomorphs are actually known for shorter muscles with notoriously long tendons. So just because your limbs are long, that doesn't mean your muscles are, too. So what's wrong with short muscles? Well, besides the reduced cross-sectional area inherent to short muscles, you've got those long tendons, which don't quite bulk up either.

One advantage the long-tendoned have, though, lies in the fact that the placement of those tendons, i.e., where they attach to bone, can help enhance strength development. Although tendons just don't have the growth potential of muscles, if those tendons are long and insert far away from the axis of rotation around a joint, they'll contribute greatly to strength. Need an example? Here's one. Let's say you have two guys doing a barbell biceps curl. The first guy has a biceps tendon that inserts 1 inch from his elbow. The second guy, though, has a tendon that inserts 1.5 inches from his elbow. That little bit of a difference is enough to give the second guy a significant biomechanical advantage to lift that weight. So those long tendons, while potentially impairing overall mass development, can be a big help in your quest to get stronger.


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