CHAPTER
5
THE MESOMORPH RX
LIKE IT OR NOT, MESOMORPHS TEND TO HAVE ATHLETIC BUILDS, with high muscle mass; strong, dense bones; and broad shoulders. They’re often larger or broader in the chest but fairly lean all over (that means lower body fat), and they have no trouble gaining muscle mass. This makes perfect sense considering that mesomorphs (like Jennifer Garner, Angela Bassett, Madonna, tennis champ Serena Williams, Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and actor/former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger) tend to have higher percentages of testosterone and growth hormone, which predisposes them to muscle gain and lower body fat. Their bodies are powerful and strong. In fact, mesomorphs are both loved and hated for their physiques because they have very few “trouble spots”: fat is fairly evenly distributed on their bodies, and even then, it appears more as “bulk” or a thin layer of fat on top of developed muscle. These folks typically have relatively thick midsections and legs, so any visible areas of weight gain tend to be on the legs, buttocks, and stomach.
When it comes to food choices, mesomorphs have it relatively easy. They thrive on a well-balanced diet with approximately 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat (if the goal is to maintain their shape). Since mesomorphs have good insulin sensitivity along with high levels of muscle, this macronutrient ratio fuels their performance, provides energy, and repairs muscle in ways that are exactly in line with their body’s needs. Carbs provide glucose for energy production and the replenishment of glycogen (stored glucose) after exercise; protein helps with muscle growth and repair; and healthy fats (like nuts, seeds, olive oil, fatty fish, and avocado) promote satiety and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. But mesomorphs have more wiggle room than other body types do and can get away with more frequent indulgences (of carbs or fats, for example) without setting their bodies up for significant (unwanted) consequences. They enjoy efficient leptin-to-ghrelin ratios, which means their hunger is well regulated, as their bodies know what they want and when. Because of their higher percentage of lean muscle mass, mesomorphs tend to need slightly more calories (perhaps 200 to 300 more per day) than endomorphs do; that’s because muscle burns more calories than body fat does, so it requires more calories to maintain.
Since their metabolisms are so active, mesomorphs should consume smaller, more frequent meals every few hours—that’s the approach my meso clients find to be the most comfortable and successful for them. Whether or not eating more frequently helps improve weight control or body composition hasn’t been definitively decided by scientific research (though it looks doubtful). But a strong case has been made for this eating pattern’s having positive effects on cholesterol and insulin levels, preserving lean muscle mass when cutting calories, and decreasing hunger and improving appetite control. Even so, the best way to eat is the one that works for you. If you want to eat frequently to stay satisfied and energized, go with smaller meals more often. If you like bigger portions, that’s fine, but have them less frequently. So long as you eat high-quality foods that fulfill your body’s macronutrient requirements, you’ll be in good shape.
One exception that’s worth noting: To maintain a lean physique and maximize muscle while burning fat, mesomorphs do very well with a concept called “carb timing.” This involves placing your carbohydrate portions primarily in the meals directly before and after your workouts. With this approach, carbs will fuel your workout and aid in your post-workout recovery by shuttling protein and other key nutrients into your muscles afterwards. Making sure your other meals have a higher focus on protein and fat with a lower carb content will help keep your insulin levels stable, which will lead to more controlled energy as well as less fat storage.
You may have read about an eating style that’s been dubbed IIFYM (short for If It Fits Your Macros), which has taken the Internet by storm. The idea is that as long as you eat a set amount of fat, carbs, and protein every day, your meals can basically be a free-for-all after that. If, on a given day, you consume a protein shake, two slices of pizza, a salad with chicken, and two tacos, and this makes your protein, carbs, and fat intake total up to the proper numbers, you’ve hit your target. With the IIFYM approach, there are no “good” or “bad” choices; any food is fair game, as long as you hit your daily totals for macronutrients. It’s like getting a hall pass that doesn’t expire. While this approach may seem tailor-made for mesomorphs, I’m not a fan, and here’s why: if you want to achieve and maintain good health and a fit body, this approach can come back to bite you in the long run because the quality of your nutrient intake really does matter! If you consume lots of artificial ingredients and fake sugars, starchy carbs with little to no nutritional value (at least compared to veggies), and protein and fat from fried or high-fat foods, this can have lasting effects on your hormones and physical well-being. (That said, I tell clients that IIFYM is the perfect tool to use on vacation, when you want to let loose and enjoy yourself.)
MESOMORPHS IN ACTION
Mesomorphs often have a love/hate relationship with health and fitness. Because they’re naturally strong and sturdy, many sports come easily to them but their interest or progress in them can fizzle. Regimented training and eating can be hard to sustain for people who get results quickly. With their strong and powerful frames, mesomorphs’ bodies are generally dominant with fast-twitch muscles. The good news is that as a result, they excel at bodybuilding and strength- or power-based sports (such as soccer, rugby, and hockey), because they can recruit muscle fibers to put out force quickly and with great strength for a moderate time period. The bad news: since mesomorphs have fewer slow-twitch muscle fibers (they have a high ratio of fast-twitch muscle fibers to slow-twitch muscle fibers), they have lower endurance levels to begin with, which can lead to frustration or fitness plateaus if they don’t manage their training properly.
Indeed, mesomorphs tend to plateau in fitness benefits more quickly than other body types do, for a variety of reasons, so it’s wise for these folks to keep changing up their workout styles. (In fact, if you hit a fitness plateau, take that as a cue that this is a good time to focus on developing your slow-twitch muscle fibers and endurance performance, which will ultimately shock your body into getting fitter.) To reach their optimal fitness potential, short, intense workout sessions—like high-intensity interval training (HIIT), sprints, or kickboxing—are ideal for mesomorphs. These bodies naturally excel at powerful, explosive movements, but they can tire quickly. Doing short, intense workouts maximizes the bang you, as a mesomorph, can get for your buck (your effort), because you’ll be using the aerobic, anaerobic, and musculoskeletal systems efficiently to create body synergy that results in maximum fat loss and muscle gain.
But cardio and strength-training exercises, especially compound movements (such as push-ups with rows, squats with biceps curls, and lateral lunges with chest presses) are equally important for the sake of your endocrine (hormone), cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. In particular, compound strength-training movements recruit more muscle fibers, challenge your core, require more proprioception (the sense you use to understand the relative position of your body parts), and stimulate the central nervous system more than other exercises do. This stimulates a greater secretion of growth hormone and testosterone, key hormones for creating muscle, burning fat, and slowing the aging process. (Don’t panic, ladies: increasing your testosterone levels this way won’t give you a deep voice or hair growth in unwanted places.)
Mesomorphs really do well with periodization-based training. With fitness, periodization means breaking down a long-term goal into distinctly different training phases to achieve it, based on the assumption that this approach will yield better results than a constant routine that’s repeated over and over again. For mesomorphs it’s a good idea to change training phases every two to three months, even if the change just involves reps and/or the exercise order. Within these phases, we’d likely change the volume of total sets and reps, the style of exercise, and even the nutritional approach that supports these workouts. For example, a plan might consist of six weeks of using heavy weights, followed by a one-week break, followed by a four-week endurance and cardio phase then a one-week rest, then a six- to eight-week phase of bodybuilding training for aesthetic purposes and high-intensity interval cardio workouts. That’s just one example. The program can be tweaked based on whether your goals are performance-based or aesthetically based, but the basic idea is that you want to continue changing your training program to continue varying the challenges to your body.
To be efficient at training and create body changes more quickly, mesomorphs also can leverage their fast-twitch muscle fibers and do compound movements (such as squats, deadlifts, and bench presses), explosive plyometric movements (like squat or box jumps, HIIT cardio), and other cardio and resistance training that’s focused on power rather than endurance. Additional work with isolation movements (exercises that isolate the specific muscle groups you want to build, both in strength and for aesthetic purposes, like biceps curls and triceps dips) and lengthy cardio sessions (for health perks or pleasure) are welcome additions, but they’re not essential.
SLIMMING DOWN, SHAPING UP
Not long ago, I had an online client in Europe who was 34 and almost a pure mesomorph, but with a few endomorphic qualities. He had been working an office job for 10 years and had fallen into some suboptimal habits—as in, no real nutrition plan or workout regimen. He was still strong, but he had little muscle definition and noticeable excess body fat. I had him do something similar to the plan that follows, and he was able to drop from 221 pounds to 192 on his 6’ frame; he also lowered his body fat from 27 percent to 15 percent in six months. At that point, he felt and looked like a totally different human. No exaggeration!
For mesomorphs who want to slim down, it helps to tinker with the macronutrient breakdown that’s usually optimal for maintaining this body type. By shifting to getting 30 percent of their daily calories from carbs, 35 percent from protein, and 35 percent from fat, mesomorphs can improve their insulin sensitivity, maximize their muscle growth and metabolic rate, and shed body fat fairly easily. For someone who weighs 140 to 200 pounds and expends a moderate amount of energy through physical activity, I’d advise them to consume 100 to 150 grams (400 to 600 calories) of protein per day, 100 to 140 grams (400 to 560 calories) of carbohydrates per day, and 60 to 80 grams (540 to 720 calories) of fat per day. It’s ideal if they can consume slightly more carbs at breakfast and before and after their workouts to keep their energy and performance revved. Their total daily calorie intake will be between 1,500 and 2,300, depending on their starting weight, their level of physical activity, and their body composition (those with more muscle need more calories). The great news for mesomorphs is these percentages can be off a bit and they’ll still get the results they want because their insulin sensitivity and metabolisms are so high functioning.
Here’s what a week’s worth of meals looks like with this approach:
SUNDAY
Breakfast: Protein pancakes,* topped with 1 tablespoon almond butter, 1 cup berries
Snack: Protein shake, ½ apple
Lunch: 1 cup gazpacho, cooked 4-ounce turkey burger served on ½ cup cooked quinoa with chopped avocado and tomato
Snack: 1 cup raw sugar snap peas with 2 tablespoons hummus
Dinner: 6 large grilled shrimp, 1 cup cauliflower rice (cooked with ¼ chopped onion, ½ chopped carrot, ½ chopped red pepper, ¾ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, seasonings of choice), 10 steamed asparagus spears
MONDAY
Breakfast: 1 cup plain Greek yogurt with ¾ cup raspberries, 10 almonds, 2 tablespoons low-sugar granola
Snack: 1 protein bar, ½ banana
Lunch: Salad with leafy greens, ½ cup edamame, chopped celery, sliced mushrooms, broccoli florets, ¼ avocado (diced), 1 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette, 4 ounces cooked salmon
Snack: 1 cup blackberries, 12 almonds
Dinner: 4 ounces broiled flank steak; 2 cups zucchini sautéed with shallots; 1 small cooked sweet potato
TUESDAY
Breakfast: 1 cup cooked oatmeal topped with ½ cup blueberries, 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts, ½ tablespoon chia seeds, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon; hardboiled egg
Snack: 1 protein bar, ½ cup melon chunks
Lunch: Salad with lots of leafy greens, cut-up beets, apple slices, ½ cup chickpeas, 1 tablespoon vinaigrette, 4 ounces grilled chicken
Snack: ½ cup roasted chickpeas, 12 almonds
Dinner: 4 ounces roasted rainbow trout, ½ cup cooked quinoa, 2 cups shaved zucchini, summer squash, radish, and carrot, mixed with chopped dill, 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled with 1 cup chopped spinach, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1–2 slices Ezekiel bread (toasted)
Snack: Protein shake with ½ cup strawberry slices
Lunch: 2 cups mixed leafy greens, ½ cup sliced hearts of palm, ½ cup cucumber chunks, 4 ounces grilled or canned salmon, ½ cup cooked quinoa, 1–1½ tablespoons vinaigrette
Snack: 10 almonds, 1 small pear
Dinner: 4 ounces roasted chicken breast, with ½ cup cooked brown rice, ½ cup roasted butternut squash, ½ cup roasted red pepper strips, drizzled with 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
THURSDAY
Breakfast: 1 cup cooked oatmeal, 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, ½ cup roasted nectarine or peach slices,* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Snack: 1 brown-rice cake topped with 1 tablespoon almond butter, ½ banana (sliced)
Lunch: 1 cup lentil soup,* ½ sandwich (½ cup roasted veggies, 2 avocado slices, 1 slice tomato, 1 teaspoon hummus on 1 slice Ezekiel bread)
Snack: 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, 1 orange
Dinner: 1 cup turkey chili,* ½ cup broccoli rice, small salad (mixed greens, sliced tomato, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette)
FRIDAY
Breakfast: Morning parfait,* 1 slice Ezekiel bread (toasted), spread with ⅛ to ¼ avocado (mashed)
Snack: 1 protein bar, ½ cup blueberries
Lunch: 1 3-inch-square piece of veggie frittata,* 1 slice Ezekiel bread (toasted), side salad
Snack: Cucumber slices with 2 tablespoons hummus
Dinner: 4 ounces grilled or roasted Arctic char fillet, 1½ cups roasted veggies (cauliflower, zucchini, peppers), ½ cup cooked quinoa
SATURDAY
Breakfast: Huevos rancheros,* green juice*
Snack: Protein shake, ½ banana
Lunch: 1 cup turkey chili,* ½ cup cauliflower rice, small salad (mixed greens, sliced tomato, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette)
Snack: 14 walnut halves, ½ cup raspberries
Dinner: 4 ounces broiled halibut or sea bass, 1 cup roasted Brussels sprouts, leafy green salad with sliced tomato and cucumber, drizzled with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
* Recipes included in Appendix B.
You can switch out a serving of any of the foods in the suggested meals and replace it with a food from the table below in the same category. But make sure you stick with the recommended serving size—don’t just eyeball it because it’s easy to underestimate how much food you’re taking or eating.
CARBS: sweet potatoes
PROTEINS: chicken/turkey
FATS: nuts
CARBS: Ezekiel bread
PROTEINS: eggs/egg whites
FATS: seeds (pumpkin, chia, sprouted)
CARBS: oats
PROTEINS: fish
FATS: eggs
CARBS: brown rice
PROTEINS: broccoli/lentils/black beans
FATS: coconut oil (hot or cold)
CARBS: quinoa
PROTEINS: protein powder
FATS: olive oil (cold)
TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS
IF YOUR WEIGHT is changing by more than two pounds per week in either direction after the first week or two, check your portions to make sure that you’re not eating more or less than you think you are. (Get out the food scale and measuring cups and spoons, if need be.) If you’re sure your portions are accurate and you’re gaining too much weight, try cutting 10 to 20 percent from your food intake across the board. If you’re losing more than two pounds per week, try adding 10 to 20 percent to your daily intake. It’s important to keep the rate of your weight changes in the healthy zone.
THE MESOMORPH SLIM DOWN, SHAPE UP WORKOUT
Because of their naturally muscular body compositions, many mesomorphs don’t need to do steady-state cardio workouts to lose body fat. Instead, an intense strength-training routine with weights and high-intensity interval training is more than enough to stimulate muscle growth and efficient fat burning. But cardio workouts do bring another set of benefits to your cardiorespiratory systems and your brain function, so it’s fine to engage in brisk walking or hiking for 30 to 45 minutes, three to five times a week, and/or HIIT sprints or calisthenics circuits for 15 minutes, two or three times per week, either on their own or after a strength-training session. As a mesomorph gets leaner, I definitely recommend adding cardio workouts to the program so you can add more calories to your meals and still reach and maintain your fitness goals.
On the resistance-training front, the focus for mesomorphs is on compound movements, which will promote strength and functionality. With the workout that follows, you should expect to feel a little tired and sore afterwards, at least the first few times, but you’ll start to feel better and stronger after each session after the first two weeks. This is a workout that will prime your body to shed fat and bring out your inherent muscle definition and strength. If they’re new to strength training, some women worry that they’ll build big, bulky muscles; that won’t happen with this program, unless you start lifting seriously heavy weight and consuming a lot more calories. Stick to the plan and you’ll be good.
On this program, you’ll do weight training three times per week with the following pattern. (First, warm up your muscles with a 5-minute stint on a cardio machine, doing burpees, or jumping rope.) Choose a weight where doing the desired number of repetitions (reps) feels difficult but not impossible on the first set. You’ll find descriptions of all the exercises in Appendix A.
LEGS/ABS DAY:
For each move, follow a tempo of 2 seconds to lift then lower each weight (or vice versa) with no pause in between.
4 sets of 12 reps Weighted Squats
3 sets of 12 Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts
4 sets of 15 Walking Lunges with dumbbells
3 sets of 20 Hamstring Curls (on a machine)
3 sets of Planks (as long as you can hold them each time)
3 sets of Side Planks (as long as you can hold them on each side)
3 sets of 10 V-Ups, followed immediately by 20 Supermans
With each exercise on each day, rest 60 to 90 seconds between each set and include a rest day between each of your lifting days. It’s fine to double up your workouts—doing cardio and a strength-training workout on the same day—but not two days in a row.
CHEST/BACK DAY:
3 sets of 12 Incline Bench Presses
3 sets of 15 Flat Dumbbell Bench Presses
3 sets of 12 Dumbbell Flies
3 sets of Push-Ups (as many as you can do; it’s okay to do them on your knees)
3 sets of 12 reps Lat Pulldowns (or Pull-Ups using a pull-up machine, if you prefer)
3 sets of 10 Bent Rows
3 sets of 10 Traditional Deadlifts
3 sets of 15 Bent-Over Reverse Flies
With each exercise on each day, rest 60 seconds between each set and include a rest day between each of your lifting days. It’s fine to double up your workouts—doing cardio and a strength-training workout on the same day—but not two days in a row.
Finish with a 15-minute HIIT workout.
SHOULDERS/ARMS DAY:
4 sets of 15 Shoulder Presses with Dumbbells
3 sets of 20 Lateral Raises
3 sets of 10 Front Dumbbell Raises
3 sets of 10 Standing Biceps Curls
2 sets of 15 Hammer Curls
3 sets of 12 Preacher Curls
3 sets of 12 Overhead Triceps Extensions
2 sets of 15 Triceps Kickbacks
3 sets of 12 Triceps Pushdowns
With each exercise on each day, rest 60 seconds between each set and include a rest day between each of your lifting days. It’s fine to double up your workouts—doing cardio and a strength-training workout on the same day—but not two days in a row.
Finish with a 15-minute HIIT workout.
THE BUILDING AND SHAPING MUSCLE PLAN
When I started working with actress Danielle Fishel (who’s perhaps best known for her roles on Boy Meets World and Girl Meets World, as well as for hosting The Dish), she wanted to trim her waistline to appear less boxy. Though quite petite (she’s 5’1”), Danielle, a pure mesomorph, came to me with strong, muscular arms, even though she hadn’t been training. On day one, she said, “I could probably be a bodybuilder if I wanted—my body grows muscles. But I am getting married and need to slim up and not look like a she-beast.” To help her body tighten up and tone up, we focused on a combination of weight training three times per week with HIIT cardio for 15 minutes at the end of a 40-minute weight session. I also wanted her to do as much low-intensity cardio in the fat-burning zone as she could fit into her daily schedule, with a goal of at least three times a week, to burn an extra 300 calories or so on those days. She found a way to do this five times per week by walking her dog for 30 minutes—a win-win for Danielle and her dog!
Meanwhile, we trimmed her carb intake and increased her intake of protein and healthy fats, getting her as close as possible to the 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat breakdown with 1,600 to 1,800 calories per day, depending on whether it was a training day. Within four months, she went from being able to do 0 pull-ups to nailing 5 at a time, dropping 10 pounds from her 5’1” figure and toning up. It was an impressive body transformation, to say the least!
Both the fitness model world and Hollywood use two phrases a lot—“bulking” and “cutting,” which can sound like scary terms to outsiders. Don’t be fazed! “Bulking” really just means adding muscle, while “cutting” refers to losing body fat while maintaining muscle. Both of these goals are easy for mesomorphs to achieve, especially compared to endomorphs, who risk adding weight and fat while “bulking,” and ectomorphs, who can damage their bodies with “cutting” and end up looking weak and skinny. As a result, mesomorphs have the easiest time of all body types at achieving a body recomposition (a.k.a. recomp), which means adding muscle and losing fat simultaneously.
For mesomorphs who want to build muscle strength, endurance, and definition, but don’t want or need to shed much body fat, a 40-30-30 percentage split from carbs, protein, and fat is the sweet spot so you’ll have plenty of fuel to build the muscle mass and definition you want. You can use the weight-loss meal plan as a guide—but you’ll want to change your carb servings (rice, quinoa, etc.) to 1 cup instead of ½ cup and your protein servings (fish, poultry, meat) from 4 ounces to 6 ounces at each meal; your fat intake should remain the same. The goal is to consume 300 to 500 more calories per day, from carbs and protein, than on the other plan.
On this muscle-building program, you’ll do weight training four times per week with the following pattern. (First, warm up your muscles with a 5-minute stint on a cardio machine, doing burpees, or jumping rope.) Choose a weight where doing the desired number of repetitions (reps) feels difficult but not impossible on the first set. For each move, follow a tempo of 2 seconds to lift then lower each weight (or vice versa) with no pause in between.
LEGS/SHOULDERS DAY:
Do the following moves sequentially, including a 60- to 90-second break between each set.
3 sets of 20 Jump Squats
3 sets of 10 Barbell Squats
2 sets of 20 Walking Lunges with dumbbells
3 sets of 10 Stiff-Legged Deadlifts
3 sets of 10 Thrusters
3 sets of 15 Shoulder Presses with dumbbells
3 sets of 20 Lateral Raises
3 sets of 10 Upright Rows
2 sets of 20 Front Dumbbell Raises
CHEST/TRICEPS DAY:
Do the following moves sequentially, including a 60- to 90-second break between each set.
3 sets of 10 Flat Bench Presses
3 sets of 15 Incline Dumbbell Bench Presses
3 sets of 20 Dumbbell Flies
3 sets of Push-Ups (as many as you can do; it’s fine to be on your knees)
3 sets of 20 Triceps Pushdowns
3 sets of 10 Skull Crushers
3 sets of as many Triceps Dips as you can do
End with a 15-minute HIIT workout.
BACK/BICEPS DAY:
Do the following moves sequentially, including a 60- to 90-second break between each set.
4 sets of 10 Traditional Deadlifts
3 sets of 10 Bent Rows
3 sets of 12 Lat Pulldowns (or Pull-Ups or using a pull-up machine if you prefer)
3 sets of 15 Bent-Over Reverse Flies
3 sets of 15 Standing Biceps Curls
3 sets of 10 Hammer Curls
3 sets of 12 Preacher Curls
End with a 15-minute HIIT workout.
FULL-BODY DAY:
With the compound movements that follow, take a 2-minute break after each set, then do another set until you’ve completed three; then move on to the next exercise and repeat this pattern.
3 sets of 5–8 Flat Bench Presses
3 sets of 5–8 Deadlifts
3 sets of 5–8 Shoulder Presses with Dumbbells
CIRCUIT:
After finishing the heavy lifting, do the following circuit of exercises, with 20-second breaks between each type of exercise.
20 Squats
20 Dumbbell Curls
20 Triceps Dips
End with a 1-minute Plank then move into 30 seconds of Side Planks on each side. Rest 1 minute; repeat 3 times.
BODY-WEIGHT HIIT WORKOUT:
Twice a week, perform the following HIIT segment, using your own body weight. This will be your only cardio routine. This is a HIIT-style workout, and it’s very efficient at burning a lot of calories in just a short time. Perform all the reps of each exercise without stopping, then immediately move on to the next exercise.
20 Squats
10 Push-Ups
30-second Plank, 30-second Side Planks on each side (for 1½ minutes total)
30 seconds of Mountain Climbers
20 Supermans
10 Burpees (without Push-Ups)
Take a 30-second break then repeat this sequence as many times as you can in 15 minutes.
Alternatively, you can do hill sprints (I personally like exercising outside a lot more, but you can use a machine if you’d prefer), which are one of my favorite all-around HIIT workouts, especially for mesomorphs:
Max effort sprint (uphill or on incline) for 20 seconds
Jog back for 15 seconds then walk for 15 seconds
Max effort sprint for 25 seconds
Jog back for 15 seconds then walk for 15 seconds
Max effort sprint (uphill or on incline) for 30 seconds
Jog back for 15 seconds then walk for 15 seconds
Repeat this cycle 3 to 4 times, allowing yourself a little extra break time (up to 1 minute maximum) as needed. Try to work up to 15 minutes of these hill sprints while paying the most attention to really going all out on the sprint part.
THE PAYOFFS
Whether you choose the slim-down or muscle-up plan, you should see boosts in your muscle strength by the week and increases in your muscle definition and overall tone by the month. Hit the pause button periodically on your busy life and take a moment to notice these changes: see them, feel them, and appreciate them—and enjoy the confidence boost that comes with them! You’ve earned it!
But don’t just sit back and rest on your ass. Since muscle growth comes relatively easily to mesomorphs, you can trade cardio workouts or periodization strength-training workouts for your usual ones, now and then, to keep things fresh and effective in the fitness department. In fact, I encourage you to do so, not only for the sake of your state of mind and continued motivation but also so that you don’t hit or stay on a fitness plateau. That’s something mesomorphs are particularly susceptible to—it’s the price you lucky mesomorphs pay for having bodies that respond and adapt to physical challenges so well and so quickly. So continue to push yourself and shake things up on the regular so you can keep reaping the get-fit, feel-good perks from your workouts. You’ve got the power to do so—wield it wisely!