How to Get Better Legs and Abs For Summer
Get-Fit Guy’s tricks for getting your legs and abs ready for summer, no matter which body type you are.
As you learned last week, in the episode Which Body Type Are You?, an exercise program that works well for one person may not work as well for you. In today’s episode, you’re going to see how this information can be used on a practical level, and learn how to get better legs and abs for summer, no matter which body type you are.
Let’s go through each body type for males and females and see how each type can best achieve better legs and better abs for summer:
Male Ectomorph – Male ectomorphs have skinny arms and legs, thin waists, wrists and ankles, low muscle mass and “twig” shapes. Since a male ectomorph has a harder time putting on muscle, single joint exercises like leg extensions, leg curls, or crunches are not the best solution for getting better legs and better abs. Instead, a male ectomorph should do heavy weights and low reps (6-8 reps) of barbell https://pacificfit.net/exercise-library/squat/ and https://pacificfit.net/exercise-library/deadlift/, since both these exercises target legs and abs very effectively.
Female Ectomorph – Female ectomorphs are waif-like and slim, with thin necks, shoulders, hips, wrists, calves, and ankles – a “ruler” shape. Although similar to male ectomorphs, female ectomorphs respond better to multi-joint exercises. I’ve found that in most cases, female ectomorphs feel more comfortable and tend to get injured less with exercises like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtN6mPvP_F0&feature=plcp and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i4AeU4fFMg&feature=plcp – with higher weights and lower reps (6-8 reps).
Male Ecto-Mesomorph – Male ecto-mesomorphs can easily fluctuate between being incredibly lean or very muscular. I am personally an ecto-mesomorph shape, and two of my favorite exercises for fast development of legs and abs are https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbMsvakNXf4&feature=plcp and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xaaa91kcbtM&feature=plcp, both in the 8-12 rep range.
Female Mesomorph – Female mesomorphs tend to have a classic “hourglass” shape, with wider shoulders and hips, and a distinctively narrow waist. Since it’s easier for female mesomorphs to “bulk up,” it’s best to focus on high calorie burning motions for the legs and the abs, particularly moves like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvfhsY_Hg4w&feature=plcp and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_0Waw9dREQ&feature=plcp.
Male Mesomorph – Male mesomorphs are naturally muscular and have a thick, athletic build. They don’t need big heavy weights to get great muscles, and should instead focus on high calorie burning, metabolic activities. For legs, a male mesomorph should consider /health-fitness/exercise/how-to-do-high-intensity-interval-training on a bike, combined with an abdominal toning motion like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGkbfCnSUYk&feature=plcp in the 15-20 rep range.
Female Meso-Endomorph – Female meso-endomorphs tend to have mid-thickness waists and ankles, small to medium size shoulders and chests, and wider hips – a “pear” shape. For this body type, abdominal exercises such as https://pacificfit.net/exercise-library/side-plank-rotations/ can be heavier and more strenuous in the 8-10 rep range, while cardio exercise like uphill treadmill running or walking works best for the legs.
Male Endomorph – Male endomorphs are round, and typically shorter. High calorie burning ab exercises combined with a leg toning exercise works very well for this body type. Try https://pacificfit.net/reverse-lunge-swing/or https://pacificfit.net/squat-thrust-jump/, performed in a higher 15-20 rep range.
Female Endomorph – In contrast to the pear shape, female endomorphs are generally bigger on the top half of their bodies than on the bottom, and benefit more from heavier leg exercises at 6-8 reps, such as https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alONbbRgslQ&feature=plcp, combined with lighter torso exercises at 15-20 reps, like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVEiCLHYwyQ&feature=plcp
This just scratches the surface, but will help you figure out how to get better legs and better abs for summer – based on your unique body type. If you want to learn more about body typing, go to , where you can check out , find insider tips, take the body type quiz, and learn how to work with your body, rather than against it.
About the Author
Ben Greenfield received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Idaho in sports science and exercise physiology; personal training and strength and conditioning certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); a sports nutrition certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an advanced bicycle fitting certification from Serotta. He has over 11 years’ experience in coaching professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes from all sports, and as helped hundreds of clients achieve weight loss and fitness success.
