The Ectomorph Fitness Plan

by Michael Allen Smith

After blasting the treadmill junkies, I thought I would share with you my current fitness program. Here is an overview.

• Weight Lifting 3x/week
• Hiking (90+ minutes) 2x/week
• Egoscue DVDs (alignment, core) 2x/week
• Stretch DVD 1x/week
• Walking (30-60 minutes) 5-7x/week

Now for the details.

Weight #1

1. Bench Press
2. Pull-ups
3. Military Press
4. Front Squats
5. Tricep Pushdowns
6. DB Bicep Curl

Weight #2

1. DB Incline Press
2. Bent Over Row
3. Push Press
4. Squats
5. Close-Grip Bench Press

Weight #3

1. Deadlifts
2. Good Mornings
3. Push-Ups
4. DB Row
5. EZ Curl

For each exercise I perform 3-5 sets of 5-7 reps. Keeping reps lower and increasing the weight has been the single greatest thing I've done to improve my strength. If you can do 10 reps or more, then you aren't lifting enough weight. You are fooling yourself and preventing strength gains. And please don't repeat any nonsense about not wanting to bulk up. If you're a woman, you can't without steroids. If you're a man and you say that, you need to cut back on your estrogen intake. The key to looking good is projecting a V. This means broad shoulders and a small waist. It doesn't mean looking like Moby.

For hiking I like my shorter hikes to be steeper climbs. If you live in a flat area, like St. Petersburg, you'll have to substitute this exercise for something else.

The Egoscue DVDs are a godsend. They focus on correcting alignment and eliminating back pain. I can not recommend these enough.

My favorite stretching DVD is AM/PM Stretch, because it uses a voice-over narrative.

The extra walking is used in addition to the other exercises, never as a substitute.

Tags: alignment stretching weights