How Long Does It Take for an Endomorph to Get Ripped?

I get it. You’re big – you’ve always been big – but now you wanna see how ripped you can get. (That’ll show your ex who’s made the real mistake!)

As an endomorph, you typically would have a harder time getting ripped, and getting ripped as an endomorph might take 4 – 8 months. Of course, this will be dependent on how you go about this process.

So to give you the easiest path, keep reading…

What Is an Endomorph?

Endomorphs are typically described as larger human beings. Think back to the oh-so-distant past of high school. Remember that kid who was just kinda always overweight?

Endomorphs usually all have traits that are the same between all of them, such as:

• Endomorphs have very broad shoulders and hips.
• They tend to have thicker elbows, knees, and wrists.
• The general shape could be described as “round.”
• They all have a tendency to carry more fat mass than others.
• They tend to carry their fat mass around the abdomen.
• They’re also way stronger than most other “normal” humans.

If these all sound familiar, you very well might be an endomorph. You better stay away from any carbohydrates, and you should be doing hours of cardio daily.

… or should you?

No, Because Endomorphs DON’T Exist

Endomorphs form part of the three somatotypes – ectomorphs, mesomorphs, and endomorphs. These were developed by the American psychologist William Herbert Sheldon back in the 1940s. And just like a modern-day influencer, he didn’t really know what the hell he was talking about back then.

He developed these “body types” based on psychological markers, not physical ones. While there were physical traits he mentioned, in his book Atlas of Men, he largely focused on the psychological markers.

He even went as far as to suggest that endomorphs are more prone to criminal activity.

Fast forward to 2022, and some people still believe this idea – sorry, this pseudoscience hasn’t died just yet. There are, of course, people who actually do find it harder to lose weight.

Naturally, this can be due to a host of reasons:

• Most people simply do not diet correctly or do not track calories at all.
• Some suffer from hormonal dysfunction such as Hashimoto’s (low thyroid levels) or Hypothyroidism (low testosterone). (Make sure you have your doctor rule these out first before assuming this is the reason you struggle with weight loss!)
• Sleeping less than the optimal amount could massively slow fat loss.
• Some medications could also slow fat loss, like birth control for women.
• Some people may suffer from eating disorders, in which case, dieting is often not advised at all.

For “endomorphs,” it’s usually just a combination of poor hormonal optimization, poor nutrition, poor sleep, and the wrong expectations. Let me explain.

How Do Hormones Slow Fat Loss?

We – as humans – have a myriad of hormones that will dictate all the functions in the human body. Now, before we delve any deeper – you cannot diagnose yourself. You have to have blood tests done and have a medical professional diagnose you.

That said, here are some hormone-based situations that could be the reason why fat loss is harder for some:

• Around 5% of Americans suffer from Hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid is underactive. This could make weight loss a lot harder, but again, you need a prescription for any medication.
• 20 – 40% of older males suffer from Hypogonadism, a condition in which the person no longer produces enough testosterone. Low test levels can lead to fat gain, especially around the abdomen.
• While regular levels of estrogen are needed in both males and females, having chronically elevated estrogen levels would lead to a more “round” figure and might make weight loss harder.

So, all in all, not many people would actually be suffering from hormonal imbalances. However, some do, and if you have concerns, it would be wise to see a medical professional before making any assumptions.

Okay, But How Do I Get Ripped?

Alright, into the juicy part of the article.

Getting ripped as a larger person might take a good amount of time, depending on your own genetics, of course. You might have great genetics for fitness, and you don’t even know because you’ve never tried.

That ends now, as I am going to give you a multi-step guide for what to do and when in order to lose weight and get ripped as an endomorph

Don’t Be Afraid Of Weights

The easiest thing to do at the beginning of the journey is simply to start training. It’s a hell of a lot more exciting than dieting, and in my opinion, the one I prefer doing. Training can be split into two categories, weights (or resistance training) and cardio.

Most people would wanna jump on the treadmill to go burn calories when – in reality – they would benefit way more from doing weights.

Why? Well, there are several reasons:

• Resistance training will build lean muscle tissue, which not only looks great but also massively boosts your basal metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn just by staying alive).
• Resistance training could burn the same or even more calories than cardio does.
• If you only do cardio, you run the risk of looking “skinny fat” and not ripped.

Alright, but how are you supposed to train? It’s actually very simple. Just start!

Resistance Training

Whether you follow a Push Pull Legs program, Pro Split, or even CrossFit, it doesn’t matter. There’s no “one size fits all” program, and the weight training you can do consistently is the one that’s going to do the best.

That said, the beginner routine I prefer is doing three full-body sessions per week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You choose movements that are both challenging and that you enjoy, you perform 2 – 4 sets per muscle, and that’s it.

When doing weight training, you should always be trying to get stronger from week to week. Doing 1,000 reps isn’t going to “burn” more calories, and in reality, the stronger you are, the more muscle you have. Focus on good form and getting stronger from week to week.

Cardio Training

Cardio training will also play a role, yes. Cardio gets demonized in the fitness and health world when it’s actually an effective tool for cutting calories. Start by either increasing your daily steps by 2000 or throwing in 10 – 15 minutes of low-intensity cardio after your workouts.

Start low and slow, and only increase your cardio once your fat loss has stopped.

How do you track fat loss? By monitoring your pictures over the period of 4 – 8 months as well as your weight.

Only Diet a Little Bit

Differences play a big role here, as someone starting from 300lbs would have a different approach than someone who is only 30lbs overweight. So, let’s split these into two groups:

Complete Beginners

Complete beginners can simply start by eating less of what they currently do. Yup, simply weighing your food and eating less is enough of a start for you to see some positive results.

Before you start tracking calories or macros, track your food and eat 20% less. Once you’ve done this for about a month, you’re ready to move toward the next level.

Intermediate Individuals

Intermediate individuals are going to, logically, try more intense dieting and follow a more specific meal plan for getting ripped.

This doesn’t mean removing all your food, but you certainly need to follow the following rules:

1. Calculate your maintenance calories and remove 10 – 15% from that number.
2. Try to get at least 0.8 – 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight (if you’re over 250lbs, you can stick to 250 grams of protein).
3. Split the remainder of your calories between carbs and fats as you wish.
4. Remember to track your calories with an app like MyFitnessPal, and weigh your food with a food scale.

The Best Food Choices for Endomorphs

When it comes to food choices, in the beginning, they’re not that important. But because you’ll be progressing and would want the best results, here are some great food options:

Monitor Your Progress (& Keep Making It)

Odds are, as an endomorph, you won’t get ripped in 30 days or anything ultra-fast like that.

You’ll also want to monitor your weight loss with the scale and pictures you take of yourself on a weekly basis. Once (and only then) fat loss stops, you might want to decrease your food intake or increase cardio slightly.

You can decrease food by about 10% each time fat loss stops or increase cardio by 10 minutes.

These would accomplish the same thing. However, dropping your food is going to “feel” a lot harder. I use a combination of both, sometimes opting for more cardio – but only if my recovery is good enough to prioritize weight training.

Two general tips for dieting are to utilize both fiber and sugar-free drinks. Fiber is going to “slow” digestion massively, and make you feel fuller for way longer. This is why vegetables and whole grain carbohydrate options are fantastic in a weight loss phase.

Sugar-free drinks are also a craving-killer. Whether you’re buying sweeteners and adding them to black coffee or drinking sugar-free pop, they’re both great solutions. There’s also currently no literature that shows that such drinks would adversely affect fat loss.

Having a cheat meal every now and then certainly won’t destroy your progress, but they should really be reserved to only once every 2 weeks, especially in the beginning. The leaner you get, the more frequent they could become.

Put It All Together

This is a long-term investment in yourself. You have to stay consistent with both the diet and the training in order to see results. Yes, as an “endomorph,” you might have a bit of a harder time losing weight, but you have a secret up your sleeve.

You should gain strength faster than all of your friends. This isn’t true for everyone, and I have no scientific reason for saying this. But most “husky” people tend to be remarkably strong, and they get stronger a lot faster than their peers. Having a lot of strength means you have the opportunity to build muscle mass a lot easier!

Again, the biggest thing here is consistency.

Yes, 4 – 8 months is a long time, and there will be periods where you might want to quit. In those moments, learn to rest and not give up. Aim to just be a bit better than you were yesterday and realize perfection does not exist.

How Long Does It Take for an Endomorph to Get Ripped?

So, how long does it really take for an ‘endomorph’ to get ripped? Firstly, it really depends on where your starting position is. That said, I can see most people getting in great shape somewhere between 4 – 8 months.

The overarching goal is great to look at, but you should be focusing on smaller goals every day, such as:

• Eating sufficient protein to sustain your muscle mass (or even increase it)
• Eating in a calorie deficit, specifically around 10 – 15% under maintenance
• Moving, whether by doing some cardio or simply increasing daily steps
• Following a diet that is sustainable, something you enjoy, and has plenty of spices and vegetables to keep it interesting
• Weight training at least 3 times per week

Those are really the five basic steps you need to follow. Sure, there are others like getting enough sleep that does certainly play a role, but this is a great start.

Overall, you should be aiming to lose only between 0.5 – 1.0% of body weight per week, as trying to lose more than this would not be sustainable. Don’t fall for fad diets, don’t fall for fad training programs, and certainly don’t fall for juice cleanses.