Prince Clemente shares the pros and cons of being an ectomorph

Many people are having a hard time losing weight during the pandemic because gyms and other fitness studios are closed as the government implemented COVID-19 quarantine measures.

However, it's the other way around for Kapuso actor Prince Clemente.

This may make us say "sana all" but he has a physiological explanation behind this.

Prince categorized his body type (somatotype) as ectomorph which is genetically predisposed not to store fat or build muscle. People that belong to this somatotype are usually skinny, lean, and have a high metabolic rate.

"Ectomorph kasi ako, 'yung mga ectomorph sila 'yung mga body type na pinakapayatin at hirap tumaba," the Descedants of the Sun Ph star shared in a Zoom inteview with GMANetwork.com.

As an actor and model, who is required to keep his physique lean, Prince considers this as an advantage.

"Well, dahil isa kong artista, napakalaking advantage niya.

"Puwede akong kumain ng kahit anong gusto ko. Kahit isang buong lechon 'yung maubos ko, kapag naghubad ako, may konting abs pa rin tayong makikita.

"So advantage s'ya sobra kaso 'yung legs ko medyo skinny dahil sa structure ko na payat," the Kapuso actor shared.

He does not follow any strict diet and does not count calorie intake either, which is unlikely for a celebrity like him.

"Isang advantage ng mga ectomorph is wala kaming pili sa pagkain. Ako, minsan paggising ko, buffalo wings, spaghetti, dalawang rice, juice, softdrinks, gano'n 'yung pagkain ko araw araw.

"Kahit hanggang madaling araw, ang midnight snack ko double cheeseburger, o ulam, rice pero never akong nagkaroon ng malaking tiyan dahil nga sa genes ko. So thankful naman ako do'n."

Prince added, "Ang dami sa mga friends ko na naiinggit sa 'kin na kahit kain ako nang kain, hindi ako nagkakatiyan."

Nevertheless, being an ectomorph gives Prince a hard time achieving the superhero-like physique because of his thinner bones and less muscle mass.

Worse is that ectomorphs tend to lose the gains easily.

"Since no'ng nagpandemic, nag-lose na ko ng around eight to nine pounds kaya ang payat ko ngayon sobra. Kahit 'yung mukha ko, wala nang laman. Ang laki ng binagsak ng katawan ko.

"Hindi naman ako underweight para sa height ko, sakto lang s'ya. Hindi lang s'ya 'yung ideal ko na weight para sa goal ko na medyo superhero physique na hinahabol ko."

For those who want to build muscles, this is a disadvantage.

Naturopathic doctor Dr. Marc Bubbs ND, MSc, CISSN, CSCS explained on his website that "ectomorphs typically have greater sympathetic nervous system dominance, lower testosterone levels, and slightly weaker digestive function, which can lead to a lack of anabolic muscle-building hormonal terrain, a mild drawback for adding weight."

Prince may not be underweight for his height, but attaining his goal weight is hard to reach when gyms are closed.

This is because workout equipment alternatives that can be found at home do not give the same intensity and impact, needed for muscle building, the way real gym weights do.

He said, "Hindi ko kailangan ng mga cardio, ng mga jogging, so ang kailangan ko talaga is muscle building kaya kailangan ko ng mga weights kaya ito sa bahay, meron akong dumb bells, meron akong pull-up bars, container ng tubig binubuhat ko.

"Siyempre, hindi mo puwedeng i-compare 'yung quality ng workout mo sa gym sa home workout. For me, never mo siya puwedeng ipag-compare, talagang ang layo.

"Parang 'yung home workout is parang maintenance lang, compared talaga sa gym na mag-i-improve ka at mare-reach mo 'yung body goal mo.

"Like sa gym, nakakapag-bench press ako ng 250 pounds sa chest. Paano ko 'yun gagawin sa bahay? Saan ako hahanap ng 250 pounds na bakal sa bahay? Kung push ups naman, sobrang gaan ng push ups para maging 250 pounds.

"For me na nagpapa-bulk ng muscles, imposibe siya ngayon."

Ectomorphs may be often called "skinny," but it is not a bad thing as some people may think.

In fact, it's completely normal because it is a natural physiology as the other two somatotypes, mesomorph and endomorph.

One must identify first his/her body type to work with it and to better understand his/her body potentials and limits.