Do you train hard and see little in the way of muscle gain? How about an endless toil in the gym, struggling to lose fat? The chances are, you're going about it all wrong. The real way to hit your training goals is adapting your plan to your body type.

Men can generally be classed as one of three body types.

Ectomorphs: skinny guys that struggle to gain weight. They're your classic “hard-gainers”.
Endomorphs: large-bodied and generally soft, these bodies gain bulk easily but also store fat along the way.
Mesomorphs: the ones everybody envy because they're naturally lean and athletic. They can put on muscle comparatively easily and they don't require huge amounts of maintenance.

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There is no man that will say he enjoys the bottom of a barbell squat.

It’s the portion of the exercise where you probably feel the most uncomfortable. And if you fail or dump the weight, it usually happens when you’re in the hole.

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That’s why I want you to hang out in the bottom of the squat longer.

Related: THE 21-DAY METASHRED—an At-Home Body-Shredding Program That Strips Away Fat and Reveals Lean, Hard Muscle

A pause squat requires you to come to a full, extended stop at the lowest part of the rep. Now, this is by no means an Earth-shattering idea. However, it’s something I find many guys (coaches and trainers included) don’t do often enough.

Here are the main benefits of pause squats:

1. You  strengthen the weakest portion of your squat.

2. You gain more confidence and learn to become more comfortable “in the hole.”
3. You increase your muscles’  Time Under Tension (TUT), which plays a major role with increased mass. In short: more TUT = bigger muscles.

In life, each of us tends to move at our own pace. Some of us walk, talk, and eat faster or slower than others.

Research tells us that different speeds come with different costs and benefits. Walking faster, for example, burns more calories than walking slowly. Those who talk faster are more persuasive. And those who eat fast tend to eat more.

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So someone struggling to lose weight might be advised to eat slower and walk faster, and to beware of fast-talking salesmen trying to push the latest supplement miracle. 

It’s no surprise that in the gym, we also lift at different speeds. The open 

As pirates on the TV series Black Sails, actors Tom Hopper (above), Toby Stephens, and Luke Arnold have to look like men who spend all day heaving cannonballs, pulling sails, and climbing ropes. 

In other words, utterly shredded. 

Strength coach James White, the toughest trainer in South Africa, put them through a grueling boot camp to help them build brawn and cut fat—in just eight weeks. 

The excess of abs in the photo above tells you everything you need to know about the effectiveness of White’s program, which is detailed in the April issue of Men’s Health.

After all, TV pirates aren’t the only ones who need to look good with their shirts off. Click to find out what it takes to get into the best shape of your life.