Introduction
It is very important to know the difference in body types and what body type you may fall under. Knowledge of this can change the way you approach your training in the gym and for your sport. Everyone is different and therefore, everyone should train differently. It’s having the education and knowledge to tailor your training to your body type that holds the biggest success in performance, training output and moral.
Body types
Ectomorph:
This body type is someone who would typically be tall & skinny. They have a light build, with small joints & lean muscle. Ectomorphs have long thin limbs with stringy muscles and their shoulders tend to be thin with little width.
Traits of an ectomorph;
Small frame and bone structure
Flat chest
Small shoulders
Petite
Lean muscle mass
Fast metabolism
Endomorph:
This body type is someone who is solid and generally soft. Gaining fat occurs easily. They are shorter in height with thick arms and legs. They have strong muscles, especially the quadriceps. When describing their shape it is said to be like a ‘pear’ as their body would curve, being wider around the stomach and hips.
Traits of an endomorph;
Soft and round body
Gains muscle easily
Gains fat easily
Short in height
Less defined muscle
Slow metabolism
Mesomorph:
This body type is someone who would typically have an athletic build with large muscles. They fine it easy to gain & lose weight and are naturally strong. When described terms such as, ‘V shape’ or ‘Egg Timer’ are used, meaning wider shoulders, narrow waist and then potentially wide in the legs.
Traits of an mesomorph;
Athletic
Well defined muscles
Strong
Gains muscle easily
Gains fat easily
Using the above criteria, there should be more light shed on which body type you fall into.
How to get the best out of your body
If you’re an ‘Ectomorph’ you need to focus on a high calorie diet, mainly built up of carbohydrates & protein. This will help with the muscle mass you are trying to build. When in the gym you should focus on compound movements, these are exercises which involve more than one muscle group. Movements such as; Chest Press, Shoulder Press, Squats, Seated Row & Deadlifts. The main reason for this is to build the size and shape of your body, aiming to get away from the ‘rectangle’ look and establish more of a ‘V Shape’.
If you’re an ‘Endomorph’ you need to focus on a lower calorie diet, monitoring the amount of carbohydrates you are consuming. Ideally you want your carbohydrates & fats to be low, but your protein to be high. Your body already finds it hard to burn off the carbohydrates and fats that you are eating, quickly, so keeping an eye on this will be very beneficial. Training wise you need to focus on intensity, this means using ‘super-sets’ or ‘circuits’ to keep the body working at a high intensity. You should complete some aerobic/cardio fitness, but do not focus your whole training session around sitting on the bike, as weights are important too.
Now if you’re a ‘Mesomorph’ you should be focusing on getting the best out of your body. Eat a clean diet, aiming to hit your macros (carbphydrates, fats & protein) whilst focusing on a workout plan which helps build your body shape but also define each of your muscles. Perform your exercises at a controlled tempo and focus on form not weight.
Hopefully this blog has helped you towards understanding your body/ body type, and just remember… everyone is different and therefore, needs to eat and train differently to achieve their goals.
Thank you to Aptitude fitness for constructing this blog with me this week. You’re never too old to learn something new! If you’re looking for a personal trainer than why not head over to www.aptitude-fitness.co.uk, or contact Ben on 07540659018 for more information!
References
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