What's your body type?
Have you ever wondered why some people can lose weight and build muscle faster than others? Are you one of them or is it a little harder for you? Well, your genetics may play role. Factors that can affect fat loss, muscle growth, and strength include:
- Basal Metabolic Rate
- Number of fat cells
- Number of muscle fibers
- Muscle fiber type
- Muscle insertions
- Limb length
- Joint size
- Digestive differences
- Food allergies and insensitivities
- Carbohydrate tolerance
Our genetics are something we cannot alter but knowing your body type will help as you begin on your wellness journey. There are three body types. Don't worry, we don't all fit into these neat categories. You may be a combination of two but its important to know your predominate type.
- Ectomorphs - lean, skinny type. Sometimes call skinny fat. They are bony, have fast metabolisms and low body fat.
- Endomorphs - larger, have a soft roundness and have difficultly losing body fat
- Mesomorphs - muscular types, lean and naturally athletic and gain muscle with ease.
Now identify your pre-dominate type and watch for our next post about what it means and how to get the best results for your body type.
References:
Venuto, Tom. Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle: The Secrets of the Leanest People in the World. London: Vermilion, 2013. Print.
Precision Nutrition. John Berardi, Ph.D. Body type nutrition: Here's how to eat right for your body type. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.precisionnutrition.com/eat-right-for-your-body-type