Are you an Ectomorph, Endomorph or Mesomorph?
Now that you know your predominate body type let's find out what it means for your in your health and wellness journey. As a reminder the three types are:
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.
All three types are listed below with descriptions and tips for nutrition and training. Feel free to scan to your body type and read just that piece. Not sure what you are? Read them all and find out.
Ectomorphs:
You are naturally lean and skinny. You probably lose weight easily and have a hard time gaining muscle. Still not sure if this is you? Do you fit these traits?
long limbs
small joints/small-boned
small wrists with narrow shoulders
fast metabolism
good carbohydrate balance
high energy
may suffer from insomnia
may be difficult to gain weight
When it comes to your training and nutrition...
1. Slow down and reduce stress.
2. Focus on strength training. You will respond well to this type of program.
3. Keep cardio to a minimum. Try no more than 20-30mins/day three days a week.
4. EAT! Keep your daily caloric intake high, don't skip meals and don't forget about healthy fats and carbs. You'll want about to consume about 50% carbs in the diet, 30% protein, and 20% fat.
Next up... Endomorphs
You find yourself to be more round and on the heavier side. You tend to gain weight fast and lose it SLOW! Weight loss can be a struggle your entire life. You are an endomorph if:
high levels of body fat
big-boned
short arms and legs
round or apple shaped body
wide waist and hips
may not handle carbs well
respond to higher protein diets
can't get away with overeating
may not be able to keep weight off
fall asleep easily
When it comes to your training and nutrition...
Reduce carbohydrates. Diets should be high in protein, healthy fats and fibrous carbs.
Watch those cheat meals. Instead of the typical 80% good, 20% bad. You may want to stick more with 90% good and 10% bad. Your body does not respond well to poor food choices and will result in excess fat storage.
Increase cardio duration and intensity. HIIT workouts or longer interval training may be best for you.
Strength and resistance training is very important to raise your resting metabolic rate but cardio will help keep you there. Think squats, deadlifts, lunges, pull ups, rows, presses. Does this sound familiar? This is what the Studio ME MEfit Bootcamp is build around.
Consider becoming more active in your everyday life. Siting around watching TV is hurting your progress.
Avoid oversleeping! Do you hit the snooze button a lot? Well stop!
Be consistent and patient. You tend to lose weight more slowly so this will not be an overnight thing. You need to be in this for the long haul. It needs to become a way of life.
Your daily caloric intake may look like 25% carbs, 40% protein, and 35% fat.
Lastly...Mesomorphs
You tend to be naturally muscular. You gain muscle pretty easily and loose fat pretty easily. You are a mesomorph if:
medium joint size
broad shoulders with smaller waist
muscular build and naturally strong (think gymnast body type)
high energy level
faster metabolism
respond quickly to any type of training in that you gain strength and muscle easily
When it comes to your training and nutrition...
Don't rely on your genetics. You have a gift. Take advantage and work hard. Trust me, it will pay off!
Pay attention to food quality. You may be able to get away with eating like crap but it could take a toll on your health.
You respond well to all types of training and should have a balanced fitness plan that includes both cardio and weight training. Lucky you, you don't need to do as much cardio as endomorphs and because you are naturally muscular you don't need to go heavy with the weight lifting all the time. One you reach your goal think about maintaining with medium weights. Go get 'em!
Consider 40% carbohydrate in the diet, 30% protein, and 30% fat.
Understanding your body type is key in your health and fitness journey. Just because your genes have given you one type over another doesn't mean it's time to throw in the towel. You just need to take responsibility and plan according to your body type. Don't get discouraged. You can overcome any obstacle if you are willing to work hard enough!
As the late UCLA Bruins basketball coach Jon Wooden said, "The good lord in his infinite wisdom, did not create us all equal when it comes to size, strength, appearance, or various aptitudes. But success is not being better than someone else, success is the peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing that you gave your best effort to become the best of which you are capable."
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