The
3 Body Types
Today people are so confused in
quest of the diet or exercise program that works best for
them, they're caught up in a maze of categorizations. Some
are attempting to find their ideal course of action by considering
their blood type while others are attempting to underrstand
their unique oxidative rates. While I find that most categorizations
can be bypassed if someone simply understand the Synergistic
relationship between nutrition and exercise, back in 1940
a doctor and psychologist named William Sheldon released his
work, "The Varieties of Human Physique." He unleashed
a science referred to as somatotyping which attempts to categorize
people by their genetic body types. Sheldon's work has been
both criticized and praised, and while his theories related
to somatotypes and personalities might be in question, the
identification of a somatic type can help in tweaking an exercise
program to meet the desired goals. In short, Sheldon identified
three primary body types:
The Ectomorph is long
and lean. Ectomorphs often fall into the category of what
weighlifting aficionados call "hard gainers,"
individuals who have a difficult time beefing up. The stereotypical
"98-pound weakling" would be representative of
the ectomorphic body type. Ectomorphs carry little fat and
while they are typically not gifted with natural muscle,
they have the advantage, with the proper training and eating,
of putting on muscle without much worry about gaining fat.
The ectomorph in quest of muscle must train intensely, but
relatively infrequently to avoid overtraining. Basic compound
movements, squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and rows are
usually sufficient to add muscle. Sessions should rarely
be longer than 45 minutes and three times per week of resistance
training may be ideal. While aerobic exercise is important
for everyone seeking optimal health, the ectomorph seeking
muscle gain can easily overtrain and should keep aerobic
exercise moderate in duration, frequency, and intensity.
Caloric intake must be high and adequate protein, carb,
and essential fat intake is a must for significant protein
synthesis. Higher fat and moderate sugar weight gain drinks
can act as aids to amplify weight increases although a foundation
of supportive nutrition is essential to avoid beginning
a process of fat accumulation.
The Mesomorph is built
for athletics. A V-shape, wide shoulders, narrow hips, muscular
thighs. Mesomorphs usually maintain "healthy"
body fat levels leaning more toward the lower end. They
easily add muscle and their bodies are far more forgiving
of training mistakes and variances than their ectomorphic
buddies. They are often natural athletes, they respond well
to training, and their metabolisms are usually sufficient
to handle "less than ideal" nutrition provided
they get adequate calories to meet energy needs. Mesomorphs
respond well to variations in training and should stagger
a focus on fast twitch muscle fibers (stimulate by heavier
weights) and the slower twitch fibers (stimulated by intensity
in the higher repetition ranges).
The Endomorph tends to
be rounder in appearance and has a softer body due to higher
proportions of bodyfat. The "pear shape" would
be a stereotypical endomorph as there is usually significant
accumulation of fat around the hips and the midsection.
Endomorphs attempting to transform their bodies into lean
physiques must be diligent in their meal frequency and must
keep metabolism stoked while being extremely conscientious
of sugar and fat intake. They should ideally weight train
a minimum of three times per week and exercise aerobically
at least four or five days weekly. As they begin to add
muscle they will further boost metabolism and speed the
rate of fat loss.
Few of us fall cleanly into one
category. In fact, Sheldon developed a 7-point scale with
Ectomorph being one extreme, Endomorph being the other. There
are endo-mesomorphs and ecto-mesomorphs and while there is
some complex science developed under the category of somatotyping,
for most people a glance in the mirror can help determine
where you fall on the scale. This is not, at least in my estimation,
the science upon which every exercise and nutrition program
should be derived, but in terms of seeking out those specific
adjustments that may best serve you these tips merit consideration.
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