Is it possible to change your body type? From ectomorph to mesomorph. Evolution
In our society it is difficult to find a person who would be 100% satisfied with his own figure. Most people are constantly trying to improve their body to bring it closer to their personal ideal. It is much easier to do this if you know well the features of your own constitution. There are several classifications of body types, but the most popular is the division of people into mesomorphs, endomorphs and ectomorphs. Let's look at their distinctive features, as well as the principles of nutrition and training for each of these types.
Mesomorphs - normosthenic body type
Mesomorphs are natural athletes. This type of person is able to maintain an athletic physique without much effort.
We usually talk about such people as strong, athletic, fit. Their distinctive features:
harmoniously developed, proportional body;
clear muscle relief and a fairly large amount of muscle mass, which is gained quickly and with minimal effort;
narrow but voluminous, well-developed shoulders;
low percentage of subcutaneous fat, lack of tendency to gain it;
wide waist, despite the presence of drawn abs;
large joints and thick bones.
The daily diet of a mesomorph should be built on the basis of the following proportions:
30-40% protein;
40-50% carbohydrates;
about 10% fat.
For a mesomorph striving to gain muscle mass, the optimal protein intake would be 2.5 g per 1 kg of body weight. You shouldn’t forget about carbohydrates either, as they are necessary as a source of energy for training. Almost half of a mesomorph’s diet should consist of carbohydrates, but they should be predominantly complex. Complex carbohydrates include cereals, durum spaghetti, and vegetables.
Nutrition and training of mesomorph, ectomorph and endomorph: what is the difference
To calculate the daily calorie intake for gaining muscle mass, you need to multiply your current weight by 30, and then add another 500 kcal to the resulting amount. For example, an actively training man weighing 70 kg needs to consume (70*30)+500=2600 kcal per day. Mesomorphs are not prone to gaining fat mass, but if the goal is still to lose weight, then the amount of carbohydrates must be reduced and the amount of protein must be increased. At the same time, carbohydrate-rich foods are best consumed only in the first half of the day. We should not forget about fats. They are necessary to maintain hormonal levels, as well as healthy joints, skin and hair. It is better to give preference to healthier unsaturated fats from seeds, nuts and vegetable oils. Mesomorphs naturally develop muscles easily, so they can benefit from almost any training regimen.
Nutrition and training of mesomorph, ectomorph and endomorph: what is the difference
To maintain a relatively athletic physique, even 1 workout per week will be enough for them. Therefore, more attention should be paid to this type of nutrition, aimed at the growth of “lean” muscle mass with a pronounced relief. A similar effect is achieved with a high protein concentration and moderate carbohydrate consumption.
Endomorphs - hypersthenic body type
Endomorphs are large people who have no problem gaining both muscle and fat mass.
Nutrition and training of mesomorph, ectomorph and endomorph: what is the difference
Representatives of this body type usually complain that they only need to look at high-calorie foods to gain a few extra pounds. Their distinctive features are:
round, stocky build;
wide waist, against which the shoulders seem narrow;
a sufficiently large volume of muscle mass, combined with an equally large layer of fat, which eliminates the manifestation of muscle prominence;
wide bones.
Nutrition for endomorphs must be organized as follows:
40% carbohydrates;
This diet is aimed at solving the main problem of endomorphs - getting rid of excess weight. In grams, this is about 2 g of protein, 2.5 g of carbohydrates and 0.5 g of fat per 1 kg of body weight. Moreover, the calculation should be made not based on the current weight, but on the one you are striving for. Based on the desired weight, daily caloric intake is calculated; for this, the cherished figure is multiplied by 30. The diet is quite strict, so deviations are almost inevitable. If you eat too much, don't blame yourself; it's better to burn extra calories, for example, by going for a walk before bed.
Nutrition and training of mesomorph, ectomorph and endomorph: what is the difference
A strict diet will inevitably affect your metabolism, causing it to slow down. As a result, after about 1.5 months, weight loss will stop. During this period, it is necessary to increase the amount of carbohydrates to 3-3.5 g per 1 kg of body weight with a simultaneous increase in physical activity, and when the weight moves forward, return to the usual regimen. You can also influence the speed of metabolic processes with the help of frequent, but small meals. The entire daily diet should be divided into 5-6 servings, eating them with a break of 2 hours. It is especially important for an endomorph to pay attention to the quality of the products consumed. You should exclude or at least minimize high-calorie foods that do not carry any nutritional value. We are talking about refined sweets, baked goods, carbonated drinks, industrial sauces, etc. The basis of the diet should be protein foods with low fat content and complex carbohydrates. To maintain an athletic figure, an endomorph needs up to 5 intense workouts per week. If this is strength training, then you need to do a large number of approaches (8-10) for each muscle group, performing 15-20 repetitions in each of them. Cardio training is equally important. They should be frequent, but moderate in pace and time (30-40 minutes).
Ectomorphs - asthenic body type
Ectomorphs are people who are naturally thin. These are the lucky ones who can afford to eat anything without gaining extra pounds.
Nutrition and training of mesomorph, ectomorph and endomorph: what is the difference
However, muscle tissue in ectomorphs is as difficult to form as fat tissue, so building muscle for them is very, very difficult. You can recognize an ectomorph by the following characteristics:
broad shoulders;
slim waist;
thin bones and small joints;
minimum percentage of adipose tissue;
poorly defined muscles that are difficult to increase.
As a rule, this type tends to gain weight. Men want to build muscle mass, women want to gain more rounded shapes. Based on these goals, the ectomorph’s diet should be structured as follows:
50-60% carbohydrates;
20-30% protein;
In the diet of ectomorphs, the emphasis is on carbohydrates. When gaining weight, their amount can be 6-9 g per 1 kg of body weight. However, you should not pounce on buns and cakes. If you want not just to increase in size, but to gain a beautiful athletic body, then the sources of carbohydrates and fats should be as healthy as possible - cereals, vegetables, fruits, whole grain bread and pasta, nuts.
Nutrition and training of mesomorph, ectomorph and endomorph: what is the difference
Calculation of the daily calorie intake is carried out by multiplying the desired weight by 40. On training days, add another 500 kcal to the resulting number. With nutrition for ectomorphs, everything is quite simple: it should be plentiful and saturated with the maximum amount of nutrients, but more attention should be paid to training. When building a training program, you need to take into account the characteristics of the ectomorph’s muscle tissue. His muscles do not have much endurance, therefore, under excessive loads, they quickly begin to break down and stop growing. For this reason, the duration of the workout should not exceed 60 minutes, and the exercises should be done with a low number of sets and repetitions.
Nutrition and training of mesomorph, ectomorph and endomorph: what is the difference
It also takes a lot of time for muscles to recover, so you shouldn’t do more than 3 workouts a week. But ectomorphs who want to gain weight should not get carried away with cardio training. When creating an individual diet, you need to take into account that pure body types are quite rare. Often a person can combine the characteristics of two constitutions at once. In this case, the diet is built according to the predominant characteristics, or something in between is compiled. In addition, under the influence of hormonal levels, our body can change its constitution with age. For example, an endomorph teenager, as he grows up, can “stretch out” and become a mesomorph. In this case, both diet and training are also subject to adjustment.
Train your body correctly - whether you're an ectomorph, endomorph or mesomorph - and you can outsmart your genes.
When you look at your naked body in the mirror, what do you see? Unless you are a genetic mutant, your body falls into one of three typical shapes.
The idea that the human body is genetically predetermined to belong to one of three species is not something new. Plato mentioned this in the Republic, which was written around 380 BC. e., and the philosopher XIX century Friedrich Nietzsche mentioned it in Antichrist until psychologist William Sheldon popularized the idea of dividing body types into three categories in the 1940s.
- Ectomorph: Thin and tall, has difficulty creating muscle.
- Endomorph: Large body with a high fat content, often pear-shaped, stores fat easily.
- Mesomorph: Muscular and well-built body, has a high metabolism and sensitive muscle cells.
But what do these words really mean? In general, ectomorphs remain skinny despite an hour at the gym, endomorphs struggle with their digestion, and mesomorphs build muscle with ease. By learning about the body shape you were born with, you can be smarter about your training and nutrition to maximize your potential and create the body shape you've always dreamed of.
Although there are three types, it is important to know that you cannot accurately categorize yourself into just one.
"Three body types exist, but they are never seen in their pure form," says Professor Lars McNaughton from Edge Hill University.
“We all have something of an endomorph, a mesomorph, and an ectomorph.”
There's even a rating system for what type you are, the Heath-Carter method, where you're given a score from 1 to 7 for each body type (you may fall outside of this range, but you'll usually be within these numbers).
"Count your endomorph points first, then your mesomorph and ectomorph points," advises McNaughton.
"So, for example, 1-7-5 would be a mesoectomorph - a tall, muscular person with little fat."
In the Heath-Carter system, a pure mesomorph has indicators of 1-7-1, a pure endomorph has 7-1-1, and a pure ectomorph has 1-1-7. However, almost everyone is a mixture of these types, so body identification will help you determine how you fit into each category.
You can combine the characteristics of a mesomorph and an endomorph, quickly gain muscle mass, but just as quickly gain weight if you relax a little. Or the dream combination: a muscular mesomorph who can quickly shed excess fat after just a few high-intensity interval training sessions.
The chart below shows how different athletes view the Heath-Carter system. This is a good starting point for identifying your own body.
Whatever your characteristics, you should know that regardless of your body type, anyone can become lean, build a strong muscle frame or, equally, gain fat mass if they are not careful. It may be difficult for a skinny guy to achieve a body like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it is possible.
Below, you'll find more information on how to identify your own body type or mix of types, and learn how to adjust your workout plan: what you should be doing in the gym and in the kitchen, where you're going wrong, what exercises are best for you, and what supplements will help you improve your results. At the very least, you'll have a better idea of what shape your body is and how to get the most out of your genetic inheritance.
Need for sleep
Whatever your body type, to get maximum results you need to focus on your nutrition (more on that below) and recovery, the key to the latter being sleep. The positive effects of quality sleep are many.
Most of us associate testosterone and growth hormone with muscle growth. However, they are equally important for fat loss and post-workout recovery. Sleep has a huge impact on how your body produces hormones.
A study at the University of Chicago found that if you sleep less than eight hours every night for a week, testosterone can drop by more than 10%. Testosterone and growth hormone levels are also regulated by the amount of sleep you get during the daily cycle, known as the "circadian rhythm." You should strive to synchronize your circadian rhythm with the day and night periods.
Your sleep can be negatively affected by unusual or extra light at night. A big step you can take to alleviate any sleep problems is to turn off lights and electronic devices at least one hour before you fall asleep.
Ectomorphs
Ectomorphs are excellent at converting carbohydrates into energy, and your fast metabolism means you burn fat easily. The downside is that you are working to gain mass because your fast twitch muscle fibers are not developed enough. To become more muscular, you need to keep cardio to a minimum and focus on intense workouts using compound exercises to maximize the release of growth hormone. You'll also need to take in about 3,000 calories a day, including plenty of starchy carbohydrates and whey protein, possibly from a supplement.
Are you an ectomorph?
You have the build of a marathon runner - thin but wiry. It's hard for you to gain even one size, despite the hours spent in the gym.
Why is this happening?
This all has to do with the addition of accessory myonuclear cells, or in simple terms, the number of cells surrounding your muscle fibers and your ability to add them during training. In one study of 66 people, the first 17 “respondents” received a 58% increase in muscle cross-sectional area, while the last 17 received nothing. Unfortunately, ectomorphs tend to be the worst responders.
What can ectomorphs do wrong?
Three days of strength training should be combined with two days of low-intensity cardiovascular training. Effective exercises for ectomorphs include leg curls, bicycle crunches, and exercise ball presses. First, warm up on the treadmill. "Ectomorphs often gravitate toward long, slow work, but that's the worst thing they can do," says trainer William Perdue.
"It can also be tempting to include basic bodybuilder exercises like curls into your training plan, but that's another mistake," Perdue says. - I often see ectomorphs focus on movements that work specific muscle groups, whereas big, compound exercises like squats work more muscles and give you a hormonal boost that helps build muscle. I still use exercises for individual muscle groups, but they only complement the main ones, 80% of the time the large muscle groups should be working.”
What should ectomorphs do?
"Compound exercises with reps in the eight to 12 range and fairly heavy weights are what you're looking for," Perdue says. “A system like German Volume-Value Training (GVT) would be ideal.” Popularized by muscle expert Charles Poliquin, GVT consists of ten circuits of 10 repetitions of key exercises such as crunches or squats.
And there's no need to live in the gym to build muscles - in fact, it's the opposite. "If you're working out four, five days a week, you're speeding up your metabolism too much," says Coach Hughes. “I tend to limit myself to three workouts per week, reducing the actual workout time after the warm-up to 45 minutes or less.”
What is?
From a nutritional perspective, a diet high in calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat will help you build strong muscles. You should not make the mistake of thinking that you can eat what you like. Rather, it simply means that you should eat more healthy foods. Good news: you don't need to avoid carbohydrates such as oats, wholemeal bread and potatoes. The fats found in nuts, seeds and avocados will also give you the right results.
"Ectomorphs should respond well to carbohydrates, which will raise blood sugar and help move protein into the muscles," says trainer Mark Hughes. “Stick to complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes and brown rice.” Eat at least 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, but be careful about increasing this amount.
Ectomorphs who have a body fat percentage of 15% should aim to consume 8g of carbohydrates, 4.3g of protein and 1g of fat per kg of body weight on training days. On rest days, you can reduce the amount of carbohydrates to 7 g. A high-carb diet will stimulate blood sugar levels, helping protein flow into the muscles without increasing insulin resistance.
What else?
"For ectomorphs, it's important to use supplements correctly," says Hughes. “I would suggest taking a carbohydrate/protein supplement before and during your workout, and then another immediately after or after a good meal.”
Suitable exercises
The deadlift is your best friend: People with long arms may find this exercise quite easy, using the entire body to gain mass. While squats and bench crunches will do wonders for your body, taller ectomorphs may find them difficult. “Your height can be a challenge when trying to get parallel in the squat,” says Perdue. “In such cases, I recommend training with a leg press machine.”
Cheat sheet for ectomorphs
Do
- Training with compound movements.
- Get enough protein.
- Use exercises for individual muscle groups at the end.
Not to do
- Too many exercises on individual muscle groups.
- Too much cardio.
- Ectomorphs must work hard with weights to get a ripped body.
Endomorphs
Endomorphs know how to conserve energy; their muscles and fat are concentrated in the lower part of the body. Endomorph is the heaviest body type when it comes to weight and overall fitness, but to achieve a more balanced physique, you should focus on developing your shoulders and removing excess fat from your lower body. Low- to moderate-intensity cardio will help you lose fat, as will a 1,750-calorie-a-day high-fiber diet.
Are you an endomorph?
If you have problems with excess weight, chances are that you are an endomorph, characterized by a relatively high amount of stored fat, a wide waist and a large bone structure.
Why is this happening?
The good news is that you are the pinnacle of evolution: when food was scarce, natural selection favored people with fat-preserving metabolisms. The bad news is that now that there are couches and milkshakes, those genes have played a bad joke on you. Some experts believe that hereditary factors may have a 70% influence on your body mass index (BMI).
What can endomorphs do wrong?
First, some good news: There's no point in spending hours on the treadmill. "The first thing I tell people trying to lose weight is to stop doing long, slow, steady cardiovascular work," says Perdue. “Then I have them do more interval exercises to get rid of the fat.” Splits and step jumps are great, but if you carry a lot of weight, take care of your joints, they need to move slowly but intensely.”
And if you're doing abs a hundred times to try and escape the lifeline, stop doing it right now. "It's impossible to lose fat at one point," says Hughes. “You need to lose it throughout your body to see results on your waist.”
What should endomorphs do?
While most new endomorphs are focused on losing fat through aerobic exercise, we are of the opinion that weight training is better because it continues to burn calories long after the exercise is over. Moreover, the calories you consume during the recovery period will help your muscles grow rather than feed your stomach. Therefore, we recommend doing four days a week of hypertrophy training (heavy weight, low reps) along with cardio.
"Combine hypertrophy training—basically building muscle—with rest to shed unwanted fat," says Perdue. - A four-day plan could be something like this: Monday - upper body hypertrophy; Tuesday - lower body exercises such as sprints or sleds; Thursday - hypertrophy of the lower body; and Friday is a repeat day for the upper body, but you'll be doing a lot of reps at relatively low weights."
What is?
From a nutritional perspective, a low-carb diet that still includes oats and brown rice should be complemented by a high intake of protein and fiber. The nutrients you get from foods like green tea and spinach will help in the fat burning process. You will need to watch what you eat more strictly than people with other body shapes. "Get your carbohydrates from vegetables," says Perdue, "and avoid white bread and rice."
Endomorphs who have a body fat percentage of 15% should consume 2.5 grams of carbohydrates, 3.5 grams of protein and 1.3 grams of fat per kilogram of body weight on training days. On rest days, reduce carbs to 2 g. Endomorphs are more susceptible to fat on high-carb diets, so start small and only increase carbs when progress stalls.
What else?
"There is evidence that excess weight around the midsection indicates high levels of stress or low ability to cope with stress," Perdue says. “Try to minimize the effects of cortisol, the stress hormone, by getting enough sleep and avoiding overtraining.” And avoid sports drinks. "They're full of carbohydrates," Perdue says, "and they'll raise your blood sugar really high." And, of course, avoid booze.
Suitable exercises
“Get used to using your body,” Perdue says. “Train with your own weight, such as bench presses or pull-ups, and use exercises that focus on good form, such as the Turkish get-up.”
Cheat sheets for the endomorph
Do
- Train intensely.
- Monitor your carbohydrate intake.
- Train your shoulders.
Not to do
- Endless crunches.
- Run for several hours.
- Drink sports drinks.
Mesomorphs
You have the easiest body type to gain muscle mass, and you don't tend to retain a lot of fat. Mesomorphs may take their athletic achievements for granted, which can lead to infrequent training and poor nutrition. Maintaining good physical condition is often combined with the wrong approach to nutrition and exercise.
Your job is to make the most of your body shape. You need to follow a progressive plan that will make you stronger and more athletic, you will increase your muscle mass without becoming too bulky. To ensure you have enough energy for your workouts, you'll need about 2,500 calories a day, which includes plenty of whole grains while limiting your overall fat intake.
Are you a mesomorph?
If yes, then you will easily understand this by the envious glances in your direction. Mesomorphs are well-built even without the gym, and their muscles begin to increase as soon as they pick up dumbbells. If this sounds like you, then you've hit the genetic jackpot, otherwise you can change your DNA with the right training.
Why is this happening?
The same studies that are so unflattering for ectomorphs have found many positive results for mesomorphs. While the worst respondents in the study mentioned above saw no changes in their regulation of myogenin—the key gene responsible for all muscle growth—mesomorphs in the same program saw a 65% spike in their regulation.
What can mesomorphs do wrong?
"Mesomorphs often don't train to their full potential," says Hughes. “I usually give them timed workouts to give them goals to increase the intensity of the workout.”
What should mesomorphs do?
“I would recommend that mesomorphs take up athletics,” Perdue says. - They can do sprints, boxing and jumping or other plyometrics. They respond well to low set numbers and power movements. Alternatively, try interval sprints, they speed up your metabolism and get rid of fat.”
What is?
While the usual rules of PN still apply, the good news is that your body will respond well to any healthy food you eat. "You can eat carbohydrates in moderation," says Hughes. “And try to eat more protein.” On average, mesomorphs need to eat 40% complex carbohydrates, 30% protein and 30% healthy fats. So, for example, a plate of vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli, roasted chicken and olive oil with whole grain bread would constitute a staple meal for this body type.
Mesomorphs, who have a body fat percentage of 15%, should consume 6 g of carbohydrates, 4 g of protein and 1.2 g of fat per kg of body weight on training days. On rest days, reduce carbs to 5 grams. Healthier fats will offset the carb reduction without risking increased insulin sensitivity, which can cause you to store fat.
What else?
“Mesomorphs respond well to creatine,” says Hughes. “This helps them recover from sports training and work harder.” You should also consider recovery days. "Although the strenuous nature of your athletic training minimizes the eccentric portion of exercise, which helps prevent muscle soreness, doing some gentle exercise on your rest days will help warm you up and give you strength."
Suitable exercises
"Strength exercise is great for you," Perdue says. - Try combining an endurance exercise with a strength exercise that works the same muscles. For example, increase the five reps of a deadlift by another five to finish off the muscle.”
Cheat sheet for mesomorphs
Do
- Train like an athlete.
- Set the time for each workout.
- Set personal records.
Not to do
- Taking your body for granted.
- There is everything you like.
Before you start losing weight, it's important to know your body type (also known as somatotype). There are three main body types, each of which gains and loses weight differently. Nutritionists, fitness instructors, doctors and other health professionals use body type to develop a personalized, effective and efficient fitness program and for weight loss. Knowing your body type will help you understand your body so you can work with it rather than against it.
All body types can both gain and lose weight, but the degree and speed of these processes is different for everyone. This article will help you achieve your goals, make it easier to plan your fitness workouts, and help you choose a diet that will give you maximum results.
- Endomorphs- “fat storage”
- Mesomorphs – “athletes”
- Ectomorphs- “skinny”
Most of us don't fit perfectly into one body type; instead, we have qualities of at least two. Experts believe that many people are a combination of body types, such as ectomesomorph or endo-mesomorph, that is, mostly mesomorph traits, but with features of an ectomorph (i.e. graceful bone structure and small waist) or endomorph (i.e. tendency to gain weight quickly). However, although we do not fit exactly into one body type, one of these categories is still closer to us, and therefore is dominant. It's important to determine which of these classic body types is yours. This will give you a better chance of succeeding in rebuilding your body.
Looking at other people, it is not always easy to determine what body type they were previously. However, knowing what they looked like before transforming their appearance will make this much easier (for example, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Brad Pitt).
Body type goal
The goal is to move away from a strictly black and white definition of your body type into a gray area where a combination of two body types is more accurate. With exercise and proper nutrition, you can get the body you want and balance these body types.
Body types are the basis
Body type is a combination of your bone structure, bone density and muscle mass that is determined genetically. Unfortunately, no amount of exercise will turn a short-legged woman into a long-legged one, since characteristics such as the width of your hips and shoulders, whether you have a wide bone or a narrow one, remain unchanged. Will you skinny or plump – it all depends on your body type. You cannot change your body type in the sense that endomorphs are always more prone to obesity compared to mesomorphs or ectomorphs. However, endomorphs can change in the sense that they are not doomed to always be overweight, provided they make a strenuous attempt to control calorie intake And fat intake, and also regularly are engaged. This gives you the opportunity to get realistic about what you can achieve and how much work it will take to reach your goals and get the best body possible. So, if you are an endomorph, then you now know that you will need to work hard to achieve results, more than your friends. But you also know that you will get there.
Just because you can't get long legs, lots of muscle, or other features you crave doesn't mean you shouldn't even try to improve your body. As always in life, in order to succeed in anything, you first need to accept what you have, what was given to you by nature. In fact, if a woman's body is toned and toned, you can turn the plumpest lady into a stunning beauty. Likewise, a man's strong and athletic body will transform any man.
Is it possible to change your body type?
So, the truth is that any body type can be made to look stunning. Just work with what you have. If you have curves like Jennifer Lopez, you'll feel sick if you look like Kate Moss. Instead, lose fat, tone up and be as beautiful as Jennifer Lopez. In fact, let's take Kate Moss. Her height is 170 cm, and according to the rules this is not enough to become a supermodel. But she is the most popular of them all. She is not ideal, but she made the whole world believe otherwise. If you tend to be thin like Brad Pitt (he's become less ectomorphic with age!), don't try to become Schwarzenegger. Brad Pitt didn't try and he's doing great. Instead, get rid of what is called the "bag of bones and fat", build muscle, and that's it - you're good. That is, there is no need to be angry with genetics. Don't consider this an excuse. You can't change genetics. It's beyond your control. But you can change your weight. You can change your body fat percentage. You can change the condition of your muscles. The only reason why your body did not become the way you wanted is you and only you. It's cruel, but you have to take responsibility for your body. If you don't do this, there will be no success.
Body Types: Starting Point
Different body types are just a starting point for you to understand what your body is and what you can do with it. While you can't change your base (meaning you can't change your skeletal structure), you can manipulate muscle and fat to make it look like you've changed your shape. Whoever you are, ectomorph, mesomorph or endomorph, it is up to you to decide what your body will be like through hard work and determination, proper nutrition and a training program. If you are naturally inclined to be overweight, then it was your decisions about how much to eat, what to eat, and how much to exercise that led you to become overweight. You may have to work hard to get and stay skinny, but you can be skinny. It may sound harsh, but it's quite inspiring because it means you can fight it.
How to change your body?
Eat and exercise in a way that suits your body type! In addition to great willpower, determination and perseverance, you need to properly time your diet and workouts according to your personal needs. Knowing your body type is a huge help in calculating your nutrition. For example, endomorphs are more sensitive to carbohydrates than other somatotypes, that is, they need to switch to a diet low in carbohydrates. Different body groups also require different types and intensities of cardio and endurance exercise to achieve their goals. There are types of workouts that you should avoid because they may focus on making parts of your body bigger that you would otherwise like to see smaller.
So the bad news is that you are stuck with the genetics you were given at birth. The good news is that knowing your body type is the first step towards learning how to work with it and change it.
If you're looking to create a nutrition and workout program for your body type, you might want to consider Burn Fat, Nourish Muscle. This program calculates body types and allows you to tailor your weight loss program to your type. Macronutrient levels, food taps, calorie requirements, endurance training and cardio exercises are all calculated according to body type.
Based on materials:
www.superskinnyme.com/body-type.html
As mentioned above, in a broader sense, determining body type is determining the set of characteristics of one’s own body. Possession of such information allows us to draw the following conclusions:
1) Does the potential athlete have the opportunity to achieve high results in a particular sport. If a person made the wrong conclusion about his body type (his genetic capabilities) or did not make it at all, then his energy, time, and money may be wasted. Therefore, before embarking on the path of professional sports, it is extremely important to assess your genetic potential.
2) What is the predicted performance limit in the chosen sport. Having correctly identified yourself as an ectomorph, mesomorph or endomorph, you can evaluate your progress according to the criterion “efforts made - results achieved.” Let us explain with an example: the closer an athlete is to the “ectomorph” body type, the more difficult it is for him to gain muscle mass. Such a person needs to be condescending towards the weak progress of the mentioned indicator, especially when comparing himself with other athletes.
3) Training methods, nutrition and rest. It is known that progress in athletic sports consists of the three listed components. Their connection with body type is obvious.
4) Changes in body size and proportions in the future. There are fairly accurate methods that make it possible to make a forecast about the future development of an athlete as his age progresses.
What classifications exist?
The problem of structuring the constitution of human bodies has its roots in antiquity. Thus, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, established a relationship between a person’s physique and a person’s tendency to certain diseases.
Nowadays, there are several dozen such classification systems. The main classification parameters are the proportions of body parts, the development of skeletal muscles and the amount of fat in the body.
For example, the system of the German scientist Ernst Kretschmer divides people into the following 3 types.
- Asthenics are thin, tall people with often pale and thin skin, elongated limbs, and relatively small “width” sizes.
- Picnics are people with a high percentage of body fat. The growth of picnics is average or below average. The neck is thick, merging with the rounded head. The face is wide and shallow. Picnics are prone to obesity.
- Athletics are the type of people that live up to their name. Athletes have well-proportioned muscles and a harmoniously constructed skeleton.
A similar system of Chtetsov, which is basic for medicine, uses similar types.
- Asthenics, which are characterized by weak muscles and thinness. The limbs and chest are elongated relative to the overall size of the body.
- Normosthenics. A type with well-developed muscles and limbs proportional to the length of the body.
- Hypersthenics. A type with an increased width-height ratio. Often hypersthenics are overweight.
In the English-speaking world, the generally accepted classification developed by William Sheldon and introduced in 1940, according to which human bodies are divided into endomorphs, mesomorphs and ectomorphs.
- Endomorph - according to Sheldon, an idealized, maximally well-fed person with weak muscles, a large belly, thin wrists and a round head. Naturally, an endomorph has a tendency toward obesity. It is also interesting to note that, according to Sheldon’s expressions, with severe food restriction, the endomorph remains the same hungry endomorph. The similarity of such a person does not increase with either an ectomorph or a mesomorph.
- Mesomorph is an athletically developed person with harmonious proportions, a large head, and broad shoulders. A mesomorph has a minimum percentage of body fat.
- An ectomorph is a thin, tall person with elongated limbs, a narrow chest and almost zero fat content under the skin. The ectomorph's skeletal muscles are poorly developed.
The peculiarity of the Sheldon system is to characterize the human body according to the degree of similarity to each of the three types. The maximum degree of similarity is 7, the minimum is 1, that is, the formula of a pure ectomorph in units of the Sheldon system is (1-1-7).
Thus, the physique of an individual person is characterized by the percentage of presence of signs of each of the three basic types. For example, type (2-5-3) is the preferred mesomorph (83%), which, however, has characteristics of an endomorph (33%) and ectomorph (50%). Naturally, the most beneficial type for athletic sports is the type (1-7-1) - one hundred percent mesomorph.
Several very important facts should be emphasized:
- A fairly large percentage of people belong to mixed types. There are very few pure endomorphs, ectomorphs and mesomorphs;
- According to Sheldon, the constitution of the body cannot be changed. To some extent, muscle size, their proportions, and a person’s weight can be corrected, but not somatotype. However, in modern sports practice, significant temporary transformations of the parameters of the human body are possible.
- The human body can be made up of parts that suit different body types.
There are also mixed types, here is a good video on this topic:
One of the results of Sheldon's work is the "atlas of man." Guided by the atlas and three photographs (side, front and back views), it was possible to determine a person’s somatotype.
The Sheldon system is not used by modern science, but is the basis for more modern somatotype classification systems. For example, Parnell's system excludes evaluation from photographs and takes into account three main characteristics:
- height-weight ratio;
- the size of the “girth” of the limbs and body;
- percentage of fat, characterized by skin folds.
Methods for determining body type
How to determine somatic type - endomorph, ectomorph or mesomorph? There are quick assessment and more accurate methods to determine the somatotype. The second group of methods naturally requires more information and time spent. The methods are listed below in order of increasing difficulty.
1) Visual assessment method
Here anyone can be an expert. A necessary condition is a clear idea of what body parameters clearly defined representatives of the three basic body types have. To increase the adequacy of the assessment, there should be several experts.
2) Wrist circumference measurement method
A fairly old method, the adequacy of which is now being questioned. The essence of the method: a wrist size of 17.5 cm was considered the average norm. If the wrist is much smaller than this size, the physique is thin-boned (corresponds to an ectomorph). According to the method, a value of 19 cm or more corresponds to excellent genetic potential (mesomorph).
such athletes as A. Schwarzenegger, L. Ferrigno, S. Oliva achieved excellent results in bodybuilding, having a wrist size of 17-18 cm.
3) Height-weight ratio
There are several techniques here.
- The roughest way to calculate the norm is as follows: you need to subtract 110 from the height of a person (in cm), provided that the person’s height is more than 170 cm. The resulting value very roughly corresponds to the weight of a mesomorph. The greater the difference between the actual weight and the calculated value, the closer the person is to the other two somatotypes.
- The age-based method is as follows.
WEIGHT = 50 + 0.75 * (HEIGHT – 150) + (AGE – 20) / 4
Height is measured in centimeters, age in years. - There is also a method based on table values. Body type can be determined by comparing a person’s weight and reference weight values for one measured height. For example, for a man 185 cm tall, the normal weight is 71.4 ÷ 79 kg (mesomorph).
The range of lower weight values corresponds to the ectomorph (68.6 ÷ 73.2 kg). For an endomorph, the indicators are as follows: 75.9 ÷ 85.4 kg.
4) Complex formulas
The most accurate, scientific approach is to use more complex formulas that include limb girth measurements, skin fold measurements, and obesity index (height to weight ratio) in the calculations. This method (Heath-Carter formula) is widely used in Western sports science and physiology. The result of the calculations is an indicator of three numbers (according to Sheldon’s method), which determines the similarity with each of the three somatotypes.
Next, a coordinate system and a point corresponding to the results obtained are constructed on the plane. Thus, different athletes can be assessed with quite visual numerical indicators, with their further display on a plane (graph).
5) Propensity analysis
An addition to the above methods can be an analysis of a person’s tendency to gain weight and the body’s responsiveness to correctly delivered training. For example, according to authoritative physiologists, obesity is completely alien to an ectomorph, but gaining muscle mass through natural methods is also organic for him.
On the Internet you can find a sufficient number of so-called calculators that allow you to determine your somatotype. The initial value for most of them is one or two girth sizes (hand, thigh) or an obesity index based on height and weight.
Determining your body type is an extremely important sporting task. Knowing the somatotype, you can make a prediction about a person’s predisposition to certain sports, make a forecast about future results and calculate their maximum achievable limit. Let us remember that body type does not change throughout life. Sizes and proportions can be corrected, but not the constitution of the body.
For a novice athlete, one of the main questions should be the following: “endomorph, ectomorph, mesomorph - how to determine?” Regarding methods, there are simpler, faster methods and more precise scientific approaches. The advantage of the latter is the possibility of numerical comparison of different athletes and a visual graphical presentation of the results.
It should be immediately recalled that there are three body types: ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph. From a training point of view, weight gain is better for mesomorphs. However, this does not mean that athletes with other body types will not be able to gain weight.
Very often, trainers advise endomorphs to increase aerobic activity and reduce rest breaks between approaches. With these steps they want to reduce the athlete's fat reserves. But when giving such advice, no one thinks how fat can be related to weight gain. After all, by increasing cardio loads, you will inevitably have to reduce strength ones. Such a step will only lead to a decrease in the effectiveness of weight gain.
If a person has a large mass, then the fat deposits should simply be diluted with muscles and gradually the figure will become athletic. Why remove fat without gaining weight? In addition, it is very difficult for endomorphs to fight excess weight.
No one is trying to argue now that endomorphs have problems with excess weight. But you should always remember that gaining weight and burning fat are completely opposite tasks. To burn excess fat, it is necessary to accelerate catabolic processes, thereby inhibiting anabolic ones.
To effectively burn fat, it is necessary to create a calorie deficit in the body, while for the growth of muscle tissue a surplus is required. This postulate must be remembered and you should not pay attention to other statements.
This works just as effectively on endomorphs as it does on other body types. The only difference is the speed of the fat burning process. Endomorphs are genetically predisposed to the accumulation of fat cells. This happened during evolution, and the only purpose of this was to ensure human survival during power outages.
Among the main features of the endomorph, the following should be highlighted:
- Slow metabolic processes;
- Wide bone;
- Large and strong muscles;
- Large amounts of excess fat.
Endomorph nutrition
To solve this problem, you just need to speed up your metabolism, and this is most easily achieved through fractional meals. If most athletes are advised to eat about six times during the day, then endomorphs should do this at least 10 times.
Thanks to this, metabolic processes will accelerate, muscles will begin to grow, and fat will be burned. It is important to remember that the more meals you eat during the day, the faster muscle tissue grows and fat reserves disappear. We can say with confidence that using fractional nutrition, endomorphs will become the owners of almost all the advantages of mesomorphs.
It should be remembered that it will not be possible to gain weight and burn fat at the same time, even if you want to. Directly opposite methods are used for these processes. It is necessary to try to increase the mass of muscle tissue without creating additional fat reserves. In this regard, we can give some advice:
- Split meals into as many as possible;
- Increase the amount of protein compounds consumed, based on 2-4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight;
- Reduce the amount of fat in the diet to 10%;
- Try to consume more omega-6 and omega-3;
- Consume only complex carbohydrates, such as buckwheat;
- The bulk of carbohydrates should be consumed after a training session;
- In the evening, consume protein compounds instead of carbohydrates.
Endomorph training process
Now it's time to move on to training. Of course, training also has a certain impact on metabolic processes. Under the influence of cardio loads, metabolism accelerates, both during the training session itself and after it. Actually, the main recommendation for training for ectomorphs will be similar to nutrition - train more often and the fat will go away faster.
It should be noted that after this advice you should not rush into the gym and start training one of the muscle groups. You need to divide your entire body into more training days. When drawing up a training program, you should pay attention to three postulates:
- The whole body will be worse in one day than the lower body today and the upper body tomorrow.
- The 6+1 split scheme is more effective than the split with one day of rest;
- A double split is healthier than a simple split.
- Distribute muscle groups over as many days as possible (one group trains every 5-7 days);
- Do more basic exercises;
- Perform 6 to 8 reps in each set, with a maximum of 12 reps;
- For large muscle groups, take a rest break of 1.5 to 2 minutes; for small ones, one minute will be enough;
- Use the classic approach in each training session - perform from 2 to 4 exercises, 4 approaches each;
- The latter approach can use failure training.
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