3 Different Body Types: Which of these Three Body Types are You?
Here’s a short description of each of the three body types to help you figure out what's yours. Also, you'll find suggestions for your specific body type diet and workout routine. At the end of this page, you'll find a link to the other common body typing, apples and pears.
Before we start, there's one point to remember: if you are like most people, you have a combination of two or even three of these different body types, with a predominant one. With this in mind, you should also know that your body type will always remain the same, even though you change your body fat vs. muscle mass ratio with the right nutrition and workouts.
So, which of these three body types do you have?
Three Body Types: #1. Ectomorph
Bone frame: hips and shoulders are approximately the same width, light build, small frame, and thin, narrow bones.
Soft tissue: not much muscle or fat, even underweight.
Metabolism: fast; difficulty to gain muscle, low in muscular strength.
Body type diet: avoid fatty foods. Favor foods high in complex carbohydrates (whole grains, rice, nuts, all vegetables), high quality proteins (whey, turkey, chicken, eggs) and high omega 3 sources (fish, seafood, flax seeds).
Strength training: build up your muscles through daily moderate-heavy intensity split routine working parts of the body alternatively and individually with body weight workouts or - if you're a woman, you will enjoy going to Curves workout centers.
Aerobic exercise: not really necessary for weight loss, but to build stamina instead: 20-40 min. 3-5 times a week, at a moderate to fast pace - the best are: 5 tibetan rites, walking and the fun hula hoop exercises.
Examples of in-shape ectomorphs: Angelina Jolie, Paris Hilton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Whitney Houston...
Of the three body types, the naturally skinny ectomorph puts on weight the hardest - whether muscle mass or body fat.
Three Body Types: #2. Mesomorph
Bone frame: powerful frame, broad shoulders wider than hips, medium build, large bones.
Soft tissue: naturally with a lot of muscle, and not much fat.
Metabolism: fast; lose fat and gain muscle easily, but hard to get really skinny.
Temperament: active, dynamic, assertive, courageous, energetic, even aggressive and competitive, and often risk taker.
Body type diet: avoid fatty foods and those high in carbohydrates - avoid simple cabs at all costs. Eat every 2-3 hours smaller meals favoring foods high in protein (whey, turkey, chicken, eggs), omega 3 sources (fish, seafood, flax seeds), fruits (especially berries) and green vegetables.
Strength training: tone and shape-up through 2-3 times a week light circuit training or body weight workouts.
Aerobic exercise: keep looking lean and trim through 30-45 minutes 3-5 times a week at moderate to fast pace. The most effective aerobic workouts are: 5 tibetan rites, crunch cardio, hula hoop exercises, circuit training, stairmaster, rope jumping, pilates, yoga.
Examples of in-shape mesomorphs: Madonna, Britney Spears, Gloria Estefan, Tina Turner...
Of the three body types, the mesomorph puts on weight and loses it relatively easy with the right diet and exercising.
Three Body Types: #3. Endomorph
Bone frame: wider hips than the shoulders; "heavy" build but not necessarily large; women are softer and curvier, with a very feminine aspect.
Soft tissue: tend to be naturally well-covered with fat tissue, even a little overweight.
Metabolism: slow; stores fat easily and holds onto it stronger than all other body types, retains fluids easily.
Temperament: caring, tolerant, extroverted, loves comfort, luxury, food and being with people.
Body type diet: avoid fatty foods and those high in carbohydrates. Favor high protein/low fat foods (chicken/turkey breast, whey protein, low fat fish), complex carbs (green vegetables, brown rice, whole grains), fiber and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Coconut oil helps you a lot in increasing your sluggish metabolism.
Strength training: tone-up the muscle mass 2-3 times a week at a moderate intensity to keep metabolism high throughout the day and shape up your body.
Aerobic exercise: 40 minutes 5-6 times a week at high intensity (preferably in the morning to boost your metabolism for the rest of the day). For the best fat burning results, split the total time into 2 sessions of 20 minutes.
NOTE: If your body type is predominantly endomorphic, you’re most likely to not like any exercise or intense physical activity. However, keep in mind that of all the three body types, for endomorphs diet alone is NEVER enough to lose weight, keep it off and shape up. Your slow metabolic rate must be boosted consistently with both strength training and aerobic exercise.
The most effective workouts are: interval training for weight loss, walking uphill, treadmill interval training; if you're a woman, consider going at Curves workout centers - as these not only provide the right workouts for you, but also the motivation and fun of working out with a friendly group of health-minded women.
Examples of in-shape endomorphs: Jennifer Lopez, Oprah Winfrey, Kate Winslet, Cindy Crawford...
As you can imagine, there is almost always some overlapping between these three body types, but no moving from one group to another. For example, if you are predominantly a mesomorph, you can trim down as much as you can, but will never become an ectomorph. Similarly, you can be an in-shape endomorph, but you still can’t pass as a mesomorph.
Apart from having one or a mix of two of these three body types, as you age and gain weight, you may fit better into the apples and pears body shape >>
