Friday, December 17, 2010

What is your body type - and what does it imply?

Have you always wondered why some people eat a pint of ice cream without gaining the slightest amount of noticeable weight or belly? Or those who simply eat a bit of extra meat makes them look buff? Or those who the moment they think of a cake, they gain weight? Well, it is all about your body type & how it functions based on a number of criteria.

There are three basic body types, however, most people are usually a combination of two, they are; the Ectomorph, the Mesomoprh, and the Endomorph.


So lets try to understand each type and how to identify it.


The Ectomorph: is widely known as the hard-gainer. It's that person who can eat whatever they want with very little gains in both; fat and muscles. They are normally have long fingers, long necks, are straight from down to up. In a nutshell... 


  • Definitive "Hard Gainer
  • Small wrist
  • Lean
  • Lightly Muscled
  • Flat Chest
  • Small Shoulders
  • Fast metabolism
  • Takes Longer to Gain Muscle
  • Thin 
  • Very carbs tolerant
  • Thyroid hormone most active


The Mesomorph:  Known as the lucky ones. They have a well-defined muscle mass and often times have large bones. They gain muscle easily as their testosterone & growth hormone is rather active:

  • Athletic
  • Hard Body
  • Muscular Body
  • Excellent Posture
  • Gains Muscle Easily
  • Gains Fat More Easily Than Ectomorphs
  • Thick Skin
  • Broad shoulders  
  • Can handle carbs, just not excess
 
The Endomorph: Known to be usually round and soft. Often time it may seem that all the fat is in the abdominal area, but not necessarily always the case. They gain fat and muscle easily:

  • Soft Body
  • Underdeveloped Muscles
  • Round Physique
  • Weight Loss is Difficult
  • Gains Muscle Easily Like the Mesomorph
  • Low tolerance of  carbs 
  • Insulin hormone most active

So how could you use such knowledge of different body types to your advantage? Firstly you need to identify which one you're most likely to be through the characteristics listed and be aware that you could be more than just one type. For effective gains and fat loss, knowing what to eat and how to exercised based on your body type could go along way.


As for me, I am an ecto-mesmo. How do I know? Well, my weight usually stays the same year round and only if I completely become a couch potato then I will see fat gains that are not apparent to the majority but myself. I have rather broad shoulders and my upper body is way more developed than my lower body. I can gain muscle & strength easily in my upper body when I eat enough and stick to compound lifts. Eating carbs, I recently found out, really doesn't affect me much. It's the unhealthy fat that does!

To know your body type, take This Quiz

Share your results! And tell us what you would like to read about next week: What type of food should you eat or what type of exercise program should you follow based on your body type?

Yours truly,
GymFreak at 999-Fitness.