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What is a Body Type?

By Fitness & Training No Comments

Everyone has that one friend that can eat any and everything—literally, Lol! Without exercise or a care in the world about their body image, they seem to indulge in all their favorite foods and still have the perfect shape. I say this because I’m not that friend whatsoever, lol. Everything I eat goes to my stomach and back! The idea of “not working out” is laughable and kind of incredible, if possible. I mean come on who invented the concept of genetics? Shout out the homie GOD!

Upon my entrance into the world of fitness, I used to get really depressed about how hard it was for me to lose weight versus how easy it was for others. But I figured it was just another unfair aspect to life and that I would just have to write it off. I would see women in magazines, music videos and Instagram post then try to understand how I seemed to miss the “fit thick” genetic code that they all apparently had. I was a person who would mimic what others did in the gym in hopes that my emulation would be the key to success and lead to me naturally being happier with how I look. NEWSFLASH! That was a horrible idea, and it left me feeling more confused and depressed about why I still hadn’t achieved my body goals.

 

Advance your Knowledge

There are 3 different body types, Ectomorph, Endomorph, and Mesomorph. 

Ectomorphs are built lean and slender with a fast metabolism. They can cut fat easily, but they experience difficulty with building muscle.

Endomorphs have a higher body fat percentage and store fat easily. They have a slower metabolism than ectomorphs and a rounder shape.  

Mesomorphs are a mix of both. They are naturally muscular and well-built. They lose and gain weight easily and are very athletic looking. They also have a steady metabolism.  Many of us are a combination of all three or a mix of two body types.  

 What are you…

You should care about body types (Ectomorph, Mesomorph, Endomorph) and the percentages of each because it provides a real explanation for why you are shaped the way you are, what your genetic strengths and weakness are, and how you should eat and train.

Can I just say the minute I learned more about my body type percentages, my brain immediately connected that information to A LOT of the knowledge I had already gained.  I realized that I had been wasting valuable time comparing myself to others, whose bodies were so different from mine, and that by doing so I was adding stress and negativity to the weight loss process. We are all different and that should be celebrated, NOT cursed.  

 

Don’t Follow the Crowd…

Unfortunately, the fitness industry sells the dream that we can all purchase cookie cutter diets and workout plans that will magically transform our bodies from fat to lean within 30-90 days.  But the truth is, we are all genetically different, so we should NOT all be training nor eating the same. If you think about it, it’s kind of silly to think we should be doing identical things to achieve personalized results.  Unfortunately, there are very few fitness resources that explain body types and what the hell they even mean. I realized, while on my own personal journey of transformation, that general fitness education is extremely lacking in this industry.

 

Keep in Mind…

When starting your fitness journey, I urge you to educate yourself about your genetic makeup and body type. Remember, the first stage in any journey is learning what you need to do to reach your destination.  Learning your body type will help you better prepare a fitness plan that works for you. It will also help you understand why your skinny friend, with the perfect shape, can eat whatever she wants, whenever she wants, and still look the same while you cannot.  Just remember her body type is different from yours, and although you may have to go about your meal planning and exercising differently, you can still have that perfect shape too!

 

Click here to take a body type quiz

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