You haven't been seeing gains lately but you see your friends or peers making incredible progress. Chances are, you have forgotten to add a key ingredient into the mix. Like baking chocolate chip cookies with no chocolate chips. In order to make the mix right once again you must understand the essentials. When it comes to reaching goals in the gym, one thing that is quite often overlooked is training your body type.
In order to reach success in the gym, you must foremost understand how to train your body. And many don't even understand their own body type.
Each week you put in work! Or so you think.
You’re the guy slamming the heavy ass weights or the chick killing it front row in spin class. Yet, you’re still not happy with what you see in the mirror. And there a few reasons why you may feel that way. But for the sake of time, were going to highlight two;
1. Genetically you’re not gifted, and you are trying to attain an image for your body that is just not possible.
or
2. You laugh at the thought that some people actually think that option 1 is a real option. And you’ve most likely come to the conclusion that your training goals might not factor in training for your specific body type.
Now obviously, there is more than just training for your body type that will push you towards massive gains or your goals but today I want you to focus on your body type.
Not seeing results is always a downer but I want you all to know that nothing is impossible when it comes to getting in the shape you yearn for. Especially if you do it with a plan of attack.
Fitness expert Dean Hodgkin says that “Simply doing the same training as somebody whose body you admire and want for yourself may not work for you.” So if you don’t already know what category (I hate that word btw) you’re in then you must first identify what your body type is.
What are the three body types
ECTOMORPH
- Narrow shoulders and hips
- Small joints (wrist/ankles)
- Long and lean limbs
- Very little body fat
- Small bone structure
- Athletic physique
This body type is what most overweight people want and what most skinny people hate.
Interestingly enough though, Ectomorphs find it easy to lose weight and keep it off versus their counterparts. Yet, they have the hardest time on building muscle weight when they want to bulk up.
MESOMORPH
- Broad shoulders
- Narrow waist and hips
- Thinner joints
- Low body fat
- Ideal muscular definition
- Gains muscle easily
- Long and round muscles
- Fast metabolism
Mesomorphs are “ideal” body types. But I argue that “ideal” is all in the eyes of the beholder. Mesomorphs can put on weight and lose weight in a reasonable amount of time. However they can often succumb to entering a catabolic state more often than the other body types if overtraining occurs.
A Catabolic state is when your body will break down muscle tissue into glucose in an effort to the most important parts of the body functioning and energized.
ENDOMORPH
- Wide hips and narrow shoulders that can create a pear shape
- Thick rib cage
- Uneven fat distribution
- Wide/thicker joints
- Hips as wide or wider than shoulders
- Slow metabolisms
- Ideal for body building
- Gains muscle mass fast
Endomorphs bodies respond extremely well to power and strength. Making them ideal for body builders. The disadvantages for endomorphs however slightly outweigh the good.
Endomorphs who don’t watch what they put into their mouths or don’t workout consistently have higher risks of carrying on too much body weight which we all know can lead to a plethora of issues. Issues can include obesity, increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, joint pain, low energy levels, body image issues, etc.
Body Types vs Body shapes
And we often hear apple, pear, hourglass, petite, inverted triangle, slim, slim thick, etc. thrown around because women naturally come in all shapes and forms. But don’t let these shapes throw you off kilter. They still fall under your typical three body types.
I am no expert on body shapes, but from what I know from experience and research. The following shapes fall under the following body types;
Apple, pear, petite,, diamond, round, hour glass = Endomorphs
Petite, slender, athletic, tall, inverted triangle = Ectomorphs
Athletic, pear, hourglass, diamond = Mesomorphs
For women, it is hard to identify 1 single body type especially since each body shape can fit into multiple body types. Hence, why it is crucial to understand your body and use what you know about yourself to figure out which body type you are.
No two bodies are the same so don’t feel as if you must throw yourself into a box and stick with that. Over the next few weeks I will be posting workouts for each body type over on Instagram and in posts here on the fittest blogger.
Your job is to identify what body type or shape you closely resemble and then tweak your workout from there.
Empower yourself with knowledge and train your body accordingly
Body types do not stick to concrete laws like us humans would hope for. The three body types aren’t the precise. But they are indeed baselines that you can use to better empower yourself to lift with a purpose.In reality, most people will share similar characteristics from all three body types, but it is more than likely that you will identify with one body type more than another. And as you can see, each body type has its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of health and fitness, but you understanding each is crucial to your gains and success.
We as humans share a lot of similar body characteristics. We are all so very different yet all so very similar.
Next week, we will break down each body type, how to work them out efficiently according to your body type, and post free workouts that you can uses as a template to better guide yourself in the gym. So once again, Happy lifting and see you all next week!
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