Body types and training!

Body type categorisation exist for a reason, some people are just built different to others. Knowing your body type will help you build your own routine or utilise someone elses!

 

So let’s go back to the basics.

 

3 body types exist in normal circles of fitness thought, most people fit 100% in a direct category or some slide along a scale closer to one more that another; Ectomorph, Endomorph and Mesomorph. In simple break down, Scrawny, Brawny and Athletic are the physical attributes. Women and Men fit these categories just as aptly as one another and it is key to recognise that just because you might be fat, does not mean that you are instantly Brawny or Endomorphic, you could be hiding a Mesomorphic body underneath (you would have to be trying really hard to hide a Ectomorphic body under layers of fat due to the inherent ability to NOT gain weight easily with that body type.)

 

Have a real good look at yourself and be honest to class yourself.

 

Now that you have it figured out we can move forward from this and apply some of the REALLY basic principles of each body type for training and day to day food intake for those body types.

 

	ECTO	MESO	ENDO
CARDIO	LESS	MODERATE	FREQUENTLY
RESISTANCE TRAINING	FREQUENTLY	MODERATE TO FREQUENTLY	MODERATE
FOOD INTAKE	FREQUENTLY	MODERATE	MODERATE

 

Now that is really simple. Other factors could come in to play with your own goals e.g. mass gaining or shredding for comps or other reasons.

 

If you train with someone who is a completely different body type to you, you could be limiting your results. Either find another partner or modify how you both train together.

 

If you don’t train with someone else or are just trying different routines etc. you might want to take the time to reassess that routine after a period of time to review if it is doing the best for you.

 

So what should you do if you find an exercise routine that you want to try but are not sure if it will work for your body type? Simple answer, try it! complex answer, analyse it and see if it will assist in what you want to achieve. Is the workout plan heavy on legs? Too much upper body? Not enough cardio for your body type? Perhaps then you shouldn’t start it, but then maybe it will work or give you different results, and maybe that is what you are after…

 

These are my tips to help build your own OR help modify something that has been suggested to you or found on the internet.

 

*Cardio doesn’t have to mean running for miles on end, sweating and chaffing into the red! Instead replace all of your planned cardio with High intensity interval training. Take the Les Mills Grit classes or Rpm. If you are a treadmill warrior challenge yourself for a half hour, pop the headphones in and every time the bass drops, increase your cruising jog speed for a minute, then drop it back. Use the music to guide you and really crank it up for that half hour.

*Resistance training comes in all forms and just because it seems to be what everyone is doing, split training doesn’t necessarily have to be the way! You don’t have to do a full session of biceps or legs, you CAN carry out a balanced body training routine (circuits or a bit of everything can be great for maintaining)

*Ensure that you are eating enough of the right stuff! Doesn’t matter your body type, eat poor, train poor and maintain poor! Even as an Ectomorph who won’t put weight on from eating a dozen doughnuts, if you eat poor, expect to have less energy and minimal results from the hard work you put in at the gym.

*Look at routines from those with similar body types and fitness goals as you. What I mean by this is, there is no point in saying, “I want to look like the Rock! And I’ll do it by training like him!” if you don’t have the same body type! Don’t take a body builders routine if you want to just get in shape. If you have siblings that are in a similar body type that have something that works for them, try their routine.

 

At the end of the day it all comes down to trial and error, I’ve been training for 5 years and at the moment I think that the routines and workouts that I do are just what I need for the results that I’m looking for. But I assure you, I didn’t start with these exact routines and nor will I keep them this way forever!

 

In fitness change and measurement is always ongoing and it is up to you to be honest with the results you see and change things up if you are not seeing what you want to achieve!

If you want my opinion on routines or something that you are looking at doing, let me know by any of my media forums and I will be more than happy to give my advice.

Stole the image from fitnessfoundue cause I'm lazy http://fitnessfondue.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/photo-1.jpg