"You have to know your body. It's part of the beauty of the training process, and once you've determined how much your body and your mind can take, you can then begin to reach your potential."
-Frank Shorter
Today I was listening to a podcast from the The Chalene Show about body types, and it enlightened me on why I have been so successful with the workout regiments that I've pursued the past 3 years, but before I get into my personal story, I want to give a very brief summary of the 4 different body types that she talks about in her podcast. (which you can find in the iTunes store and on the podcast app and listen to for absolutely free!)
So the 4 different body types consist of Ectomorph, Mesomorph, Endomorph and a Combo of two of the three. What these types are based off of is bone structure. The ectomorph is the person who you would know as the person who has narrow hips and clavicles, small joints, thin build, stringy muscle bellies and long limbs. The Mesomorph is in between Ectomorph and Endomorph with wide clavicles, narrow waist, thinner joints and long and round muscle bellies. The Endomorph is the person with a kind of blocky and thick rib cage, wider and thicker joints, hips as wide or wider than clavicles and shorter limbs. Then there are people that are combos of either Ectomorph/Mesomorph combo or Endomorph/Mesomorph combo. Now, NO BODY TYPE IS BETTER OR WORSE THAN THE OTHER! They all have pros and cons, but it's about learning what your body type is and training it in the best way for your body to meet your goals. You can probably figure out what your body type is just by looking at those characteristics that I listed, but if you're not sure you could have a professional take a look and see, or you can just go the easiest route and take an internet quiz. Either way knowing this will be valuable to you!
Now three years ago I didn't know any of this, but I happened to just take a lucky guess and started training my body the way it would get the results I was looking for. My body type is a Combo between mostly Mesomorph with a little bit of Ectomorph mixed in. This means that I have a naturally fit body but, to maintain or improve it, I have to adopt an exercise and diet regimen that compliments my build. I can strength train more often and for longer periods of time, but have to be careful not to overdo it. I can train with moderate to heavy weighs and keep a moderate pace, making sure not to rest too long between sets. I find that I gain muscle quite easily. Now I also have Ectomorphic characteristics as well such as small joints at my wrist and ankles. All these characteristics don't mean anything though if I don't test and retest how my body reacts to changes. Now that I know this, I can better adapt my workouts to my body so that I can achieve my peak performance.
I could go on and talk about all the body types and what they need to do to get the results they desire, but I feel it important to DIY (Do It Yourself). Researching for one's self is part of life, and developing yourself. I hope this information is something you can use to reach your goals and better yourself and LIVE NOW! Thanks for reading and we'll talk soon!
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