Ugh. My fitness coach (I’m part of an Adventure Bootcamp program) sent us a book today (Tom Venuto’s e-book called Burn the Fat), and in one section it talks about three different body types and nutrition/fitness plans that work best for each.
I’d never heard these described before with official names, and I must say I’m beyond amused and also rather depressed by the category I clearly predominantly belong to.
Here’s the characteristics of each:
Ectomorph (I hate you!)
Naturally skinny, wiry
Long limbs, linear
Small joints, small-boned
Small waist, narrow shoulders
Angular, projecting bones
Naturally lean (low levels of body fat without even working out)
Often call themselves "Hardgainers"
Low strength levels prior to starting a training program
Fast metabolism – they burn up everything, even when overeating
Don’t store carbohydrates as fat – high carbohydrate diets are ok
High energy levels
Tendency to be overactive and restless (hyperactive)
Natural born endurance athletes (successful at distance/endurance sports)
Sometimes hard to maintain weight
Extremely hard to gain weight
Sometimes insomniacs
Respond best to low volume, brief, infrequent, high intensity weight training
It takes years of hard weight training and heavy eating to overcome this body type
Mesomorph (I really hate you!)
Medium joint circumference
Small waist
Broad/square shoulders
Chest dominates over abdominal area
Naturally lean (low levels of body fat without even working out)
Naturally muscular (muscular before they even started working out)
Naturally strong (strong before they even started working out)
High energy levels
Don’t store carbohydrates as fat – high carbohydrate diets are ok
Highly efficient (fast) metabolism
Controlling body fat is easy
Gaining strength is easy
Gaining muscle is easy
Losing body fat is easy
Responds very quickly to just about any type of training (fast results)
Natural born athlete (successful at strength and power sports)
Top-level professional bodybuilders are often pure mesomorphs
Endomorph (OH LOL)
Naturally high levels of body fat (often overweight)
Usually large boned, large joints, large frame (but not always)
Short, tapering arms and legs
Smooth, round body contours (round or pear shaped body)
Wide waist and hips
Waist dominates over chest
Tendency to always store excess calories as fat (can’t get away with overeating)
Keeping fat off after it is lost is a challenge
Tendency to be sluggish, slow moving and lacking energy
Slow thyroid or other hormone imbalance (sometimes)
Fairly good strength levels
Sensitive to carbohydrates (carbs are easily stored as fat)
Responds better to diets with higher protein and low (or moderate) carbs
Naturally slow metabolic rate/low set point (fewer calories burned at rest)
Falls asleep easily and sleeps deeply
A lot of cardio is necessary to lose weight and body fat
Extremely difficult to lose weight (requires great effort)
Bouts of fatigue and tiredness
Often describe themselves as having a "slow metabolism"
Tendency to gain fat easily as soon as exercise is stopped
Tendency to lose fat slowly, even on a “clean,” low fat, low calorie diet.
Often overweight, even though they don’t eat very much
Respond best to frequent, even daily, training
Here’s what I find so funny. One–the name endomorph. ENDO! HA! I’ve often referred to myself as an endocrine disaster, and how appropriate that my body type even reflects the name. Two–the thyroid and insulin resistance bit is amusing. I’m a type 1 diabetic, not type 2, but it sure seems to indicate a genetic predisposition for all the type 2s out there. Recommendations for endomorphs included lower-carb (not low like some people do here, but low as in 100g/day for women). This is really the only body type they discussed carbs and insulin levels with for an eating plan, and how AMUSING again that I fit this category and my entire world revolves around carbs and insulin (in a different way than they mean here since they’re referring to bodies that actually make their own insulin, but STILL).
I’ve started my exercise program about a year ago and have lost around 50lbs. It’s been very slow going to the point of frustration when I see/hear about other more “normal” people, but it’s still going well for ME. But I really do fall into this body category. I’m medium to large framed, and always been on the chubbier side. I’ve also always had large muscles and I gain muscle easily. I weigh more than I look, and have had nurses tell me this often. I’m hypo-thyroid. I can’t get away with eating anything fun. My extremely skinny fiance and I can eat the same exact thing everyday and he will stay the same weight or lose weight and I will gain 20lbs a year (from experience, this one!). I am a very heavy sleeper. When I stopped exercising in college, I gained weight immediately and this is when my serious problems began.
So I’m nearly every item on that list. Hilariously enough, my fiance is nearly every item in ectomorph, down to the sleeping.
I am such a genetic poop bucket, I swear.
Though even as I say that, I tell myself to shut up, because I know it could be eons worse.