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Body types: Beginners short guide

Finally, you decided to change your life, your habits, your body, because of one of possible numerous reasons. The great point to understand is – how to start. What do you need to know. How manage training and nutrition when you are a total rookie.

Well, BioTechUSA is giving you a ride into the great world of body evolution and improvement. Just be careful, interested and let the passion ignites you.

The important point to know is the existence of body types – because not every body has created equal. There are three of them, and knowing every one of those get you a chance to better make up your diet and exercise plan and set realistic, attainable goals.

Three basic human body types are: the endomorph, characterized by a preponderance of body fat; the mesomorph, marked by a well-developed musculature; and the ectomorph, distinguished by a lack of much fat or muscle tissue. From external point of view, the ectomorph will naturally look skinner than he or she is really, an endomorph will look heavier even when ripped, and a mesomorph will look well proportioned even with a little adipose tissue. There are some common attributes that make up each body type, and each owes its strengths and weaknesses. That knowledge allows you to play by your own, use those strengths and weaknesses and apply them to your diet, training and recovery.

ECTOMORPH

The ectomorph is easy to distinguish – he is often below the average weight for their height and with a skinny appearance. Ectomorph tends to have a high metabolism and is complaining of relentless eating with no weight gain.

Appearance characteristics

  • Skinny appearance
  • Low body fat
  • Narrow frame (“pencil frame”)
  • Narrow hips and clavicles
  • Small joints (wrist/ankles)
  • Thin build
  • Stringy muscle bellies
  • Long limbs
  • Small chest and buttocks

Comportment characteristics

  • Hyperactive
  • Fast metabolism
  • Can eat whatever they want
  • Get full easily
  • Difficulty building muscle
  • Difficulty gaining weight

Ectomorph can easily lose fat but also can hardly gain muscle. The very special diet is needed to maintain or to gain weight.

Ectomorph Dieting Tips

  • Eat at least 6 – 7 meals a day, break calories up into several small meals if impossible to stomach big meals
  • Eat at least 50-60% carbohydrates compare to total daily calories amount
  • Eat high density foods such as almonds, avocado, peanut butter, nuts
  • Eat junk foods you enjoy, even unhealthy (in moderation)
  • Use high calories weight gainers to add calories, with milk if well digested

Ectomorph Training Tips:

  • Heavy train weights, use sets of 5-10 repetitions
  • Take long rest breaks (because of high weights used)
  • Do compound lifts (squat, dead lift, bench press, rows, pull-ups, chin-ups, military press and overhead press) to solicit as much muscle groups as possible.
  • Do not do cardio (or short high intensity sessions only).
  • Bruce Lee is a perfect example of an ectomorph body type.

MESOMORPH

The mesomorph is someone between the ectomorph and the endomorph and as such, displays qualities from both. He seems to put on muscle just by looking at weights, and he is maintaining a lean physique despite a high calories amount.  He has a larger bone structure then the endomorph does, but a low body fat percentage as the ectomorph one. The perfect body type that everybody wants to have.

Appearance characteristics

  • Wide clavicles – as well as shoulders
  • Symmetrical build
  • Narrow waist
  • Thinner joints
  • Long and round muscle bellies
  • Small waist
  • Low body fat
  • Large musculature

Comportment characteristics

  • Seems to put on muscle easily
  • Seems to burn fat easily
  • Eats in moderation

Mesomorph Dieting Tips

  • Eat at max 40-50% carbohydrates compare to total daily calories amount
  • Portion meals carefully, using scale to be precise: the perfect body type needs perfect nutrition to progress
  • Break meals into 5-6 small meals throughout the day
  • Eat enough calories and protein contain to maintain muscle mass

Mesomorph Training Tips

  • Mix heavyweight and moderate weight sessions
  • Train using 8-12 repetition reps
  • 30 seconds up to 1 min rest periods between sets
  • Enough cardio to stay lean, short periods (20-30 minutes after workout is a good value)
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone are perfect examples of mesomorph body type.

ENDOMORPH

The endomorph body type is the complete opposite of an ectomorph. He is larger in appearance, owning a heavier fat accumulation and little muscle definition. It is hard for him to drop the fat, even using several hard diets, workout programs and lot of cardio, but putting on muscle tissue is a game.

Appearance characteristics

  • Is a block
  • Thick rib cage
  • Wide/thicker joints
  • Hips as wide (or wider) than clavicles
  • Short limbs
  • Large amount of fat accumulation
  • Large skeleton
  • Low muscle definition due to adipose tissue

Comportment characteristics

  • Often fatigue easily
  • Insatiable appetite – eat large meals or several smaller sized meals
  • Need to try many diets and workouts to find the best
  • Workouts to failure
  • Don’t  seem to drop weight easy

Endomorphs Dieting Tips

  • Need to portion meals appropriately – scale is mandatory
  • Eat at max 20-30% carbohydrates compare to total daily calories amount
  • Eat non processed foods and whole grains
  • Eat tons of vegetables to be full
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Long diet plan is the only working
  • Divide the daily caloric intake into 5-6 meals
  • To lose fat, take in 200-500 calories less than the maintance caloric intake

Endomorphs Training Tips

  • Train using sets with 15 and more repetitions
  • Take 30-45 second for rest periods between sets
  • Do as much cardio as possible! After workout as well as at morning on empty stomach
  • Do also compound lifts (squat, dead lift, bench press, rows, pull-ups, chin-ups, military press and overhead press) at every workout to burn more calories
  • Jennifer Lopez is the perfect example of endomorph body type.

Body Type Combinations

Too often, people are presenting some mixed characteristics; they are a combination of the above three body types. It is rare to be one of the “pure breeds” we described. You need to analyze your physical and comportment characteristics, using the explanation of body types done above, to understand your precise body type (or mix of). You can be a Ecto-Meso or a Endo-Meso….but you’ll discover with practice, knowledge and hard work that the transformation from one body type to another is entirely possible.