3506: Your Complete Guide to the 3 Body Types by Ashley Lawrie of Free Form Fitness on Training For Your Body Type

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[00:00:57] This is Optimal Health Daily. Your complete guide to the three body types. By Ashley Lawrie of FreeformedFitness.ca. And I'm your host and narrator, Dr. Neal. Hey there, happy middle of the week Wednesday and welcome back to Optimal Health Daily, where I read some of the best health and fitness blogs to you, kind of like an ongoing audiobook. And always, with a bit of my commentary at the end. Now today is Wednesday, and like I do every Wednesday, I'd like to share a little bit of inspiration with you. So here we go.

[00:01:26] Quote, focus on the step in front of you, not the whole staircase. Anonymous. Alright, now that we're in the right frame of mind, let's get right to today's article and start optimizing your life. Your complete guide to the three body types. By Ashley Lawrie of FreeformFitness.ca.

[00:01:49] The human body comes in all different shapes and sizes. Though this is true, there is an area of science that puts body types into three different categories, known as somatotypes. The three somatotypes are ectomorph, endomorph, and mesomorph. In this article, we'll give you a full breakdown of each of these body types. By the end of the article, you should be able to determine whether you believe in the theory of somatotypes, and if you do, which category you fall into. Ectomorph.

[00:02:19] When William Herbert Sheldon first hypothesized the three body types back in 1940, he named them after the three germ layers in the embryo. We'll get to why at the end of this article. The ectoderm develops into the skin and nervous system when the baby grows. An ectomorph is characterized as someone with a thin frame who has a hard time putting on muscle and is typically weaker than the other two body types. Their muscles are long and stringy and have narrow shoulders and a flat chest.

[00:02:47] Because this particular body type has a hard time putting on weight, if they want to build muscle and increase their strength, they'll need to be very intentional about their exercise and their food intake. For exercise, it's recommended that the ectomorph body type focuses on shorter workouts, so the body is in muscle building mode, as opposed to cardio. The workouts should also focus on compound movements. These exercises use multiple muscle groups and require more energy and neurological activity than isolation movements.

[00:03:17] For example, deadlift, squatting, bench press, and pull-ups are great exercises for ectomorphs. In order to make those workouts count and to build muscle, ectomorphs should eat a very nutritious and calorie-dense diet. Calorie-dense meaning that the nutritious foods they choose should also be high-calorie. The best foods for this would be foods high in healthy fats, as they provide 9 calories per gram. Their bodies are well adapted to burning carbohydrates,

[00:03:46] so although including plenty of carbohydrates is important, their focus should really be on the foods that will take longer to digest, and therefore, they will not burn through them so quickly. Eating before bed will also help ectomorphs keep weight on. While we sleep, our body is using calories from the day to help repair, recover, and prepare for the next day. Eating before bed means that ectomorphs will be less likely to go into a catabolic or tissue breakdown state. Mesomorph

[00:04:15] According to William Herbert Sheldon, the mesomorph name came from the mesoderm, which develops into the muscles and heart and blood vessel tissue. Mesomorphs are typically more muscular and lean, with broad shoulders, and are also quite strong. Mesomorphs are the people who seem to respond best to resistance training. Their bodies adapt quickly, and they will respond very quickly to specific training styles. Individuals with this body type are well suited for most sports.

[00:04:41] In terms of their nutrition, mesomorphs have to be more careful than ectomorphs. Because their body responds so well to training, it responds well to calories. It uses food for energy, but if there's any left over, it will get stored as fat. The storage of additional calories as fat is an old process meant to protect us from starvation, back when food wasn't so readily available. Endomorph Lastly, we have the endomorph.

[00:05:08] Endomorphs, coming from the term endoderm, which develops into the digestive tract, are individuals with a shorter, rounder frame. Endomorphs have a softer build than mesomorphs. They can put on muscle really well, but they can also put on fat very easily. Once they have gained the extra fatty tissue, they also find it more difficult to lose it. The muscles that they do develop are usually softer and less defined looking than the mesomorphs.

[00:05:35] Endomorphs are also typically described as stocky, as they are typically short as well as being round. An endomorph will have to be careful about what they eat. Their bodies are better at storing calories than using them. Endomorphs should consider monitoring their calorie intake and their macros if they are looking to lose weight. Combinations of body types The good thing about this theory is that each person is probably a combination of body types.

[00:06:02] You may be tall with a thin frame, but are still able to put on muscle like a mesomorph. You can also be an endomorph and have well-defined muscles like the mesomorphs. The thing to realize about these body types is that when William Herbert Sheldon was developing the theory of somatotypes, it was actually for psychological purposes. His theory suggested that each body type was associated with different psychological traits as well, which was previously theorized by a man named Francis Galton.

[00:06:30] According to their theories, these are the temperaments that coincide with each body type. Ectomorphs Intelligent, gentle, and calm, but also self-conscious, introverted, and anxious. Mesomorphs Competitive, thick-skinned, tough, and extroverted. And endomorphs Outgoing, friendly, and laid-back, but also lazy and selfish. This is the beauty of theories, is that they are just that. Theories

[00:06:57] Each of the characteristics associated with the body types is not set in stone. The important thing here is that you as an individual takes time to learn how your body responds to exercises, and how it responds to fuel. Pay attention to how different types of exercise make you feel. Track your food for a month, and keep notes of how different combinations of foods make you feel. You may realize that you could actually eat more calories than you are, and still remain healthy.

[00:07:25] This article is not meant to put any of our clients in a box based on their body types. Everyone is capable of achieving health and fitness goals. With the help of a personal trainer who understands the science of anatomy, physiology, and exercise, it can get you to your goals faster, no matter what body type you may have. You just listened to the post titled, Your Complete Guide to the Three Body Types, by Ashley Laurie, of freeformfitness.ca.

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[00:09:48] to help get your job the premium status it deserves at Indeed.com slash podcast. Just go to Indeed.com slash podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. Dr. Neal Malik here for my commentary. When I first started getting into strength training,

[00:10:17] I spent a lot of time thinking about my body type. I really researched endomorphs and ectomorphs and mesomorphs. I so wanted to be a mesomorph. The middle type that's strong and puts on muscle quickly seems to have the best of all three worlds. Well, in reality, if I were using these definitions and was really honest with myself, I was probably closer to an endomorph, the shorter, stockier side. My muscles weren't very well defined.

[00:10:44] They were seemingly hidden beneath what seemed to be a layer of fat. So I would read books about how to train for this endomorphic body type. I followed the author's recommendations. And fast forward a couple of years later, and my body pretty much looked exactly the same. Sure, I was stronger, but my body didn't look any different. I wanted my body to feel and look differently. So eventually I gave up, donated those books, and experimented with a bunch of different training styles.

[00:11:15] Now this happened over the years, but I eventually found the style that worked for me. So now, my training style not only has changed how I looked for the better, but made me stronger, my heart healthier, and probably most importantly, happier. I look forward to my next workout and feel accomplished afterwards. And to me, that's the best combination. Alright, that'll do it for today. I hope you have a great rest of your Wednesday, and I'll see you back here on tomorrow's show, where your optimal life awaits.

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