Endos might naturally carry more body fat but they still get strong.” Why we shouldn’t aim to out-train our body typesĭavid warns against trying to out-train your body type. And an ectomorph is still able to gain muscle and strength via nutrition and training. If a meso neglects their nutrition and exercise regime, they’ll become less active and weaker. If you don’t use those muscles, you lose them. “Most people who are mesomorphic will have developed this over time, and it can take a lifetime to get there,” she explains.Īnd the reverse is true, David explains: “Mesomorphs are naturally athletic, but their build can be reversed. In fact, Crawley believes that we can change our body type over time. In other words, body type is important… but not that important. “As with anything in fitness, though, it all depends on the goals and lifestyle of the individual.” She flags that they’re more likely to be more sports-focused or very into their training. Mesomorphs, Crawley says, “have things a little easier but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t focus on anything”. Ectomorphs who find it hard to bulk or put on muscle mass and keep it are better off focusing on hypertrophy training if they want to increase their strength. She explains that endomorphs “need resistance training with more of a focus around functional plyometrics and steady state cardio”. “Each person and their body is different, and over time will need different styles of training and diet too,” she says. “There is no reason why, regardless of your body type, you shouldn’t be training and practising basic movement patterns like your push, pull, hinges and presses,” says Gymbox PT Martena David.Įllie Crawley, founder and strength coach at Feel Fit says that while body type can be important, understanding what each body type needs both in training and nutrition is crucial to being able to design individual programmes to suit her clients. It means that you’re able to work to your body’s own needs without having to subscribe to a more common goal. Knowing that your body type isn’t naturally primed to build muscle can be comforting. Knowing your body type can help you to move smarter It was also freeing to know that my body isn’t naturally predisposed to long-distance running so, although I enjoy running and have spent hours training myself to be fairly good at it, I’m probably never going to be a person who runs a 3hr 30min marathon. You also have naturally slim people who still have a kind of pear shape they’ll be your ecto/endomorphs.įor me, finding out that I was more of a mesomorph helped me to come to terms with how I looked (it’s only in recent years that muscular women have been deemed as attractive or feminine). When we allow our exercise regime to slide, however, that muscle reverts to fat – ready to be used again. Some of us might be endo/mesomorphs who find that when we commit to strength training, we make gains quickly and look and feel noticeably stronger. It’s worth highlighting that most of us will straddle more than one of these types. Most sportspeople are mesomorphs because they’ve got that natural aptitude, which is then enhanced by training hard. Because of that propensity for power, sprinting and weight training is going to be your forte. Mesomorphs find it easier to put on muscle than most people. They tend to be designed to store fat for fuel (usually on our hips, thighs and bums) and are better at resistance training and slower forms of cardio, like jogging and walking. Most women are endomorphs or have endomorphic traits. They find it harder to build muscle and tend to be better at endurance running.

You may also like Body composition: get stronger by building lean muscle mass and reducing body fat Which is your body type?Įctomorphs tend to be tall and slim. And though quite crude, they can be useful for getting the most from your workouts and removing yourself from unrealistic beauty and body standards. These are the three main body types that describe the way in which we build muscle, store fat and use fuel. And then there are those who walk around with a more voluptuous, feminine silhouette. Some of us are more naturally muscular – and enjoy seeing quick returns on our weight lifting escapades. We’ve all got that friend whose legs come up to our chin and who seems to run, effortlessly, for miles and miles. Have you ever wondered why it’s harder for you to build muscle as quickly as your friend does? Or worried that you’re just not built to run? Here’s how knowing your body type can help you move smarter.

Ecto mesomorph body type female