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Identifying Your Body Type

Identifying Your Body Type
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Have you ever wondered why you just can’t seem to bulk up, or have nagging trouble shedding those extra 15 pounds? Despite eating healthier or adjusting their exercise regimen, many people find that achieving their ideal body weight remains an elusive goal. The reason behind such weight-
related difficulties can be traced back to simple genetics – for better or worse, we are stuck with the body types we are given at birth, along with
the accompanying strengths and limitations.

The Three Types of Bodies

Human bodies are generally subdivided into three distinct categories; ectomorphs, mesomorphs and endomorphs. Your body type determines how quickly you gain weight, as well as your ability to shed unwanted pounds.

Ectomorph: If you’ve always had a skinny frame, and have struggled with adding muscle despite hours in the gym, chances are that you are a classic ectomorph. Ectomorph’s usually feature long arms, long legs and short upper bodies. Likewise, the muscles surrounding these bones are also long and thin.

Ectomorphs have a very low amount of body space set aside for fat storage. In addition, the ectomorph body is equipped with a lighting-fast metabolism, causing it to quickly burn off calories. Consequentially, you won’t find too many ectomorphs walking around with pot bellies and mounds of stored body fat. This high metabolic rate does have a downside – it makes gaining muscle quite a chore.

Endomorph: Endomorph bodies are the polar opposite of their ectomorchic counterparts. Thanks to a slow metabolism, an endomorphic individual has no problem putting on weight. The problem is that this additional weight often comes in the form of body fat. This propensity to add body fat stems from the endomorph’s fat storage system, which is notably larger than those found in both ectomorphs and mesomorphs. The waistline, thighs and bone structure of a prototypical endomorph are all above average in size.

Mesomorph: The gold standard of body types in the mesomorph, which boasts an innate ability to put on muscle with relative ease. Mesomorphs are blessed with large bones, wide shoulders, narrow waists and solid torsos. They have relatively low fat storage levels, enabling them to fend off undesirable fluctuations in body fat.

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