Body type exercising is a common feature among exercisers without contracted fitness professionals, and those with contracted fitness professionals alike.
But is this thing of body type, body type exercises & body type diet, factual or myth?
In this article, we’ll share/explore with support:
- The Concept of Body Type
- The Categories of Body Type
- Exercise Regimen Applicable for Body Type Training?
- Body Type Dieting?
Then we’ll throw in some considerations to see how much the points raised can hold.
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Concept of Body Type
“William H. Sheldon, PhD, MD, introduced the concept of body types, or somatotypes, in the 1940s. Since then, nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and even doctors have used it to help design effective, individualized fitness plans.” The 3 Somatotypes-University of Houston; Retrieved February 7, 2023.
Categories of Body Type
There are three main classes of body types according to the classification pioneered by MD Sheldon:
- Mesomorph: Wide shoulders with relatively narrow hips. Can build muscle relatively easily
- Ectomorph: Relatively equally square/rectangular shoulders & hips. Generally slender frame
- Endomorph: Circular trunk (shoulder-midsection-hips). Generally high body fat.
Hybrid Body Types: Whereby the body of an individual can represent that of any two main body types.
Exercise Regimen Applicable for Body Type Training?
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For many who exercise, and/or with the desire to exercise, being exposed to an exercise-approach specific for their ‘body type’ is common in the health & fitness industry. For endomorphs, their dominant need through exercise can be HIIT (high intensity interval training). Ectomorphs could be advised to focus on bodybuilding training to gain weight, and/or size. And mesomorphs Could be advised to focus on explosive weight training coupled with low-weight, high reps.
What Does The Science of Exercise Say?
Applicable to this discussion, the science of exercise say the following:
- To improve our capacity to use fat, carbohydrates & protein as fuel, we must subject our bodies to conditions that are outside of it’s general capacity. This in turn stimulates adaptation.
- Skeletal Muscles through contraction are a major sink of energy (stored as fat-visceral, subcutaneous, intramuscular, intra organ; muscular & liver glycogen, etc.). Thus exercise geared towards increasing muscular recruitment (hyperplasia) and/or size (hypertrophy) also results in an increase in energy usage, and consequently macroscopic changes (large scale change viewable to the naked eye).
Body Type Dieting?
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With justification through the provided exercise science, dieting according to our body type may hold some ground. The general consensus as it regards to the change in our body weight, rests on ‘the amount of energy we burn relative to the amount of energy we intake’. This energy is provided through the food we eat. Using the body type classification as reference, like exercise, the dietary approach can differ. Here’s a brief how:
- Ectomorph Dietary Approach (General) advised to eat more calories than needed to maintain, and/or gain weight. This calorie increase can be through all macronutrients.
- Endomorph Dietary Approach (General) advised to restrict calories from fat & carbs, while eating lots of fiber to support body fat reduction
- Mesomorph Dietary Approach (General) advised to restrict calories from fat while eating lots of fiber to support muscle growth & minimal body fat accumulation/storage.
Conclusion: Body Type Exercise & Diet Is Factual.
About The Author
Oshane Bryant: BSc Geology, Geography Minor; ACE CPT since 2012; Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) Accelerator Graduate-2018 cohort; KUKIBO Martial Arts & Self Defense, Senior Instructor; OB Fitness Founder & Managing Director.