How to Train for your Body Type

The human body comes in all shapes and sizes. In order to train for your body type, one first needs to learn which that is. 

There are three basic somatotypes - body types. Everyone tends towards one body type, although few are totally one or the other. Therefore, choose the one that is most like you. 

Ectomorphs - Ectomorphs traditionally have a narrow-shaped bodies, thinner faces and little fat or muscle. This is the ideal body type for long-distance/marathon runners.

Endomorphs - Endomorphs usually have pear-shaped bodies, wider shoulders and hips, and can have a tendency to carry excess fat on their bodies, arms and legs. However, when fit, this body type is ideal for weightlifting and wrestling. 

 Mesomorphs - Mesomorphs have wedge-shaped bodies (think - pizza slice), they have wide shoulders, tapering to narrow hips and tend to be naturally muscular. This is the ideal body type for sprinters. 

 A person's ideal body weight depends upon a number of contributing factors. These include, body type, gender, height, age, bone and muscle size, and metabolism. All of these can affect one's performance and participation in sporting pursuits. 

The ratio of fat to lean muscle tissue has a significant impact on how many calories we burn. Therefore, the higher one's ratio of lean muscle to fat, the higher ones metabolism will be.  

For an ectomorph to gain weight they have to eat more. Therefore, the goal for this body type is to gain tone or muscle mass. While their long arms and legs are well-suited to activities like long-distance running, people in this category looking to build muscle tone are advised to lessen the cardio and increase resistance training. Resistance training can help build both muscle tone and bone density, which is equally important for fighting off osteoporosis in later years.

While endomorphs have a harder time than other body types in losing fat, they can be just as fit as other body types. For endomorphs, who usually carry extra fat around the lower abdomen, hips and thighs, the key is to start with a program that burns calories instead of a lot of strength training. The extra weight they carry can cause increased pressure on joints and bones. Therefore, they should initially avoid engaging in exercises that can add stress to these areas. That means they should go for low-impact cardio workouts like walking, biking or rowing.

The mesomorph body type responds the best to weight training. Gains are usually seen very quickly, especially for beginners. The downside to mesomorphs is they gain fat more easily than ectomorphs. This means they must watch their calorie intake. Usually a combination of weight training and cardio works best for mesomorphs.

As you can see, it is important to understand which body type you generally fall under, and then to work and eat accordingly to achieve maximum pay-off for your efforts.