Understanding Your Body

Before you can embark on any kind of fitness journey the first thing you need to do is understand YOUR body. Asking other people how they got in shape may not necessarily work for you because everyones body is DIFFERENT. Remember what works for one person may not necessarily work for you.

No two people have the same body type because everyone has a unique genetic makeup. Despite the fact that everyone’s body is significantly different, our body types can be generally categorized in the following 3 categories.

1. ECTOMORPHS

·      You can eat what ever you want and you’ll never get fat.

·      Very thin build

·      Find it difficult to put on weight

·      Extremely fast metabolism

2. MESOMORPHS

·      Pack on muscle easily

·      Athletic build

·      “Genetically gifted”

·      Fast metabolism (don’t put on fat easily)

3. ENDOMORPHS

·      Round soft body shape

·      Find it very difficult to lose fat

·      Build strength and muscle quick

·      Slow metabolism

The picture below is a visual representation of the different somatotypes.

The first step is to figure out which category suits you the best, and then figure out what you need to do to achieve your fitness goals based on you somatotype (body type).

If you’re still unsure as to which category you would fall in, I have attached a link to a quiz that contains 9 questions. Complete this quiz and you will know what your primary body type is.

 http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm

In general Ectomorphs are thinner individuals so their primary goal would be to put on mass. Mesomorphs are usually already lean and athletic so they also tend to focus on putting on muscle, but could focus on burning fat too depending on individual preference. And of course the primary goal of an Endomorph would be to burn body fat.

It is important to remember these rules aren’t concrete because not every body falls under strictly 1 body type. For example some people could be a combination of 2 somatotypes, its actually rare for an individual to be PURELY one somatotype.

Before any embarking on any fitness journey the most important thing to do is figure out YOUR body type. By understanding your body you will be more efficient and know exactly what will work for YOU to help you get into shape.

I hope you found this blog helpful, feel free to comment or message me if you have any additional questions regarding this topic.

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