In recent months I’ve taken a deeper dive into the three somatotypes. I have been learning about each and particularly how to work with mine to maximize my efforts. Last week I discussed what each of these body types are and how to maximize your results based on your body type. Today I am going deeper into how to work with your body type to get the results you desire.
Without taking your body type into consideration you could be spinning your wheels following a fitness program that is based on a completely body type from yours. In fact, did you know that the vast majority of weight loss and fitness research is based on 25 year-old men? It’s no wonder a lot of these one-approach fits all programs don’t work for most people!
In recent years, I have seen more programs advertising that they customize the program to your body. Yet, when you get int there, you find it isn’t really what you’d think based on the advertising. For example, they will have everyone follow the same workouts, the same nutrition approach, or both. Someone who struggles to gain weight and wants to transform their body to gain some muscle and shape will need a very different approach from someone who wants to lose body fat and tone their physique. So, today I am discussing the best approaches for each of the three somatotypes, covering:
- Re-cap on the three somatotypes
- Body Transformation for Ectomorph.
- Body Transformation for Mesomorph.
- Body Transformation for Endomorph.
At 44 I have a ton of trial and error under my belt when it comes to weight loss. I started at the age of 14. I’ve done everything from unhealthy extremes like starving myself, to eating at extreme deficits with literally hours of exercise daily, to weightlifting with no cardio, and all the things in between. Most of my decades of trial and error toward my fitness goals have resulted in damaging my metabolism, which resulted in it being even harder to lose weight down the line.
Eventually I started learning about somatotypes and learned that the reason I have always had a harder time losing weight is because of my body type. I have learned that working with my body type instead of trying to force fit a fitness approach that doesn’t work with my body type yields much better results than some of my past efforts.
One thing I’ve learned over the past 30 years, if nothing else, is that if it isn’t something you can sustain, you’ll just continue to cycle through the pattern of gain, loss, gain, loss, plateau, plateau, plateau. Accepting the body type you have and learning to love it and work with it is the only way. Otherwise, you are just spinning your wheels in futility and frustrating yourself and possibly damaging your metabolism in the process. So, let’s get into how you can work with your body type to get the physique transformation you seek.
- Re-cap on the three somatotypes.
This term and the concept of different body types goes back to the 1940s. It was introduced by a psychologist named William H. Sheldon, who posited that people’s bodies fall into three categories. Each of these speaks to body shape and how it metabolizes food and other physiological properties. The three somatotypes are: ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph
Before we get into the different ways to transform your body, based on which type you are, it is important to understand that this is a fairly general way of categorizing body types; so, not everyone will fit perfectly into these different categories. If you find that you tend to get results fairly quickly with most fitness programs or approaches, then you are likely somewhere in between and may not need to do anything differently.
However, if you find that you typically don’t get results with most fitness programs or you seem to have to work much harder for not very significant change, then it may be that what you’re doing isn’t aligned to your type, and you might see some benefit trying one of the approaches here, based on which type sounds most like you. You can determine your type by looking for body type quizzes. You can do this with a simple google search and find several different resources for this. - Body Transformation for Ectomorph.
The first of the three somatotypes is ectomorph. This is a slender body type; naturally slim and lean, with a narrow frame. This type is characterized by naturally low body fat levels and a fast metabolism, making it difficult to gain weight, including muscle mass.
Considering this body type is naturally lean and folks that have this body type generally struggle to add weight or mass, in order to transform your physique, you will want to take a different approach than many typical fitness programs. For example, you may be wanting to add some tone or shape to your physique, in which case you will want to focus on gaining muscle as opposed to losing body fat.
For this goal, the focus should be on weightlifting to build muscle. Focus on lifting heavy and avoid doing a lot of cardio. For diet or nutrition, you still want a balanced diet, in terms of carbohydrates, macros, and protein; but you may want to consider eating a higher amount of calories, with a larger percentage of calories coming from protein, to help you add muscle mass. - Body Transformation for Mesomorph.
This body type is distinguishable by a naturally muscular or athletic build. The frame of the body is broader and these body types tend to be very strong, with strong bones. Of the three body types, mesomorphs have the more balanced muscle to fat ratios and gain muscle easily.
Mesomorph body types are more athletic in their build. For this body type, you want more of a balance of weightlifting and cardio, emphasizing shorter, more intensive cardio workouts, such as high intensity interval training, or HIIT. This helps burn fat while increasing the muscle definition. Mesomorphs should maintain a well-balanced diet of all the macronutrients, focusing on smaller deficits if some fat loss is the goal, or determining caloric maintenance levels if maintaining weight is the goal. Adequate rest is also important for mesomorph body types to help with muscle recovery between workouts. - Body Transformation for Endomorph.
This body type is characterized by more body fat, appearing softer. The endomorph has wider body frame; wider hips and shoulders. It is easier for this body type to gain weight in terms of both muscle and body fat. This body type also tends to have a slower metabolism and the body is not only more resistant to fat loss, but also more inclined to store body fat, even with diet and exercise.
If, like me, you are an endomorph, you may have experienced the following: adhering to a high caloric deficit coupled with exercise religiously only to lose a few pounds initially before hitting a plateau and then gaining again. Does this sound familiar? That is because this body type is hard wired to hold onto body fat. The harder you try to lose it, the harder your body will fight to hold onto it. Frustrating right? This is why it’s important to accept this and focus your efforts on how to work with your body to get the results you want.
Endomorphs require a well-balanced, well structured exercise approach. They need weightlifting, cardio, and flexibility training. Weightlifting is essential, lifting heavy, using supersets or mini circuit approaches to maximize fat loss and muscle growth. Add a moderate cardio move to the end of your supersets, such as marching in place, jumping jacks, or stair steps for about 60 seconds to do this. Include cardio as part of your routine as well, but stick to HIIT 2-3 times a week, with lower intensity, steady state cardio on the other days. Aim for about 60-70% max heart rate for this, so you stay in fat burn as opposed to cardio.
For nutrition, endomorphs also need a balanced diet, including all macronutrients. However, there are a couple key things here. First, you need to be in a calorie deficit, but it needs to be somewhat of a smaller deficit as opposed to larger. If the deficit is too great, it will trigger this body type to hold onto fat. Second, focus on nutrient dense foods, so you fuel the body, which will help mitigate the body type’s natural inclination to hold onto fat. This means, limit processed foods, high-sugar foods, and focus on high fiber, lean protein and lots of fruit and vegetables. Good hydration is also important for helping release body fat and cleanse the body.
So, that is a breakdown of how to achieve body transformations for the different somatotypes. Keep in mind there are some things that are universal across any body type that will help maximize your results. These include, adequate sleep, hydration, managing your stress levels, and eating more vegetables daily to get as many vitamins and minerals as possible to help your body function at its best and to maintain good health.
As always, I hope this is helpful and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please share them in the comments. If you’d like to continue the pursuit of faith, fitness, and joy with me, please like and subscribe. Check out the Faith Fitness Joy Podcast and join the FREE Facebook Group. Thank you so much for stopping by!