In all strength sports, body types and good genetics play an important role. Often they become the determining and, in fact, the main factor influencing whether a person becomes a champion, or whether a sports career can be forgotten. That is why experts recommend that every man know what body type he is.
Now there are two types of constitution of the human body: according to Sheldon and Chernorutsky. To accurately determine which category a person falls into, it is worth considering both options.
Body type: what is it?
If you look at the scientific literature, you can often find references to the theory of somatic types. In accordance with it, the complexion is conventionally divided into three main categories and many of their variations (I will outline more about each of them below).
What do scientists say?
It must be said that most fitness communities and Internet resources dedicated to sports adhere to this particular system, but not everyone knows that the scientific community recognized its inconsistency back in the 70s of the last century. The main reason is that there are many body shape combinations in real life. According to the famous author of the temperament/constitution theory, William Sheldon, pure somatotypes can be found very rarely. In each individual person, you can observe a combination of two or all three options in different proportions.
Signs of mixed types
Everything described above refers to manifestations of “pure” body types. In life, it is extremely rare to meet people who belong to any one body type. Mixed, intermediate options are more common. Within one individual, at least all three body types can be combined: the bone structure of an asthenic, the muscle mass of a normosthenic, and the tendency to accumulate fat from a hypersthenic.
Do not forget that body type is a genetically determined feature, that is, what is given by nature.
But a lot is in your hands. For example, you can improve your figure by eating healthy foods and doing sports and exercise. Or you can make it worse by eating fast food, washing it down with cola while watching TV shows and soap operas.
If you are not naturally prone to fat gain and have good muscle mass, do not think that a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet will not lead you to excess body fat or diabetes. This will simply happen to you 10-15 years later than to an endomorph, all other things being equal.
© captainvector — depositphotos.com
What are the body types?
According to the theory presented above, the constitution of the human body can be divided into three main types
Ectomorph
Asthenic body structure. These people have a reduced percentage of body fat. Moreover, this applies to both subcutaneous and visceral fat. If you look at the torso, there is pronounced thinness and a narrow structure of the shoulders. As a rule, the chest of such guys is flat and poorly developed.
The limbs are thin and long, and strength indicators in sports are usually low. Although in terms of endurance, such athletes show good results, in particular in athletics and fitness. Accelerated metabolism is another characteristic feature of a hyposthenic. It is very difficult for a typical ectomorph to gain muscle mass due to low glycogen reserves in muscle fibers.
Mesomorph
Normosthenic structure. In this case, we are talking about an innate propensity for various sports. These men tend to have high testosterone levels. An accelerated metabolism combined with a good appetite allows you to quickly gain muscle mass. Most athletes are normosthenics.
With massive and well-developed muscle mass, the level of fat reserves in mesomorph men is low. The chest is well developed, and the shoulders are in almost every case quite broad. The height of representatives of the normosthenic category is average, and the muscular structure is wide and long.
Endomorph
Hypersthenic structure. It is quite difficult to visually confuse hypersthenics with representatives of other categories. They are characterized by excess body weight against the background of increased fat deposition. The bone structure of such people is rarely small or normal - they are mainly massive limbs and large-boned structure.
For all their massiveness, the limbs of endomorphs are quite short when compared in relation to the body. The waist and hips have a wide coverage. All this is supported by the deposition of visceral fat mainly in the lumbar region.
All this directly affects the rapid gain of excess weight, even if the diet is moderate in terms of calories.
The main body structure options for guys
Each person is individual by nature. Any person from birth has one variant of body structure as the dominant one. For accessibility of study, all types of male physique, as well as female variations of the figure, are divided into the following three types according to the circumference of the wrist of the working hand:
- ectomorphic (asthenic) - less than 18 cm;
- mesomorphic (normosthenic) - 18-20 cm;
- endomorphic (hypersthenic) - over 20 cm.
To figure out which option to classify yourself in, let’s look at the main features of each type.
What is the body type of Mr. Olympia?
People with very different constitutions come to this sport. However, due to their highly developed muscle structure, it is fair to call them all mesomorphs. For example, it is generally accepted that the famous Arnold Schwarzenegger is a mesomorph in its purest form. But Lee Priest is an example of the mixed category of endo-mesomorph. In his case, the athlete initially came to bodybuilding with a typical hypersthenic constitution. It turns out that the “meso-” prefix is true for every professional bodybuilder. Flex Wheeler is a prime example of an ecto-mesomorph.
How to determine your body type
For clarity, I will give a table of general, key signs by which you can accurately determine your belonging to one or another category:
Build
Main features
Ectomorph
- Minimal amount of body fat, thinness.
- The limbs are thin and elongated.
- The chest is flat, the shoulders are narrow.
Mesomorph
- A noticeably developed muscular system with an average amount of fat, an athletic, athletic body.
- The bones are large and medium.
- Developed chest and broad shoulders.
Endomorph
- Fat deposits are excessive.
- Legs and arms are short relative to the body, wide waist and hips, squat figure.
- The limbs are massive, the bones are large.
Determination by wrist
It is generally accepted that the thickness of the bone structure is a key characteristic that reflects a particular variety. An ectomorph has thin bones, while an endomorph has wide bones. It is noteworthy that, regardless of the amount of fat mass and muscle, the diameter and girth of the wrist remains unchanged, which makes it possible to accurately determine belonging to a particular somotype.
If we are talking about the male body, then the ectomorphic version is characterized by a girth of less than 17 centimeters, the mesomorphic one - from 17 to 20 centimeters, and the endomorphic one - 20 centimeters or more. I will not touch on women’s proportions and measurements in this material, but I will note that they naturally differ from men’s and require individual consideration when drawing up training programs.
Features of a mesomorph
Mesomorphs are people who initially have a “dream figure”. In medicine they are called normosthenics precisely because their physique is an indicator of the norm accepted in modern society. We can say that these are happy people, since the nutrition of a mesomorph involved in sports is not as strictly limited as that of athletes with other, more “problematic” body types. These lucky people can even indulge themselves from time to time with some junk food or fast food.
Body and muscle structure
Mesomorphs, or normosthenics, naturally have the following characteristics:
- developed muscles;
- fairly low percentage of body fat;
- the muscle composition contains approximately equal amounts of glycolytic and oxidative muscle fibers;
- the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems work in balance;
- the pelvis is relatively narrow and the shoulders are relatively wide;
- The length of the limbs and torso is balanced.
Simply put, the peculiarity of this type of physique is the absence of pronounced features, no matter how strange it may sound. The work of a mesomorph’s body is closest to that of the “average person” described in medical textbooks. The substernal angle for normosthenics is 90 degrees. The training program for a mesomorph will mostly be focused on the average healthy person.
Sports implementation
In general, it is this body type that is closest to what is commonly called a “healthy person,” which means that he is most likely to achieve success in almost any sport. Thanks to initially developed muscles and a low percentage of subcutaneous fat, mesomorphs can achieve the greatest success in sports such as fitness, men's physics, bodybuilding, and bikini. Simply put, wherever for maximum results it is enough to demonstrate a beautiful, aesthetic physique.
It would seem that the owner of a normosthenic body type can consider himself lucky - he looks good, all systems work in a balanced manner, any sport is suitable - isn’t it a dream? But it's not that simple. Look again at the advantages of ectomorphs and endomorphs. So, thanks to their advantages, representatives of these body types will have advantages over normosthenics. And this applies not only and not so much to sports - it concerns the factor of survival.
Does body type affect training results?
It definitely has an effect, since the absorption of nutrients by muscles, their growth, development and recovery after exercise are directly related to this factor. Below I will provide a training strategy for each category.
Features of nutrition and training for athletes of different types of constitution
Let's start with ectomorphs. In the body of such men, the breakdown of carbohydrates occurs at an accelerated rate, and proteins are absorbed and digested quite difficult. In this case, a protein-carbohydrate diet and sports supplements, such as gainers and amino acids, are recommended.
The training cycle should be aimed at working individual muscle groups. Why is this so? Because the overall energy reserves of such athletes are low, and muscle gain is difficult.
Training activities should be rare but intense, and the number of approaches and repetitions should be kept to a minimum. A high calorie diet and attention to the carbohydrate window are the keys to successful muscle gain.
From a sports point of view, pure normasthenics are an ideal option. The muscles are developed quite well, and the amount of adipose tissue is minimal. Through strength training and proper nutrition, the results of working out in the gym can be quite funny.
Nutrition in this case can vary significantly due to a good balance of metabolic activity and a good energy supply. At the same time, the body requires less time to recover, and therefore you can train not a couple of times a week, for example, but 4-5 or more times. The more training, the better the result - the main training strategy.
For large-boned people with endomorphic build, it is recommended to consume a large amount of protein and a reduced content of carbohydrates and fats in the diet. Consumption of plant polysaccharides and slow carbohydrates is recommended for the rapid removal of toxins from the gastrointestinal tract. It is especially important to monitor the glycemic index and consume a minimum of carbohydrates in the evening.
