Posted on May 10, 2017 by Jenny Cromack

Wouldn’t it be simple if the results gained from your workout were as simple as EFFORT IN = OUTPUT/GOAL ACHIEVED. But unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Yes, we must put effort in to achieve our goals, however, did you know that your body type can have some influence on how successful you are in achieving your goals. How your body type influences your results is something, as a personal trainer, which I find fascinating. Different body types will tolerate carbs differently, favour certain types of exercise….and as a personal trainer this is something, I believe, should be taken into account when planning your nutritional plan and training plan.

When I talk about body type, I’m not talking ‘apple’ or ‘pear’ shaped, we’re looking at whether you’re an

• Ectomorph
• Mesomorph
• Endomorph

To be honest, most people are often a ecto-meso or meso-endo and don’t always fall into one category. So what do these body types look like, which exercise are the best suited to and what type of diet should they follow for optimum success?

Ectomorph

Think Paula Radcliffe, Mo Farah these are the type of people that the majority of us want to dislike….they can eat carbs until they come out of their ears and appear not to put on any weight! They are lean, have a low amount of body fat, they don’t gain weight easily (boooo!), but they also struggle to gain a huge amount of muscle. They have long limbs and narrow shoulders.

Diet – I hate to say it but ectomorphs can tolerate carbs very well, however this doesn’t mean that ectomorphs can eat what they want. To avoid being a ‘fat skinny’ (ie look slim, but are unhealthy on the inside due to a poor diet) ectomorphs should get their calories from good quality nutrients such as slow release, natural carbs, proteins and good fats.

Exercise – Ectomorphs tend to be suited to endurance events so will be amazing at running anything from 5k to marathons.

Mesomorph

Think of a sprinter’s physique like Linford Christie (google him if you are not old enough!), broad shoulders, tapered waist, muscular physique. Whilst mesomorphs are naturally more muscular, they can gain body fat easily if they do not train.

Diet – Mesomorphs have a mid-tolerance of carbs, if you’re a mesomorph and looking to improve your body composition I’d suggest only two carb based meals per day and make sure your carbs come from natural, slow release sources not bread and pasta.

Exercise – Mesomorphs make great sprinters, swimmers, often suited to ‘explosive sports’ and will see amazing results from lifting weights. As mesomorphs tend to respond well to both cardio and resistance training, they will tend to be good at most sports they turn their hand to.

Endomorphs

Endomorphs tend to store body fat easily, they will have a wide waist, rounded shoulders and if they have excess body fat will store this around their chest/back and abdominal areas.

Diet – Endormorphs have a low tolerance of carbs. I’d suggest, especially if trying to lose weight/body fat to have only one carbohydrate based meal per day. The majority of a endomorphs diet should come from non-root vegetables, protein and good fats.

Exercise – Endomorphs tend to make amazing power lifters and good rugby players (in certain positions).

This blog hasn’t been written to try to dissuade you from pursuing a particular activity, for example just because someone is an endomorph doesn’t mean they can’t ever be a ‘runner’, it just means they may not be as good as someone who is an ectomorph. However when thinking about how you can achieve your goals, perhaps you need to give some more consideration to how your body type affects your success and if you’re feeling frustrated by your progress, then maybe consider some of the points above.