Health & Fitness - What is your body type?

I would love to start the post with my buy of today! If you think I'm just a gym-addict/every-day-at-the-gym-with-no-other-life kind of girl, let me prove you wrong because I not only have a soft spot for snacks, my soft spot is shopping (well, I suppose this is a soft spot for many other ladies out there, no surprise). I have not been shopping for a loooonnngg time (if you know me personally, this is an achievement!) and today I made an exception at the expense of making Jason angry of course, with a $19.90 buy from ZARA! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the $19.90 tag and checked the other sizes on display, still could not believe it and asked the staff. YES it was really $19.90, what a steal!

Tadahhhhh!!!

Sorry for the initial digression, let me get back to the topic. Today, I'll be sharing some tips on how you can recognize your body type (usually a combination) and then attempt to customize your workouts and diets accordingly, especially for the ladies, as a beginner.

First and foremost, we need to understand that there are 3 major body types; Endomorph, Mesomorph and Ectomorph, which I had covered in a post on one of my long-lost blog (of course, I'm going further in details this time). Knowing your body type is important because you will require different sets of workouts and different kinds of diet plans accordingly. If you are reading about this for the first time, you are in for a treat! I did not start my fitness journey recognizing my body type, I tried different ways and means, trials and errors to finally realise what combination of body type I am. Sit upright, hang in there and read on!

From the image above, you can see that there are rather drastic differences in the different body types, kindly note that everyone is unique and different and we are all created in the likeness of God. So, no matter which body type you are, don't be discouraged and I'm not here to judge too. I just believe everyone can look their best, with knowledge, initiative, determination, enthusiasm (I can go on and on) and love for your own body and health.

Endomorphs:

The endomorph body type is solid and generally soft. People who fall in this body type gain fats very easily and are usually of a shorter build with thick arms and legs. Muscles are strong, especially the upper legs. Endomorphs may find that they are naturally strong in leg exercises like the squats. Endomorphs are encouraged to combine cardio with resistance (weights) training. Adele is a good example of this body type. If you tilt more towards an Endomorph body type, that is not the end of the world! You will just need to alter your diet to something that is less heavy, have more vegetables, fruits instead of grains, keep your protein intake high and replace bad fats with good fats like avocado and nuts. Drink lots of water and avoid sodium as much as can because you will find yourself tending to retain water in the limbs.

Mesomorphs:
A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally athletic physique. Mesomorphs are the best body type for bodybuilding as it is relatively easier to gain and lose weight. They are naturally strong which is the perfect platform for building muscle. 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. A combination of weight training and cardio still works best for mesomorphs, coupled with a high level of protein intake. Pink is a very good example of a mesomorph body type. If you think this is the best body type when you are more on the mesomorph-spectrum, think again. Unless you control your diet with good discipline, you may end up looking like an athlete gone out-of-shape with those bulges that stick out of your muscles at the tummy area, hips (for ladies) and arms, making ladies look manly and bulky.

Ectomorphs:
Ectomorphs find it very hard to gain weight. They have a fast metabolism which burns up calories very quickly. Ecto’s need a huge amount of calories in order to gain weight. Workouts should be short and intense focusing on big muscle groups. Supplements are definitely recommended. Ectomorphs should eat before bed to prevent muscle catabolism during the night. Generally, ectomorphs can lose fat very easily which makes cutting back to lean muscle easy for them. This body type looks like the dream body of many of the girls all over the world, looking like a skinny supermodel. However, if not maintained with proper diet and workout (female ectomorphs tend to think they do not need to watch their diet and workout to look skinny), you will gain skinny fats, which will eventually turn to flab, droopy and soft especially as you age. You will then notice your limbs getting flabby (but they only gradually gain in size) and your tummy getting very round, looking like you are constantly bloated. You need to eat quality carbs in terms on grains as well as fruits and vegetables, still maintaining a high protein intake and good fats in your diet.

Nobody is 100% of only one body type so the above guide only refers to bodies that are more tilted to each type. Still not sure what body type you are? Feel free to bombard me with you pretty and handsome photos at limaran@gmail.com. I'll try my best to assist you to find out which body type you are more inclined to be under. Good night errrbardy and TGIF tomorrow!