The Major Detail Left Out in Most Diets; Your Somatotype

"Applied knowledge is power."

Everyone knows the statement, "Knowledge is Power," but if that were true, you would have power and never know Why? There is little power in knowing by itself. The true power lies in what you DO with your knowledge. You could know everything in the world and it not make a difference, if all you do with it, is know. Its called TRIVIA!!!

The Battle of Wanting but not Knowing
Throughout my lifelong fitness and dieting journey, (which spans at least 11 years) I knew that I wanted to be active, feel good, see some results and feel like I was doing something to impact my body and, at the very least, maintain my weight. In college, I got into a routine of doing a full-body strength workout 3 days a week after mastering steady state cardio sessions for 45 minutes to an hour a day. Back then, I was content and  comfortable with doing the same strength training workouts Monday, Wednesday and Friday to continue to fit into the same size jeans. That was reward enough after eating 3 times a day at buffet-style dining halls with cookies, pecan pie, frozen yogurt, cookies and cream pies calling my name daily.  I got away with eating dessert 4 nights a week and maintaining my jean size. It wasn't until my senior year that I had epiphany after epiphany of taking my health to a different level. I would take 2 workout classes a day on top of doing my own daily regimen.  I did get tighter but somewhere along the line thought that I was not getting enough results for the amount of work being put in. I'd always been one to keep my carbs moderately low.  There were days where I would have oatmeal, two slices of bread and a green salad and that was my total intake of carbs after doing 3 vigorous cardio and/or 1 strength training sessions in one day. I would protein it up! I liked feeling satisfied and protein hardly left me feeling hungry. Carbs however, would send me back to the kitchen within 45 minutes. So, I followed my gut...literally.

Without knowing much about foods and their effects besides carbs making me softer, hungrier or fatter, I chose protein as clear winner in making me harder and tighter. I didn't have limits.  So although, I was leaning out, I still maintained my size, weight and circumference of my muscles. I was simply changing my body composition with the mass that was not reducing.  People would tell me I'd dropped weight when I gained 10lbs!!! Do you know how frustrating that is?!! To eat low carbs, fighting the temptation to eat more and not lose weight on the scale from the tortured effort? I didn't realize that it all had to do with my body type or somatotype. I'm a mesomorphic type and when trying to lose weight, protein isn't always my bff if I'm NOT trying to gain size. Not knowing this one detail has derailed me from getting onstage, from further defining my physique to my ideal AND to slaving away pointlessly starving on super low-carbs trying to get there. Its taken me a year and a half to utilize this knowledge where I am finally gradually getting the results I want.

Needless to say, knowing your somatotype is important to know it if you are on a journey of dieting and fitness to achieve maximum results!

The Somatotypes:
(Courtesy of Muscleandstrength.com)
There are three different body types your physique falls under, this is also known as your Somatotype. They are the following:

Ectomorph
An ectomorph is a typical skinny guy. Ecto’s have a light build with small joints and lean muscle. Usually ectomorph’s have long thin limbs with stringy muscles. Shoulders tend to be thin with little width.

Typical traits of an ectomorph: Small “delicate” frame and bone structure Classic “hardgainer” Flat chest Small shoulders Thin Lean muscle mass Finds it hard to gain weight Fast metabolism

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 easier for them. I would recommend more weight training and less cardio especially when trying to gain muscle.

Mesomorph

A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally athletic physique. Mesomorphs are the best body type for bodybuilding. They find it quite easy to gain and lose weight. They are naturally strong which is the perfect platform for building muscle.

Typical traits on a Mesomorph: Athletic Hard body with well defined muscles Rectangular shaped body Strong Gains muscle easily Gains fat more easily than ectomorphs

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. Usually a combination of weight training and cardio works best for mesomorphs. I would caution that for this physique to be very cautious about your intake as if you are taking in alot of protein your muscle size will get bigger as you get leaner. If you are trying to get leaner and don't mind losing some size, limit your protein. I can't stress this enough, as I am a female mesomorph. Oftentimes we are trained like we are ectomorphs and this is simply not the case for those of us interested in decreasing our upper and lower body portions for further symmetry. If you know you are one to lose inches before pounds you may be a contestant to being a mesomorph (or endomorph) so watch your protein intake! Make sure as a baseline that your grams of protein match your ideal weight. If you are currently 145 and are trying to get to 125 only take in, at most, 125 grams of protein or less. Play around with that number as anyone can be a mixture of these body types (i.e. meso- ecto, meso-endo, ecto-meso). Use the knowledge gained from here to match which shape is most predominant for you.

Endomorph
The endomorph body type is solid and generally soft. Endomorphs gain fat very easily. Endo’s are usually of a shorter build with thick arms and legs. Muscles are strong, especially the upper legs. Endomorphs find they are naturally strong in leg exercises like the squat. I may be a slight mixture; meso-endo based on this description. As my densest area are my upper legs, but still have the physique and functions of a "true" mesomorph. However, most of my characteristics most fully match the Mesomorph. Make sure when trying to figure out your own type and possible combos so that your workouts and diet are tailored to your specific physique.

Typical traits of an Endomorph: Soft and round body Gains muscle and fat very easily Is generally short and “stocky” Round physique Finds it hard to lose fat Slow metabolism

When it comes to training endomorphs find it very easy to gain weight. Unfortunately, a large portion of this weight is fat not muscle. To keep fat gain to a minimum, endomorphs must always train cardio as well as weights. Usually supplements may not be needed as long as the person has a high protein intake in their diet. For this body type, cardio is of the utmost importance as it helps to significantly impact weight when the correct forms of cardio are done periodically and consistently.

I would strongly suggest HIIT cardio for this somatotype. For example, cardio sessions that are a one-minute sprint, one-minute jog and one-minute walk then repeat. This works wonders for blasting fat when done at a challenging level and prolonged duration; 30 - 45 minutes a session. HIIT training sessions don't work like steady state cardio where the calories you burn on the treadmill are ONLY burnt on the treadmill. HIIT on the other hand has an "after burn effect". Where your body is still reacting as if its still working on cardio. I don't know about you, but I want 2 for the price of 1!!!

A combination of Body Types
These body types aren’t set in stone. In fact, most people  have a combination of two body types. These combinations are either ectomorph/mesomorph or mesomorph/endomorph. It is not uncommon to find a pure mesomorph that gains weight like an endomorph for example. To know for sure, go through the list provided or do your own research and check off which characteristics your physique mostly matches.  Then, do further research on what kind of cardio and strength training you should do and for how long. There are also alot of legitimate diet portions recommended for each type that DO work if you track your macronutrients (intake of carbs, protein and fat). If calculated correctly, for your most dominant body type you will definitely see results within days if you are an active individual that works out consistently.

Why is this Important to Know AND Apply?
After many years of doing different diets and then making a low-carb diet more my lifestyle I realized along the way that I didn't need to starve myself of carbs AND then, knowing the right ones to eat! Save yourself the time and start customizing to learn what diets and workout plans are most effective for you. You don't need to ever starve to get weight loss results. Have you heard the term "starvation mode"? If you are ever lacking in one macronutrient (your carbs, protein and fat) your body has a tendency to hold onto weight as an emergency precaution to keep it functioning correctly. If you are constantly depriving yourself of adequate nutrients, your body holding onto weight or gaining it, may be the result. Why not customize your diet and fitness plan to be satisfied with the way your body was meant to look AND feel?



For up-to-date images and/or further information go to:
Link: http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/body-types-ectomorph-mesomorph-endomorph.html

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Follow up blog to come; "HIIT cardio vs. steady state, Which One Is the Best for You?"