| Hi Friend,
Man was I skinny growing up. I was so skinny my mom had to take my slim pants in. When I played JV football as a freshman, I was a 5'9, 125lbs. tight end and defensive end and my coach wanted me to block on offense and contain on defense. Talk about a miserable experience. First I was out of position and second, the physics were wrong. I didn't have enough size to slow people down or win a pushing match against bigger athletes, yet the things I was good at like getting by people, catching, running, throwing and defending I wasn't really empowered to do. Suffice it to say, I only lasted a season and focused on basketball and baseball.
My somatotype, aka body type, was known as an ectomorph. I had a high motor, could eat most anything I wanted, especially carbs and sugars and I wouldn't put on weight. I was quick, fast, but not the fastest and with good stamina. I was not strong.
Every body type is different and has its strengths and weaknesses. It's important to recognize these, understand them and use it to your advantage. Chip and Dan Heath, authors of Good to Great, talked bout being on the right seat, on the right bus at the right time. If you know you and you know the strengths & weaknesses of the different body types, you can empower yourself to be your best and make changes as needed. Here are the different body types and their strengths and weaknesses in regards to sports / exercise and nutrition / carbohydrate tolerance.
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| | Somatotypes
There are 3 main somatotypes and hybrids of each. - Ectomorphs are the naturally lean framed individuals.
- Mesomorphs are the naturally muscular framed individuals.
- Endomorphs are the naturally larger framed individuals.
The hybrids are people parts of each. - Ectomorph lower body with an mesomorph or endomorph upper body.
- Endomorph lower body with an ectomorph or mesomorph upper body.
- Mesomorph lower body with an ectomorph or endomorph upper body.
Strengths
- Ectomorphs are great at endurance, high metabolisms and high carbohydrate tolerance.
- Mesomorphs are great at intermittent / stop start / field + court type sports, have a moderately high metabolism and can tolerate high carbohydrate consumption well before, during and after exercise and moderately at other meals.
- Endomorphs are great at strength & power sports, can easily put on weight and have less difficulty moving heavy things and are not easily moved.
Weaknesses - Ectomorphs aren't very strong, don't fit clothes well and usually have no butt. They have trouble keeping weight on. Can easily get knocked over.
- Mesomorphs aren't naturally suited for endurance events or strength and power events, they're super strong for their body weight, but not necessarily the strongest, and they're fast, but not endurance athletes. They can get away with a lot as far as nutrition consumption goes, but there is a limit and if they're not active, they're more vulnerable to body fat gain, like most people.
- Endomorphs are not built for endurance. They're not built with stamina. They tire quickly and they don't necessarily move around quickly. They don't tolerate carbohydrates well in the sense that its very easy for them to increase their body weight and circumferences.
Hybrids - Strengths
- Ectomorph lower body with an mesomorph or endomorph upper body can be good at endurance lower body activities and intermittent sport or strength & power upper body activities.
- Endomorph lower body with an ectomorph or mesomorph upper body can be good at strength and power lower body activities and endurance or intermittent sport upper body activities.
- Mesomorph lower body with an ectomorph or endomorph upper body can be good at intermittent sports lower body activities and endurance or strength and power upper body activities.
Hybrid - Weaknesses
- Ectomorph lower body with an mesomorph or endomorph upper body means its difficult to put weight on your lower body and easy to put weight on your upper body.
- Endomorph lower body with an ectomorph or mesomorph upper body means its easy to put weight on your lower body and more difficult to put weight on your upper body.
- Mesomorph lower body with an ectomorph or endomorph upper body means so long as your active with your lower body, you'll most likely stay the same, but it can be difficult to put weight on the upper body if you're an ectomorphy upper body or easy to put weight on the upper body if you're an endomorph upper body.
What can you do? Now that you know the different body types and their respective strengths and weaknesses, I hope you have more peace. You can choose to go with your strengths and know your weaknesses if you're o.k. with what body type you have or if you want to make a change for whatever reason, you go after the weaknesses.
Ectomorphs tired of being skinny and weak and unable to keep weight on and want to become more mesomorph or endomorph, need to do little to no cardio (only short sprints and ), lift heavy weights with lots of rest and eat lots of starches at every meal. Also eat 3+ meals per day and enjoy snacks and liquid calories.
Mesomorphs who want to become endurance athletes, get leaner and decrease their body size, need to do more endurance activities (more weight bearing cardio), do more body weight exercises, lift light weights fast and focus on 3+ meals per day. Maybe breakfast, lunch and dinner and a pre-peri or post workout shake, bar or meal.
Endomorphs who want to be come more muscular with less body fat like a mesomorph, or more lean like an ectomorph need to do more sprints and more total weight bearing cardio. Do a lot of body weight exercises and lift light weights fast, with little to no rest. They'll have most success, most of the time with 3 meals per day and depending on their schedule and unique situation, a pre, peri or post workout meal, bar, shake or snack. They'll best tolerate carbohydrates, before, during or after a muscularly fatiguing workout, but not necessarily a cardio workout.
Hybrids
- Ectomorph lower body with an mesomorph or endomorph upper body, that want a more mesomorph or endomorph lower body, need to do little cardio, except for sprints (weight bearing or non-weight bearing) and lift heavy weights with moderate to full recovery. On muscularly fatiguing lower body days, eat more carbohydrates. Ectomorph lower body people who want to get leaner up top, need to do more body weight upper body activities, use light weights, lifted fast and do a lot of endurance activities with the upper body like swimming, climbing and stand up paddle boarding. They need to focus on eating multiple smaller, balanced (the 5 things) meals and save the high carbohydrate meals for muscular fatiguing days and workouts. This one's a bit trickier.
- Endomorph lower body with an ectomorph or mesomorph upper body that want a more ectomorph or mesomorph lower body, need to do a lot more endurance based activities, a lot of cardio with sprints mixed in. Both intervals and steady state, with short to no rests. Use light weights lifted fast and body weight exercises on the lower body. Eat higher carbohydrate meals on muscularly fatiguing days and regular meals (the 5 things) at most other meals. Aim for 3+ meals per day, as in breakfast, lunch, dinner and a pre/peri/post workout bar, shake, meal or snack. Endomorph lower body people who want endomorph upper body need to do little to no endurance activities on the upper body, except some explosive throws, use heavy weights and take long rests. Eat high carbohydrate meals at most every meal as part of the big 5. Eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Drink caloric beverages.
- Mesomorph lower body with an ectomorph or endomorph upper body people that want a more ectomorph lower body, need to do more endurance based cardio on the lower body, use light weights lifted fast and body weight exercises. Eat high carbohydrate meals only on days you do muscularly fatiguing workouts. If you want an endomorph lower body, do the opposite. Lift heavy weights, with long rest periods. Do little to no cardio, except for short sprints with long rests. Eat high carbohydrate meals at most every meal as part of the big 5. Eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Drink caloric beverages. Mesomorph lower body people who want a mesomorph upper body, need to lift moderately heavy weights with the upper body, with short or insufficient rest periods. Do mostly sprints with short or insufficient rest periods. Avoid endurance activities with no rest and strength and power activities with long rests. Eat higher carb meals with the big 5 before, during or after workouts.
And thats the general gist of it. I graduated high school at 5'11, 147 lbs and finished my first semester of college at 5'11", 175 lbs. That's a big swing. I lifted heavy weights, 5 days a week, only did sprint work for cardio, which meant only pick up basketball or intramural basketball, but nothing scheduled and recurring like being on a team. Plus I drank lots of beer, ate lots of pizza and wings late at night and smoked pot. My body fat was in the single digits, so I really was in an anabolic state.
When I turned 30, I wanted to win a sprint triathlon and I figured I could do it if I got lighter, faster and stronger. I cut 14 lbs (187-173) and 14 minutes off my triathlon time, while getting stronger and faster in all three disciplines, while maintaining my strength by lifting heavy weights 3 hours per week, but I was still no where close to winning. The swim was still my weakest event, even though I finished faster and was competitive on the bike and run. That was a fun year of training and participation.
So do you know your body type and its strengths and weaknesses now?
Do you feel more informed on how to maximize your body type or what to do to get the qualities of the other body types?
Hopefully your answers are yes to both.
Grateful for my body and all it can do and I hope you are too.
Working and playing to make the most of it,
Coach Mike
p.s. if you're ready to make a change or you need help with your plan, reply and let me know.
p.p.s. Phase 2 begins, Mon, Jan 29. Measurements, Orientation and the Nutrition Discussion are Sat, Jan 27. Registration is open.
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