Nutrition and Training for your Body Type

I think it’s safe to say that most women who are training in the gym regularly and following a nutrition plan are doing so with the intention of increasing strength and fitness, toning muscles, loosing and fat and generally improving health.

Once you get away from the most simple concepts like “you must be in a calorie deficit to lose fat” or “you must lift heavy weights to tone muscles”, nutrition and training can be very complex, depending on how much you look into it.

Stress, Sleep, Hydration, Inflammation and the Menstrual Cycle are just a few variables that have a profound effect on your nutrition and training requirements.

Another concept that can play a key role in these requirements is your body type, or “Somatotype” as it is technically called.

Understanding a little bit more about this can ensure you are better equipped to follow nutrition and training strategies that are most likely to help you experience the best results from your health and fitness endeavors.

Some people would strictly fall under one somatotype, others maybe a mixture of two.

The following guidelines are by no means 100% set in stone, but they are concepts which I have heard a lot of experts discuss and I certainly feel are very credible…

ECTOMORPH:

– naturally tall and lean figures

– tend to have fast metabolisms

– able to keep body fat levels down without too much effort

– find it more difficult to gain weight

– have good carbohydrate tolerance

– tend to excel at more cardio based exercise such as running and field sports

– usually have lower strength levels prior to starting a training program

– could potentially benefit most from lower volume, heavier weight training sessions

– Don’t require as much daily movement to maintain healthy weight. Excessive amounts of exercise can lead to sub healthy body weight / body fat levels and weaken immune system

MESOMORPH:

– genetically blessed types which are naturally toned and lean

– gain muscle and lose fat relatively easily

– very fast metabolisms

– have great carbohydrate tolerance

– naturally strong and fit

– respond quickly to new training programs

– naturally good at sports

ENDOMORPH:

– Typically have more “petite” and curvier figures

– Naturally higher levels of body fat

– can find it more difficult to lose weight

– Metabolisms can be slightly slower

– May do best to limit starchy carbohydrates and focus more on dietary fats

– tend to perform better in strength based activities, like lifting weights

– not as naturally gifted with high intensity fitness training and may find this type of exercise more difficult

– Aerobic exercise and daily movement (step count targets etc) is essential for Endomorphs to achieve and maintain healthiest body weight.

Thanks for reading,

Paul Taylor PT