{"id":12699,"date":"2024-12-17T01:33:37","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T18:33:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=12699"},"modified":"2024-12-17T01:33:37","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T18:33:37","slug":"what-is-my-body-type-and-can-i-train-for-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=12699","title":{"rendered":"What Is My Body Type, and Can I Train for It?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<p>In the 1940s, a University of Houston professor named William Sheldon coined the concept that all humans fall into one of\u00a0three body types, or somatotypes.<\/p>\n<p>It was bold. It was revolutionary. It was complete nonsense.<\/p>\n<p>The whole notion of a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/18447308\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">three-sizes-fit-all<\/a>\u00a0classification system has never been supported by science. In fact, it\u2019s been roundly renounced almost since its introduction. But that\u2019s done little to slow the flow of misinformation, which Sheldon based largely on personal observation.<\/p>\n<p>Just in case you\u2019ve forgotten or were mercifully spared awareness of this classic junk science, a brief review may be in order.<\/p>\n<h2>What Are the 3 Different Body Types?<\/h2>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-178643\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/13104417\/body-types-600-ectomorph-mesomorph-endomorph.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"368\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Like a lot of us, there\u2019s a good chance you learned about the three somatotypes in a junior high health class. And, on the surface, they probably appeared pretty reasonable.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading4\">Ectomorph<\/h3>\n<p>Ectomorphs are described as long and lean, with thin waists and little body fat or muscle mass. Weight gain can be difficult, but weight loss comes relatively easy. Imagine Zoe Saldana or Bruce Lee.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading4\">Endomorph<\/h3>\n<p>According to Sheldon, endomorphs carry plentiful reserves of body fat and muscle, making weight gain easy and weight loss consequently harder. Here, think Serena Williams or Chris Pratt (circa <em>Parks and Recreation<\/em>).<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading4\">Mesomorph<\/h3>\n<p>Mesomorphs are characterized as athletic, solid, and strong \u2014 daywalkers between the other two somatotypes. Let\u2019s go with Mark Wahlberg or Alex Morgan.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading4\">Are Body Types Real?<\/h2>\n<p>Again, Sheldon\u2019s somatotypes are inaccurate and grossly oversimplify the human body.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFew people fit entirely into one of the classic body types,\u201d says Trevor Thieme, CSCS. \u201cMost people are a mishmash of them. For example, you might have the upper body of a \u2018mesomorph\u2019 and the lower body of an \u2018ectomorph.\u2019 But being able to classify your body type doesn\u2019t really matter, because it won\u2019t necessarily inform you about what does: how your body will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/what-is-muscle-hypertrophy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">respond to training<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So why is this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/weightlifting-myths-debunked\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fitness myth<\/a> hard to get rid of?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think that a lot of it has to do with the fact that most people want an easy solution when it comes to fitness and fat loss,\u201d says Thieme. \u201cAnd the idea that if you have X body type then you should focus on Y exercise type provides that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But such thinking is backwards, says Thieme. \u201cYou need to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/smart-goal-setting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">start with your goal<\/a>, because that is going to shape your training program, regardless of your \u2018body type.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Can You Change Your Body Shape?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-178644\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/13104601\/body-types-600-body-shape.jpg\" alt=\"man doing one arm row | Body Types\" width=\"601\" height=\"401\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Somatotype doesn\u2019t predict training response, which means there\u2019s a lot you can do to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/body-recomposition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">change your body composition<\/a>. And starting with your goal (say, getting more muscular), then working backwards to determine your optimal training plan is actually pretty freeing.<\/p>\n<p>It means that if you\u2019re a classic ectomorph, you don\u2019t have to favor distance running over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/strength-training-for-beginners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pumping iron<\/a>. And if you\u2019re an endomorph, there\u2019s no reason why you shouldn\u2019t train for a marathon if that\u2019s on your bucket list.<\/p>\n<p>The key point here is that you\u2019ll never know what you\u2019re capable of until you try it. But it\u2019s important to know what is and isn\u2019t within your control.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading4\">The role of genetics<\/h3>\n<p>To be clear, just because somatotypes aren\u2019t predictive of performance doesn\u2019t mean that the training field is level. Regardless of your goal or the route you take to get there, odds are that you\u2019ll encounter others who travel it faster or slower than you, because what\u2019s written in your DNA is still important.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are many factors we can manipulate to our advantage depending on goals \u2014 training frequency, training intensity, what exercises we prioritize, programming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/periodization-training\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">periodization<\/a>, nutritional factors \u2014 but it\u2019s also important to understand some people picked the right parents,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tonygentilcore\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tony Gentilcore<\/a>, CSCS, owner of CORE, his training studio in Brookline, Massachusetts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome people just look at a dumbbell and they grow. Some people have to fight tooth and nail and work out\u00a0<em>a lot<\/em> in order to see the fruits of their labor,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading4\">The most important factors in choosing a workout<\/h3>\n<p>And that\u2019s the case regardless of your ultimate goal. \u201cBut at the end of the day, what\u2019s going to \u2018work\u2019 is anything that you actually like doing and that you\u2019ll stick to consistently,\u201d says Gentilcore.<\/p>\n<p>So tailor your training to your goals, workout preferences,\u00a0time constraints, and strengths and weaknesses, advises Thieme. \u201cYour training plan needs to be customized to you as an individual, not based on a body type category that wasn\u2019t even created with exercise in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading2\">The History of Somatotypes<\/h2>\n<p>Sheldon didn\u2019t even catalogue body types for fitness purposes. He was a psychologist who posited that it was possible to attach <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplypsychology.org\/sheldon-constitutional-theory-somatotyping.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>personality\u00a0<\/em>traits<\/a>\u00a0to each body type. He was more interested in how our bodies might shape our character than how they actually functioned.<\/p>\n<p>Sheldon hypothesized that ectomorphs are introverted, artistic, and emotionally intense. Endomorphs are jolly, relaxed, and sociable. Mesomorphs are assertive, adventurous, and competitive.<\/p>\n<p>If that sounds like poppycock, balderdash, or any other 1940s word for bull effluvium, it is: Sheldon\u2019s entire motivation for his study has been thoroughly debunked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSheldon\u2019s toxic eugenic views and equation of physique with destiny in the years following World War II made him increasingly unpopular,\u201d according to a 2015 article in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/5405774_Physique_as_Destiny_William_H_Sheldon_Barbara_Honeyman_Heath_and_the_Struggle_for_Hegemony_in_the_Science_of_Somatotyping\"><em>Canadian Bulletin of Medical History<\/em><\/a>. \u201cThe death knell of his career was dealt by his former female assistant, Barbara Honeyman Heath. Publicly denouncing his methods as fraudulent and his\u00a0somatotypes\u00a0inaccurate she went on to build a successful career modifying somatotyping techniques and participating in projects all over the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Why Does the Body-Type Myth Persist?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-178645\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/13104747\/body-types-600-myth.jpg\" alt=\"woman posing together | Body Types\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You\u2019d think with that kind of emphatic beatdown from the medical and fitness establishments, Sheldon\u2019s idea of three primary body types would have gone the way of the Segway, Zune, New Coke, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/amp\/s\/amp.usatoday.com\/amp\/36734837\">Cheetos Lip Balm<\/a> (yes, that was a real product).<\/p>\n<p>But the myth of somatotypes is surprisingly strong, as any quick Google search will tell you. For just one of far too many examples, London\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/femail\/article-3548122\/What-body-type-Scientists-say-fit-THREE-categories.html\"><em>Daily Mail<\/em><\/a>\u00a0newspaper asserted, \u201cScientists say we all fit into three groups (and knowing your shape is key to choosing the right workout).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The three-body-types theory gained so much attention so quickly that it soon passed more or less into conventional wisdom, where it\u2019s stayed ever since. Much like the zodiac, somatotyping works because pretty much everybody can find characteristics of themselves in just about every \u201cpersonalized\u201d designation.<\/p>\n<p>Sorry if we just ruined astrology for you too.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/body-types-ectomorph-endomorph-mesomorph\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the 1940s, a University of Houston professor named William Sheldon coined the concept that all humans fall into one of\u00a0three body types, or somatotypes. It was bold. It was revolutionary. It was complete nonsense. The whole notion of a\u00a0three-sizes-fit-all\u00a0classification system has never been supported by science. In fact, it\u2019s been roundly renounced almost since &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12699\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}