Body Type and Definition

I recently had a question about body type and definition.  “If I work out will I increase my muscle mass and become bulky and what do I need to do to get the sprinters body”? 

Really that was a 2 for 1 question and a very loaded one at that. 

Let’s start with the women first, as I get a lot of questions from them about lifting weights and bulking up.  I have worked with women who swear their body is getting bigger and bigger because of the weight lifting.  Generally speaking that is not the case.  With most women who start strength training, the body does make some physical changes.  If your muscle mass slightly increases and your body fat does not decrease you are going to feel as if you are getting bigger as opposed to smaller.  Your body is getting a little firmer and that extra layer of fat just feels bigger.

For women the thought and fear of becoming that over-sized manly female body builder, is very scary and unnerving.  In reality, most women do not possess the necessary hormones to develop that body shape, or even come close to developing that much muscle bulk and definition.

With that being said, I have known many women who have tried to go down that road only to fail.  They did not have the genetic muscular make up, nor did they have the hormones to support their efforts.  All they had to show for their hard work in the end was a body that looked grossly over weight.

For females it is very safe to strength train and not have the fear of bulking up and turning into  the Incredible Hulk, remember most of the time you will have neither the correct genetic make up or hormones to support the body.

As for males, many of them want to look like the sprinter or the incredible hulk.  I get an enormous amount of questions devoted to bulking up, shedding the layer of fat and getting cut.

Mesomorph, Ectomorph & Endomorph

Much of what I just said for the women holds true for men as well.  The sprinters body has a certain genetic make up.  Primarily fast twitch muscle fibers.  These fibers are what give them their power and their ability to be so fast.  A sprinter will have extremely high muscle mass and very low body fat.  In anatomy class this body type is referred to as a mesomorph.  A mesomorph has good size bone structure and can increase muscle mass very quickly.  They carry very little body fat so muscle definition is high.

A marathon runner on the other hand has very long limbs,  small bone structure and is primarily made up of slow twitch muscle fibers.  Slow twitch fibers help to give you a very high aerobic capacity.  If you think about what a marathon runner looks like he/she has very lean muscle mass and very low body fat (in most cases even less than the mesomorph).  This person has an extremely high metabolism and has a very difficult time putting on weight.  Whether it be muscle or fat.

Lastly, the endomorph is the person who gains weight very quickly be it muscle or fat.  The body is very soft, and thick in bone structure.  Typically zero to very little muscle definition is present.  With that being said endomorphs are very strong.  Your offensive lineman would be an endomorph.  Because the body is so soft and the bone structure so thick it is very difficult for muscle definition to develop with this body type.

Combinations

Very rarely, with the exception of the elite athletes do you find one body type in the general public.  Most people are made up of a combination of two body types such as,  mesomorph/ectomorph or mesomorph/endomorph.

Finally, the answer to the question, (I know, you didn’t think I was ever going to answer did you?) muscle mass and definition have far  more to do with your body type and genetic make up then what you eat and how you train.  A pure ectomorph will never become a power lifter or a body builder.  And since this body type is made up of primarily slow twitch muscle fibers he/she will never be a world class sprinter.  But, a true ectomorph will be a great long distance athlete in any sport.  Swimming, biking or running.

Endomorphs are not likely to build true muscle definition very easily if at all.  That doesn’t mean it isn’t possible to build muscle and lose fat.  It just means the sprinters body isn’t likely.

So, what does all this body type stuff mean?  If you understand your particular body type you will better understand your training needs. 

More importantly, when you sit down to think about your training goals and what you want your results to look like you can be more realistic.  For example, if you are an endomorph or part endomorph you will have a very difficult time getting your body to look like the traditional marathon runner.  It does not matter what your training or nutrition regimen looks like that body type would not be feasible for you.

So, be smart when you write out your goals and don’t get hung up on the things you can not change, look to what you can change and work your strengths.

Stay Motivated,

Karen

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