If you're a skinny guy or gal and struggling to gain weight... Or you have a heavy build and want to get rid of excess fat... Or somewhere in the middle - a little bit of everything... This will be one of the most useful fitness articles you'll ever... or read. And it's not a joke. Let's start with the good news: Your genetics can't stop you from creating the physique you want. Yes, different people's bodies react differently to exercise, but regardless of whether you consider yourself a hard gainer or struggling with “stubborn fat”...
- you can gain muscle mass.
- you can get rid of excess fat.
- you can do it faster than you think.
Now, if you were trying to become a professional weightlifter, powerlifter or bodybuilder, it would be a completely different story. In such situations, genetics are very important. Of course, steroids are often used in this, and experience and training methods matter, but the biggest and strongest guys and girls in the world were this way from birth. For example, let's look at Ronnie Coleman at his best: Crazy! However, even while still in high school, he looked stunning: And here is a photo of him at age 25, when, according to him, he began taking anabolic steroids:
As you can see, Ronnie's body was programmed to become monstrously large and strong. If we went back in time and tried to live exactly the way he did - start training at the same age, do the same exercises, eat exactly the same, take the same medications - we would never even come close to his ultimate goal. competitive form. It’s not a fact that we could achieve his physique at the age of 25. The bottom line is this: at the very top, where everyone works very hard and smartly, it is genetics that separates the greats from everyone else. But this does not mean that all of us mere mortals are unlucky. Your genetics influence how quickly you can achieve your goals, but they don't make you weak or doughy. In this article, you will learn about the three main body types. How to determine what type you are, and how, based on this, to approach nutrition and training to achieve maximum results.
Is it possible to independently determine what type a person belongs to?
American anthropologist William Sheldon is confident that the physique of each individual combines two, and in some cases, three body types.
For example, the upper part of the body belongs to one type, and the lower part to another. Therefore, it is very difficult, and at times, even impossible, to calculate who is in front of you based on their body type.
It is important to understand that no online calculators that the Internet is filled with today will give an accurate and truthful answer. You can only find out your body type in a hospital.
Basics of body correction
Physique is the size, shape, proportions and characteristics of body parts, as well as the development of bone, fat and muscle tissue.
The size and shape of every person's body is genetically programmed. The body can change during successive morphological, physiological and biochemical processes in the body from its inception to the end of life.
To start adjusting your physique, you need to take a few steps:
1. Identify body flaws.
2. Form your own opinion about your ideal physique. (Relying on knowledge about a healthy body and on your own feeling, and not on fashion and famous models).
Almost every person strives to look beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, be healthy and live long. Not least important in achieving these goals is our physique, how we construct and maintain body shape.
Under the influence of physical exercise, you can significantly change your body shape. By selecting the appropriate method of performing physical exercises, in some cases the mass of muscle groups is increased, in other cases it is decreased.
It is important and necessary to correct your physique in order to be a confident, healthy, harmoniously developed person. But before you do anything, you need to determine your body type, since training programs for different types are varied.
So what are the body types? There are various typological body systems.
A person's figure can be proportional or not. Proportion, or proportionality of various parts of the human body, has long been the subject of attention of those involved in the visual and plastic arts. The idea of the proportionality of the parts of the human body is most clearly expressed in the famous “square of the ancients,” according to which the body of a person standing with his arms outstretched to the side fits into the figure of a square. According to the formula of the “square of the ancients,” the length of the human body is equal to the width of outstretched arms and four times the length of the thigh. It was also believed that the human body with raised and slightly spread arms and spread legs fits into a circle, the center of which is the umbilical point.
In the question of the proportions of the body, human thought has long been looking for a measure that would be universal for measuring all its longitudinal, transverse and volumetric dimensions. Various module systems have been developed for this purpose. Modulus is a measure with which you can measure the size of any part of the body. The module is taken as the value of one or another part of the body of a given person, for example, the length of the foot, the height of the head, etc. Thus, the ancient Egyptians used the length of the middle finger of the hand as a module, Polykleitos - a value equal to the height of the head or the height of the face, etc. . P.
With the help of the module, certain rules (canons) for the relationship of body parts and its proportions were established. For example, the canons of the ancient Egyptians said: the length of the middle finger should fit into the length of the body 19 times, the length of the arm - 5 times, the length of the leg - 9 times, etc. But the canons of Polykleitos - the height of the head should fit into the length of the body 8 times, the height face - 10 times, the height of the head and neck, like the length of the foot, fits 6 times in the length of the body.
A person whose all parts of the body (length of the body, arms, legs, width of the shoulders, pelvic girdle, size of the hand, feet) are proportional to each other is the owner of a proportional figure. But an absolutely proportional figure is a rare phenomenon. Striving for an absolute ideal is useless and unsuccessful. Each person has an individually unique set of proportions. One stands out with long, the other with short legs, one with a wide chest, the other with a narrow, one with a thin waist, long or short, the other with a wide, etc.
Soviet anthropologist V.V. Bunak, studying the structure of the human body, established three main types of proportions, which in practical life have a fairly large number of options. The first type is narrow-built
.
A person of this type has long legs, a short torso and narrow shoulders and pelvis. The second type of proportions is wide-built
: a person has a wide, long body and relatively short legs.
The third type is the average body shape
.
In contrast to the proportions of the body, which are characterized, as was said, by the ratio of the sizes of various parts of the body relative to each other, the constitution of the body determines the ratio of its various tissues: bone, muscle, fat. The most characteristic types of human body constitution are picnic, asthenic, athletic
. An adult girl with a picnic build is slender, has average height and average weight, pronounced subcutaneous fat tissue, weak muscle tone and therefore soft round shapes, thin wrists, thin ankles and a thin waist. It is characterized by low physical strength and smooth movements. She floats well on the water, easily learns to swim, but with an improper diet and low mobility, over time she becomes overweight, overweight or obese.
A girl of the athletic type is characterized by a slim, dense build, medium or tall height, broad shoulders (sometimes wider than the pelvis), wide wrists and ankles, a waist circumference almost equal to the hip circumference, pronounced muscle tone, and sharpness of movements. Such girls are usually said to have an athletic build. The figure of an athletic woman, under the influence of age-related changes, is less subject to deformation than others, but still has more opportunity to be plump rather than thin.
Low, average or high height, average or low weight, thin bone structure, weak muscle tone and subcutaneous fat tissue, sluggishness of movements are characteristic of girls of asthenic build. The figure of a girl of this build can look slender, and her movements can be graceful only with normal physical activity. A reduced motor mode negatively affects a girl with an asthenic physique: muscle tone decreases even more, it becomes difficult to hold her body gracefully and slenderly and perform physical work. A girl of asthenic build is most susceptible to various influences of an incorrect lifestyle.
Among adult, already formed girls, in addition to the indicated constitutional types, the so-called mixed types are very often found. For example, a narrow-hipped fat woman, a tall wide-hipped fat woman, or a short girl with a uniformly full figure of a dense build.
There are quite a few ways to determine body constitution. One of the simplest ones you can use is a nomogram. Using this nomogram, you can determine the ratio of body tissues, and then the constitutional type of build. True, the accuracy of this definition is approximate, but it will still give you some idea of your physique.
In order to use this nomogram, you need to know the height and weight of your body. On the given nomogram, connect the dots with the numbers of your weight and height. The number indicated at the intersection point will be an indicator of the predominance of a particular tissue in the body at a given period of your development. For example, with a height of 160 cm and a weight of 60 kg, the intersection point passes through the number 1.42 in the center of the nomogram. This figure means a harmonious ratio of fabrics. Indicators of a harmonious ratio of tissues are at the points of intersection of numbers from 1.30 to 1.50, the predominance of muscle tissue is at points from 1.50 to 2.05, fat tissue is from 1.00 to 1.30. If you find a predominance of muscle tissue, this means that the constitution of your body is close to athletic, if fat - to picnic.
The ratio of tissues in the body, and therefore the constitutional composition of the body, can be judged by simply monitoring the weight of your body. To do this, it is recommended to use Broca’s formula: subtract 100 from the figure expressing body length (for example, 160 cm) (160-100 = 60). If the resulting difference does not exceed ±5 kg from the absolute weight, then the body weight can be considered quite normal. For example, with a height of 160 cm, a normal weight would be from 55 to 65 kg.
If, using this simple formula, you determine that your body weight is very high or too low, be sure to consult a doctor.
Along with body weight, the ratio of fat and muscle tissue, the volume of the chest, arms, and legs are quite easy to change. The most effective role in changing these signs of body structure belongs to a variety of movements and gymnastics.
What people with an endomorphic torso should know
Since this type tends to quickly accumulate fat, therefore, training should take place as often and regularly as possible. At least 5 times a week, but the working weight should be light.
The period between exercises should be reduced to a minimum. Only then will you achieve maximum results, and don’t forget about proper nutrition.
Endomorph
A typical endomorph has a round and soft body, with a significant amount of fat deposits. Endomorphs have a slow metabolism and a tendency to gain weight and store fat. The same person who “just looks at food and immediately gains weight” is most likely an endomorph.
Representatives of this body type have difficulty achieving results in fitness and bodybuilding. First, they need to get rid of excess fat, and this is not an easy task. The idea that fat is supposedly “pumped” into muscles is absolute nonsense.
Endomorphs can increase their metabolic rate, but this will require slightly more effort than ectomorphs or mesomorphs.
Endomorph training programs
Endomorph training programs involve working with a high number of repetitions in the range of 12-20, with a short rest interval between sets (about 20-30 seconds). Despite the large number of repetitions, the weight of the weights is large. Workouts should be intense, forcing you to burn as many calories as possible. If in the last approaches it is difficult to complete the planned number of repetitions, do not reduce the weight, it is better to do 1-2 repetitions less.
Since endomorphs gain muscle mass quite easily, they can perform combinations of single-joint and multi-joint exercises. Exercises can be done in the form of supersets and trisets. It is necessary to use cardio training on a regular basis and strictly monitor your diet. All this is aimed primarily at combating excess fat.
On days free from training, you can and should strive to get additional exercise of a cyclic nature in the fresh air (running, swimming, cycling, skiing) or an acyclic nature (jumping, throwing, martial arts).
Endomorph diet
Endomorphs must strictly monitor their diet. Endomorphs are in many ways the opposite of ectomorphs, which means they store fat easily. All junk foods should be avoided, especially deep-fried foods and simple sugars (i.e. French fries, cakes, candies and most desserts).
Killer Exercises
I would recommend doing this workout 3 times a week.
The first day you pump up your back and shoulders:
- do push-ups from the floor (3 sets to failure);
- perform a bent-over barbell (4 sets of 10 repetitions);
- lift the dumbbells in front of you (3 sets of 8-10 times).
The second day you train your arms and chest:
- perform the “hammer” exercise (12 times 3 approaches);
- lift the barbell to pump up your biceps (12 times, 3 sets);
- work on bench press with dumbbells (10 times, 3 sets).
The third day you pump your legs and buttocks
- squats with a barbell (3 working sets of 10 repetitions);
- rise on your toes in a vertical position. If this exercise is easy for you to do, then you can use a dumbbell to increase the load (at least 50-60 times);
- work out the leg press on the machine (30 times).
This program is designed not only for men, but also for girls who dream of building muscle mass.
Lesson plan for mesomorph women
To shape curves and build mass, women should focus on cardio exercises. An ideal workout should consist of 2 sessions per day. In the morning you train your body's flexibility and endurance.
But in the evening you need to exercise with weights. That is, about 7 approaches with a total of 10 repetitions. Most often, such training can be done 3 times a week. On other days, a small load is performed in the morning.
The right diet
When training intensively, do not forget to count calories, while reducing the amount of fat. Eat more protein foods (low-fat cottage cheese, beef, fish, eggs). How to find out your protein intake? Very simple.
For an accurate calculation, the formula is used (2.5 grams per 1 kg of weight). Of course, eating that much protein won't be easy. Therefore, you can drink a protein shake at one of your meals.
Adhere to the principle of separate meals, eat at least 5 times a day. A few hours before bedtime, go to bed feeling slightly hungry. Only then will you see dramatic changes in the mirror.
