UNDERSTANDING YOUR BODY TYPE
Your Physical Appearance
When you start out on any program to improve your
appearance in any way, it is a good idea to understand
what is realistic to expect and what is not. We are
all unique combinations of body type, skin type and
hair type. Trying to change your genetic type is near
impossible. You can however, optimise the appearance
of your body type by:
- Understanding where fat is typically deposited on
your frame.
- Improve the tone and texture of your skin
- Making your hair glow with health.
So let’s explore some of the things that make
us unique, and use this knowledge to better craft your
physical appearance goals. Those core attributes that
determine your physical appearance potential are:
Your Body Type
There are three body types, all genetically programmed.
Knowing your body shape helps you to be realistic in
what to expect from your diet and exercise programs:
- Ectomorphs – tend to be
thin and wispy and generally don’t have to worry
about weight or body fat. They will however, find
it more difficult to build lean muscle mass to help
support movement and joints. More about keeping a
good fat cover. More prone to back injuries due to
often longer spine not supported by muscle structure.
If flexible, joints can be put under pressure from
too much flexibility.
- Mesomorphs – regarded as
the performance physique; athletic and strong. Mesomorphs
find it easy to develop toned muscle, but do tend
to gain weight easily. They can also lose weight faster
to reveal good muscle below.
- Endomorphs – are the true
power athletic builds, being stout and shapely. Tendency
here is to over perform, resulting in damage to joints
and muscle, including heart muscle. Often large embedded
muscle structure, need to strip away fat to see it.
No body type is inherently better than any other.
Certainly, cultural and social forces determine which
shape is perceived as ideal, but nothing you can do
can change your body type.
Caring For Your Body Type
Body type is important in terms of designing the best
fitness program. It is unrealistic to expect to change
your total body shape, based upon a genetically different
body type.
Designing A Fitness Program
Fitness
Program Products
More On Your Body
NEXT: Fitness Program
Guidelines
Exercise Index | Benefits
| Body Type | Guidelines
| Personality | Aerobic
| Anaerobic | Compound
| Fat Burning | Body Shaping
| The Core | Weight Training
| Stretching | Troubleshooting
| Cooldown
|
