Female Body types: How best to eat, train and supplement for your body type
Written by Martin Ebner, Head PT and Founder of Ebylife
Too often in women’s fitness, body shape is emphasized. Workouts revolve around slimming your waist, thinning your thighs, and other cosmetic-focused goals to get you to that Kim Kardashian Hourglass figure. There are many different body shapes, but unfortunately, despite what you might have heard, there is no real way to effectively change yours just by doing endless squats or Russian twists.
Understanding your body type, however, is extremely valuable! Rather than trying to fit a certain mold, knowing your body type can help you to maximize your exercise routine and set goals that are both realistic and attainable for your body type whether it’s to build muscle, burn fat, or become more flexible and agile.
The 3 Female Body Types
These are the three main body types (AKA somatotypes) for both men and women:
Ectomorph (Also known as hardgains)
Mesomorph
Endomorph
Each body type is determined based on your bone structure, body shape, weight, height, and ability to build muscle and lose body fat and weight. Your body shape may change a bit over time, but the body type you had as a teenager will likely remain the same throughout your life. Chances are, you probably won’t fit perfectly into a singular body type and will be a bit of two or even all three different body types. Keep reading to find out which body type sounds most like yours and how to more effectively train, eat and supplement for best results!
I should point out that these are only guidelines and how exactly you should train, diet and whether or not you should take supplements will be very much dependent on your specific goals, lifestyle and circumstances.
Ectomorphs
Ectomorph body types generally have a small build, long limbs, thin shoulders, flat chest, small joints, and very lean muscle mass. They typically find it very difficult to gain weight and muscle no matter what they eat (hence the name, Hardgainer). They thrive on carbs, and naturally, have low body fat. Due to their fast metabolisms, they have to (and often do) eat large amounts of food without putting on extra body weight.
Examples of famous celebrities with this body type are Kendall Jenner, Taylor Swift, and Cameron Diaz.
How to train for an Ectomorph
Your muscle growth is slow and steady! Hard work, consistency and some well-deserved rest days are necessary to maximize muscle growth and maintain body weight.
Limit long-distance cardiovascular exercise - Cardio is undoubtedly a great form of exercise for a variety of reasons; a strong heart, better mental health and a stronger immune system to name a few but unfortunately, too much pavement pounding or peddling for Ectomorphs could result in weight loss and an even more slender physique. If you simply can’t live without your cardio workouts, make sure to fuel up properly beforehand to avoid any excessive muscle breakdown and always eat afterward to refuel and kickstart muscle recovery.
Hit the weights - Strength training is not only great for your health, it’s also a fantastic way to build muscle and add some lovely curves and tone to your figure. Compound moves like squats, Romanian deadlifts, hip thrusts, lunges, push-ups and pull-ups are all great exercises to hit multiple muscle groups at the same time.
Make sure to take at least 1-2 rest days per week - This will not only allow your muscles and body time to fully recover between workouts, it will also prevent you from having to eat excessively to keep up with your speedy metabolism.
Stay persistent - It’s really important for long-term fitness results, especially for Ectomorphs trying to add muscle to workout regularly and consistently otherwise your results will likely suffer!
How to eat for an Ectomorph
Lucky for you Ecto, your metabolic rate is through the roof making it difficult to overeat! You should aim to eat 5-7 small meals a day. Your carbohydrate intake should make up 40-50% of your daily meals, with 30-35% percent protein, and 20-25% fat. Avoid added sugars and stick to nutritious carbs such as quinoa, whole grains, fruits, vegetables like sweet potatoes, beans and legumes.
How to supplement for an Ectomorph
Since the world is your oyster (or your buffet) there aren’t many nutritional holes in need of filling. However, if you’re having a hard time meeting your daily macros and calorie needs, you may want to consider upping your protein intake by sneaking some protein powder into your coffee, water, or morning oats! Two of our favorites all-natural protein powders are Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Protein Isolate and Amandean’s Marine collagen protein.
Mesomorphs
Those with mesomorph body types tend to have more athletic or muscular builds. They are naturally “thicker”, have broad shoulders, narrow waists, and medium height. Many mesomorphs are used to their weights fluctuating due to their ability to gain muscle, lose weight, and then gain it again without much effort. When it comes to working out, building lean muscle is no problem for Mesomorphs and can often go a couple of days or even weeks and still retain some muscle mass. The tricky part is maintaining the weight.
Madonna, Jessica Alba, and Gigi Hadid are all considered to have the mesomorph body type.
How to train for a Mesomorph
You put the morph in mesomorph! Mesomorphs’ body composition (ratio of fat to muscle) can change frequently so if you want to stay lean and mean, you’ll need to do a mixture of strength training and Cardio. Here are some tips on how you should train.
Try circuit training - Circuit training using body weight and/or weights is a great way to get your muscles firing and heart working together for better overall results.
If you’re keen to build muscle and definition, Prioritize strength training in the 8-12 rep range - Due to much lower testosterone levels, women can’t build muscle as effectively as men. However, working in the 8-12 rep range has been shown to be the most effective when it comes to building muscle both in men and women.
DO rest in between sets - When training with weights, aim to follow these guidelines; Low reps (1-5) 90 – 180 seconds, medium reps (8-12) 60 – 90 seconds, high reps (10+) 30-45 seconds.
Add some moderate-intensity cardio into your routine (30-60 minutes) - Moderate intensity cardio (around 60-70% of your maximum heart rate) is a great way to break down and use fat as fuel and help maintain a healthy body composition. You can perform cardio at the end of your strength training workouts or on separate days.
How to eat for a Mesomorph
The “macronutrient split” for mesomorphs should be around 30/30/40 fat to carbs to protein. Since mesomorphs can be prone to weight gain if not diligent, it’s best to limit the amount of sugary or fatty foods and instead, swap them for filling lean proteins that can help keep your body strong and toned.
How to supplement for a Mesomorph
Supplements should never replace a healthy and balanced diet, however, they can come in extremely handy when trying to reach your health and fitness goals without loading up on excessive calories! Protein powder is a great supplement pre and post-workout. Two of our favorites are Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Protein Isolate and Amandean’s Marine collagen protein.
If your goal is to tone up or lose weight, you may want to also consider taking an all-natural Fat burner before your cardio workouts. Two of our favorites are Hourglass and LeanBean.
Endomorphs
The endomorph body type is typically characterized by a short but solid frame with thick, strong legs. It’s the most “bottom-heavy” of the three body types. Of the three body types, Endomorphs tend to gain fat the most easily especially around the midsection and thighs. They also have the ability to gain strength and muscle fairly quickly.
Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lopez, and Marilyn Monroe all have Endomorph body types.
How to train for an Endomorph
Since endomorphs tend to gain fat fairly easily, the focus of many endo-workouts is to strengthen and build muscle whilst encouraging fat loss.
Here are some tips from a personal trainer to maximize your workouts from start to finish:
Aim for 3-4 strength training sessions per week - moderate weight resistance training with 8-12 reps leads to optimal muscle growth.
Perform high-intensity training - Like Mesomorphs, high-intensity training using bodyweight and or/weight is encouraged. This method of training is a great way to get your muscles firing whilst increasing your metabolism for better overall results.
Cardio is crucial - Maintaining a calorie deficit by way of cardio will help promote a healthy body composition and keep body fat to a minimum.
Do cardio after strength training - Your glycogen stores (easily assessable energy) will likely be depleted post-strength training, leaving plenty of room for fat burning.
Cario workouts should last between 45-60 minutes - at a moderate intensity (around 60-70% of your maximum heart rate). Think power walking, jogging, hiking, and cycling.
Be consistent! - It’s extremely important for Endomorphs to stay as consistent as possible. It’s very hard work, trust me I know, but keeping the weight off is easier than losing it again.
How to eat for an Endomorph
Sadly, carbohydrates should not be the main entree in the endomorph’s diet plan. With that said, you don’t have to ditch them altogether! Carbs should make up about 20-25% of your meals, with 40-45% healthy fats, and 30% protein. Carbs should come from high-fiber fruits and veggies over starchy bread, pasta, or white rice.
How to supplement for an Endomorph
Supplements are probably the most suitable and effective for Endomorphs. Especially when trying to maintain a healthy body composition.
To maximize your body’s fat-burning potential, you may want to consider taking an all-natural fat burner and BCAA supplement before your cardio workouts. Two of our favorites are Hourglass and LeanBean
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A final word
It’s important to note that every body shape will look a little different depending on your age, fitness level, and weight among other things. If none of the professionally sculpted celebrity bodies listed above seem quite like yours, don’t panic, that’s 100% normal! They’re just very visible and recognizable examples of the different body types. In reality, you might fit more than one description. If you’re having trouble narrowing down which type most closely relates to your body, take this online assessment to find your match. Once you know which body type most closely resembles yours, you’ll be far more capable of setting realistic goals and deciding on how to train, eat, and if necessary, supplement for better results your body type.
