Genetics and fitness – How to train for your body type
By Martin Ebner
Genetics and body types aren't talked about nearly as frequently as they should be in mainstream fitness when it comes to marketing workout plans and setting attainable fitness goals.
We look to the likes of Instagram and social media for inspiration, only to choose the body of a celebrity or influencer in which we aspire to look like. We then follow their workout plan and diet to a tee, only to be left completely dumbfounded when we don't end up looking at all like our pin-ups. If you're guilty of falling prey to this, don't beat yourself up. With the amount of money and effort that goes into marketing these celebrity bodies, even the smartest people can be tricked into believing that their dream body is only an 8-week cookie-cutter plan away.
Now, I'm a personal trainer, not a geneticist so I won't even attempt to go into the complexities of gene organisms. I will however say this. Your genes are unique to you. Half of your genes are from your mother, the other half is from your father. Both of whom inherited their genes from their parents, and so on, all the way back to your earliest ancestors. While there are some external factors that can affect gene development, it’s in your best interest to accept yours and learn to work with them, not against them. Unfortunately, just because you train and eat like Kayla Itsines or Arnold Schwarzenegger (in his hay-day), doesn't mean your body will ever look like theirs. The reasons why aren't down to a lack of effort and determination on your part, but as a result of your genes and body type.
Related article: Expectations vs reality - the hard truth about your fitness goals
Body types
There are 3 main body types that people can generally associate themselves with. Ectomorph, Endomorph and Mesomorph.
Learning and then accepting which body type you are will help you better plan your training and diet to maximise your potential and results. Just because you don't have the same body type as your idol, doesn't mean you can't have a killer body. It just means you might have to adapt your expectations and goals to match that to the realities and strengths of your body type.
Keep in mind they're not set in stone and it's quite possible that you have traits from more than one body type.
1. Ectomorph - Kayla Itsines and Toby Maguire
Long and lean with a body similar to that of a marathon runner.
Delicate frame - they tend to have longer limbs, smaller joints and thinner bones.
A fast metabolism.
Struggle to build muscle and gain fat.
Fitness goals
Due to the delicate frame of typical Ectomorphs, building muscle and sculpting a toned physique can be a bit of a challenge. However, with the right training and nutrition program, you can build lean muscle and add some curvature to your physique.
Cardio
Ectomorphs tend to excel in endurance exercise, so it’s unsurprising that many favour cardio over strength training. While this is absolutely fine if you're looking to shine in cardiovascular based activities if your goal is to stimulate muscle growth and tone it's important not to overdo it on the treadmill. Three 30-minute cardio sessions a week is adequate to maintain good overall cardiovascular health.
Weight Training
To build muscle, increase strength and tone, a weight training routine structured around compound lifts is ideal for ectomorphs. Think Squats, Hip thrusts, Lunges, dead-lifts, Bench-press, pull-ups, dips, and should-presses. The more muscles you can recruit during any given exercise, the bigger the benefit. Focus on using slightly heavier weights and performing 3 – 5 sets in the 8 to 12 rep range for each body part.
Related article: 10 Reasons why women should lift weights
Diet
Ectomorphs have fast metabolisms which is great for staying lean but problematic for gaining muscle. If your goal is the latter, try to eat every 2-3 hours and prioritise calorie-dense foods like nuts, seeds, avocados and full-fat dairy. Keep your carbohydrate intake high, between 50 – 60% of your daily calories. Divide the remaining 40% evenly between fat and protein.
2. Endomorph - Sophia Vergara and Vin diesel
More curvaceous (woman) and stocky (men).
Can build muscle but also gain fat easily.
Slow metabolism and find it hard to stay lean. Especially in certain problematic areas such as around the midriff, hips, thighs and bottom.
Typically much stronger than the other body types.
Fitness Goals
While endomorphs have the greatest potential for brute strength, the main issue they face is the ongoing struggle to stay lean and lose fat with diet alone. Therefor a well-rounded workout plan is a must. Failure to stay consistent is likely to result in quick weight gain therefor long-term consistency should be priority numero uno!
Cardio
Cardio is key in creating a calorie deficit and one of the main components in the ongoing battle against weight gain for Endomorphs. A mix of 2-3 30-60 minute moderate cardio sessions with 2-3 30-minute high-intensity interval training sessions a week is recommended. I know it sounds like a lot but it's important to do something physical every day to keep your metabolism revved up.
Weight Training
Building muscle whilst minimising fat gain should be the focus of weight training workouts. By developing more lean muscle tissue, you increase your resting metabolic rate which will spur your body to burn more fat for fuel.
Keep your weight training workouts varied and intense with little rest between exercises and sets.
Diet
As endomorphs tend to be very sensitive to carbohydrates and insulin, it's important to resist excessive consumption of carbohydrates. Instead, opt for a diet high in protein and fat and aim to get the majority of your carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables. A ratio similar to that of the Paleo diet (30% carbs, 35% protein and 35% fat) has proven to be best suited to the needs of endomorphs.
3. Mesomorph - Jessica Biel and Zac Efron
They tend to fall somewhere between Endomorphs and Ectomorphs.
Can be lean and muscular simultaneously.
Natural athletic build with hard well-defined muscles.
Tend to gain muscle and fat fairly easily.
Fitness goals
With the ability to gain muscle quickly, mesomorphs generally have a slight genetic advantage over the other two body types. However, like Endomorphs, they can be prone to fat gain if not diligent. Mesomorphs tend to respond best to a well-rounded fitness program that includes a combination of weight training and cardio with a focus on a high protein diet.
Cardio Training
Some mesomorphs carry around more fat than others, therefor how much cardio you do will be dependant on your body composition and specific goals. If your goal is to remain lean, at the very least aim to incorporate 2-3 20-30 minute cardio or HIIT workouts a week into your workout plan. You can also add a moderate-intensity cardio session or quick HIIT finisher to the end of your weight training workouts.
Weight Training
Mesomorphs tend to respond well to lifting moderate to heavy weights with short rest times (45 – 90 seconds) between sets, rounds and exercises. Keep your workouts varied using a variety of compound and isolation exercises with a mix of rep ranges. It's also a great idea to keep your body and metabolism fired up with supersets, Tri-sets and circuit training.
Diet
The calorie needs of mesomorphs tend to be slightly higher than that of endomorphs. This is due to their higher ratio of muscle to fat. Mesomorphs generally respond better to a diet high in protein. As a mesomorph myself, I can certainly attend to this. A macronutrient split of 40% protein, 40% fat and 20% carbohydrates from fruit, vegetables and whole-grain sources has proven is often well suited to the needs of mesomorphs.
Summary
Were you able to identify with one of the body types above?
While I’ve outlined some rough guidelines for training and diet for the different body types above, how you train and eat will be very much dependant on your specific health and fitness goals. Everyone is slightly different and it’s worth trying out a few different routines to find the most effective one for you.
Try, as difficult as it may be, to be honest with yourself about your body type. If you must choose a pin-up, choose one that resembles a physique similar to your own. That way you can set realistic expectations and will be better prepared to train and eat in a manner most suited to you and your body.
If you have any questions or thoughts at all on the matter, I would love to hear your comments below.
