What is my body type and can I train for it?

In the 1940s, a University of Houston professor named William Sheldon coined the concept that all humans fall into one of three body types, or somatotypes.

It was bold. It was revolutionary. It was complete nonsense.

The whole notion of a three sizes for everyone The classification system has never been backed by science. In fact, it has been completely abandoned almost since its introduction. But that has done little to stem the flow of misinformation, which Sheldon based largely on personal observations.

In case you have forgotten or have been fortunately spared the knowledge of this classic junk science, a brief review may be in order.

What are the 3 different body types?

Like many of us, there’s a good chance you learned about the three somatotypes in a high school health class. And, on the surface, they probably seemed pretty reasonable.

ectomorph

Ectomorphs are described as long and lean, with thin waists and little body fat or muscle mass. Gaining weight can be difficult, but losing it is relatively easy. Imagine Zoe Saldana or Bruce Lee.

endomorph

According to Sheldon, endomorphs have abundant reserves of body fat and muscle, making it easy to gain weight and consequently more difficult to lose. Here, think Serena Williams or Chris Pratt (around Parks and Recreation).

Mesomorph

Mesomorphs are characterized by being athletic, solid and strong: day walkers between the other two somatotypes. Let’s go with Mark Wahlberg or Alex Morgan.

Are body types real?

Once again, Sheldon’s somatotypes are inaccurate and greatly simplify the human body.

“Few people fit completely into one of the classic body types,” says Trevor Thieme, CSCS. “Most people are a mix of them. For example, you might have the upper body of a “mesomorph” and the lower body of an “ectomorph.” But being able to classify your body type doesn’t really matter, because it won’t necessarily tell you what it means: what your body will be like. respond to training.”

So why is this fitness myth Is it difficult to get rid of it?

“I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that most people want an easy solution when it comes to fitness and fat loss,” says Thieme. “And the idea that if you have body type X then you should focus on type of exercise Y provides it.”

But that way of thinking is backwards, says Thieme. “You need start with your goalbecause that’s going to shape your training program, regardless of your ‘body type.’”

Can you change the shape of your body?

Somatotype does not predict response to training, which means there are many things you can do to change your body composition. And starting with your goal (e.g., getting more muscular) and then working backwards to determine your optimal training plan is actually quite liberating.

It means that if you are a classic ectomorph, you don’t have to favor distance running. iron pumping. And if you’re an endomorph, there’s no reason you shouldn’t train for a marathon if that’s on your bucket list.

The key point here is that you will never know what you are capable of until you try it. But it’s important to know what is and isn’t under your control.

The role of genetics.

To be clear, just because somatotypes don’t predict performance doesn’t mean the training field is level. Regardless of your goal or the route you take to get there, chances are you’ll encounter others who go faster or slower than you, because what’s written in your DNA still matters.

“There are many factors that we can manipulate in our favor depending on the objectives: training frequency, training intensity, what exercises we prioritize, programming. periodization“nutritional factors, but it’s also important to understand that some people chose the right parents,” he says Tony GentilcoreCSCS, owner of CORE, their training studio in Brookline, Massachusetts.

“Some people just look at a dumbbell and grow. Some people have to fight tooth and nail and exercise. a lot to see the fruits of their work,” he adds.

The most important factors when choosing a workout.

And that’s the case regardless of your ultimate goal. “But at the end of the day, what’s going to ‘work’ is whatever you really like doing and consistently stick with,” Gentilcore says.

So tailor your training to your goals, training preferences, time constraints, and strengths and weaknesses, advises Thieme. “Your training plan should be personalized to you as an individual, not based on a body type category that wasn’t even created with exercise in mind.”

The history of somatotypes

Sheldon didn’t even catalog body types for fitness purposes. He was a psychologist who postulated that it was possible to attach personality characteristics to every body type. I was more interested in how our bodies might shape our character than how they actually functioned.

Sheldon hypothesized that ectomorphs are introverted, artistic, and emotionally intense. Endomorphs are happy, relaxed and sociable. Mesomorphs are assertive, adventurous and competitive.

If that sounds like nonsense, nonsense, or any other ’40s word for bull effluvium, it is: Sheldon’s entire motivation for its study has been completely discredited.

“Sheldon’s toxic eugenic views and equating physique with destiny in the years after World War II made him increasingly unpopular,” according to a 2015 article in the Canadian Bulletin of Medical History. “The death knell for his career was delivered by his former assistant, Barbara Honeyman Heath. Publicly denouncing her methods as fraudulent and her somatotyping inaccurate, she developed a successful career modifying somatotyping techniques and participating in projects around the world.”

Why does the body type myth persist?

You’d think that with that kind of emphatic beating from the medical and fitness establishments, Sheldon’s idea of ​​three primary body types would have gone the way of the Segway, Zune, New Coke, and Cheetos Lip Balm (yes, that was a real product).

But the somatotype myth is surprisingly strong, as any quick Google search will demonstrate. Just to give one example among too many, that of London daily mail The newspaper stated: “Scientists say we all fit into three groups (and knowing your form is key to choosing the right workout).”

The theory of three body types gained so much attention so quickly that it soon more or less passed into conventional wisdom, where it has remained ever since. Like the zodiac, the somatotype works because almost everyone can find characteristics of themselves in almost any “personalized” designation.

Sorry if we ruined astrology for you too.