I found a "Health" magazine article from 2001 that addresses the different body types
Tired of getting the results you want? The key is finding the right program for your body type.
JENNIFER CARTON WADE HAD LOATHED HER PEAR SHAPE EVER SINCE HIGH SCHOOL. "I HATED MY BUTT," SHE SAYS. She ran for years, but the miles she put in did little for her shape, and the extra weight she carried on her hips ended up causing pain in her knees. Looking for a less jarring way to work out, she happily accepted a friend's invitation to a spin-bicycling class. She assumed the class was for novices, but it wasn't. "I was tricked," says the 31-year-old occupational therapist from San Francisco. "When I got there, I realized the only 'beginner' thing about the class was me."
To Carton Wade's surprise, she managed to keep pace with the group. Biking, it turns out, tapped her body's natural strength--her legs and rear. "Something clicked inside of me when I started cycling," says Carton Wade. "It was much easier than going for a long run. By accident, I found something that I'm actually pretty good at."
All that pedaling held another reward: Her rear slimmed down, and she gained definition and tone in her thighs. "Everything just feels firmer," says Carton Wade. "I love that my legs look muscular and strong." These days, there's no getting her off a bike. In the two years since she was duped by her friend, she's barely missed a cycling class.
Sounds like the impossible dream: a workout that comes naturally and gives you the aesthetic results you're after? Well, pinch yourself--it's not just wishful thinking, according to the experts, even though few of us ever figure this out. "People beat themselves up over the fact that they're not good at something," says Leigh Crews, a personal trainer and spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise, "or that they work really hard but don't seem to get anywhere. They could be fighting their body type." Some people are just made to be runners, say, while others have a build that favors swimming or weight training. If you haven't found the right workout for your body, you probably know firsthand the frustration exercise can cause. But once you identify your body type, you can tailor your workout to your abilities, Crews says. What's more, you can start working on ways to balance your figure; you may even find, as Carton Wade did, that doing what comes naturally will give you the shape you've always wanted.
Body typing was developed in 1940 by psychologist William H. Sheldon. He had a theory that body shape determines personality. After scouring thousands of photographs, he came up with three basic shapes. The personality link didn't pan out, but the differences he charted turned out to be useful to nutritionists and exercise physiologists.
Sheldon's three body types have unwieldy scientific names, but their characteristics are easy to grasp: ectomorph (thin), endomorph (round), and mesomorph (muscular). Often, a person falls mainly into one of the three categories, but some people are an even mixture of two types.
You can either thank or curse your parents for your shape; for the most part, genetics determine body type. But knowing Mother Nature's no-exchange policy up front has an advantage: "Accepting that you're stuck with your body type helps you set realistic goals," says Alan Mikesky, an exercise physiologist at Indiana University--Purdue University at Indianapolis. "You may not be able to change your genetics, but you can certainly do the best with what your genes have dealt you."
How to know which category you fall into? Figuring it out isn't too tough, though you will have to stand naked in front of a mirror. If your parents passed down ectomorphic traits, chances are you're not harboring too many bitter feelings toward them at this moment. Ectomorphs have lean bodies; they're built like sticks. Picture Gwyneth Paltrow, with her willowy arms and narrow frame. They can even have a hard time gaining weight. (Crocodile tears, everyone.) Look in the mirror and flex your biceps and calves: An ectomorph's muscles, if visible at all, are long and thin.
For these string beans, it's building muscle that's challenging. The thousands of long microscopic fibers that constitute a muscle fall into one of two categories: fast-twitch or slow-twitch. Ectomorphs' muscles tend to have a high ratio of slow-twitch fibers, and these fibers simply don't thicken in the same way fast-twitch ones do, no matter how much work they get. However, the slow variety use energy and oxygen conservatively, and that translates into plenty of stamina. (Marathoners tend to be ectomorphic.)
At the other end of the scale are voluptuous endomorphs. Their bodies hoard fat, favoring the hips and thighs as storage sites. They often look like a pear, though they can have an hourglass shape--think Marilyn Monroe. In the mirror test, endomorphs may not be able to make out their muscles, since body fat can conceal definition. But if your build is pear shaped, or you store weight in your hips, you're endomorphic.
Although endomorphs constantly battle the bulge, their muscles tend to be a more even mix of slow- and fast-twitch muscle than ectomorphs'. That means exercise can give endomorphs the best of both worlds: nice results from strength training and satisfaction from aerobic work, says Dixie Stanforth, an exercise physiologist at the University of Texas. Endomorphs can also use their powerful lower bodies to advantage in skating and cycling.
Lucky mesomorphs are born with the ability to build muscle quickly and bum fat easily. A mesomorph's muscular build makes her a natural athlete. Think of Olympian Marion Jones with her muscular arms, broad shoulders, and narrow waist and hips. Anything that calls for strength and short bursts of energy is going to favor the mesomorph, since her muscles have lots of fast-twitch fibers to provide the quick spark needed for explosive sports like racquetball and tennis.
Because these muscle fibers get thicker in response to any work--be it swinging a racquet or pumping iron--a sharply defined bicep or calf is a giveaway that you're mesomorphic. So is a V-shaped build and a proclivity for tossing around bales of hay.
As you read more about your type (mesomorphs at right, ectomorphs and endomorphs on page 115), you'll learn which activities suit you and which you might not find as satisfying. The prescribed workout falls within the recommended range of 20 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise, three to five days a week. But each combines activities that come naturally with moves that will help balance your shape. If you happen to love something that isn't recommended for your body type, don't panic. It may be that you're a combination of two types or that you've simply overcome some inherent limitations. Combos such as ecto-endo or meso-endo are common. If, from the mirror test, you think you're a mixture of two types, read both sections and follow the advice that addresses your needs.
For more help planning a personalized workout schedule, go to
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endomorphs
WHAT COMES NATURALLY
Pear-shaped women don't carry just fat on their lower body; some of that extra heft is pure muscle, which can power you through activities such as in-line skating, swimming, dancing, and snow skiing. Also, short- to middle-distance fitness walking is good, but go longer and you're risking injury. Endomorphs tend to be more buoyant because of their padding, an advantage while swimming.
WHAT YOU MAY FIND FRUSTRATING
Sports that involve running or jumping.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SHAPE
Your goal is to do long-distance, low-impact exercise to burn off extra fat and slim your hips. Adding a little upper-body strength training can help balance out a bottom-heavy endomorph.
YOUR IDEAL REGIMEN
Skate, swim, walk, or cycle, 30 to 45 minutes, 3 to 5 times a week.
Lift weights, 8 to 12 repetitions, 1 to 2 sets, 2 to 3 times a week.
ectomorphs
WHAT COMES NATURALLY
Your slight build lends itself to distance running, fitness walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking. Most ectomorphs are extremely flexible, so you'll find stretching activities such as yoga and pilates rewarding.
WHAT YOU MAY FIND FRUSTRATING
Most ball sports; anything requiring sudden bursts of speed or strength.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SHAPE
If ectomorphs complain, it's about their lack of curves. Full-body activities such as swimming or rowing can round you out with muscle. Weight training can also provide the definition you may crave, but don't overdo it; use weights you can lift 12 to 15 times. By the way, weight-beating exercise is a must, because most ectomorphs are small boned, which can put you at a higher risk of osteoporosis.
YOUR IDEAL REGIMEN
Walk or jog, 30 to 60 minutes, 2 to 3 times a week.
Cross-train on a rowing machine or swim, 30 to 60 minutes, 2 to 3 times a week.
Lift weights, 10 to 12 reps, 2 sets, 2 to 3 times a week.
mesomorphs
WHAT COMES NATURALLY
Muscular mesomorphs are good at just about everything they try. You'll enjoy tennis, basketball, and soccer; your build is also great for kickboxing or martial arts.
WHAT YOU MAY FIND FRUSTRATING
Because of mesomorphs' preponderance of fast-twitch muscle fibers, endurance activities may prove to be a challenge.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SHAPE
Be careful when weight training; you could easily overdevelop specific muscle groups, making you look out of proportion. And even though you burn fat easily, if you don't watch your diet and exercise, you could pile on the pounds.
Mesomorphs should stretch out regularly, since all that muscle can make you stiff. "Mesomorphs need to balance high-energy activities with something more mellow like yoga, pilates, or tai chi to help with the flexibility," says Crews.
YOUR IDEAL REGIMEN
Choice of aerobic exercise, 30- to 45-minute sessions, 3 to 5 times a week.
Regular stretching, such as yoga.
Lifting weights isn't as crucial for mesomorphs; strength-train as needed to reach your goals.
