Quite often, we have noticed that even though we are on a strict dietary regimen or are performing intense workouts, it doesn’t seem to have any positive effect on our body. And we end up feeling frustrated even after months of rigorous training. This condition often arises, if one is eating or working out differently than specified for their body type. Also Read: Do You Have An Ectomorph Body? This Is How You Should Eat & Exercise

Yes, you heard that right! All of us have a particular type of body. In fact, there are 3 types of body, chiefly, Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph. And, it is your body type that dictates how well you respond to certain types of food or workout.

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The idea of body types being genetically pre-set isn’t something brand new. Even Plato, an ancient Greek Athenian philosopher mentions about body types in one of his finest works, i.e. “The Republic” which was written around 380 B.C. Later, in the year 1940, William Sheldon, a researcher and psychologist, termed Body type as ‘Somatotype’, where the word ‘somato’ means ‘something related to human or animal body type’. His analysis chiefly categorized people depending upon their body fat, muscle mass, personality trait, and behavioural characteristics.

To attain your fitness goals, let’s start with the basics and have a closer look at the three-body or somatotypes:

Types Of Body

Basically, there are 3 different body types,

Ectomorph Body Type:

People falling under this category have a long and lean built with a delicate frame. They have an extremely active metabolism and find it difficult to gain weight. Most athletic and marathon runners have this type of body.

Endomorph Body Type:

Under this category, we have people with a stocky build and wider body. They mostly store a lot of muscles and fat at their lower parts of the body. They are often witnessed having a lot of strength and endurance. But owing to low metabolism, these people often find it hard to lose weight.

Mesomorph Body Type:

Last but not the least, we have the mesomorphic type of body, where people can be both lean and muscular at the same time. Categorized as naturally muscular with a moderate frame, people falling under this category have medium-sized bone structures.

According to Sheldon’s theory, most people are a blend of two categories, with one being dominant and the other being slightly dormant. Hence people can also come under these categories:

Meso-Endomorphs:

People under this category have strong muscles but they are not properly defined. And often the fat proportion is more than muscles.

Ecto-Mesomorphs:

The body type usually characterizes people having a lean and muscular frame.

Ecto-Endomorphs:

These ones are often termed as “skinny fat” people, who are naturally thin but have gained weight due to poor diet and lack of proper exercise.

If you are one to fall under the Mesomorphic body type, this article is tailored to fit to guide you about the dietary regimen and exercises you should follow to achieve effective results:

The Perfect Mesomorph

Often touted as ‘one of the blessed body types’, mesomorphs have a well-proportioned body, with a narrow waist and wider shoulders, and with a considerable low body-fat level. Of the three body types, mesomorphs are the best for bodybuilding as they are naturally strong and can lose or gain weight easily. Many wrestlers and gymnasts fall under this category.

Men often have a square-shaped head, muscular arms, legs, chest, and shoulders, and have an even weight distribution. Women, on the other hand, tend to have an hourglass figure with a medium body frame. In general, people under this category are mostly strong and solid, being neither overweight nor underweight.

Mesomorphs are the blessed ones since they have no trouble while eating what they want to eat to their heart’s content. Although they may gain weight easily, they are also the ones to shed them off smoothly with a little diet and workout.

Dietary Guidelines

Since mesomorphs have more muscle than fat, their calorie needs are more than others, in order to maintain a proper proportion. Although you cannot change your body type by following a specific diet, you can modify your eating habits to make the most of your body type and maintain a healthy weight and structure.

While all body types require an equal proportion of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, a mesomorphic body type usually responds well to a high protein diet, i.e. a one-third portion of each protein, carb and fat.

Foods Choices To Include:

Proteins:

Intake of small amounts of protein in every meal helps in muscle building and repair. Some incredible protein sources mesomorphs can include in their diet are: Beans, Lentils, High protein dairy, Greek yoghurt, Eggs, Chicken, Fish, Meat, and Protein powder.

Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates are crucial, as the body requires it for glycogen synthesis to produce energy for the various activities. Mesomorphs can mix and match different type of carbs to include fresh fruits, vegetables and grains into the diet. Try incorporating seasonal fruits and veggies with skins and avoid processed varieties since they load you up on salt and sugar. These include oranges, pears, apples, berries, cauliflower, green beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, sweet potato, lentils and asparagus.

You can even have carbs in the form of grains which include brown rice, quinoa and oatmeal. These healthy carbs rich in fibres, antioxidants and phytochemicals not only supports a strong immune system but also helps in repairing muscle damage caused due to over-exercise.

Fats:

Apart from proteins and carbohydrates, fats are equally essential in the diet as they are abundant in anti-inflammatory ingredients and help to keep one feel satiated and full. Mesomorphs can choose healthy fats in the form of nuts and seeds like cashew, pistachio, almonds, sunflowers seeds, pumpkin seeds, avocado, olive oil and coconut oil.

Sample Meal For Mesomorphs

Breakfast:

Whole grain toast with almond butter and one hard-boiled egg.

Mid-morning Snack:

Roasted chickpeas and a seasonal fruit

Lunch:

Salad with mixed chopped veggies, sweet potato chunks, avocado with a choice of dressing.

Evening Snack:

Veggies with a hummus based dip.

Dinner:

Vegetable stir fry over brown rice along with lightly roasted or baked chicken and a few peanuts.

Ideal Workout Routine:

To maintain a mesomorphic type of body, one must follow a consistent exercise session to avoid putting on too much fat and also to attain a lean physique. True mesomorphs or mesomorph dominant types can usually do well by incorporating a mix and match of both cardio and weight training exercises. They have a higher percentage of fast-twitch fibres and generally gains muscle mass more quickly than ectomorphs or endomorphs.

People falling under this category can include 30-45 minutes of cardio training for 3-5 times a week. Their usual cardio workout can comprise cycling, running, swimming, or High-Intensity Interval Training. People having lesser body fat can also limit cardio training 2 times a week. One can also include Pilates, plyometrics or yoga to keep the exercises from getting repetitive and boring. Also Read: HIIT: 5 Incredible Health Benefits Of High Intensity, Killer Workout

Being naturally strong, mesomorphs can lift moderate to heavyweight 4 to 5 days a week. You can incorporate three or four weight-training drills with 8 and 12 repetitions in each set, on your own or with the help of a trainer.

Women can switch weight training routine by incorporating lighter weights with a greater number of repetitions to promote strength and stamina without building muscle mass.

Conclusion

Although it can be considered as one of the best body types, it is highly necessary for mesomorphs to not take their body type for granted. Most mesomorphs feel that it is easy for them to lose weight, and hence they end up gorging on excessive sweets, oily or junk foods. However, it might be true, that you can shed off those extra kilos, but unhealthy dietary choice can often lead to irreversible health conditions like diabetes, thyroid, heart problems etc. So, it is advisable to follow a proper meal plan and incorporate mesomorphic body type exercises to be fit and healthy.