Normal human physique. Basic human somatotypes - how to find out your type

05.09.2019

British fashion designer Hardy Amis wrote the following in one of his books: “A man should look as if he bought his clothes wisely, put them on carefully and completely forgot about them.” Sounds good, but what does “buy wisely” mean?

IN men's fashion There are a few well-known rules, such as those that prohibit wearing a striped jacket with a plaid shirt, that you must match your socks to your boots, and that you are not allowed to take off your jacket unless there is a vest underneath. However, the fashion industry is evolving every year: it is worth recognizing that many recommendations are outdated and are only suitable for rare formal occasions.

Only three selection criteria - material, color and proportions - do not lose relevance over time. Today we will take a closer look at proportions, namely, we will tell you how to determine a man's body type and choose clothes in accordance with it.

Main types of male figure

Let’s immediately make a reservation that the division into body types is conditional; in most cases, body proportions can be changed with the help of physical exercises. A simplified classification only allows Right look at yourself from the outside in the current moment and choose what will most advantageously emphasize your advantages and will hide imperfections.

So, there are 4 mainmale body type.

Triangle

This body type is characterized by broad shoulders and a narrow pelvis. The waist is in line with the hips or slightly wider. The latissimus, round and back muscles are noticeably developed, while the figure may not give the impression of being massive.

More often triangle body typeoccurs in men who professionally engage in non-strength sports, for example, track and field athletes or swimmers. But when the right approach this form can be achieved through training in the gym. For example, actor Chris Evans has a typical triangularmale body type. His height is 184 cm, weight is about 80 kg, and for the role of Captain America he gained 10 kg of pure muscle.

What to wear

Almost everything suits slender and fit “triangles”, and especially:

skinny jeans,
long sleeves,
tight t-shirts,
T-shirts under a jacket,
shirts with open collars,
plain two-piece suits.

What not to wear

For men with this body type broad shoulders and Thin legs, so there is a risk of getting an asymmetrical silhouette. Remember: the fewer elements you have in your clothes, the better you will look. Use color to create a cohesive look: if you're wearing a three-piece suit, at least two of them should be the same shade. In this case, the combination “light bottom - dark top” is preferable to “dark top - light bottom”.

Avoid:

Trapezoid

This men's body typevery similar to triangular. The difference lies mainly in the volume of the body: “trapezoids” have a wide body, large hands, powerful muscle mass. As a rule (but not necessarily), men with this structure heavy weight. The difference in the girth of the shoulders and waist is not as noticeable as in the “triangles” - the silhouette of the upper body can be mentally outlined more like a trapezoid.

Actor Jason Momoa, who plays Khal Drogo in the Game of Thrones series, spent many hours in the gym to get his body in this shape. His parameters: height – 193 cm, weight – 106 kg.

What to wear

Find clothes for men with this body typeeasiest. In fact, the main thing is that things correspond to good taste, please you and do not restrict your movements.

So choose:

What not to wear

Despite the fact that men with“trapezoid” body type almost everything fits clothing models, Don't go too far in your experiments. If you try really hard, you can look weird even with Jason Momoa's figure.

Be careful with things like:

Rectangle

Type male figure “rectangle”can be determined by the fact that the shoulders, waist and hips are approximately at the same level. The shoulders may be slightly wider than the hips, but do not give the impression of being massive. Often these men look thin and find it difficult to gain weight.

The serial Sherlock Benedict Cumberbatch has a similar body structure. His height is 183 cm, weight is 78 kg.

What to wear

Choose clothes according to a man's figurethis type is not very difficult. However, if you want to hide your thinness and look more presentable, you will have to try.

What not to wear

Oval

We brought everyone here overweight men. Of course, the type of completeness can be different: there is male figures with a weighted bottom, an “hourglass” with a pronounced waist and the “oval” itself - a rectangular or triangular figure with a protruding belly. We decided to combine all these types men, since recommendations for choosing clothes according to your body type very similar to them.

The star of the film “The Wolf of Wall Street” Jonah Hill repeatedly lost and gained weight and at his most obese he weighed about 102 kg with a height of 170 cm. At the same time, the actor successfully follows stylists' recommendations and looks very stylish.

What to wear

What not to wear

Signs of an ectomorph

Ectomorph is one of three body types identified by the American scientist Sheldon. In addition to the ectomorph, there is a mesomorph and an endomorph. Ectomorphs are people with a tall, thin figure, with naturally poorly developed muscles, a small amount of fat and relatively weak physical strength. Such people have elongated limbs, thin body, thin waist, bones often protrude, shoulders are narrow. They have a fast metabolism, which allows them not to gain weight even with excess nutrition, while during weight gain, which is still observed with an unhealthy lifestyle after of a certain age, the ectomorph gets fat only in the abdominal area, and the limbs remain thin.

Both men and women can be ectomorphs

Ectomorph girls have narrow shoulders, protruding collarbones, elongated feet, long and thin fingers, above average height - in a word, they have the physique of a model, which is why many modern professional models are ectomorphs.

The body of an ectomorph is different in that during physical training it produces little myogenin, which converts food into muscle tissue, so it is difficult for ectomorphs, especially women, to gain muscle mass even with regular strength training. In addition, poorly developed joints and low strength do not allow them to exercise as intensely as an endomorph or mesomorph, but the advantage of ectomorphs is that they have great endurance, so it is easier for them to dance, run a marathon or experience other long but minor loads.

In addition, the muscles on such people look sculpted and beautiful due to the small amount of fat.

Ectomorphs can also be distinguished not only by their physique and external signs, but also by certain behavior. As a rule, such people are energetic, even sometimes hyperactive and restless. They have sharp, jerky and slightly angular movements, a fast gait, and restless sleep.

Making a thin figure more harmonious

Most ectomorphs are concerned with one question - how to gain weight. At the same time, men try to gain muscle mass to look more impressive and athletic, while women do not like to be too angular and want to increase the amount of fat. Female figure ectomorphs do not have pronounced forms, which girls usually take as a disadvantage. Significantly increasing the amount of fat in the body of an ectomorph is very difficult task, in addition, this does not help to correct the figure, but adds a new disadvantage - big belly, which against the backdrop of thin limbs looks worse than flat tummy. To make the figure of an ectomorph girl more harmonious and smooth, you need to slightly increase the amount of fat in the body, gain a little muscle mass, dress correctly and adjust your movements and gait if necessary.

First of all, ectomorph women need to understand that excessive eating of sweets, fatty foods and anything high in calories, even if it leads to weight gain, will also lead to health problems

Therefore, the diet of ectomorphs should be healthy and balanced, taking into account their characteristics. So, thin women You should eat more carbohydrates, but get them not from sweets, but from cereals and fruits. It is important to consume sufficient quantity proteins - eat cottage cheese and other dairy products, meat, legumes so that the body has enough building material.

Also, the diet of ectomorphs should contain increased amount calories

Having gained a little muscle mass, ectomorph girls will become a little larger. But don’t be afraid to look like professional bodybuilders: ectomorphs, especially women, have no problem with this. Muscle growth will make your physique more harmonious. To do this, you need to engage in physical exercise, and it is advisable to focus on strength training rather than cardio. You should also keep your workouts shorter and more intense, and it's important to get plenty of rest between exercise sessions.

To achieve results, it is very important to learn to relax: anxiety and stress make ectomorphs even thinner. It is advisable to start meditating, learn to approach problems more simply, not fuss, sleep longer and always try to get enough sleep.

To visually correct an ectomorph’s figure, it is very important to maintain an even posture and monitor your movements, making them less impetuous and abrupt.

By straightening their shoulders and raising their heads, ectomorphs visually increase in size. Properly selected clothes - not too tight, but not baggy, light shades, with horizontal stripes – is also important for an ectomorph girl. And most importantly, you need to love yourself for who you are, and not try to fight nature. The ectomorph physique is an unattainable dream for many, and such a figure has many advantages that need to be emphasized.

Hello, dear readers of our blog!

Our exciting journey to a healthy lifestyle is rapidly gaining momentum. Today, a confusing path full of unknown adventures led us to the foot of topical issue: What are the different male body types?

The physiological capabilities of our organisms are shrouded in a haze of mystery. Effective strength exercises or regular aerobic exercise, which have an impressive effect on the figure of one person, may be completely useless for another participant in the training process. Unexplained chance or genetic predisposition?

I am not going to enter into a previously lost argument with nature. However, if the situation cannot be changed, then it can always be successfully controlled. For this we need the appropriate knowledge.

Classification of the main types of body structure

Each of us has a unique personality, which is manifested in the characteristics of the body, character, preferences or tastes. Today there are various different types and classification of the male figure.

We will look at three main types:

Normosthenic/Mesomorphic

Representatives of the “stronger” sex with an athletic body structure. Broad shoulders, proportional torso, developed muscle structure, massive bone skeleton, thin layer of fat, fast metabolic process - the main genetic characteristics of mesomorph men.

Asthenic/Ectomorphic

You can recognize an “ectomorph” by their thin build, narrow shoulders, flat chest and thin hands with pronounced tendons. Men belonging to the asthenic group are distinguished by poorly developed muscles and a low percentage of subcutaneous fat.

Hypersthenic/Endomorphic

Some representatives of the “strong” half of humanity are prone to obesity, and therefore belong to the endomorphic group. Slow functioning of the digestive tract and an increased percentage of fat deposits are familiar to “hypersthenics” firsthand. Stocky and broad-shouldered men with this body structure often have a wide waist and large hips.

Three body types identified by competent scientists summarize as much as possible physiological characteristics human body. It should be noted that your figure may be a combination of several types. Are you on time? Then I propose to choose the optimal training program and daily diet for each group.

I am sure that among our readers there are representatives of all types of body structure, so current advice will definitely find its owner.

Training process

Men belonging to the normosthenic group have an athletic body type. A muscular, fit figure is inherent at the genetic level. To achieve the desired result, “mesomorphs” do not need to make additional efforts - it is enough to limit themselves to the classic training program:

Aerobic exercise.
Strength training.
Comprehensive training to develop the relief.

All that is required of a representative of the “stronger” sex is to maintain unique natural characteristics. Exercises with maximum physical load on the body with a small number of repetitions and approaches will be effective.

It should be remembered: “A genetic gift is a responsibility, not a reason for pride and narcissism.”

Proper nutrition

An ideal body is not a reason to neglect your daily diet. Despite the unique genetic characteristics of “normosthenics”, sooner or later they will become the main cause of obesity. Observe strict diet It’s not worth it, you just need to make sure that the food you eat is healthy and natural.

A variety of nutritional supplements will help maintain existing muscle mass, so taking them may be advisable. Pronounced relief line
Muscle structure can be achieved by including omega-3 in the diet fatty acids and calcium.

Training process

Thin “ectomorphs” have had a cherished dream since childhood - an athletic physique with developed muscles. However, the bar set by the genetic code is quite difficult to overcome and many men stop halfway, without achieving their goal.

The body is initially not inclined to increase muscle mass, as well as to excess fat deposits. To change the current situation, you should adhere to a developed training program suitable for “asthenics”.

It is necessary to start the lesson with “stretching” - a thorough warm-up intended for all muscle groups and strengthening the structure of the ligaments. For the gradual development of the body, a basic set of strength exercises is suitable:

Deadlift.
Standing press.
Squat with a barbell.
Push-ups in a lying position.

A consistent process of the training program will ensure the production of the required amount of testosterone in the blood, which accelerates the growth of muscle mass. Joggers will have to say goodbye to their hobby - cardio exercise is contraindicated.

Losing weight through running is a big and confident step back. Classes should be short, but exhausting and of high quality. “Asthenic” should leave the training place with clogged muscles and pleasant feeling fatigue.

Anatomical trick: “Pay special attention to exercises on the leg muscles. Such exercises will help increase your overall body size.”

Proper nutrition

If you belong to the group of ectomorphs, then be sure to stop now and go to the refrigerator. Did you get something tasty? Great. Men with a genetically thin body type who want to gain weight should eat a lot and often.

The eating procedure should be repeated every 3-4 hours. In your case, protein is not a whim or a luxury, but a natural supplement that brings the desired result closer. A large number of protein and complex carbohydrates - this is the daily diet of an asthenic.

Recommendations for a representative of an endomorphic body structure

Training process

Regular struggle with excess weight and dreams of a muscular figure are the usual way of life of an endomorph man. Ideal proportions the bodies that the representative of the “stronger” sex has repeatedly tried to achieve remain an impregnable, cherished “fortress.”

A properly selected training program based on the cyclic method will help you get rid of extra pounds of subcutaneous fat:

Thorough warm-up.
Accented cardio exercises (exercise bike, running, jump rope, team sports).
Strength exercises.

The fundamental factor is the stability of the classes. Start the process of transforming your body only if you are completely confident in own strength and willingness to adhere to a strict regime.

Advice: “Alternate between aerobic training, which helps you significantly cut calories, and strength training, which strengthens your muscles. perfect combination, bringing the cherished goal closer."

Proper nutrition

Regular fasting will not help remove overweight. The usual diet will certainly be accompanied by the appearance of additional calories - the lost weight always returns with unpleasant “surpluses”. During the day you should consume no more than one hundred grams of carbohydrates. 40–45 minutes before the start of intense exercise and 40 minutes after its completion, a “carbohydrate window” is formed - the optimal time for eating.

The taste preferences of the “endomorph” should be based on food products that contain: magnesium, calcium and protein. Loss of excess weight can only occur in the process of a calorie deficit in the body. Ideal image life of a representative of the hypersthenic group – more calories are spent than consumed.

Knowing the structural features of your body, you can control changes in your own figure. Proper nutrition And optimal program training is the key to the desired
about success. It is necessary to understand that outstanding results require time and effort.

Only men who are confident in their physiological capabilities, belonging to any body type, can achieve the coveted relief and lose excess weight. For both women and men, the fundamental factors on the path to improving their own body are desire, aspiration, incredible physical and volitional efforts.

Another relevant and useful information necessary for maintaining healthy image life. I hope that after reading this article, each of you will make rational conclusions and change your regimen in accordance with the genetic characteristics of the body. Every day - new chance become better at something.

Together we will definitely use it! See you soon on the web pages of our blog during new, educational adventures.

And finally, a video survey from Egor Penchukov. “What kind of male figures do women like?”

Men who take care of their own appearance, want to build muscle, lose weight, or do both at the same time, may encounter certain difficulties. The fact is that nutrition, as well as the training regimen, must be selected in accordance with the characteristics of a particular person. Men's body type plays important role in the outcome of training and achieving the desired result.

What are the body types of men?

1. Hyposthenic (ectomorph or fine-boned type physique)

This body type of men is characterized by thinness, narrow ankles and wrists; There is little muscle on the body of such men, both muscle and fat. Features of the ectomorph figure:

high growth;
thin and long bones;
long muscle bellies;
rib cage extended;
elongated heart and lungs.

In a man with a hyposthenic body type, metabolic processes proceed quite quickly.

Features of nutrition and training for men with a hyposthenic body type

The breakdown of carbohydrates in the ectomorm's body is carried out quickly, and the process of protein absorption is difficult. Therefore, a protein-carbohydrate diet is recommended for ectomorphs.

An ectomorph's training cycle should focus on working a specific muscle group. This is due to the small energy reserve characteristic of a man’s hyposthenic body type. It is also worth noting that gaining muscle mass is especially difficult for ectomorphs.

2. Normosthenic (mesomorph or normal type physique)

This body type of men is the most “advantageous”, since the muscle mass of such men is quite well developed, and the amount of adipose tissue is small. Features of the physique of a mesomorph:

average height;
fairly wide and long muscles;
convex chest;
broad shoulders;
proportional length of arms and legs.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is one of the representatives of the normosthenic body type of men, demonstrated by his example that the effect of training is achieved quite successfully.

Nutrition for mesomorphs can be more varied than for men with other body types due to balanced metabolic activity and energy reserves in the body.
As for training, two workouts per day will be effective for mesomorphs, one of which will be shorter.

3. Hypersthenic (endomorph or big-boned male body type)

The characteristic body features of an endomorph are the following:

short stature;
fat deposits on the abdomen;
the presence of fat deposits between the shoulder blades;
the bones are wide and short;
the muscles are also short;
rounded chest;
short neck.

The amount of adipose tissue in endomorphs is correspondingly greater than in men with other body types.
The main problem of endomorphs is the tendency to gain weight and difficulty losing it. For this type of physique, it is difficult to build muscles and form their relief.

Taking into account the metabolic characteristics of the hypersthenic body type, endomorphs are recommended to eat a protein diet, in which the content of fats and carbohydrates should be minimal. Removing toxins from gastrointestinal tract Plant polysaccharides and slow carbohydrates will contribute.

As for the specifics of training, for men with a hypersthenic body type, the most effective will be weights in evening time and its minimization during morning workouts. Also, endomorphs can easily work with different muscle groups throughout the training cycle.

How to determine a man's body type?

The most commonly used method that allows you to determine a man’s body type is to measure the circumference of the wrist of his working hand:

Hyposthenic body type – less than 18 cm.
Normosthenic body type – 18 – 20 cm.
Hypersthenic body type – more than 20 cm.

remember, that correct definition A man's body type is the key to the success and effectiveness of training, which must be planned along with a diet that will help a man with a certain body type achieve desired results– get rid of excess fat and/or build muscle mass.

People with different types body during the training process has to be addressed different tasks, Although long term goals they may have the same.

People with different body types need to solve different problems

Body type is one of the variants of the normal human constitution. In this sense, the constitution (phenotypic) characterizes the human body through the structure and indicators of muscle and bone tissue of a particular organism - a set of stable biological, design and functional features. These indicators are entirely due to hereditary predispositions (although it should be noted that a slight correction of body type in early age still possible)

Since body type characterizes only one of the variants of the constitutional norm, the number of body types depends on the method of determining the norm. Academician Petlenko V.P. defines five body types:

athletic;
graceful (graceful);
asthenic;
hypersthenic;
normosthenic.

Professor Chernorutsky V.M. identifies three main body types, partly coinciding with the classification of Academician V.P. Petlenko:

asthenic (or hyposthenic) - also includes the graceful body type according to V.P. Petlenko.
normosthenic (including athletic type according to V.P. Petlenko)
hypersthenic

Brief description of the main body types:

Hyposthenic type of constitution(physique) is characterized relatively low position diaphragm, extended from top to bottom by the chest (and relatively reduced circumference), elongated neck, narrow shoulders, long and thin limbs, usually significantly above average height. Muscle mass is poorly developed. The amount of adipose tissue is usually below average - including in women. Features of the internal structure - due to the elongated chest - the heart is usually small, the shape of the heart is elongated, drop-shaped, the lungs are also elongated, the absorption capacity of the gastrointestinal tract is reduced.

Normosthenic body type characterized by good (much better than in the hyposthenic body type) development of muscle mass, and as a result, strong and developed bony skeleton. The amount of adipose tissue is approximately average. Features of the internal structure - the chest is convex, the shoulders are wide, the length of the limbs is proportional. All characteristics correspond to average.

Hypersthenic body type characterized by a high diaphragm, a relatively large heart, usually below average height relative to weight, a ribcage round shape- flattened from top to bottom, usually with a short neck. The peculiarities of the internal structure are due to the rounded chest. The amount of adipose tissue is usually higher than average. Blood is characterized by high cholesterol content. The absorption capacity of the gastrointestinal tract is high.

Dependence of weight loss on body type

The dependence of the tendency to accumulate adipose tissue on body type is most pronounced in hypersthenic type . A slight excess of calories coming from food (especially in the form of easily digestible carbohydrates) is enough for body weight to begin to increase - this type, like no other, needs not diets for weight loss (in the literal sense of the word), but nutritional systems (such as the Sybarit diet ).

Hyposthenic type physique is not predisposed to the accumulation of subcutaneous adipose tissue - and if obesity does occur, it is often due to extremely low motor activity(both professional and social). The use of diets (fast diets) will be effective.

Normosthenic type body type in terms of weight loss occupies an intermediate position - it is necessary to combine diets (or nutrition systems) and increase physical activity.

Specific diseases for different body types

Regarding the main body types, it is of particular importance and dependence characteristic diseases(including chronic ones) depending on body type. Knowledge of these predispositions to diseases makes it possible, if not to completely prevent them, then at least to significantly reduce the threat of the disease by taking preventive measures (or to prevent transition to the chronic phase).

Hyposthenic type physique has a predisposition to respiratory diseases, gastritis and stomach ulcers ( duodenum) with low acidity. Increased risk of arterial hypotension. People with this body type are more likely to experience vegetative-vascular dystonia than others.

Normosthenic type body type has a predisposition to diseases such as rheumatism, gastritis and gastric (duodenal) ulcers with high acidity. More often than others, representatives of this body type are diagnosed with hypertension.

Hypersthenic type body type has a predisposition to diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, liver diseases, metabolic disorders (including obesity). Usually arterial pressure above normal. On the other hand, representatives of this type are much better at resisting colds and respiratory diseases.

You can determine your body type by measuring your wrist circumference. If, with a height of 160 to 175 cm, the wrist circumference is 16-18 cm, then the type is normo-boned, if less than 16 cm, then thin-boned, if more than 18.5 cm, then broad-boned.

How to determine what type your body is?

Determining your type means doing half the battle on the way to an exemplary figure. Think for yourself, can different “types” train the same way? Of course not! Why do thin people need to do aerobics? It will “dry” them even more! No, they need to pump up their muscles! What about full endomorphs? They even need to sleep cuddled with an aerobics manual! Their the main task- lose excess fat. And the athletic type is generally something especially rare.

People with various types body types respond differently to the same training system. What works for one may not work for another. In short, each type needs its own, highly individual program. Only it will give quick and effective results.

If you take up training according to some “folk” sports manual, then you will have to perform at least 5-6 physical exercises that you personally do not need. Of course, there will be nothing wrong with this - all exercises are useful in one way or another, but how much time will you waste before it dawns on you that you need your own exercises! However, you can answer this question accurately: about a year and a half. In any case, this is how much bodybuilders usually spend on empty training on general schemes until they finally find in the sea of exercises, complexes and techniques that suits their individual genetics.

By the way, wasting time is not the worst thing. The worst thing is that ineffective training destroys faith in the sport and deprives you of enthusiasm.

There are three different types of build, which are called somatotypes: ectomorphic, mesomorphic and endomorphic.

Ectomorph hasshort body long arms and legs, long and narrow feet and hands, and a very small amount of fat. It is narrow in the chest and shoulders, and its muscles are usually long and thin. Ectomorphs have a very fast metabolism, so there are usually no problems with fat deposits. However, it is also more difficult for them to build muscle.

Mesomorph - wide chest, long torso, strong muscle structure and great strength. He is an athlete from birth.

Endomorph - soft muscles, round face, short neck, wide hips and a large supply of fat. A typical endomorph is an overweight person who has a relatively high percentage of fat compared to muscles. Such people gain weight quickly and easily. As a rule, fat is deposited on their thighs and buttocks.

Of course, it is rare to meet a person with a clearly defined model physique of any one type. Most people have a combination of signs of all three types. According to the existing classification, a total of eighty-eight subtypes are distinguished, resulting from the predominance of certain indicators of each main type. The degree of predominance is assessed in arbitrary units from 1 to 7. For example, if the characteristics of your physique are assessed as ectomorphic, mesomorphic and endomorphic, then you are an endomesomorph, that is, you mainly have sports type with well-developed muscles, but at the same time prone to excess fat deposits.

Body type

When we're talking about about fine adjustments physical forms using the program physical activity, the three categories described above are becoming too few. We had to expand the classification to 6 types: A-shaped, H-shaped, I-shaped. O-shaped, T-shaped and X-shaped.

Your body type:

A-shaped

The shoulders are narrow, the pelvis is slightly wider; impression of a “heavy” lower body - full legs and buttocks; tendency to store fat below the waist (the upper body may even appear thin); low metabolic rate (if you don’t specifically follow your diet, weight gains quickly).

H-shaped

Wide or medium boned; small breasts; full legs; visual impression of approximately the same width of shoulders, waist and pelvis; tendency to form fat deposits in the abdomen and thighs; moderate metabolic rate.

I-shape

Thin bones; gauntness; weak muscles; almost no fat deposits; high metabolic rate (no matter how much you eat, you don’t get fat).

0-shaped

Wide bones; wide pelvis and shoulders; full hips, chest, arms; obvious excess fat deposits throughout the body; low metabolism (weight comes on even if you eat relatively little).

T-shaped

The shoulders are wide, wider than the pelvis; fat is deposited mainly on the torso (back, chest, sides); average metabolic rate (you only gain weight if you start eating too much).

X-shaped

The bones are medium; The width of the shoulders is approximately equal to the width of the hips; slim waist; full breasts; fat deposits form on the buttocks and thighs; average metabolic rate (you only gain weight if you start eating too much).

Take a closer look in the mirror, and then compare what you see with the descriptions above. Well, then get to training.

How often should you look in the mirror? The first is before the start of the training and the second is after the completion of the training program. Why so few? Looking at yourself in the middle of the process is as pointless as evaluating a sculpture that is only half done. The results of the training do not arrive at rocket speed, so if you start to take a meticulous look at yourself after a couple of sessions, you risk getting upset: it will seem to you that nothing has happened to your figure.

But in fact, this is not so. The changes are not visible to the eye, but they have begun - at the level of the body. The heart increased its efficiency, small capillaries in the muscles opened, otherwise the stomach, kidneys, liver began to work... Time will pass and the amount of physiological changes will translate into the quality of your figure. The main thing is to have patience! If, on the contrary, you impatiently rush to the mirror after every workout, you will get nothing but irritation.
By using proper training and nutrition, you can develop muscles for any body type, but people with different body types will face different challenges during the training process, although their long-term goals may be the same.

Workout for ectomorphs

For the typical ectomorph, the main goal is to gain weight, preferably in the form of quality muscle mass. Even if he has the strength and stamina to run a marathon, the ectomorph finds that his muscles develop very slowly and he often has to force himself to eat more than usual to ensure weight gain. Therefore, it is recommended for them:

1. Include lots of intense strength training into a program for maximum muscle building. Your program should rely primarily on heavy weight work and not big amount repetitions (6-8 repetitions after a good warm-up),

2. Learn to train intensely so that every series counts. This way you can keep your workouts relatively short without sacrificing quality (14 to 16 sets per major body part instead of 16 to 20 sets). Get plenty of rest between sets and give your body plenty of time to recover between workouts.

3. Give close attention your diet. Consume more calories than you are used to; If necessary, drink protein shakes to replenish your body's energy resources.

4. Remember that you are trying to convert food energy into body weight. Therefore, do not burn a lot of energy by overindulging in activities such as aerobics, running, swimming and other active sports. Cardiovascular training is desirable and necessary for health, but someone who spends several hours a day doing aerobic exercise outside of the gym will have a much harder time building muscle in their workouts.

Training for mesomorphs

A mesomorph can build muscle mass relatively easily, but he definitely needs to create a sufficiently varied exercise program so that his muscles develop proportionally and have beautiful shape, and were not simply dense and massive. Here is what is recommended for mesomorphs:

1. Focus on high-quality, detailed training with isolation of individual muscle groups along with core exercises to increase mass and muscle strength. You can easily increase muscle size, so you can work on shape and definition from the very beginning.

2. Mesomorphs gain weight so quickly that they don't have to worry about conserving energy or overtraining. A standard workout (16 to 20 sets per body part) is fine; you can adjust the rest periods between sets as you wish.

3. A balanced diet with plenty of protein, allowing you to maintain a caloric level that keeps your weight within 10-15 pounds of your tournament weight all year long. You don't want to gain 30-40 pounds and then struggle to lose that weight before a competition.

Workout for endomorphs

Usually, it is not difficult for an endomorph to build muscle. First of all, he should focus on getting rid of fat deposits, and then follow a special diet. Therefore, I recommend the following to endomorphs:

1. Increased volume of high speed training with higher reps(at least 10-12 before failure), with very short rest periods to burn as much fat as possible. Whenever possible, perform several additional series: this will help you lose weight even faster.

2. Additional aerobic exercises, for example, cycling, jogging and other high-impact activities. Working out at the gym also burns calories, but not as intensely as doing 35 to 40 minutes of cardiovascular training every day.

3. Low-calorie diet with the right balance nutrients. You don't need to eliminate anything, but eat minimal amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat. Vitamin and mineral supplements are necessary to compensate for possible deficiencies of important micronutrients.

Body Composition Testing

Although nature has given you a specific body type, by building muscle mass and losing fat tissue, you are actually changing the composition of your body. It can often be difficult to keep track of this: training occurs almost daily, so your body composition can change noticeably without your knowledge. It's always a good idea to look at yourself in the mirror and use a measuring tape, but sometimes it's not enough.

In addition to simple methods There are different types of body composition testing. This testing gives you an idea of the percentage of muscle mass and body fat. It helps you track your progress over time. The most common types of body composition testing are listed below:

Skin fold testing. Calipers are used to capture skin folds in various parts of the body and measure the thickness of the subcutaneous fat layer. In the future, this value is used in calculating body composition.
Water immersion testing. The person is weighed on a scale and in water, and then certain measurements are taken, such as calculating residual lung capacity. The numbers are plugged into a formula to determine the ratio between fat and lean body mass, which consists of muscles, bones and internal organs.
Electrical resistance test. A shock is passed through the body electric current under low voltage. Since fat, muscle tissue and water create different resistance, the result is used in calculations to determine body composition.

However, although body composition measurements are useful for checking the results of a diet or changes occurring in your body, you should be aware that the dynamics of changes from one test to the next have more important than the results of a separate test. The fact is that all the obtained values are passed through formulas built on certain premises about the structure of the human body, which are not necessarily accurate when it comes to professional bodybuilders. Therefore, if after the first test you get a result of 12% body fat, and after two weeks it is 9%, then you can be quite sure that you are moving in the right direction.

In this case, you need to make sure that the testing conditions in both cases were the same, so the result has a high degree of reliability. We often hear ridiculous claims about body fat testing; for example, some athletes claim to have as little as 3% body fat. Any doctor will tell you that 3% is a fat level more likely to be found in a corpse than in a strong, healthy athlete. Tests that are carried out during IFAC competitions using various methods , convincingly show that the highest percentage of fat is characteristic of participants with the most massive physique. Therefore, the most massive bodybuilder can have 12% body fat and be in excellent condition. sports uniform

, and a beginner with an ectomorphic body type can look decent with 7-9% body fat. Why is this happening?