Ectomorph, Mesomorph or Mighty Morphin’ Power Ranger?

Ok, so Power Rangers have absolutely nothing to do with this post.  I just like to bring it back to my childhood every once in a while.

I seriously can’t believe I liked them so much.  I wanted to be the yellow one.

So if Power Rangers aren’t the topic of today’s post, what is? Body types.  I’m talking about them and had fun doing my research.

All my life I have been that skinny girl.  You know the one that I’m talking about.  The one that can eat whatever she wants and doesn’t gain weight, the one that looks awkward with her gangly limbs, the one people whisper about having an eating disorder because ‘she unnaturally skinny’. Yep, that’s me.  Hi, nice to meet you.

{This is where I would normally insert an embarrassing old photo. Unfortunately (fortunately?) I don’t have access to any right now.}

But in full disclosure, I don’t want to be that girl.  That skinny girl.  The fact that I can eat anything (even though I’m very particular about what I eat) and not gain much weight annoys the snot out of me and is really the bane of my existence.  While most people workout to burn calories, I’m in a desperate fight to hold onto all the calories I intake.  I crave muscle tone and body mass but can’t seem to build it.  I could seriously workout in the gym for hours on end and only get leaner.

On the other hand, I have plenty of friends who struggle with their weight.  They have to watch what they eat like a hawk.  BUT put them in a gym and they get buff just looking at the dang weights.  (Yes, that was a twinge of jealously you heard.)

So what gives?  Body types.  That’s what gives.  There are three main ones:

• Ectomorphs
• Mesomorphs
• Endomorphs

Ectomorphs (ahem, me) are characterized by the following traits: delicate built body, flat chest, fragile, lean, lightly muscled, small/rounded shoulders, takes longer to gain muscle, thin.

Jim Parsons AKA the fabulously funny Dr. Sheldon Cooper.

Mesomorphs are characterized by: athletic, hard body, hourglass shaped (female), rectangular shaped (male), mature muscle mass, muscular body, excellent posture, gains muscle easily, gains fat more easily than ectomorphs, thick skin.

Ah, young Marky Mark.

Endomorphs are characterized by soft body, underdeveloped muscles, round or pear shaped physique, weight loss is difficult, gains muscle easily like the mesomorph, has trouble keeping lost weight off.

The stunningly beautiful Marilyn.

And just to complicate things a bit more, I should note that you can also be a combination.  To read more about body type characteristics, this is a great article.

So what’s the point of all this body talk?  Because it’s important to know what you are when setting goals for yourself.  A few months ago I had an ‘ah-ha’ moment that I can workout as much as I want, inundate myself with calories and protein, yet still fall short of the muscular body type I so desperately desire.  It’s the same thing with people who are struggling to lose weight.  If you have curves, wonderful, natural curves, you will never get rid of them – it’s kind of hard to change your bone structure.

It doesn’t matter if you’re overly thin or overweight, if you have an unrealistic expectations you most likely will not succeed.  You’ll get frustrated, overwhelmed and end up saying to heck with that goal.

But don’t get discouraged, that’s not the point of this body type talk.   In fact, discouragement is the exact opposite of my intent.  Instead, my point is to empower you to succeed with your goals.  Knowledge is power and understanding your body is key in setting attainable goals.  Not sure where to start or how to set realistic goals?  Consult with a professional; internet research will only take you so far (not to mention it’s wildly unreliable).

Wow, this post went full circle from body types to goal setting.  It wasn’t quite the body type post I had in mind but sometimes the tangent that I go on is much better than what I was going to write.  Hopefully that’s the case with this one and you learned something new and helpful.  The best version of you is possible.  Hard work, dedication, perseverance.  Don’t let anybody stop you in achieving what you want.

Before I forget, don’t forget to enter my Gymboss giveaway!

Question:  Have you ever taken into account your body type when setting goals?