Understanding Your Body Type

Have you ever wondered why some women can follow the same diet and workout routine as you but see completely different results?  

Genetics, hormones, and health conditions play a significant role. However, there’s another crucial factor that often gets overlooked: your body type.

At GYF, we strongly believe women shouldn’t train like men. Instead, their fitness and nutrition plans should be tailored to their unique body types and personal fitness goals. 

Before you'll start your healthy fat loss journey, it is important that you know what body type you have. Your body type largely determines how you respond to training and nutrition schedules, so you have to adjust them accordingly to get the best results. Because it would be a waste of all your hard work if you can barely see anything of it when you look in the mirror, right?

So first take a close look at your own body type and pay attention to three aspects: shape, size and composition. Of course, every body is different, but based on the relationship between these aspects, there are three 'common' body types: ectomort, mesomorph and endomorph. It may sound a bit sci-fi (I didn't come up with those names either, Dr. William H. Sheldon did that around 1940), but fortunately the explanation is very clear and recognizable.

I will explain all three of them in more detail:

Ectomorph body type: 

Characteristics

- Naturally thin and often quite tall.

- Naturally having a lower body fat percentage without needing to exercise or diet.

- Fast metabolism.  

- Difficulty building muscle and gaining weight.  

- Narrow shoulders and hips.  

Training

Frequency Resistance Training: 3–4 days per week.

Sets & Reps: Focus on 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps to build strength and lean muscle mass. 

Intensity & Volume: Moderate weights with moderate volume to avoid overtraining. 

Recuperation & Rest: Longer rest periods (2–3 minutes) to recover between sets. 

Cardio: Limit cardio to 2–3 sessions per week, focusing on low and moderate intensity options like walking, running, or yoga.  

Diet

This body type can get away with eating junk food without becoming overweight. But you could still have a high percentage of body fat. Focus on nutrient-dense meals with protein and relatively more complex carbs (sweet potatoes, quinoa, oats). Stick to whole grains, fresh fruit and veggies and lean protein (lean meats, fish, eggs). Frequent meals and snacks to support muscle growth and maintain energy levels. Healthy fats from sources like avocado, nuts, and olive oil.  

This is a good macronutrient split for ectomorphs:

- 40-50% carbohydrates

- 30-35% protein

- 20-25% fat

Mesomorph: The Naturally Athletic

Characteristics

- Naturally muscular with a balanced metabolism.

- Gains muscle easily and can have great muscle definition.

- Broad shoulders and narrow waist.  

- Usually average size; not thin like ectomorphs, but also not naturally large, like endomorphs.  

- Likely to have an athletic body. 

Training

For best results, you should incorporate both cardio and resistance training into your routine.

Frequency Resistance Training: 3 days per week.

Sets & Reps: Focus on 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps to build strength and lean muscle mass. 

Intensity & Volume: Mesomorphs react to training quite quickly, but you can bulk up quite easily, especially if you do weights. If you prefer to have more muscle, weights might be a great option for you. But if you’d like a leaner look, and you don’t want to bulk up your thighs, it's better to skip weights and stick to bodyweight resistance training.

Recuperation & Rest: 1-2 minutes between sets. 

Cardio: If you need to lose body fat, high intensity cardio 1–2 times per week (running, high-intensity interval training (HIIT)) and low intensity cardio 5 times a week (power walking). Walking burns fat and makes sure your legs won't get bulky.

Diet

Mesomorphs work best with balanced macronutrients: a combination of healthy fats, lean protein, and whole grains, and a variety of vegetables. Low carb diets are not necessary, but make sure your carbs are coming from healthy and low glycemic carb sources (fruit, vegetables, wholegrain bread, quinoa, oats and brown rice). Try avoiding processed foods and added sugars.

A good macronutrient breakdown for mesomorphs looks like this:

- 35-40% carbohydrates

- 30-35% protein

- 30% fat

Endomorph: The Naturally Curvy

Characteristics

- Naturally larger, solid frame and are generally curvy.

- Finds weight loss more challenging but builds muscle easily.

- Finds it difficult to lose weight, especially through diet alone.

- Tends to store fat easily with a slower metabolism.  

- Rounder body shape with broader hips.

- Likely to have strong muscles (especially legs).

Training

Getting lean legs if you are an endomorph can be a bit tricky. Endomorphs naturally have muscular legs, and they tend to store most of their body fat in their thigh area. So, if you want to lean your legs out, you need to reduce your leg muscle. And you also need to lose overall body fat to lose that stubborn thigh fat. First of all, heavy weighs, squats, CrossFit (great exercise options), but they will work your quads and make your thighs grow. If you notice that a certain type of training is making your thighs bigger, stop doing it.

Frequency Resistance Training: 3 times per week. After every resistance training session, do at least 20mins of power walking. This will help with fat loss.

Sets & Reps: Focus on 3–4 sets of 12–15 reps to build strength and lean muscle mass. 

Intensity & Volume: Endomorphs can bulk up quite easily, especially with weights. You may be tempted to skip resistance training altogether because you’re afraid it will only make your legs bigger. But if you avoid resistance training completely, your legs will not get toned. Resistance training tones your muscles and speeds up your metabolism, which aids in weight loss. Skip weights and stick to bodyweight resistance training.

Recuperation & Rest: 30-60 secondes between sets to keep heart rate elevated.  

Cardio: Low-intensity cardio (power walking) 5 times a week for at least 45mins. It will help your muscular thighs slim down and help you lose overall body fat. 

Diet

When it comes to your diet, the key is to avoid consuming too many or too few calories. If your goal is to lose weight, aim for a modest calorie deficit. However, an extreme deficit can backfire by slowing down your metabolism, making it harder to shed those extra pounds. Endomorphs work best with a focus on high-protein, low-carb meals with plenty of non-starchy vegetables. They should limit refined sugars and processed foods. And incorporate healthy fats to promote satiety (e.g., nuts, seeds, fatty fish, nut butter, olives, olive oil).

Here’s how their macros intake should look:

- 20-25% carbohydrates

- 45-50% fats

- 30% protein

 

Embracing Your Unique Body Type  

Understanding your body type is a helpful starting point, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. A balanced fitness and nutrition plan tailored to your unique needs and goals will always serve you best.

It’s also important to note that many people are a blend of two body types. If you identify as an ectomorph/mesomorph, following the mesomorph guidelines will likely work well for you. Similarly, mesomorph/endomorph individuals may benefit more from the endomorph approach. 

Regardless of your body type, you can lose body fat, build muscle, and improve your overall physique—but you cannot change your natural body type. For example, if you’re an endomorph, you won’t achieve the slender build of an ectomorph, and that’s okay.

Your focus should be on setting realistic, achievable goals that enhance your unique body and help you look and feel your best. Forget about chasing perfection—instead, embrace consistency and find joy in the process of becoming a healthier, happier version of yourself!