Here it is, this is it!!! It has been WAY too long since we’ve had this discussion, but I’m bringing it back. We’re talking about body types today, and maybe even in a way that you’ve never heard it before. If you struggle to love your body and sometimes even feel confused about what even works for your body, this is for you. This is NOT about whether you’re pear shaped, or apple shaped or shaped like a rectangle, this is SO much more than that. And I get PUMPED every time I talk about our body types. So let’s go!

A little while back I had a conversation with my friend Alexis. She was commiserating about how it didn’t seem to matter what she did or how hard she tried, she could never LOOK fit. She could never build visible muscle or gain any definition. I said to her, “well that’s just cause you’re an Ectomorph”.

This was total news to her...she had no idea! She figured that if she did all the right things in all the right ways, she could force her body into looking a certain way. I remember saying to her, “NOPE, unfortunately it just doesn’t work like that. You can certainly do all the right things to get strong and healthy and be your absolute fittest self, but you’re not in control of the aesthetic outcome. God is.”

So this may be brand new to you or perhaps you’ve been around the block with me for a while now, but today I’m going to teach you about the different body types. And even if it’s not new to you, you’re still going to get something out of this conversation. And if you haven’t yet, take my body type quiz at bodytype.io.

This topic is important because I believe with all my heart that it’s nearly impossible to love your own body, to break free from a negative body image, if you don’t understand your body.

I was at a MOPS conference last year, and one of the main speakers was actually talking about how she has spent a large majority of her life hating her body and trying to lose a lot of weight and get thinner. And in her heart, she says that God has finally to brought her to the place where she isn’t frantically trying to change her body and she can say that she loves it. But looking at her on the stage, I could clearly see that her body is built as an Endomorphs, and I just wondered how many years of heartache she would have been saved from if she just knew this.

So, I want you to listen as I describe and explain each of the different body types, but I want you to be gracious with yourself. Don’t take my words and say, “UGH, yep that’s why I hate my body.” I want you lean in equally hard to the strengths that you have. I want your heart to begin to soften about your body.

• Whenever I talk about body image, I’m reminded of what Paul said in Colossians 3:7-8: “You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”

We’re all works in progress, but I want you to get rid of this kind of talk and this type of filthy language about yourself.

Ok, let’s dive in to the 3 main body types or Somatotypes:

Somatotypes:

This is NOT just about your shape, whether you’re pear shaped, or apple shaped, or shaped like a rectangle.

• Somatotyping has more to do with bone structure, muscle fiber types, and metabolic tendencies...so those are the three things I’m going to explain for each type in the simplest way possible and then I’m going to give you recommendations based on your type

Ectomorph

General description:

• Slender, naturally on the thin side, smaller bone structure
• Far less pronounced muscle mass because they have more slow twitch muscle fibers
• Naturally fast metabolism.
• “Sports car”

Typical goals:

• Gain muscle strength and size, especially in their limbs
• To not feel so fragile and weak

Recommendations:

• Make strength training and weight lifting a high priority
• Eat a balanced diet with plenty of protein to support your muscle growing needs, but also one serving of starchier carbs or higher sugar fruit with most meals of the day
• Don’t use your smaller frame as an excuse to eat what you want.

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Mesomorph

General Description:

• Not as naturally slender and petite as an ectomorph, but doesn’t necessarily struggle with her weight a lot either (average)
• More athletic and muscular, you don’t have to try very hard to build muscle mass (This does NOT mean you are an athlete)
• More fast twitch muscle fibers (larger in diameter)
• Moderate metabolism, it can trend fast or slow depending on your lifestyle, but compared to others it’s pretty middle of the road
• “SUV”

Typical Goals:

• Tone up and decrease some body fat
• Not get or look so bulky
• To become more athletic and healthy

Recommendations:

• Make strength training and weight lifting a high priority, along with some higher intensity conditioning work
• Prioritize flexibility work
• Eat a balanced diet of PRO’s, can maybe tolerate starchier Carbs once a day.

Endomorph

General Description:

• Stout and curvy, thicker limbs
• More likely to struggle with weight gain
• More fast twitch muscle fibers (larger in diameter)
• Naturally slower metabolism (think of the torque and sheer power of a big truck or a draft horse - not fast, but strong)
• “Dodge Ram pickup”

Typical Goals:

• Weight loss
• Increase metabolism
• Be healthier

Recommendations:

• Make strength training and weight lifting a high priority, along with some higher intensity conditioning work
• Balance it with lots of NEAT (non-exercise-activity-thermogenesis) to boost your metabolism and to relieve stress
• Eat mainly PRO’s and healthy fats, starchy carbs with only a workout meal (<don’t get strict/restrictive about this, just know that this wil probably help you feel your best)

Can a hybrid exist?

• Yes, you might fall between two types
• Follow the recommendations for the type that matches your current goals

Can your body type change?

• Your true genetics can’t change, but your overall body fat composition and metabolism can change based on your lifestyle
• Ectomorph can build up more muscle mass with LOTS of intentional weight lifting and eating large amounts of healthy food
• Endomorph can begin to behave more like a mesomorph with LOTS of high intensity strength training work and eating mainly PRO’s
• Things can go the other way if you lead an unhealthy lifestyle

Final Takeaways

What I want you to notice the most are the consistencies across the different types:

• Prioritize strength training, especially weight lifting
• Eat mainly PRO’s 80-90% of the time (splurging only 10-20%)

Your action steps now are to:

• First of all, make sure you’re consistently doing those basics - strength training and eating PRO’s
• If so, then step it up a little based on your own type
• Change up your carb timing
• Build in extra muscle building work, more high intensity work, more flexibility work, or more NEAT
• Finally, try to look at yourself differently. Own who you are and stop trying to be somebody else. Work on being your healthiest version of yourself, but leave the outcome in God’s hands.

Come back next week because I’m bringing Liz Revilla and Amanda Bennett on the show with me. Liz is an Endomorph, and Amanda is an Ectomorph, I’m a Mesomorph, and we’re going to have an honest 3-way conversation about our body types. And also, make sure you go take the body type quiz at bodytype.io. Be honest when taking it, or better yet, have your best friend or spouse take the quiz for you. That way they’re not being biased by negative thoughts.

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More Resources

Find out your body type! Take the FREE Body Type Quiz now!

Ready to get strong? Check out GETSTRONG 30, my intro to weightlifting program!

Colossians 3:7-8

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