Understanding Body Type Can Aid Men in Developing a Muscular Body #FitnessReference

Understanding Body Type Can Aid Men in Developing a Muscular Body

As a man, have you ever felt ripped off when it came to your body type? Ever looked at someone else and though, "Why is he so lucky to have a natural body type like that?" Well I can say that I have, and the same is true for most men even if they're too proud to admit it. Well, some things can't be changed, but the trick is to understand your body type and find out how to properly work with it to maximize your results.

You may not be happy with the body type that you have been born with, but one thing is for sure you don't have to settle if you don't want to.

There are three basic body types for men, and while they are certainly not cookie cutter molds, chances are you will somewhat fall into one of these categories.

The three basic body types are Ectomorph (very skinny), Endomorph (naturally large) and Mesomorph (these are the guys that you are jealous of). Your genes determine how you are born and what general category you fall into, but they don't necessarily determine where you will finish.

Ectomorph Body Type:

You know you fall into this category if you really have trouble gaining any weight. You have likely been very skinny for your whole life. Just gaining a pound or two is very difficult for you. Often, it doesn't matter if you eat doughnuts and fried chicken all day, you simply won't gain weight.

Believe it or not, it can be harder to combat this than overweight. The problem is there is a lot of information and products out there to help combat obesity, but there is very little out there to help combat skinny genes. Just to be clear, the answer isn't eating doughnuts and fried chicken; it is paying attention to your diet in a healthy manner and implementing some techniques for changing your metabolism so you keep your gains.

Weight training is a critical part of your path to success. But you do not just want to go to the gym and work for hours, this will lead to over-training and will actually stunt any muscular growth that you thought you would see. And cardio is a killer to this body type, so there is no need to spend hours on a treadmill. Instead, you need to perform small bouts of effective cardio, along with intense short bouts of strength training, and introduce a good deal of protein into your daily eating regimen.

Endomorph Body Type:

The opposite of ectomorph is endomorph. You know that you fall into this category if you are overweight or even obese. If you were to pick up a doughnut or piece of fried chicken, you would probably feel yourself getting heavier. This can be a difficult body type to have because there is so much attention drawn to overweight people in today's society.

To combat this body type, you literally have to change your metabolism. This sounds impossible, but it is not at all.

To change your metabolism, you have to first change your diet. You need to include a lot of bright colored vegetables and fruit and also a bunch of lean proteins. Don't fall for any kind of scam diet plan that leaves you eating only protein. These diets will actually leave you in worse shape after you see some results. They are called crash diets for a reason; because you will crash and burn after you're gone through them.

Second, you need to focus on muscle building cardio and strength training. For many people it seems counter-intuitive, but to truly change your metabolism you need to pack on some muscle.

This works in a couple ways: by packing on muscle using intense workouts you burn calories and build good base. Also the muscle you build act like a "furnace," burning calories and fat off your body while it is at rest.

So by simply converting 5 lbs of fat into muscle, you literally burn an extra 200-300 calories a day, You can do the math to see that by doing this a couple times a week you will be well on your way to your dream body.

Mesomorph Body Type:

The Mesomorph body type is really the luckiest of the group. This is the body type of many pro athletes and fitness models. Your body will burn fat off and build muscle like those with the other types dream of.

If you are interested in building a great body you probably already have. I will just give one word of caution. As it is possible to "change" your body type from one of the others, it is also possible to change to one of the others. If you don't use the gifts that the gene pool has given you, you may be slowly changing your metabolism in the wrong direction.

Ectomorph, Endomorph or Mesomorph

While it is possible to have a great body no matter where you start, you need to understand that there are varying degrees of these particular body types. But this information identifies some of the basics of how to combat each general kind of body. Your metabolism level does not dictate where you will end up - you do!

Your Fitness Program Special Equipment #FitnessReference

Your Fitness Program Special Equipment

Keeping a program simple ordinarily rules out expensive equipment. But some equipment will make it possible to add the spice of variety to the program. For example, barbells may help to make flexibility an easily achieved goal.

One or two exercise mats provide the base for many lying-down exercises. Mats can be purchased from sporting goods stores or made at home out of 1.5-inch foam rubber. If made at home, the mats can be covered with a fabric that goes with the room. The material may be terry cloth, vinyl-coated fabric, canvas, or some other type that is soft, easily washed or wiped-off, and durable.

If the mat has a line running down its center lengthwise, it will make body alignment a simple task. The line can be made out of a similar fabric of a different color from the mat covering the proper.

The mat or mats should be sized to fit the individual’s body. The perfect mat is somewhat longer than the user is tall, and wide enough to provide protection against bumps and bruises. That means it should be wider than a line drawn from heel to heel when the person lies flat and stretches both legs as far apart as possible. Another way to measure the ideal mat width is to lie flat and extend the elbows as far as possible straight out from the shoulders. The points reached by the elbows indicate a good width. The good mat has plenty of “give.” It also springs back into position when pressure is removed.

Choosing and arranging permanent equipment may take a little thought. With care and planning, the room’s appearance need not really suffer. Equipment may come in chrome, steel, or natural wood.

Got a space problem? No room at all for privacy while charging through a workout? No place to install and use an exercycle or treadmill? Think a minute.

Can space be created? If the exercise equipment had to be stored, where would it go? Can that storage space be turned into an exercise area? A separate room isn’t necessarily the only solution. Closets may be useful in solving the no-space problem. A walk-in closet may serve as a special niche for some types of equipment. A two-foot-deep enclosure can be created along a wall by installing folding doors; some equipment can then be hidden behind the barrier. When the doors are opened, presto! The area becomes a miniature gym.

Because exercise equipment has to be ready for use without much advance preparation, it may be desirable to feature it as part of the overall layout. An exercycle may be placed in a corner in a cleared space. A set of barbells may rest on a simple bench that holds them in notches for safety. Ballet bars may double as towel bars when not serving their fitness functions. For real permanence and solidity, exercise benches might be recessed into the walls. They could be covered with throws when not in use.

If, on the other hand, Spartan simplicity is preferable, formal equipment may be dispensed with totally. Many exercises can be performed without any equipment at all. For example, various sets of exercises have been designed for practice in the shower, sitting down at the work desk, or standing up in an ordinary room.

Many household items can be converted to exercise props. Weights can be made out of plastic dish detergent or bleach containers. The containers need only be filled with sand or water. If desired, the weights can be attached to the ends of a bar made of a broom or mop handle. Numerous heavy objects such as telephone books, or bricks wrapped in towels can also be incorporated into exercises routines.

A little creativity can turn other everyday items into perfectly adequate fitness equipment. A length of clothesline makes an admirable jump rope. Two solid chairs of the same size can be placed back to back a couple of feet apart to form a parallel bars. A heavy towel, held with arms spread an appropriate distance, can be used to provide both variable resistance and a massaging effect. Different exercises to increase endurance, equilibrium, speed, suppleness, strength, and coordination have been devised utilizing lengths of cloth.

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