So which body type are you?

Have you been exercising diligently or on a diet plan, but you are not losing weight or firming up? Then your workout and diet plan are not tailored to your body type.

There are three basic body types; the endomorph, mesomorph and ectomorph. Each is characterised by unique physical features.

The endomorph is blocky, has thick rib cage and shorter limbs. This body type is characterised by prevalence of body fat and will look heavier even when ripped.

Mesomorphs look proportioned even with a little added weight. They are characterised with wide collarbones, narrow waist, thinner joints and round muscle bellies.

The ectomorph can be distinguished by lack of fat or muscle and naturally look thinner than he or she actually is. Individuals in this category have thin build and long limbs.

William Mtana, a personal fitness trainer said before starting on a nutrition or on a workout plan, know your body type.

“This will help you chose what best works for you. It will also play a key role in setting realistic goals that are attainable,” he said.

The common goal for endomorphs is to look trimmer, which means that calorie-burning moves for the whole body would offer desired results.

Grab a pizza

For the mesomorph, the typical goal is to stay lean. In this case, heart pumping-cardio as well as strength workouts are a better choice.

An ectomorph usually has the core goal of getting stronger. Here, free weight classes or yoga can deliver positive results.

William said it is important to consider the target you have in mind so as to pick a diet and workout plan that works for you.

“What you eat plays a big role in the end alongside with exercising,” he said, noting that it would be useless for an obese person to hit the treadmill in order to lose weight, then going out to grab a pizza.

He notes there are workout plans set aside for women just like there are those that the men body can withstand.

For example, a slim man wanting to build up muscle needs to increase intake of carbohydrates as well as do a lot of weight lifting.

“Otherwise such a person will tone up his body but not grow his muscles, contrary to the set goals,” said William.

Overindulge

On the other hand, a slim woman aiming to grow her butt area will have to do many squats and light weights.

For women with bigger bodies, reducing carbohydrate intake and increasing vegetables and protein in the diet can help keep the body healthy and register positive weight loss results.

Such people are advised to stick to organic foods as opposed to those with additives or that are artificially produced.

“As they embark on the light weights which are recommended for them, they should stay away from sweet foods,” he said, adding that discipline within and outside the gym in this case will determine whether positive results will be achieved or not.

Telling one’s body type can simply be done by following a raft of steps and answering question prompts available online. You can also make a workout regime for your children, especially now that they are on holiday.

For the children that are active, they tend not to put on so much weight.

This means that an exercise regime will be for fun. For the inactive ones, take them for karate, yoga, football classes or make a strict timetable with activities to be done outdoors from riding a bicycle rim to skipping a rope.

As the festive season kicks in, the temptation is always to over indulge in delicacies and foregoing a workout regime.

William notes that most people stop going to the gym or seeking the services of a personal fitness trainer during the festive season.

He said aside from travelling, people want to hang out with friends.

“My advice as always is that you would rather be strict on your workout plan and the food you eat during the festive seasons than the other months,” he said.