#PINNED: How to achieve the perfect figure based on your body type

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If you’re one of the people who see the quarantine period as an opportunity to get back in shape or to finally try being more mindful of what you do and eat, then kudos to you. You’ll have a higher fighting chance if, god forbid, you get infected with COVID-19. After all, a healthy body equals a strong immune system.

However, at some point, you might feel frustrated because you’re not quite getting the results that you actually want. This might be because you are doing something that is not necessarily needed by your body. What worked for your friend might not work for you because fitness isn’t really a one-size-fits-all.

What you have to do is to find out your dominant body type to know what exercises to do or food to eat. In order to achieve your #bodygoals, it is now up to you to maintain a healthy lifestyle that is suitable to your determined body type. In order to help you, we’ve listed the ways on how you can achieve that perfect figure based on your body type.

For the ectomorph

If you have a relatively slim figure, without much noticeable body fat and muscle mass, and have a hard time gaining muscle and body fat, then you are an ectomorph. Since ectomorphs like you have faster metabolism, take note of the following when choosing your food:

• Your diet must be focused on adding weight by having a high calorie diet
• The ideal ratio of your food is 20-35-45 (fat, protein, and carbs)
• Eating too much junk food can make you gain unhealthy fat mass and make you ‘skinny fat’

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

On the other hand, if you’re exercising, you should focus more on gaining and toning your muscles through compound workout on your resistance training. Other things to consider are below:

• Do body weight exercises at home at least thrice a week.
• Slow down on your cardio because you don’t need to lose any more weight.
• For extra strength and muscle, you may also try high intensity interval training (HIIT) after your body weight exercises.

Check out the following workout routines for you:

If you are an ecto-endomorph and you need to burn those unhealthy fats, you can do so with a little extra low to moderate intensity cardio for at least twice a week.

For the mesomorph

If you are on the muscular side and have a medium frame, and you notice that you can gain and lose weight easily, then you are a mesomorph. As a mesomorph, your diet doesn't necessarily have to be a low carb one. Follow these guidelines for meals:

• What’s important is you have a balanced diet of 30-35-35 fat, protein, and carb ratio.
• Be mindful of your healthy diet since you can gain weight easily from eating junk food.
• It is best to consume the majority of your carbs in the morning and post-workout when you need to replenish your energy the most.

Designed by jcomp / Freepik

For your exercise, you should be focused on maintenance of your body through high-intensity internal training (HIIT). You also need to heed the following:

• Focus more on your endurance rather than strength in your resistance training for at least thrice a week.
• Your high intensity cardio should also be done at least thrice a week.
• An example of a high intensity cardio would be power walking for 30-60 minutes around your neighborhood.

Check out these HIIT workouts to try

You should also try varying the intensity of your workouts such as HIIT so that your body will not be feeling stagnant which could lessen the effect of your workouts.

For the endomorph

If you are on the chubbier spectrum and have a medium to large bone structure, and you find that you can gain weight easily but take more time losing it, then you are considered as an endomorph. Endomorphs like you can be more sensitive to calories than the other two body types, so a low calorie, high protein diet would work best for you. You also need to keep in mind the following:

• The key to your diet is to make sure that your calorie deficit is not too much so as not to slow down your metabolism any further.
• Your recommended fat, protein, and carb ratio is at around 40-40-20.
• Make sure to have consistent calorie intake daily since your body could also be sensitive to calorie influxes.
• Since you are also the most prone to become overweight of the three body types, you have to watch out for eating too much unhealthy food.

Designed by jcomp / Freepik

For your workout, your goal is to burn as many calories as possible. This can be achieved by following these tips:

• Have medium to high intensity cardio at least thrice a week.
• For muscle building, you may find it relatively easier to gain muscle than lose fat, so you have to focus more on lighter compound resistance training sessions.
• To maximize your exercises, add HIIT workouts afterwards to maximize your calorie burn even long after you’ve finished.

You can check out the following workout videos:

If you aren’t exactly the three above, chances are you are a hybrid of the two body types. If you are skinny but also have a muscular build, then you are an ecto-mesomorph. If you have noticeable body fat but also have muscles that are not so well-defined, then you are a meso-endomorph. If you are naturally thin but have gained weight, then you are an ecto-endomorph.

For those with hybrid body types, what you have to do is pick a more dominant body type and follow the diet and exercise for it. For a more precise assessment of your body type, you may have your body fat, bone and muscle mass checked by a professional.