Types of bodies

You may have noticed from your own experiences that not all bodies are the same. Surely you know people with a slim build who have a hard time gaining weight, others who have an athletic build and some who are fuller with rounded silhouettes. This is no coincidence, there are precisely three categories to classify bodies from science.

The human body is the integration of the structures that allow it to function: head, trunk and extremities with their respective composition of systems and organs. Bodies can be distinguished, and therefore classified according to the constitution of the bones, the distribution of muscle mass and the places where body fat accumulates. In this way, we obtain three very general classifications of human bodies: ectomorphs, mesomorphs and endomorphs.

The classifications are said to be general because each body has unique characteristics that cannot always, rather rarely, be pigeonholed into a single distinction. In the present lesson we are going to explain what is related to this subject. Ectomorphic bodies: People with ectomorph bodies are characterized by being thin, with little muscle mass and low body fat. Individuals with these traits usually find it difficult to gain weight, and this is due to the metabolism they have; this is more accelerated so they burn energy faster than other organisms. This is the reason why people with ectomorphic bodies have a lower weight than the population average.

From the nutritional point of view, this has consequences: the accelerated metabolism causes that a correct absorption of nutrients obtained from meals does not take place. Thus, a high-protein and high-calorie diet is recommended. Ectomorphic bodies not only gain weight with difficulty, but the same happens with muscle mass. These people have narrow bones and long limbs, so diet and physical exercise are elements that must be properly combined to achieve muscle development. Mesomorph bodies: The representation of a mesomorph body, is that friend who in 2 months of gym achieves what someone average in 4. Well yes, they are the so-called athletic bodies, genetically privileged people who have a balanced metabolism and with a predisposition to increase muscle mass.

The stereotype of mesomorphic bodies is that of a person with large muscles, a broad back and a narrow waist. Even so, they do not lose weight easily and must undergo low-fat and low-calorie diets if they wish to lose weight. Although beauty is highly relative, this body type is popularly regarded as perfect and ideal. Endomorph bodies: Endomorph bodies are those that accumulate a greater amount of fat because of the slow metabolism they possess. A very identifying feature of this classification is that they tend to have a broad complexion, especially in the trunk area. In spite of needing diets to control their weight, they have an easier time gaining muscle mass; that is, they do not have naturally defined muscles like mesomorphs, but with good physical training they can achieve really satisfactory results. We will expand more on endomorph bodies in future lessons. Other classifications: We have already explained which are the best known general distinctions by which human bodies are classified, however there are other less known distinctions given mainly by the shape of the silhouette of the person:

• Triangular body: It is used to name those people with wide hips who have the upper part of the body narrower than the lower part.

• Inverted triangle body: Very common in athletes, and is, as its name indicates, the opposite of the triangle body explained above; that is, the upper part of the body is wider than the lower part. The physical training of athletes usually enhances the formation of this type of body, especially in disciplines where back and shoulder training is intensified, as in swimming.

• Apple body: These people do not necessarily have to be obese, but may have thin limbs, but accumulate body fat in the middle of the body, say the area between the shoulders and hips.

• Oval body: They do not have great definition at the waist and the width of the shoulders is usually similar to that of the hips.

• Square body: This category refers to bodies where the waist is not differentiated and from shoulders to hips everything has the same width.

• Hourglass body: This is one of the bodies valued as the most attractive, especially in women, it can refer to those people with a pronounced waist and a balance between the upper and lower body, leaving a silhouette similar to that of an hourglass.