Linebacker or Towel Boy: Making Wise Body Shape Decisions

March 25th, 2009

Many people who are eager to get into shape find themselves saying, “If I could only look like [so and so], then I’d be happy.” If this is you, hold your horses! When considering the shape you want to get into, you need to take a few crucial facts into consideration before getting underway. If you don’t, you may waste time, become discouraged, or worst of all, wind up looking funny.

Finding Your Somatotype

In the 1940s and 1950s, psychologist William Herbert Sheldon categorized three main groups of body types. He was originally using these categories to classify psychological temperaments; however, his system has been widely adopted to explain physical stature. The three body types according to Sheldon are:

Endomorph (e.g. Linebacker)	Mesomorph (e.g. Quarterback)	Ectomorph (e.g. Towel Boy)
Thick and beefy. Flickr: mikebaird	Solid and athletic. Flickr: Army.mil	Narrow and slim. Flickr: S. Witherden

These three body types act as a continuum. Endomorphs and ectomorphs are the maximal ends, with mesomorphs in the middle. Most people can be easily classified somewhere on this scale as there are few genetic exceptions.

These body types can be considered a classification of bone, muscle and fat composition. Generally, slim ectomorphs have narrow bones, sufficient to carry their low-fat, low-muscle stature. On the other end are the beefy endomorphs whose bigger bone structure supports higher fat and muscle volumes. Those textbook mesomorphs are the envy of all others, with a sturdy frame and lots of muscle to burn up fat.

It may be interesting to know that in research of his somatotypes, Sheldon collected over 4000 nude photos of Ivy-league students between the 1940s and the 1960s. Many of his subjects went on to become visible and eminent public figures. Some speculate this list includes famous actors, broadcasters, and even presidents. When the photos were discovered at Yale, they were destroyed.

Acceptance and Action

When looking to get in shape, you may be tempted to decide on a look and work towards it. This probably will not work out well if you ignore your somatotype. Here are a few thoughts and strategies that will lead you on the right track:

• Beefy Endomorphs: You have muscle covered. It’s the fat you need to focus on. Watch the junk food and get active. You can handle sports and aerobic exercise equally well, although you might need to work on building endurance. Don’t let high activity levels be an excuse to overeat.
• Perfect Mesomorphs: I hate you a little bit. You’re equipped for anything: high-impact or low. Pick an activity and learn to excel in it, if you haven’t already. Keeping active is important because you have the ability to put on one heck of a spare tire if you let yourself go.
• Slim Ectomorphs: I am a fellow ectomorph. I use the narrowest setting on my watch band, so I feel kinship with you. We have a genetic makeup which doesn’t favour high impact sports. Focus on controlled muscle building, get some aerobic exercise, and avoid rugby scrums. Be thankful for your high metabolic rate, as you have what many want.

Be Yourself

Before I learnt of somatotypes, I imagined I could become a beefy UFC-style fighter. I considered getting into Fight Clubs nationwide and wowing them my toughness. This was probably foolish pipe dreaming; after all, I did once break my finger opening a car door. Once I accepted my life as a bona fide ectomorph, I made better fitness decisions, which resulted in better results. You can fight all you want to transcend your genetics; however, your chance of discouragement is high since the odds are against you. Nowadays I focus on building a bit of muscle, staying lean and healthy, and being realistic about whom I am. Remember, canned fitness advice doesn’t work. Find your own custom strategy and follow it.