When it comes to bodies, there are so many variations. There are freckled bodies, tall bodies, short bodies, average bodies - but not a lot of people know about the different body types. These types are ectomorphs, endomorphs, and mesomorphs. Ectomorphs are usually tall and have a hard time putting on weight, endomorphs have a hard time losing weight, and mesomorphs have greater than average muscular development. Today, it is all about the endomorph.
What is An Endomorph?
When it comes to outer appearance, endomorphs are usually short in both height and structure with wide hips and shoulders. There are some tall endomorphs out there, but we will get to that later. Endomorphs also have some difficulty in maintaining a healthy body fat percentage, tend to be cool to the touch, and have a low need for sleep, but have lower energy levels. On the plus side, they have good endurance when they do exercise.
Endomorph Diet
Since the endomorphic body tends to be more sensitive to carbohydrates and insulin, and it is difficult to make up for poor dietary habits with exercise, they should focus more on their protein and complex carb intake, such as vegetables and high-fiber starches, and do what they can to limit their intake of white bread, pasta, rice, and sweets, even if they are under their calorie goal for the day. For endomorphs who lift weights, they might want to see if whey protein is right for them.
As endomorphs tend to be more sensitive to what they put into their bodies, it would be best if they kept track of their daily diet, so they know the threshold of when their bodies decide that they would rather convert the carbs and store it as fat rather than use it as fuel. The same is true with sweets. They should also track their exercises and how much they burn to get an estimation of what they need to do to work with their endomorph body type.
Exercising and Sports for the Endomorph
When it comes to exercising as an endomorph, the downside is you have to work at achieving results and when you take a break from exercising for a while, the weight decides that it can come right back. On the plus side, endomorphs are supposed to be naturally strong, have an inclination for endurance, and excel at any exercise or sport that requires power and the force of body weight. Have you ever had a heavy box in your way and you pushed it out of the way with your legs with the power of your weight behind you?
The Best Exercises for Endomorphs
The perfect exercise for the endomorph is an interval-based combination of cardio and weight training. Martial arts are perfect for this as they do include cardio, but you are also developing your muscles as well. Even though they are challenging, they aren't boring. Some other exercises and sports good for endomorphs are badminton, discus, hammer throw, judo, netball, swimming, and tennis. Tae Bo is also a good exercise routine example as it is a combination of cardio and strength training, with intervals of fast-paced and slower paced moves.
Swimming is cardio, but it also develops muscle, as do martial arts and judo. Swimming is fantastic for those who need a low to no-impact exercise too. Tennis is also a good combination of cardio, endurance, and strength training. Discus and the hammer throw are strength training sports, but there is some cardio in there, and they are interval training sports as well. Regardless of what type of exercise routine or sport you choose, be sure to choose one that you love to do and isn't boring.
Choose a Routine You Enjoy
Not everybody wants to walk or run on a treadmill or sit on an exercise bike, as they may find it boring and monotonous. Not everyone is a good fit for tennis as they might find it too strenuous, they don't enjoy running, or it is too faced paced for them. If people choose exercises they don't like, then they are going to slog through their routine, put it off, or stop doing it altogether. Finding an exercise or sport they love will ensure that they will continue that exercise or sport for as long as they can.
Don't Forget Rest Days
No matter what your body type or exercise routine, it is always good to have rest days, but even better to have rest days where you are still active and not sitting for hours on end. This means take light walks around the neighborhood, go for a bike ride, or clean the entire house. You will still be active, but your body is taking a needed break from the muscle exertion from your exercising.
If the weather is too bad outside, pouring down rain, stormy, dangerously heavy winds, far too hot, or even far too cold, then walk around inside and keep track of how much you are walking with either a pedometer or a step counter app. You wouldn't even have to pick a certain time to do this. Just set a timer for 25 minutes and do your normal routine and then, at the end of those 25 minutes, set a timer for 5 minutes and walk around your house or apartment.
Interval Training
Interval training is when a person alternates between two activities that need different amounts of effort put into the activity or different speeds put into the activity. Does that sound familiar with any of the activities mentioned above? With tennis, a player needs to vary their speed to get to the ball and effort in which they hit the ball back to the other player. Tae Bo also alternates speed as you could be going slower one second and then it requires you to go twice as fast.
There are advantages of doing interval training, one of them being you spend less time exercising but receive a higher rate of return for the effort you put in. There is also increased speed and endurance and strengthening of the immune system. With high-intensity interval training (HIIT), there are some disadvantages, such as it can cause a need for longer recovery periods, as well as not being ideal for beginners or those with heart problems.
Beginner and Obese Endomorphic Exercisers
A lot of exercise routines are far too difficult for endomorphs, especially at the start. What if the person is a beginner to exercise entirely? Or, what if that endomorphic person is obese and can't quite do the exercise the way it is supposed to be done? They would have to work up to it.
The greatest thing about swimming is that you can go at your own speed and decide how much effort you want to put into it. Of course, you might feel a little nervous when you start swimming exercises, but this feeling will improve.
What if the endomorph reading this can't swim or feels too self-conscious?
Walking: The Best Exercise
There's always walking. If, for example, one particular endomorph has trouble walking one block without getting out of breath, walk a quarter of the way there and then a quarter of the way back. Keep doing that every day, or a few times per day, and you will be able to add onto how much you can do if you keep it up.
For those who don't want to, or can't, go outside, there are plenty of ways to get in shape without having to leave the house. If you want to do pushups, but you can't do it on the floor, try doing the pushups against the wall. If you are following along to a cardio program and can't do it as fast as they can? That is okay. You will be able to keep up eventually. The goal is to get into shape and feel good about yourself, not try to hurt yourself doing it.
How do you learn to cook? You practice. How do you learn how to ride a bicycle? You practice. How do you develop your math and reading skills? You practice. How do you learn a new language? You start with the basics and work your way up. It's the same with becoming a more fit person. It takes practice, it takes time, and it takes commitment.
Famous Endomorphs
When it comes to famous people, there are diverse body types. There are short and thin people, tall and obese, and any variation that people can think about. The list of famous endomorphs ranges from the obvious 'No kidding' people to the 'Seriously? That person is an endomorph?' type.
Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito is one of the more obvious endomorphs. Male endomorphs are round and short, with an apple shape and short neck. They tend to have difficult times losing weight, but they have great endurance when it comes to cardiovascular activities.
Kate Winslet
At 5'7", Kate Winslet is a taller endomorph, but not the tallest on this list. Female endomorphs tend to be more of an apple shape with narrower hips, but larger stomachs and chests - not to be confused with meso-endomorphs, who tend to be pear-shaped with smaller chests and shoulders and wider hips and waists.
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel is 6'0. It is obvious he is not short, but he does have a more compact torso, a blocky build, hips wider than his clavicles, a larger bone structure, and a thick rib cage.
Serena Williams
Serena Williams is another taller endomorph at 5'9, and she is a good example of the athletic endomorph. Her sport is tennis and tennis, as listed above, is one of the sports best suited for endomorphs. Tennis is an interval-based combination of cardio and strength, and endurance would be needed for longer matches.
Zac Efron
This endomorph is 5'8 - not short but not extremely tall either. While he is muscular and in shape, he has a shorter torso compared to an ectomorph. This singer and actor focused on strength training to be able to perform like a lifeguard on Baywatch.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to losing weight and keeping yourself fit in a healthy and safe manner, there is no right way for everyone and not everyone likes the exact same exercise. If you are not enjoying how you exercise, then you need to find something you do like. How do you learn to work with your endomorph body types? By finding what works and what doesn't, and adding on from there.
