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Be The Best You Can Be

By Jago Holmes

Why is it that some people you know always eat what they want to, exercise infrequently and still look good? Other people seem to be permanently dieting and exercising regularly but never look any better and may actually gain weight. There are a number of reasons why this happens. No one person is the same, we are all different.

In our profession we class people in to certain categories called morphic types. This classification has a major bearing on the way you approach both diet and exercise in that one body type will not get the same results that another type will.

They are grouped in to three basic categories, but it should be stressed that nobody will be rated as one singular body type, instead one predominant type and parts of others. The following are the three basic morphic types, see which ones you fit in to:

ECTOMORPH

Ectomorphs are characterised by their tall slender frame, with typically narrow shoulders and thin wirey limbs. They are usually always busy and blessed with poor fat storage potential. This type of person tends to store body fat around the stomach, rarely around the upper body and hardly ever on the legs. For losing weight this type of person is ideal and will notice very rapid improvements.

MESOMORPH

Mesomorphs tend to be lucky ones with a tendency to broad shoulders, slim waists and toned muscles. These people are usually the ones who seem to have to put in little or no effort to get in to great shape seemingly overnight. If you are this shape it is good news in terms of exercise, but you will need to be much stricter in the types of foods you consume to avoid looking bulky as opposed to toned.

ENDOMORPHS

Endomorphs are quite rounded in shape, the type of person who readily gains body fat and often has little energy. Really this is perhaps the least desirable body type to be because even though muscle is gained much quicker than the ectomorph, body fat is a constant problem, and serious lifetime dietary changes are needed to maintain a great shape. We have had and continue to work with clients who are predominantly this shape and their results are superb.

These body shapes are ours genetically you can not change them. Some of us may need to work harder to get what others find easy to achieve, but that is true in many other areas of life as well as health and fitness. Don’t worry if you fit in to the endomorph category, many people can change their shape dramatically it just takes more effort than others might need to put in.

One thing is for sure, if you are reading this and just throw in the towel feeling that you can’t change your shape and appearance then you are wrong, it will take commitment though. The reason your progress may have been slow in the past could be due to the wrong type of exercise, lack of effort, incorrect diet or not giving your body enough time to change.

Adjusting your training to suit your body type will save you years of frustration and guarantee your success but ultimately whichever path you choose you will only ever look the best you can from following a consistently progressive programme whilst eating and drinking in a controlled manner.

One reason why most of us never get to our genetic best is that we have unrealistic time frames and aims that are just not possible. The problem is that most people give up before they even get close to their potential. Be patient in the changes you make to your shape and always consider this fact - if you do nothing you will always be the same shape and size, if not bigger.

If however you make small changes over a period of time, you are not only taking control of your destiny but you will ultimately reach your goals and be the best you can be.

About the Author:

Jago Holmes is a fully qualified YMCA personal trainer, registered on the REPS scheme, with 3 exclusive one to one studios, specialising in weight loss. He can be contacted via his website www.anewimage.co.uk