Student who lost her motivation to exercise after a ‘nasty’ breakup says simple change transformed
>
Rachael Attard, from Sydney, said that while many personal trainers will recommend their clients follow the same exercise routine and diet approach, it won’t do anything for your body — unless it’s good for your physique.
“There are three female body types: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph, and if you find out what your body type is and adjust your training and diet accordingly, you train smarter and get better and faster results,” Rachael told FEMAIL.
ECTOmorph BODY TYPE
Key Features: Tall and Slim
Celebrity Example: Kendall Jenner
The first body type is ectomorph – and such women are usually characterized by being tall and slender.
“Ectomorphs generally find it quite difficult to gain weight or build muscle, but they are naturally low in body fat,” explains Rachael.
Therefore, they have to adjust their diet and workouts accordingly.
What is the ideal workout?
Ectomorphs should increase their resistance training to ideally three times a week as this will help them build muscle.
“Because ectomorphs find it quite difficult to build muscle and they lose weight easily, they should focus on heavy lifting, high-intensity interval training and resistance training,” Rachael said.
This body type may also limit their cardio, as it is not strictly necessary to slim down.
“Ectomorphs should also aim for one rest day per week or an active recovery day with some light walking or stretching,” Rachael said.
“Your body will gain muscle and strength very slowly, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t notice improvement right away.”
What are the best diet tips to follow?
When it comes to what to eat, Rachael said ectomorphs should eat a lot of carbohydrates because they’re the only body type that doesn’t gain weight from eating them.
“An ideal ratio of macronutrients is 40-50 percent carbohydrates, 30-35 percent protein, and 20-25 percent fat,” says Rachael.
However, this does not mean that you can eat all the carbohydrates you like.
The PT recommends focusing on the healthy, slow-release foods such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, quinoa, and vegetables.
“Your body also needs protein and fat to function efficiently,” says Rachael.
“For your ectomorphic body type, add healthy fats and proteins to every meal. This will also help you recover faster from your workouts.”
MESOMORPHY BODY TYPE:
Key Features: Naturally muscular with medium bone structure
Celebrity Example: Gigi Hadid
The second body type is the mesomorph.
Mesomorphs are typically characterized by being naturally muscular with medium bone structure, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and the ability to gain and lose weight quickly.
“Mesomorphs gain weight and lose weight, but they also see results from exercise quickly,” Rachael said.
What is the ideal workout?
Rachael said mesomorphs should choose their weight based on their desired fitness results, so if they’re trying to lose weight, they should stick to body weight or lighter, higher rep workouts.
“HIIT or high-intensity interval training also works great for mesomorphs,” she said.
“Try to do HIIT at least once or twice a week and include three dedicated cardio-focused days.”
You should also definitely focus on increasing your cardio if you have curves, muscles and a tendency to lose or gain weight:
“High-intensity cardio, such as running on a flat surface and at an easy pace, works best for fat loss,” Rachael added.
What are the best diet tips to follow?
From a dietary perspective, mesomorphs look their best when they eat balanced macros — filled with 30-35 percent carbohydrates, 35-40 percent protein, and 30 percent fat.
“Try to have all the macronutrients in both your meals and snacks,” Rachael said.
Mesomorphs also need to watch their calorie intake because they can easily gain weight if they eat too much sugar.
“The 80/20 approach is a good one for mesomorphs,” Rachael added.
This means you eat healthy 80 percent of the time and what you want 20 percent of the time.
“If you really want to speed up stubborn fat loss and kick-start your body, try a low-carb, high-protein diet for four weeks,” Rachael said.
After that, you should switch back to eating balanced macros.
ENDOMORPH BODY TYPE
Key features: shorter and rounder
Celebrity Example: Scarlett Johansson
The last body type is the endomorph, and such women are characterized by being shorter and rounder.
“Endomorphs can gain muscle very quickly, they have a lot of strength and stamina, but may find weight loss a little more difficult and have higher levels of body fat,” Rachael said.
So they have to train and diet accordingly.
What is the ideal workout?
The ideal workout for endomorphs is more reps with lower weights.
“Since endomorphs tend to be bottom heavy, I recommend focusing on resistance training with lighter weights (high reps, low weights) and avoiding heavy weights,” Rachael said.
The trainer also said you could incorporate power walks into your routine, as power walks help reduce fat on your legs while burning a lot of calories.
‘Try to walk as much as possible; at least five times a week for 45 minutes at a time,” Rachael said.
“You can also combine a low-intensity workout, such as walking, with two or three days of moderate, high-intensity cardio, such as running.”
She added that running at a steady pace on flat ground works best for this body type.
What are the best diet tips to follow?
Endomorphs must follow a low-carb diet because their bodies are not very good at processing carbohydrates.
“Make sure most of your carbs come from fruits and vegetables and skip the starches like pasta, bread and rice,” Rachael said.
You should also keep your fat and protein intake high. Think lean meat, oily fish, nuts, seeds and avocado.
“Although you can also get treats, it’s a good idea to try making them healthier, such as chocolate avocado mousse or homemade protein balls,” Rachael said.
If you must eat chocolate or lollipops, eat it in moderation.