Fitness Figure Competitions - Body Types and Training Needs

It is hard to generalize but here is a mild standard you can use to help figure out your needs. You can draw on specific shaping choices for specific areas by examining your body type which is in addition to your basic all body training done on your chosen split.
Now you may fall in between a couple of these so then you would have to use some common sense and work with items from all the classifications you may fall under.

Mesomorph - you need to work on looking tall and elongated, balance and symmetry may come easy but so does fat if you slack off diet and training. Strength comes easy for you. You may have some or all of these characteristics. These are ideal for non tested shows such as NPC.

• Short
  
• Big to medium Boned
  
• Easy gainer for both fat and/or muscle
  
• Quick to respond to exercise and diet
  
• Thick
  
• Tends to already have hourglass type shape even when overweight
  
• Naturally physically strong
  
• Full plump muscle bellies
  
• Naturally symmetrical and balanced
  
• Tend to need attention to postural work

Endomorph - You tend to have a larger lower body and look more like a pear with first fat gains to bottom and last fat loss comes from the bottom. You have to pay attention to thigh toning and lateral work. Upper body needs muscle to offset the pear shape and is not too tough to accomplish with consistent weight training! Some of you have legs that taper in shape down from the thigh, lacking curves in the legs so calves are also a weak point which needs building. These are ideal for shows like NPC or INBA.

• Pyramid or pear shaped
  
• Larger fat deposits in the lower body
  
• Lack of shape in legs
  
• Weaker upper body
  
• Consistent weight training can easily correct body shape
  
• Strength and gains are usually quick
  
• Small waist alike mesomorph
  
• Shorter endos have meso traits
  
• Taller endos have ecto traits
  
• Alike mesos, focus on postural work

Ectomorph - you are typically the hard gain, some of you are strong and gain quicker but most of you have longer muscle bellies so you have to gain quite a bit of muscle for it to show as it is elongated. You are usually a taller person and can eat without gains but tend to have a lack of waist, apple shaped. Core work is essential as is shoulder and thigh work to off set lengthy look and shape more like hourglass. These are ideal for FAME or INBF.

• Lack of waist appearance but can remedy with quad and shoulder development
  
• Thicker upper legs
  
• Loose abs and weak transverse abs
  
• Lower or less muscular in back end
  
• Longer limbs, longer muscle bellies making it harder to show gains
  
• Higher calorie intake is needed
  
• Leaner easier and faster
  
• Naturally better posture in most cases
  

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By Linda Cusmano