In my time at Bedford School in England and the time that I played Junior Rugby in Sri Lanka, I played as a full back. I was able to kick, drop kick, place kick, without any effort, maybe because of my soccer background.
I remember very well how my heavy set school friends in Sri Lanka were selected to play in the ‘pack’ because they were bigger than me. Some of my friends were over 100kgs and they had difficulty running even 20 meters. It was the norm to have tall and strong guys in the line out while placing slim sprinters in the wings. This goes to show that a person’s physical makeup or structure was the determining factor in terms of the position they played in a sport, regardless of their fitness levels or even skill levels.
When I was helping the school rugby setup in Sri Lanka during the past few years (I had played Rugby many years ago), I noticed that the coaches’ mentality in selection of positions hadn’t changed much. They used the same old theories. In countries like the UK and Australia the process is somewhat different. Yes size and shape do matter, but so do your skills and fitness level.
In Sri Lanka, girls who are tall in school, probably play either netball, volleyball or take part in the high jump. Stronger and heavier girls most often take part in the Javelin throw or discus throw. But if you are short and chubby, well theoretically, there would be no suitable sport for you.
Today let’s look at body sizes and shapes in basic SCIENTIFIC terms. It’s definitely not categorized as short, tall, slim, fat or huge anymore. In sports medicine all these body types are categorized as Ectomorphy, Mesomorphy and Endomorphy.
ECTOMORPH
An ectomorph is a typical skinny guy. Ecto’s have a light build with small joints and lean muscle. Usually ectomorph’s have long thin limbs with stringy muscles. Shoulders tend to be thin with little width.
AN ECTOMORPH:
• Small “delicate” frame and bone structure
• Classic “hard gainer”
• Flat chest
• Small shoulders
• Thin
• Lean muscle mass
• Finds it hard to gain weight
• Fast metabolism
Ectomorphs find it very hard to gain weight. They have a fast metabolism which burns up calories very quickly. Ecto’s need a huge amount of calories in order to gain weight. Workouts should be short and intense focusing on big muscle groups. Supplements are definitely recommended. Ectomorphs should eat before bed to prevent muscle catabolism during the night. Generally, ectomorphs can lose fat very easily which makes cutting back to lean muscle easier for them.
MESOMORPH
A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally athletic physique. Mesomorphs are the best body type for bodybuilding. They find it quite easy to gain and lose weight. They are naturally strong, which is the perfect platform for building muscle.
A MESOMORPH:
• Athletic
• Generally hard body
• Well defined muscles
• Rectangular shaped body
• Strong
• Gains muscle easily
• Gains fat more easily than ectomorphs
The mesomorph body type responds the best to weight training. Gains are usually seen very quickly, especially for beginners. The downside to mesomorphs is they gain fat more easily than ectomorphs. This means they must watch their calorie intake. Usually a combination of weight training and cardio works best for mesomorphs.
ENDOMORPH
The endomorph body type is solid and generally soft. Endomorphs gain fat very easily. Endo’s are usually of a shorter build with thick arms and legs. Muscles are strong, especially the upper legs. Endomorphs find they are naturally strong in leg exercises like the squat.
AN ENDOMORPH:
• Soft and round body
• Gains muscle and fat very easily
• Is generally short
• “Stocky” build
• Round physique
• Finds it hard to lose fat
• Slow metabolism
• Muscles not so well defined
When it comes to training endomorphs find it very easy to gain weight. Unfortunately, a large portion of this weight is fat not muscle. To keep fat gain to a minimum, endomorphs must always do cardio workouts as well as weights. Usually supplements may not be needed as long as the person has a high protein intake in their diet.
COMBINATION OF BODY TYPES
These body types aren’t set in stone. In fact, most guys have a combination of two body types. These combinations are either ectomorph/mesomorph or mesomorph/endomorph. It is not uncommon to find a pure mesomorph that gains weight like an endomorph for example.
So which body type are you?
Given the information above you should be able to identify your body type. You may also want to optimize your diet and training to suit your body type.
One final point I want to mention is that no matter what your body type is you can build a big, ripped, muscular physique. Even the skinniest of guys can bulk up. Yes, it’s harder but if you’re willing to put in the hard work it can be done.
But one thing’s for sure, everything needs to be done in a scientific manner, with proper fitness & wellness schedules accompanying it.
Size does matter but only when you use your brain wisely. Unfortunately when I watch certain “Masculine” sports in Sri Lanka, it seems like players don’t use their brains to its full potential at all.
I see heavy set, big bicep, huge shouldered chaps who have used up heaps of drugs and supplements – their bodies impressive, but their mentalities? Depressing.
They should go play Netball or scrabble.
Rugby??? DEFINITELY NOT!
