How to pick a workout that will give you the best results, based on your body type

If you're having a hard time reaching your health and fitness goals, especially after eating clean and getting on the mat for gruelling workouts, it could have something to do with how your natural build responds to exercise, diet and lifestyle changes. The three basic body types are endomorphs, mesomorphs and ectomorphs, and can define different types of diets and exercise protocols for each.

Avni Talsania, a Mumbai-based yoga teacher, suggests that the three body types actually synchronise with Ayurveda’s ancient dosha categorisations. “Vata corresponds to ectomorph, which is lean and long, with difficulty building muscle. Kapha corresponds to endomorphs, which has a tendency to store body fat, while Pitta is similar to mesomorphs, which are muscular and well-built, with a high metabolism and responsible muscle cells," she says.

Endomorphs

This body type is characterised by more body fat that is stored in the lower body. The metabolism tends to be slow, and the bone structure is wider than other body types. On the other hand, endomorphs tend to have a better stamina than others, so they can hold postures or work out for longer time periods. 

1. “Those with endomorphic bodies should try doing SST (steady state training), that is longer sessions of moderate to low intensity exercise which includes walking, jogging and swimming,” states Ayush Arora, Delhi-based fitness trainer and certified functional training instructor. SST makes your heart more efficient, getting oxygen to the muscles faster and improving recovery time. It is also great for developing your aerobic fitness level and increasing your cardiovascular endurance.

2. Interval training, which revs up the heart rate and improves calorie burn, is a great workout form for endomorphs. It is an efficient form of cardio and requires a shorter time commitment. Plus, intense effort you put in creates an after-burn, so you’ll burn more calories in the 24 hours after an interval workout than you would after a steadier, slower-paced workout.

3. Experts say that muscle building work, with a mix of conditioning can strip away unwanted body fat as well, as muscles increase calorie burn too.

4. “Endomorphs would benefit most from power packed ashtanga yoga and dynamic heated vinyasa practices that picks up their heart rate and jumpstarts the metabolism. Fast paced pranayama helps to combat sluggishness and dullness,” suggests Talsania.

Ectomorphs

Those with an ectomorphic body type find it harder to gain muscle, and have a fast metabolism. “Ectomorphs have a fast metabolism and can easily stave off fat from accumulating in the body,” says Amaresh Ojha, CEO and founder, Gympik. But it can be really hard to bulk up due to their thin-boned body structure. 

1. People of this group benefit more from a high caloric diet and a fast and intense weight training routine, focused on big muscle groups. Ojha advises that the fitness regime for ectomorphs can be designed with more focus on compound exercises like walking lunges, box squats and burpees.

2. The ideal routine could be two-three days of weight training and two days of a low-intensity cardio like walking, as anything more intense could make the body lose more calories and prevent muscles from being built.

3. Strengthening poses are best for building muscle mass. “I recommend holding postures to build strength with a prop support for stability,” advises Talsania. According to her, those with ectomorphic bodies should avoid fast-paced vinyasa yoga.

Mesomorphs

As a mesomorph, you will be well-built and muscular without having to spend too much time at the gym. Mesomorphs are able to build new muscle, and don't store body fat. 

1. “Mesomorphs are naturally strong because their muscles are thick and dense. Lifting moderate-to-heavy weights, with limited rest in between sets, five days a week is ideal to stimulate muscle growth,” says Arora.

2. Ojha believes that it is easiest to maintain weight with minimal efforts for this body type. He suggests bodyweight exercises that build strength and muscle with low reps and explosive moves. “This not only helps them develop athletic capabilities but also improves muscle mass. For this, plyometric exercises such as box jumps, jump squats, sprints are more effective workouts,” adds Ojha.

3. For a more holistic approach, those with mesomorphic bodies could gain flexibility and strength by practising the slow hatha yoga that helps to cool down the internal agni or metabolism. “The less recommended style would be Bikram yoga, due to the excess of heat in the room,” says Talsania.

Experts are quick to point out that these regimes are indicative rather than conclusive. “Although our body types can have innate strengths and weaknesses, it’s about balance,” says Talsania. Plus most people don't fit into one single body type, so mixing and matching, experimenting and listening to your body (and a pro!) is important before diving-deep into one style. 

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for food, medicines, exercises and so on.   

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We all know people who just can’t apologize — well, here’s why

Since I started writing the “Dear Guy” column, I’ve received many letters from readers asking why some people in their lives just seem unable to apologize — even when they’re clearly in the wrong.

Are they just stubborn? Or is there something in their psychology that stops them from being able to take responsibility for their actions and simply say they’re sorry?

To be clear, even the most conscientious among us occasionally fails to apologize. When this happens, it’s usually for one of two reasons: (1) We don’t care enough about the other person or the relationship to take on the emotional discomfort of owning our mistake and apologizing for it; or (2) We believe our apology won’t matter.

For example, let’s say you snapped at a colleague who interrupted you while you were racing to meet a tight deadline. If you think the coworker already holds a grudge against you for an earlier incident, you may skip apologizing since you feel it really won’t help your relationship with them.

People who can’t apologize appear to be tough individuals who refuse to back down. But they don’t do this because they’re strong — it’s because they’re weak. 

But what about the people who can never admit they’ve misstepped, no matter the circumstance? What makes them incapable of apologizing even when they’re obviously in the wrong? For these people, admitting wrongdoing and offering an apology is too psychologically threatening. Offering an apology implies that they’ve harmed another person in some way, which can elicit feelings of shame. 

People who cannot apologize often have such deep feelings of low self-worth that their fragile egos cannot absorb the blow of admitting they were wrong. So their defense mechanisms kick in — at times, unconsciously —  and they may externalize any blame and even dispute basic facts to ward off the threat of having to lower themselves by offering an apology. When they double down on their wrongness by blaming circumstances, denying the facts, or attacking the other person or people involved, non-apologizers can make themselves feel empowered rather than diminished.

Unfortunately, many of us mistakenly interpret these people’s fragility-driven defensiveness as a sign of psychological strength. That’s because outwardly they appear to be tough individuals who refuse to back down. But they don’t do this because they’re strong — it’s because they’re weak. 

Psychologically speaking, admitting that we’re wrong is emotionally uncomfortable and painful to our sense of self. In order to take responsibility and apologize, our self-esteem needs to be strong enough for us to absorb that discomfort. Indeed, if our self-esteem is higher and stable, we can tolerate the temporary ding that such an admission involves — without the walls around our ego crumbling.

But if our self-esteem is seemingly high but actually fragile, that ding can pierce through our defensive walls and score a direct hit to our ego. Indeed, as a rule of psychological thumb, the more rigid one’s defense mechanisms are, the more fragile the ego they’re protecting.

The mistake we often make when faced with someone incapable of apologizing is to become irate and try to win our argument with them. But the sad reality is: We’ll never win. 

The mistake we often make when faced with someone who’s habitually incapable of apologizing is to become irate (for good reason, of course) and try to win our argument with them (because we’re right!). But the sad and frustrating reality is we can never win. Even if we demonstrated that they were wrong in stark, inarguable facts, they will either deny those inarguable facts or pivot to a personal attack by saying something like “Why do you always make things difficult and unpleasant?!?”.

In these situations, the best we can do is to make our points as calmly and as convincingly as we can and then disengage from the argument when it becomes unproductive — like when they dispute the facts, come up with ridiculous excuses or pivot to petty remarks. Once they calm down and once they no longer feel attacked, we can then look for signs of contrition. Are they extra kind or solicitous to us? This is their way of unconsciously trying to mend the relationship with us in ways that aren’t threatening to their sense of self. By going that extra mile in the aftermath of their misdoing, they can feel good about themselves rather than bad.

If the non-apologizer is a close connection, tap into your empathy and compassion. Remind yourself that beneath their stubborn exterior, they are incredibly vulnerable.  

OK, so what can you do about the non-apologizers in your own life? Especially if they’re your family members, coworkers or friends? Well, if they are not people you interact with regularly, you can consider minimizing contact with them. But if they are close connections, you can try to make your peace with them.

The best way to do this is to accept their behavior — annoying as it is — and realize they’re simply psychologically incapable of apologizing. What’s more, they’re not going to change. Practicing acceptance can help you disengage from arguments with them and help you limit your feelings of frustration, anger and hurt.

Then, if the non-apologizer is a close connection of yours, you can also tap into your empathy and compassion. Remind yourself that beneath their stubborn-as-a-bull exterior, they are incredibly vulnerable.  

The bottom line is this: We all have moments when we refuse to admit we’re wrong. But when someone never takes responsibility and is habitually incapable of apologizing, it’s a sign that they’re a person with a fragile ego and a weak sense of self.

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement