What's your type?

Many of you are familiar with the terms ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph.  For those of you who have not seen these terms they are a means of describing body types.  If you are an ecto then you are skinny, have a difficult time gaining muscle and generally perform well in endurance events.  If you are an endo you gain weight easily (both fat and muscle) and endurance events fill you with fear and loathing.  Mesos are the genetically gifted few who gain muscle quickly, perform well in endurance events and don't gain fat easily.

These terms are generalizations and like most all encompassing descriptors they are a starting point.  Many people can accurately be described as endo-mesos (or meso-endos) and others as ecto-mesos, etc.  The relevance of these terms has to do with understanding the percentage of muscle types one is born with and what one wants to do with that information.  Generally ectos have a greater concentration of type I muscle fibers and these aerobic fibers have more mitochondria (a cell's power source where ATP is produced) than Type IIa and Type IIb fibers which are associated with power and short term energy.  Type"a" fibers are a mix of aerobic and anaerobic tissue while IIb's are strictly anaerobic and recruit a greater number of fibers when they fire.  Type I fibers are known as slow twitch muscles and their advantage is that they last a long time due to their increased blood supply in comparison to the type II fibers which generate more power but posses less stamina (especially IIb's.)

Who cares? I know this already.

We all like to work to our strengths, so ecto's, like me, enjoy, long fast hikes, trad climbing and 20 minute body weight routines but are not as enthusiastic about workouts that suggest we clean 155lbs several times (my body weight at 6' tall) in addition to multiple burpees.  Endos prefer the cleans and mesos, on the other hand, are psyched to do everything.  The benefit of knowing your type is knowing how to approach your training.  Ectos have a tough time gaining muscle, while endos suffer in endurance events, but if you want to improve in your weak areas you have to train to your goal with an understanding of your type.

I think I have the lowest percentage of body fat at my gym.  I have trained all of my adult life and I have never gained more than 15 lbs of muscle and this is not for want of trying.  I experimented with protein diets and lifting heavy with no cardio for weeks and I saw few results and suffered from overuse injuries.  I am strong for my weight and height but I will never be a power lifting contender.  What I am is content.  I can compete in pullup and pushup competitions with the fit twenty and thirty somethings and I feel healthy.  The problem I have experienced, especially when I was training and doing carpentry, is that I am constantly moving, which makes it difficult for the body to heal and often leads to injury.  Now that I am slowing down a bit my form has improved in all of my lifts and I don't hurt all the time.
Recently I have stopped caring about the clock during Crossfit workouts.  Of course if I have the best numbers I might post them, but mostly I record these statistics in my book as a gauge - that's what a log is for.
No matter what your type, in order to progress, you need to set goals and keep records for yourself, not for other people.
If you are kicking some ass at Crossfit check in with your coach and ask her if your pushups  and pullups are legitimate and your lifts are in order.  You might be surprised by her answer.  As you work on form your time will suffer but your range of motion, alignment and strength will improve and so will your numbers (eventually.)

I am content to do the best job I can on any given day with good form.

It used to bother me when my "time obsessed" cohorts would beat me by seconds or minutes using improper technique.  Now I don't care.  When I am coaching I tell people every time I see something amiss with their technique and I work with them.  If they are in the middle of the WOD I point out the issue and when they have cooled down and recovered I discuss what I saw and ways to fix it.  This is the way we learn and although it is challenging it is crucial to the success of every client.

Over the past five years of coaching I have seen many people excel in their lifting capacity (most lift far more than I do.)  It is a pleasure to watch them grow and I would like to think that I had something to do with their success but most of these people, I knew from our first meeting, were built for strength.  Their body type gave them away, but this does not take anything away from their effort, training, desire and planning which has lead to their achievements.  On the contrary it accentuates the concept that knowing your talents is key to developing them.

No matter what your type the choice is yours. If you are an endo who wants to run marathons start reading and hire a running coach.  If you are an ecto who wants to lift heavy find the best gym you can afford with skilled trainers, read, rest and eat - a lot.  The only way to overcome you short comings or to develop your talents is to be specific in your training.  Attention to details and research, like every other pursuit, will lead to a more efficient use of your time.

Oh, and have fun.

Happy Holiday!