People come in all shapes and sizes. While your lifestyle influences your shape, the differences actually start very early in fetal development.

Initially we are made up of three different embryonic tissues, and as we develop one or two of them will tend to predominate. The basic body shapes we are familiar with have been identified based on these developmental differences: ECTOMORPHS, MESOMORPHS and ENDOMORPHS.

Everyone has some degree of each type, but generally one will predominate. On the chart below each person can be placed at a specific point, which characterizes his or her basic make-up:

Why is this important? Because differently shaped people have different needs. The right exercise for one person is wrong for another. A supermodel would not be healthy doing Schwartzenegger’s exercise routine and Arnold would surely wilt doing exercise which was adequate for John Candy. The same goes for dietary needs. Imagine Arnold on a supermodel’s diet!

Accept who you are. You have unique needs. Your body functions its own way. Feel for what works for you, what makes you the most energetic and healthy, and learn to develop your aptitudes.