Asthenic types of the human constitution. Asthenic body type in men and women

And why, in fact, do we need to know our body type? The answer to this question cannot be monosyllabic. Firstly, it is easier for people who know the features of their figure to choose their wardrobe. In addition, every self-respecting athlete or coach knows that the principles depend on the type of physique. healthy eating each person and the characteristics of training. Just as people with different body shapes don't fit the same clothes, people with different physiques don't fit the same workout routines, even if they have the same goal. Let's learn more about body types!

Body Types

The physique of both men and women depends on a number of parameters, among which are the following:

• body dimensions;
• proportions of body parts;
• characteristics and composition of tissues;
• muscle shapes;
• features of the development of tissues, organs, body parts.

For the most part, nutritionists and fitness trainers proceed from the classification of physiques proposed by Professor Chernorutsky V.M. There are only three of them: asthenic, normosthenic and hypersthenic.

Determine body type

Asthenic type:

• the chest and neck are extended;
• the diaphragm is low;
• narrow shoulders;
• long limbs;
• growth is average or above average;
• muscles are poorly developed;
• little adipose tissue.
• Accumulation of adipose tissue is slow or absent

Normosthenic type:

• muscles are better developed than in a person of a hyposthenic type;
• strong bone skeleton;
• broad shoulders;
• proportional length of arms and legs;
• reserves of adipose tissue at an average level.
• The accumulation of fat is adequate to the loss of adipose tissue.

Hypersthenic type:

• short neck;
• the diaphragm is high;
• the amount of fat in the body is above average;
• short stature.
• The accumulation of adipose tissue occurs rapidly.

In general, the description is rather vague, but in general, you can get an idea about your type of addition.

Another way to determine the type of physique is by the circumference of the wrist. If you have already been pregnant, then you probably remember how the doctor, when registering, measures the so-called Solovyov index. You can determine the body type of a woman using a flexible centimeter tape. Measure the circumference of your wrist, and now look at the results. The circumference with a height of 160-175 is:

• 15-17 cm - in normosthenic;
• from 17 cm - in hypersthenic;
• up to 15 cm - in asthenic.

Asthenic body type

Women of this constitution are characterized by general thinness, a long and thin neck, narrow shoulders, a flat and narrow chest, elongated thin limbs, a long face and a thin nose. Growth is often above average. The muscles of such women are poorly developed, so they lack strength and endurance. But the representatives of this group are energetic, light and elegant, have a small weight.

Of the obvious advantages of an asthenic physique, it is worth mentioning the minimum tendency to be overweight. Of the minuses - a frequent feeling of weakness and a drop in blood pressure.

When choosing sports disciplines, it is better to give preference to those that are aimed at developing the missing skills: strength and endurance. These include swimming, aerobics, dancing. Typical representatives of the asthenic physique are Keira Knightley, Nicole Kidman and Kate Moss in her best years.

Normosthenic body type

In women of this constitution, the main body sizes are proportional. Such ladies often have slender legs, a thin waist and, in general, a harmonious figure. Growth is usually average. Such people are naturally well-coordinated, sharp and fast. Of the sports disciplines, game types (volleyball, basketball, etc.), as well as tennis, water aerobics, are best suited. Happy owners of this type of physique are Cindy Crawford and Monica Bellucci.

Hypersthenic body type

Women of this constitution have heavy and wide bones, voluminous shoulders, a wide and short chest, and slightly shortened limbs (as a rule). Growth is often below average. By nature, such ladies have strength and endurance, but are deprived of flexibility and grace. Therefore, the recommended sports disciplines are as follows: yoga, Pilates, martial arts, etc.

The disadvantages of the hypersthenic body type include a low metabolic rate, which implies an increased tendency to be overweight.

Ladies representing such a physique are the singer Beyoncé and the most famous plus-size model Jenny Rank.

Asthenic physique implies natural thinness and thinness of the bone. People with this body type are practically not, but it is not easy for them to gain muscle mass either. Usually such people have narrow shoulders and chest, often too tall, which is not in harmony with thinness. Long limbs, long face skin pale. Paleness is caused by low pressure; asthenics have constantly cold extremities.

Asthenics have an accelerated metabolism, which also complicates the process of weight gain. If such a person wants to get better, he needs to eat very often and in large quantities. These are sickly and weak people, but they sleep very little. By nature, they are sensitive and impressionable, often underestimated or painfully overestimated self-esteem.

They are easy to offend, but they are not prone to torment and analysis of what happened. Asthenics are not prone to shocking, do not strive to show themselves in society. In a difficult situation, they get lost, do not like changes in their usual life situation, strangers. Of the positive features, one can mention scrupulousness and conscientiousness in work, decency and diligence, balance.

Normosthenic physique

Normostenik has a proportional muscular figure, and the muscle tissue is naturally developed. It is easy for these people to achieve a sports figure. Their metabolism is also fast, but with a sedentary lifestyle, fat will be deposited. They need to eat more protein foods than fat and carbohydrate foods. In this case, they will not recover.

By nature, normosthenics are quite proud, they strive to become leaders in everything. They are not afraid of dangers, they quickly find a solution in a difficult situation. Many of them are aggressive and tough, in society they behave relaxed and noisy. Emotions are usually boiling in them, they are quick-witted and witty.

Hypersthenic physique

Hypersthenics have rounded shapes, they have a wide skeleton. The fat mass prevails over the muscle mass. Limbs are usually short, metabolism is slow. They easily gain extra pounds and hardly build muscle mass. These people tend to shy away from sports, but they need it. Without physical activity their figure will inexorably blur over time.

At the same time, their appetite is moderate, they are prone to diseases of the digestive and circulatory systems. By nature, they are good-natured and sincere people, calm and self-confident. They are strongly attached to close people and take care of them, this sometimes comes to possessiveness. Hypersthenics need to carefully monitor their health more than others.

Body types are a conditional classification of the most common types of human figures, divided into ectomorphs, mesomorphs and endomorphs. The somatotype theory was developed by William Sheldon in the 1940s and was based on a statistical analysis of the anthropological parameters of male students. At the same time, the physique characteristics of women were not initially considered by scientists¹.

At the same time, nutrition is the main secret of how an ectomorph can quickly build muscle and gain mass. Naturally skinny guys who want to bulk up need to significantly increase their daily calorie intake, as well as consume whey isolate every few hours. The reason is that the growth and further maintenance of muscle mass requires a significant amount of calories.

Mass gain rules for ectomorphs:

• Workouts for
• Increasing calorie intake by 20-25%
• Nutritional emphasis on slow carbohydrates and high-quality protein
• Using Techniques to Accelerate Muscle Recovery

Mesomorph - characteristics

The difficulty in gaining mass in this case lies in the fact that a slow metabolism and limited ability to store energy make training for a novice endomorph especially difficult. To kick-start your metabolism, it is recommended to take a pre-workout and a small portion of fast carbohydrates 30-40 minutes before the start of the workout - this will help give the muscles more energy for exercise.

How to train an endomorph:

• Alternating cycles for mass and relief
• Emphasis on functional training
• Regular cardio
• Basic program to pump up

How to determine body type?

It is also interesting that in some people (most often women) the upper body may have signs of one type of physique, and the bottom - another. That's why ordinary person it is extremely difficult to determine whether he is an endomorph, mesomorph or ectomorph. For women, to determine the type of physique, the classification adopted in Ayurveda and yoga is recommended.

At the same time, we recall once again that the anthropologist William Sheldon, the author of the theory of body types and temperament, separately noted that “pure” somatotypes are practically never found. IN real life each individual person is always a combination of all three body types, but in certain proportions - in fact, there are about 10 key body types.

Body Type Theory Accuracy

While most fitness websites unequivocally support the three body types theory, it was debunked by the scientific community as far back as the 1970s². The main reason was just the fact that in reality there are countless combinations of somatotypes, and there are simply no clear criteria for determining these types. In addition, characteristics of different types can be combined in a person.

Fitseven recommends sticking to the diet and exercise recommendations above for different body types only if you can absolutely classify yourself as one of them. Otherwise, you will need an individual solution consisting of a combination of training programs.

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From what type of physique prevails in a person by nature, the training and nutrition strategy that he needs to create a sports figure largely depends. However, there are almost no pure somatotypes, and most real people combine the characteristics of all three body types. You also need to remember that this theory was originally developed for men and is not always applicable to women.

Scientific sources:

1. William H. Sheldon, Barbara Honeyman Heath and the Struggle for Hegemony in the Science of Somatotyping, pdf
2. Somatotyping, antimodernism, and the production of criminological knowledge,
3. Somatotype Profile and Body Composition of Players from the Mexican Professional Basketball League,
4. Body composition and somatotype of judo athletes and untrained male students as a reference group for comparison in sport, pdf

There are many classifications that help the fair sex decide what type of figure nature has awarded each and which style will be the most advantageous. But they are all combined into a more global one, which considers, or vitals (vitals). There are three of them: asthenic, normosthenic, hypersthenic.

The classification of body types is based on the ratio of height, length and width of the body. The physique is inherited by us, and no physical exercises can significantly change it. A small effect on the constitution of the body can only be made in early childhood, and it can also be changed as a result of a serious illness, especially if it was transferred before the onset of sexual development.

Asthenic physique

Other names: hyposthenic, ectomorph, Vata dosha.

Graceful thin-boned persons, which we mainly see on the catwalks and in advertising, are a classic portrait of an asthenic type. As a rule, asthenic women are taller than average, but they are also miniature.

They hardly gain weight, even if they eat a lot, and retain grace and lightness into old age. Their body type is .

The physique of a hyposthenic is characterized by the following external features:

• fragile figure;
• flexible body;
• narrow shoulders;
• long thin neck;
• relatively short body;
• narrow chest;
• shoulders and hips of equal width;
• not big breasts;
• thin elongated limbs, long palms and fingers;
• elongated face with a thin nose and high forehead;
• pale, thin and not very elastic skin;
• low level of subcutaneous fat;
• underdeveloped muscles.

Of the other signs of asthenic physique, associated not so much with appearance as with health characteristics, stand out:

• lack of strength and endurance;
• fatigue;
• hypotension;
• low hemoglobin level;
• tendency to frequent colds;
• diseases of the spine;
• vegetovascular dystonia;
• stomach problems;
• tall ;
• thermophilicity.

Of the features of the character of ectomorphs, one can distinguish:

• a tendency to seclusion;
• thoughtfulness;
• artistry;
• secrecy and restraint.

Of the sports disciplines, dancing, swimming, aerobics will be useful, they will contribute to the development of endurance, or power loads for the development of muscle mass. Limit cardio.

Normosthenic physique

Other names: mesomorph, Pitta dosha.

Athletic sports constitution of the body gives proportionality and harmonious addition.

The mesomorph woman has:

• relief sports proportional body with outlines "";
• well-developed muscles with a small fat layer;
• proportional body and limbs;
• shoulders slightly wider than hips;
• chest of medium size;
• pronounced waist;
• normal metabolism;
• skeleton of medium width;
• elastic stomach;
• well developed shoulders;
• dexterous, fast and sharp movements, excellent coordination;
• dense elastic skin;
• hard hair.

Such women can easily gain and lose extra pounds, but in general they cannot be classified as either thin or full, since this addition is considered the classic standard of the female figure.

By the nature of a mesomorph woman:

• active;
• ambitious;
• prone to leadership and adventurism;
• self-confident;
• love sports and active walks.

There are few health deficiencies in normosthenics, however, in general they tend to:

• hypertension;
• rheumatism;
• diseases of the respiratory and digestive systems.

Nutrition for normosthenic women should consist of 40% protein, 40% carbohydrates and 20% fat.

In sports, it is better to give preference to tennis, basketball, volleyball and other game types.

Hypersthenic physique

Other names: endomorph, brachymorph, Kapha dosha.

Hypersthenic women have the following figure characteristics:

• lush;
• barrel chest;
• voluminous shoulders and short arms;
• wide hips;
• heavy wide bone;
• short and wide chest;
• growth is average or below average;
• soft loose skin;
• big chest;
• strong short legs;
• short hands, feet and fingers;
• soft facial features;
• fine soft hair.

The type of figure of an endomorph woman is "" or ""; it refers to complete.

Of the features of the character of hypersthenics, they note:

• tolerance;
• lack of aggression;
• love for comfort
• slowness;
• increased appetite.

Endomorph women are prone to diseases such as:

• hypertension;
• diabetes;
• atherosclerosis and high blood cholesterol;
• obesity;
• respiratory problems;
• liver disease.

The nutrition of female endomorphs should consist of 50% protein, 40% complex carbohydrates and 10% fat, as a slow volume of substances leads to the accumulation of subcutaneous fat, which is difficult to remove.

Of the sports, it is better for them to prefer yoga, callanetics, swimming, martial arts and intense cardio training to increase flexibility and get rid of excess fat.

How to determine what type you are?

The easiest way- measure the circumference of the woman's wrist below the protruding bone.

• Up to 16 cm - asthenic addition;
• 16-18 cm - normosthenic;
• More than 18 cm - hypersthenic.

You can do without a centimeter. The thumb and middle finger of one hand clasp the wrist of the other hand below the bone.

• Fingers cover one another - ectomorph.
• Fingers touching each other - mesomorph.
• Fingers do not touch - endomorph.

It is possible through regular observations of your own body: for example, how quickly weight is gained and lost.

In fitness centers, you can undergo special testing, which includes the measurement of certain physical data. This method is considered one of the most reliable.

Also, any coach will be able to determine the type of human figure in two simple ways:

• in the first - by measuring the width of the elbow joint bent at a right angle and comparing it with the indicators;
• in the second - along the intercostal angle: the thumb and forefinger are applied to the lower ribs in the lateral area, the resulting angle between the fingers indicates what kind of physique a person has:
  • less than 90 o - hyposthenic;
  • 90 o - normosthenic;
  • more than 90 o - hypersthenic.

Body types in women are variants of the norm of the human constitution. This means that the constitution defines the features appearance and the state of health of its owner. Basically, the structural features of the female body are hereditary in nature, but initially knowing your type of figure, you can early age make timely adjustments.

Variations of the female figure

There are several systems for grading the appearance of the female body. The most common is a very simple and understandable way to determine the shape of the body:

• asthenic (or hyposthenic);
• normosthenic;
• hypersthenic.

If you think that knowing your body type is not particularly important, we bet. Certain types of figures are distinguished by different problem areas, over which you can “sweat” in the gym, change your diet, the rhythm of life and choose the best clothes.

Wrist size - an indicator of the type of figure

Sometimes you don’t want to bother or it’s hard to decide on your own kind of silhouette, but there is an easy way to determine the body type in women, just by measuring the wrist. Solovyov's index is a parameter that will help determine the type. It is equal to the circumference of the wrist in centimeters.

Calculation of the indicator:

• Less than 15 - asthenic;
• In zone 15-17 - normosthenic;
• More than 17 - hypersthenic.

Asthenic body type in ectomorph women

• According to the generally accepted opinion, these are the very happy owners of slender and thin figures. According to other ladies, these women are witches who eat a lot and practically do not gain weight. Note that there are two sides of the same coin. In their youth, asthenic ladies are slim, but with age, fat is still deposited in the most unsympathetic places: on the back and waist, which forms an inaccurate and disproportionate image.
• In the matter of maintaining good physical shape, it is easier for such women, because their lipids accumulate slowly. Of the minuses, we note that although these girls are sinewy, thin and energetic, but untrained young ladies have the lowest level of endurance and strength indicators.

• The development of muscles turns into sheer torture for ectomorphs. Since the growth processes are slowed down not only in fat, but also in muscles. That is why it is very difficult to give a sporty pumped-up look to the silhouette.
• The appearance of such ladies is not particularly popular among men, because they are angular, devoid of pleasant roundness and look like teenagers. Any model on the show is a vivid example of this type of physique.
• The shortened "upper" part of the torso and long limbs create the illusion of "legs from the ears." Weakly developed lipid tissue often affects the size of the bust, and sometimes causes its absence.
• Narrow shoulders and chest, narrow feet and hands and a narrow waist! The Solovyov index, which helps to determine the type of figure by the wrist, is less than 15.
• As for training, it is easier for such ladies, since they almost never have to deal with being overweight. An ectomorph woman can immediately start strength training in the form of a split, avoiding aerobic counterparts.
• After achieving the desired results, you must definitely go through an unpleasant, but effective procedure"drying".
• With a possible weight loss, these young ladies first begin to "leave" the muscles, so calorie restriction will not help with body shaping. Panacea - a special diet and strength training.

Normosthenic body type - mesomorphs

• No matter how changeable dictates youth fashion demand for skinny young ladies, the figure of a mesomorph woman (normosthenic) is considered a classic ideal of beauty. They don't seem haggard or circus women. Their body is proportional, with well-developed muscle tissue and a minimum of body fat. Such girls are athletic and embossed by nature.
• Mesomorph instantly, if desired, parted with fat reserves and instantly gains muscle mass. By nature, their metabolic rate is high, but with age, in the absence of adequate physical activity, metabolic processes slow down significantly, and the weight is rapidly creeping up.

• The part of the body above is slightly smaller than the one below, i.e. legs are not "from the ears", but not shorty either. At the same time, the average size of the chest, hands and feet.
• Solovyov's index for wrist size is 15-17.
• Often the figure resembles the notorious hourglass, and with extra pounds, a pear or an apple.
• Young ladies with similar parameters can achieve records in sports in the shortest possible time.
• The problem of the "wasp waist" is quite acute in this case, because for the coveted forms, figured ladies will have to sweat in the hall. Of the sports disciplines, it is worth paying attention to game types: basketball, volleyball, aerobics and tennis.

Hypersthenic constitution of the trunk - endomorphs

• Endomorphs (people with a hypersthenic type) are precisely those persons whom sculptors and artists sang with love in their works. "Venus de Milo" by Botticelli, "Danae" by Titian, modern beauty icons Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe, Beyoncé and other ladies "in the body" are a vivid embodiment of this type of "body arrangement". Lush ladies are famous for their femininity and sensuality.

• Such girls justify their excess weight heredity, the fact that there should be many good people and the fact that men do not throw themselves at the dice, but there is a fundamental difference. From the birth of adipose tissue, endomorphs have more than muscle tissue, but this does not mean that such ladies are doomed to eternal fullness. Such a variation of the fair sex should only be given more time and effort to bring the figure back to normal. Only laziness does not allow such girls to be pumped up and resilient.
• Transverse dimensions predominate over longitudinal ones (legs and arms are short). The chest is wide, the same waist, massive hips, large joints, feet and hands.
• The Solovyov index is more than 17 positions.

• The mass of fat prevails over muscle mass.
• The combination of feminine roundness and good muscle tone will give trained endomorph ladies a seductive and exciting look.
• But if such a young lady suddenly decides to lose weight and turn into a withered roach, she will have to make titanic efforts, which are unlikely to succeed.
• Even if weight loss succeeds, the girl's appearance will be painful and disproportionate. In such individuals, muscles grow beautifully, but it is difficult to see them under a dense layer of fat, which must first be burned. The latter is problematic, since metabolic processes in this form are significantly inferior in speed to the previous two.
• Stored fat is hard to lose, and for training, we advise you to choose intensive cardio workouts with a medium load and switch to a low-carb diet. Remember that breakdowns and relaxation will lead to an instant return of lost kilos.

You have learned the main female body types, we have described their features, advantages and disadvantages. As you have noticed, there is no "bad" or "good" physique, each has its own zest. But we note that there is a common feature for everyone - beauty and women's health directly depends on the regularity of her visit to the gym.

Remember, no matter what type your silhouette is, only proper nutrition and increased physical activity will allow you to maintain female attractiveness for a long time.

Video: Typology of the female physique