Your Body Type Could Be Sabotaging Your Workouts — Expert Shows The Fix

Have you ever felt like you're doing everything right with your workouts but still not seeing results? You're not alone. Countless people struggle with exercise programs that simply weren't designed for their body type. "We are all created different but just as beautiful," says Joanna Soh, a certified Personal Trainer (ACE) and Nutrition Coach with over 3 million YouTube subscribers. With her Masters in Mental Health and over a decade in the fitness industry, she's discovered why some workout programs fail — and how to fix them by understanding your unique body type.

Why Your Body Type Matters More Than You Think

"With dedication to your training and eating right, you can get closer to your goals," Joanna explains in her post. "But your daily exercise, diet, habits, lifestyle and even metabolic changes through pregnancy or menopause can skew your body type." Understanding where you fit among the three main body types is crucial for success:

Ectomorph (Banana/Ruler Type)

Ectomorphs have a lean, slender build with long limbs and a fast metabolism. They typically have small frames with narrow shoulders and hips, thin bones, and less muscle mass compared to other body types. Due to their high metabolic rate, ectomorphs often struggle to gain weight or build muscle, no matter their diet or exercise routine.

While they may appear naturally thin, this doesn't always mean they're healthy or fit. Ectomorphs need a balanced diet and exercise plan to stay healthy and potentially increase muscle mass. Dr. Eric Berg, a health educator, explains, "Ectomorphs have a fast metabolism and burn calories quickly, explaining why this body type loses weight easily." This highlights the unique metabolic traits of ectomorphs and the need for tailored diet and exercise plans.

Think: Zendaya, Taylor Swift, Cameron Diaz

Quick Checklist:

• Naturally thin frame with long limbs
• Narrow shoulders and hips
• Difficulty gaining weight or muscle
• Small joints and lean muscle mass
• Fast metabolism
• Usually above-average height.

Mesomorph (Hourglass/Athletic Type)

“As a mesomorph, you're blessed with a naturally athletic build. The mesomorph body type is athletic, muscular, and strong. A mesomorph body type will appear fat and contain muscle mass easily. However, it's crucial to understand that body types aren't set in stone. One common myth is that body types can't be changed. They can. Your body is constantly changing, influenced by lifestyle, diet, sleep, and exercise,” saysKim Shapira, M.S., R.D., Celebrity Dietitian, Nutritional Therapist, and Author.

Think: Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry, Jessica Biel

Quick Checklist:

• Athletic, muscular build
• Broad shoulders that match hip width
• Gains and loses weight evenly
• Responds quickly to exercise
• Medium-sized bone structure
• Naturally strong and toned.

Endomorph (Apple/Pear Type)

The pear body type is characterized by specific features that differentiate it from other body shapes.

Upper Body: Individuals with a pear shape tend to have shoulders that are narrower than their hips.

Midsection: A pear-shaped body often includes a well-defined waist, creating an hourglass appearance. The bust is typically smaller in proportion to the hips.

Lower Body: The distinguishing feature of the pear shape is a wider lower body, including hips and thighs. The buttocks may be fuller and more rounded.

“If you imagine the shape of a pear fruit — wider at the bottom and narrower at the top — that's the basic idea of a pear body shape. It's different from other body shapes like ectomorphs (with balanced shoulders and hips), ectomorph (more straight up and down). The pear shape is characterized by its distinct proportions, with more emphasis on the lower body,” says Arabella Featherstone, a Fitness Trainer, Coach & Nutrition Expert.

Think: Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Hudson, Beyoncé

Quick Checklist:

• Softer, curvier figure
• Wider hips than shoulders
• Gains muscle easily but also stores fat readily
• Slower metabolism
• Shorter limbs with sturdy bone structure
• Usually shorter to medium height.

Stop Fighting Your Natural Build

"If you have been eating well and exercising, but you're not getting the results you're looking for, then perhaps you are not doing it correctly according to your body type," Joanna advises. Understanding your type helps you stop fighting against your genetics and start working with them.

The Ectomorph Solution: Building and Maintaining Muscle

For ectomorphs, who seem to eat endlessly without gaining weight, Joanna recommends a specific approach: "We want to focus on resistance training and limit cardio." She explains that the key is lifting heavy weights for 6-10 reps with longer rest periods, focusing on compound movements like squats, lunges, and bench presses.

Fueling the Ectomorph Body

"Your body tends to burn off energy really fast," Joanna explains to ectomorphs. "Low carb fat loss diets are not for you." Instead, she recommends eating every 2-4 hours because "you need to keep fueling your engine." The ideal split should be 50% carbs, 30% protein, and 20% fat, with 700-1000 more calories than maintenance level.

The Mesomorph Advantage: Balance is Key

"Count yourself lucky," Joanna tells mesomorphs. "You are considered to have the good genes because you have an efficient metabolism." This natural advantage means mesomorphs can build muscle and lose fat more easily than other types.

Maximizing Mesomorph Results

Joanna warns mesomorphs about common mistakes: "You will lose muscle mass if you are too focused on endurance conditioning and you can gain excess fat if you only perform heavy resistance training." The solution? A varied approach combining "moderate to heavy strength training three to four times weekly and mix it up with HIIT workouts as your cardio two to three times weekly."

RELATED: 50-Year-Old Woman Shares 11 Menopause Belly Fat Tips, “The Fat Just Melted Away”

The Endomorph Strategy: Working With Your Body

"If you are thinking that you are destined to be overweight right now, this is absolutely not true," Joanna emphasizes. "You can change your body by changing your lifestyle. If your metabolism is sluggish, you need to eat the right food to fire up your metabolism."

Endomorph Training: The Right Way

For endomorphs, success comes from smart training: "Your aim is to complete more work in less time. That means shorter rest periods because we want to keep your heart rate elevated throughout the majority of a session." Joanna notes that endomorphs have natural advantages too: "Your muscles are strong, especially your lower body, so you can really lift."

The Endomorph Diet Solution

"You tend to be more insulin resistant and have a lower carbohydrate tolerance," Joanna explains. Her solution? "The best method is to avoid high carb or starchy carb foods outside of the workout window." Focus on "protein, healthy fats and vegetables" throughout the day, saving carbs for post-workout meals.

RELATED: Coach Lost 20 Pounds in Under 3 Months with These 5 Simple Hacks

Your Path to Success

"There is no one simple solution to achieving your health and fitness goal," Joanna reminds us. Success comes from understanding your body type and working with it, not against it. "It is not an overnight transformation, not even a few weeks. It will take months and even years," she explains, but adds encouragingly, "fitness is for life. There's no deadline to it."

The key to stopping your body type from sabotaging your workouts is understanding how to work with it, not against it. As Joanna says, "It's all about being consistent with your workouts, eating a clean and well-balanced diet, managing your stress levels, and just trusting the process." Start by identifying your body type, then follow the specific training and nutrition guidelines that work best for you. Your body type doesn't have to be a barrier to success — it can be your blueprint for it. d if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.

Frustrated with love handles that just won't budge? If you've tried everything from endless side crunches to restrictive diets with no success, you're not alone. "It would be amazing if we could do a particular exercise that targeted love handle fat only, but there is no known way currently to spot reduce fat," says Jenna Collins, a certified personal trainer who's helped thousands transform their bodies. With over 400,000 YouTube subscribers and 25 years of fitness expertise, Collins has developed a science-backed approach that delivers real results. Here's her proven system that actually works for eliminating those stubborn love handles.

Why Love Handles Are So Stubborn

"Love handles don't appear overnight," Jenna explains in her post. "They develop over the years through excess calorie consumption and various factors like stress, medication, and genetics." She notes that women, especially after menopause, are more prone to storing fat in this area due to decreased estrogen levels.

"They don't appear because you went on vacation for a week and ate too much food," Jenna emphasizes. "This happens over a long period of time. Often, in the years, we've become so used to our bad habits that the problem can go undetected or, more likely, ignored."

RELATED:She Could Have Lost Weight Faster If She Had Known These 5 Fat Loss Tricks

Step 1: The Nutrition Strategy That Makes the Difference

The foundation of losing love handles starts with smart eating. "You need to be in a calorie deficit to lose fat," Jenna emphasizes. "This means consuming fewer calories than you burn daily." She recommends reducing your daily caloric intake by no more than 500 calories to lose fat at a sustainable pace.

"Definitely don't jump in and reduce your calories to the bare minimum in the hopes of speeding up fat loss," Jenna warns. "This will always result in gaining the weight back very fast. The truth is you're looking at many months and possibly even years, depending on how much fat you need to lose."

The Protein Rule That Protects Your Muscles While Burning Fat

Protein intake is crucial to maintaining muscle while losing fat. "If you're not getting adequate protein in your diet, you can start to lose muscle, especially while in a calorie deficit," Jenna explains. She recommends consuming 0.7-1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight daily.

Step 2: The Exercise Approach That Really Works

Surprisingly, the most effective exercise isn't what most people expect. "If I had to choose one exercise for all people and all fitness levels, walking is your best exercise to lose fat," Jenna reveals. She notes that "walking for 45 minutes at a steady pace can burn as many calories as a 15-minute HIIT workout."

For optimal results, combine walking with strength training. "Resistance training will help you to tone and build muscle, and the more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories your body will burn at rest. Yes, that's right. At rest, doing nothing."

Start Here: Your Simple 3-Day Workout Plan for Results

For beginners, Jenna recommends "a full body workout three times per week. Two could be shorter HIIT workouts with or without equipment, and one could be lower intensity weights." As you progress, you can advance to more specialized routines.

RELATED:10 Warning Signs Your Calories Are Dangerously Low

Step 3: The Missing Link - Sustainable Consistency

"If you can't put the first two steps into practice consistently and make it a lifestyle change rather than seeing it as a challenge, then those steps are pointless," Jenna states firmly. "You don't need to jump in with both feet and make drastic changes overnight. For some, this might work, but for most people, this won't work."

Work With Your Body Type, Not Against It

She highlights working with your unique body type: "We really just need to accept that we all have different body shapes. You can't go comparing your body shape to someone else's. Work with your own body and don't try to shape it the way somebody else is built."

Breaking Through Plateaus

When progress stalls, Jenna shares her proven solution: the refeed day. "After some time being in a calorie deficit, your body will reduce the amount of calories it burns. This is your body's way of going into survival mode," she explains. By strategically increasing carbohydrates for one day, "you're signaling to your body that you are getting enough calories, and there's no need to lower your metabolism."

RELATED:She Tried the 75 Soft Challenge and "Actually Craves Healthy Food Now"

Your Blueprint for Success

"Combine the science and a lifestyle change that works for you, meaning something that is sustainable and enjoyable for you long-term," Jenna concludes. The key to success lies in the combination of proper nutrition, strategic exercise, and unwavering consistency. While the journey requires patience, following these science-backed steps will lead to real, lasting results. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.