Is it wise to fight your body type?
Contributed by Evamarie Pilipuf
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Of course, you can probably already guess that my
answer to that question is an unqualified "No!" Perhaps the more complex
question is, what is your body type, and how do you work with it to be
the best you can be while keeping your body healthy?
Enter, the somatotypes, a fancy word that describes
your body's general inclination towards a certain physique. Truth be
told, your somatotype may not be all that obvious until you're in at least your
mid to late teens. And by the time you're an adult....you'll definitely
know which one you tend towards.
Let's examine each of the three main somatotypes.
By a show of hands, how many of you dancers build muscle very easily?
Okay, now how many of you tend to be taller and quite slender without dieting
or drastically reducing your food intake, yet struggle to develop much in the
way of muscle? Now how many of you have more of an hourglass shape, where
you're neither extremely thin nor extremely muscular? Congratulations!
You've had your first introduction to the mesomorph, ectomorph, and endomorph
body types. To know and honor this inherent trait can save you lots of
wasted energy down the road. Read on....
Mesomorphs
If you've ever wondered why your calf muscles have
always been more pronounced than those of your peers, or if you've ever been
called "athletic" in build, way to go! You're probably a mesomorph.
I, too, an a mesomorph (click on picture), so I can relate very personally to
what it feels like to negotiate the ballet and dance worlds with this body
type. Mesomorphs build muscle almost with no effort; while this is a
wonderful trait to have, it's sadly not always appreciated in especially the
ballet world. This is a shame, because a muscular physique is just as
sculpturally beautiful and interesting as a long, lithe figure. More
frustrating still is the fact that any weight gain is rarely localized; you
gain it everywhere, face and arms included, so there's no "hiding" a few extra
pounds. But even if you're not overweight (and trust me, I'll bet the
majority of you reading this are NOT overweight, despite what you may think),
there are no shortages of unscrupulous directors who will try to tell you
otherwise. Listen carefully: don't EVER let a choreographer or
teacher suggest that you're "too muscular" or "bulky" and need to trim down.
Ignore, ignore, ignore. These people are speaking out of sheer
stupidity--if you don't doubt me, ask them to define "mesomorph" and watch the
clueless look on their face. What they should know--and you will now
know--is that your body type puts you at an advantage unmatched by your
ectomorph and endomorph peers: it's called energy, power, and strength.
You have the capacity to train harder, to jump higher and further (i.e., higher
sissones, more grand grand jetes), to move faster (think clean, controlled
double pique turns), to achieve immense static strength (read: developpes,
arabesques, penches). So take full advantage of this gift.
Actually, your biggest concern, ironically, is to not overdue it. Know
when your body needs a rest, and respect it. Don't push yourself.
Stretching and relaxation (such as
yoga) is of great
importance to the mesomorph, as this will help have a balancing effect on your
body and mind. The already strong mesomorph will be less inclined to need
the power of the sun
salutation; instead, a
one-pose-at-a-time structure is more desirable for calming the mind and
much-needed stretching for those powerful muscles. And most of all, DO
NOT engage in extreme dieting in an effort to "override" your body type and try
to look like an ectomorph. You'll only compromise your health, and in the
long run, you actually run the risk of sabotaging your own physique.
That's not to say you should let your eating habits go unchecked.
Definitely learn to eat well, eat nutritiously; feed the machine. Limit
foods that are of empty calories: sugar, cookies, pop, chips. If
you're concerned that you may have some extra weight to lose, do yourself a
favor and consult a dietitian. By all means, avoid fad diets, even if you
have peers who "swear" by a current plan. Testimonials are nothing.
Long-term health is everything. Take care of your body, celebrate your
body's gifts, and your body will take care of you!
Ectomorphs
If mesomorphs have to fight the peer pressure to
measure up to the ectomorphic ideal, ectomorphs fight for the kind of strength
gifted to the mesomorphs. The ectomorphic body is a bit harder to
pinpoint in ballet and dance, partly because many pre-adolescent and adolescent
dancers will give an ectomorphic appearance until their true body type emerges,
and partly because dieting heavily can momentarily "mask" a person's true
physiology. Thus, this section should be reviewed assuming "normal"
eating habits and a body that is just about, if not fully, matured. If
you have what appears to be an ectomorphic body type through rigorous dieting
or very deliberate manipulation of your overall food intake, you'd be wise to
visit a dietitian to ensure your eating habits are healthy. As one who's
been-there-done-that, you can only suppress your body's biology for so long
before health consequences will begin to surface. That said,
if you're long and rather lean given "normal"
eating habits, yet struggle to feel "strong and centered" in your turns, you
might be an ectomorph. If one of your struggles is that of achieving high
strength, you might be an ectomorph. If you look at your well-muscled
peers and wonder why your leg muscles have never quite surfaced like theirs
has, you might be an ectomorph. Weight gain in ectomorphs is commonly
very localized, that is, you might gain weight in the abdomen and this, yet
still look very thin in your face, neck, and shoulders. The primary
concern for the ectomorph is to build strength and stamina. You may
benefit from the help of a carefully crafted strength training program, one
that emphasizes strength building. Consulting with your doctor and a
qualified personal trainer (preferably one that specializes in dance) can help
you in this pursuit. Ectomorphs can also benefit from
yoga, but you're better
off with yoga that emphasizes strength-building postures, such as the
sun salutation. Finally, make sure that the food you're consuming is
the best possible nutrition. Include plenty of calcium-rich foods to ensure
your bones will stay healthy. Avoid caffeine beverages such as coffee and
pop.
Endomorphs
In a normal society, endomorphs should be revered
for their beautiful, feminine lines. Unfortunately, our current
society--the dance world especially--has managed to degrade this body shape as
less-than-ideal. Yet endomorphs have a potential not typically seen in
either of other body types: to be very strong while maintaining enviable
feminine curves. Mesomorphs are strong, but usually look more athletic;
for example, their waste won't necessarily indent to any noticeable degree.
Ectomorphs are more willowy, but often less feminine and struggle to retain
strength. Endomorphs need not sacrifice a softer, more romantic
appearance for the sake of strength, and it's a shame that dance companies
don't take better advantage of this trait in their dancers. Still, just
because society has swung away from appreciating this physiology doesn't mean
you have to. Your goal is to embrace your curves while maintaining
excellent training and eating schedules. Endomorphs will benefit from
adding cardiovascular training to their weekly routine. Walking,
swimming, and biking are all good examples of cardiovascular training.
Watch that you don't overdue it, however; 30-40 minutes 3-4 days per week
should be more than sufficient. Be sure to warm up and cool down to avoid
injury, and stretch afterwards.
Yoga can also be a great tool for the endomorph. Endomorphs should
start with a
one-pose-at-a-time format to ensure they establish a good yoga foundation.
You can then stick with that format if it suits you, or add more rigorous
routines such as the
sun salutation to your repertoire. I don't recommend Power Yoga to
endomorphs, or any other body type for that matter. It's too rigorous,
and it puts you in the same mindset you're in with dance training. The
goal of yoga with the body types is to help balance your dance training with a
different mindset and body conditioning. Eating-wise, admittedly,
endomorphs will probably have to watch their habits more closely. It's a
good idea to consult a dietitian, however, to ensure you don't go overboard.
You'll want to make sure you're eating plenty of fruits and especially
vegetables, high-quality protein, and reasonable quantities of complex
carbohydrates and small amounts of monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil and
peanut butter). Limit your use of butter, salt, sugar, and sweets.
Your body type is a gift of nature; learn to work
with it, honor it, love it, and you'll build an important bond that will keep
you healthy AND looking your best for life! –ep
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