The body of each person has its own, unique, characteristics - this is weight, and shape, and size, and the amount of muscle mass, as well as proportions. But among all the diversity in science, it is customary to distinguish certain basic types of physique.
To begin with, it is worth noting that the physique of a person is a manifestation of genetic material. Some scientists also believe that body types can determine some general properties of the body, a tendency to any disease, and even character traits and temperament. In addition, structural features of the body are taken into account when choosing a system of physical training or creating the right diet. But there are several classification systems.
Types of human body according to E. Kretschmer
A well-known German doctor believed that a person’s physique can determine certain general psychological characteristics, evaluate the individual’s reaction to the influence of the external and internal environment. The body types in this system were as follows:
- Astenik . People of this type were tall and fragile. The asthenic man has narrow shoulders, thin arms, long legs, an elongated face. Women could be short, but fragility and thinness remained unchanged.
- A picnic . This form is characterized by small growth and a blurry figure, which was explained by the presence of rich body fat. It is these people who are most often prone to problems with being overweight.
- Athletic These include people of high or medium height with a sports figure, strong muscles, a wide shoulder girdle.
- Dysplastic type . To this group, Kretschmer included individuals with a shapeless body structure or the presence of any deformations.
Body types: system of professor V.M. Chernorutsky
This classification is not so much different from the previous one, but it is considered more accurate and modern. The professor identified three main types of structure of the human body.
- Hyposthenic type - characterized by high growth, a small amount of adipose tissue and poorly developed muscles. The shoulders are narrow, the neck is long, the chest is elongated.
- Normostenic type - this group includes people with normal, average statistics. Such a person has a perfectly formed skeleton, as well as well-developed musculature. If we talk about the amount of subcutaneous fat, then it meets the average. The limbs are proportional, the shoulders are wide and the chest is convex.
- Hypersthenic type - a person is characterized by low growth and excessive amount of adipose tissue. That is why such people are more prone to obesity. It is believed that this group can include patients with high cholesterol in the blood.
Men's body types
This classification system was created by William Sheldon, a professor at Harvard University. By the way, to this day it is very popular among bodybuilders. It is customary to distinguish three main types of male physique:
- Endomorph is a person with rounded, sometimes vague body shapes. Such a man is characterized by a short neck, a large chest, wide hips, a large spherical abdomen, soft muscles, thin wrists. As a rule, such representatives of the stronger sex are more prone to obesity.
- Ectomorph is a typical lanky man. In such people, high growth is combined with disproportionate sizes of arms and legs, a long chest and an almost complete absence of subcutaneous fat.
- Mesofmorf - this includes people with a normal physique. They have a developed muscular system, but there is also a sufficient amount of subcutaneous fat. These are men with a tight, athletic physique.
Of course, it is very rare to meet a person who would be a pure specimen of some type of physique. More often in people two or even three forms are combined.