But before we go asking you what your personal preferences are, the tall, dark and handsome or the small, blonde, and petite, there's one other such word of advice:

Get to know your own type.

While individual differences are always important, physical trainers use a generalized body-typing system to assess individual needs and goals. Regardless or age, race, or gender, you likely fit more or less into one of the following body type categories: ectomorph, mesomorph, or endomorph. These are the three body types that make up the physique in which your body's genetics are inclined to follow. The conditions of your body type actually have more to do with bone structure and your body's frame than the muscle tissue itself.

However, there's one thing we all certainly have in common. We all seem equally unsatisfied with our body types.

The skinny ones want to be beefier. The beefy ones want to be leaner. The bulky ones want to be more ripped while the thin, ripped ones want to be more massive.

One such mistake many body shapers make is to assume that all rules of dieting, exercise, and weight training applies to each and every individual. However, this is not kindergarten. The rules at hand will always vary, depending on your genetic makeup.

Take a look at the three types and determine what your type is and how to deal with the genetic drawbacks.

ECTOMORPH:

This type would seem to consist of every man who ever played in the NBA, minus Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal. Ectomorphs are generally lean and mean but have a hard time packing on the muscle.

Thus, the best way to deal with such stingy genetics is to eat, eat, and eat some more. Adding an extra thousand or two calories is not only acceptable, it's probably encouraged. Five substantial meals a day, favoring the carbohydrates heavily while consuming ample amounts of protein, is the best way to sprout growth into the muscle mass you're looking for.

When it comes to the weights, do not be stingy. Intensity plus strength equals size, and you should be churning out intensely productive sets, designed to tear up the muscle tissue and spurt new growth.

ENDOMORPH:

Now, take every offensive and defensive lineman in the NFL (minus nobody) and you'll have yourself a nice collection of endomorphs.

Endomorphs are generally what most people consider "stocky" creatures, many of them having short but thick, thick limbs and heavy bones. Many endomorphs desire a leaner, more defined look, and should try cutting the fats down to a minimum. Lean protein sources are generally recommended here, anything from fish and turkey to egg whites. Meanwhile, an endomorph's intake should consist of about seven smaller-portioned meals throughout the day, a sly method of boosting metabolism and burning fats and calories.

Cardiovascular regimens - anything from swimming to biking - is essential for endomorphs looking to trim down. Thirty minutes per day, four days a week, will keep the jelly out of the belly. Meanwhile, weight training should contain sets of several repetitions at a moderate weight, with limited time spent between sets.

MESOMORPH:

Mesomorphs, in one sense, are the luckiest of the three. Mesomorphs have the tendency to be muscular and ripped, maintaining the best attributes of both the ectomorphs and the endomorphs.

Mesomorphs must basically follow the general guidelines of healthy eating and exercise to maintain the desirable physiques that they're genetics have so kindly blessed them with. A mesomorph should consume a gram of protein a day for every pound of his or her bodyweight, while taking in around six frequent meals per day. Perhaps the most imposing obstacle for the mesomorph is overconfidence. Because a mesomorph can generally build muscle and shed away fat with considerable ease, he often becomes lazy and apathetic to eating binges and lulls in exercise, maintaining faith that his favorable genetics will bail him out of such consequences. Like anyone else, a mesomorph must blend a sturdy diet and solid exercise program into his everyday routine.

Copyright (c) 2008 Al Short