Archive for the ‘Genetics’ Category

Where did my fat go?!

Posted: September 2, 2011 by williampower in Genetics
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One of the biggest differences between men and women is how much fat is retained in the body and where it’s deposited. The typical male will, on average, hold about 10 to 15% body fat while women will house 18 to 25% body fat. The biggest reason for the fat discrepancy between genders is the fact that at some point in time women may have to nourish a fetus with only her bodily reserves. Therefore, women are biologically wired to stock extra energy in the form of fat in preparation of possible future pregnancies.

History has shown that climatic conditions over time do impact where fat is deposited in the female body. For those whose ancestry is traced through hotter or less temperate climates (African Americans, Mediterraneans, and some Asians), fat is typically localized in the butt, hips and around the navel. Darwinistically speaking, this avoids blanketing said females’ entire bodies with a hot coat of fat that is inefficient for thermoregulation during high temps. In colder countries fat is more evenly distributed throughout the body for protection from extremely cold weather. The climates your family was exposed to throughout your lineage plays a big factor in where your fat is localized presently. Just to be clear, men are affected the same way and fat is localized by the same principles as it is in women; the major difference is, due to the reasons stated above, women tend to accumulate their excess in certain areas. For the most part these areas avoid places that can interfere with movement.

These areas include:

  • Butt – besides energy reserve, fat is stored here to help cushion contact between the tail bone and external surfaces (chair, ground, etc).

*At some point in every woman’s life fat begins to leave the gluteal fold (butt) and it can begin to sag. Only appropriate training of the gluteals will compensate for this disappearance of fat and loss of tone*

  • Lower Back
  • Posterior Hip Area Above The Butt
  • Between The Thighs
  • Around the Navel
  • Pubis
  • Knee
  • Upper Back Of Arm
  • Breasts (encloses mammary glands)

    • *note that these fat deposits are more pronounced in some women than others based on genetics and body type (see What’s My Body Type…Or Should I Say Somatotype)*

    What’s your body type…or should I say Somatotype?

    Posted: August 26, 2011 by williampower in Genetics
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    Everyone’s body is different; they look different, smell different, work different, move differently, etc. Your body type is a big factor in determining how easily you gain or lose fat and muscle. Some people are genetically predisposed to being large and muscular like a bodybuilder #ArnoldSchwarzenegger and others stay skinny no matter what they do #JessieEisenberg. The three categories of body types are Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph.

    Ectomorphs
    Ectomorphs are what we in the industry call “hard gainers”, in order to build muscle you have to work extremely hard and eat any and everthing. You usually have low body fat, small muscles and thinner skeletons. In order for you to gain weight with this body type you need a structured workout and eating plan that allows you to gain quality lean muscle mass without all the “excess baggage” so to speak.

    Mesomorphs
    You are the “genetically gifted” people who excel at things like bodybuilding and pack on quality muscle mass easily. You arent exactly “easy gainers” but you aren’t “hard gainers” either. You are most likely very athletic looking; you build muscle faster than ectomorphs and lose fat faster than endomorphs (as long as you exercise and diet properly). In order to take full advantage of your gifts you need to train in the proper modalities that challenge your body and force it to maximize its own potential.

    Endomorphs
    Endomorphs have the toughest time losing fat out of all body types; you are usually larger than most and soft in appearance. No matter what you do it seems impossible to lose fat on a permanent basis, if at all. Your body type however, is moldable with proper nutrition and a proper dedicated workout routine.

    To sum up, genetics play a big role in how we look . You can’t control what genetics you receive nor can you change them now. However, just like genes can be manipulated through the science of biology, your body can be manipulated by the science behind exercise and nutrition #fact. All it takes is a little bit of know how and the right guidance. Where there’s a Will there’s a way (pun intended)…