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Take a look around you and you’ll see an endless range of body types: scrawny, lithe, pudgy, toned — even Hulklike upper bodies paired with skinny chicken legs. We might tell ourselves we’re fitter than one person because we’re more dedicated or that we’re scrawnier than someone else because of genetics. But how much of one’s body shape is predetermined, and how much can we control?
“It’s a bit of both,” says Elizabeth Brooks, D.C. personal trainer. “I’ve seen the most ectomorph person change their shape into a bodybuilder type.” (An ectomorph body is generally lean, while endomorph is usually stockier. Mesomorph is muscular and athletic.)
Related on the SLP
From an athletic perspective, genetics plays a part in determining what type of sport we might excel in (we seldom see very short men playing in the NBA), but there are also exceptions — athletes with extreme passion and discipline who overcome their physical baseline limitations.
Read full, original post: When it comes to fitness, grit counts more than genetics
