Body Typos In The Media
I wish everyone would stop misusing the term body type to describe the size of someone - as the size of someone has nothing to do with their body type - as body type when used properly, is not about size, but about proportion.
Your body type has more to do with the general shape of a person which is defined mainly by the molding of skeletal structures, as well as the distribution of muscles and fat, and the type of training, sport and exercises one performs.
Your SIZE is either; small, medium, large, petite, or extra-large, and these are not words that are synonymous with body type - as your body type describes how & where your weight is distributed throughout your body.
For example, there can be different sizes that describe a particular body type whereas one perhaps is larger framed, one is medium-sized and one can be a slender/smaller Hourglass, but all possess an Hourglass® (1) body type.
So when the media or others say that we need to "embrace" all body types, what they are trying to say is that we need to embrace women of all sizes...
Another mistake is the misuse of the word "curvy" to describe heavier/overweight women - as you can be petite and be curvy or big and curvy or petite or large and not be curvy whatsoever.
And in following suit, plus-sized is also not a body type…and finally, how much you eat does NOT determine your body type, but it can influence how small or large your body type is…
Now, with reference to this article and all sports in general, certain sporting events require specific fitness and exercise training that involve and utilize different types of muscle, power, endurance and stamina.
For example, long cross country skiing, running marathons and any long distance sports require more aerobic capacity and endurance-type movements….
You will notice that for the most part, 90% of these elite athletes (men or women) are built more on the slender side versus athletes that participate in sports or events that require more anaerobic conditioning and shorter bursts of power such as speed skating sprinting or sprinting in track or weight lifting or football or rugby.
And some sports are a combination of both aerobic and anaerobic in nature, which require both strength, power and endurance such as basketball, tennis, hockey, just to name a few…
It is actually an advantage for Jessie Diggins that she is more on the slender side for her specific sport and in addition to her natural body type - she is a RULER® (2).
Her training, because it is more aerobic-related is the main reason why she is more slender versus bulkier (that and her specific diet of course) and genetically, Jessie cannot easily add bulk to her body because of her Ruler body type.
Most aerobic exercise takes mass (both fat & muscle) off of our bodies and for certain sporting events, this is necessary to achieve high results - as it is not an accident that most marathon runners are also Rulers because excessive mass (muscle or fat) will hinder his/her performance…
When you look at the women who do speed skating sprints you will notice that most if not all of the athletes own a different body type (they are either a bottom-heavy Hourglass or a Spoon® (3) body type which means that they can add muscle mass much more easily and readily down below than other body types - which is EXACTLY what is needed to perform that sport at an elite level.
These type of athletes tend to be more muscular and a bit heavier weight-wise because these power sporting events require larger muscle mass for quick, explosive moves to perform that specific sport.
Also, aerobic athletes have more slow-twitch muscle fibers versus anaerobic athletes that have more fast-twitch muscle fibers – and fast-twitch muscle fibers increase in size much more rapidly…
And finally, you will also note that no cross country skiers possesses a heavier, very muscular physique as they are more lithe like - just as you will not find sprinters with a very slender physique like Jessie’s because he/she would not be able to dominate that sport.
