How Your Body Type Impacts How You Train for Military Service

In the 1940s, Dr. William Sheldon organized human body types into endomorphs, mesomorphs and ectomorphs. The three groups differentiate bone structure, muscle and body fat and how each type carries its weight. Here is a question from a mesomorph who is curious about different styles of tactical training preparation for the different body types to prepare for military service:

Do you think body types impact how you should train for military service? I'm a mesomorph type. Thanks, Curtis

Curtis, great question. I think that athletic history is a more important factor in determining how you should train than your body type. For instance, if you are an endurance athlete, you can likely run or swim all day. Still, you may have weaknesses in upper-body strength and leg durability and have difficulty doing load-bearing exercises (rucking, log PT, equipment carries).

On the other hand, if you were a strength athlete (powerlifting, football, etc.), you may have plenty of strength and overall durability. Still, your endurance, muscle stamina and work capacity may need to improve. These typically drive how to train for improved performance on military fitness tests and following military training, such as boot camp, basic training or special selection programs.