4 physical types: body swimmers, body dancers, body gymnasts and body runners
When someone thinks of their dream body type, they often use popular sports physique types to describe it. It is not uncommon to hear someone compare a man’s build to a linebacker, or a woman’s build to a dancer’s. I am going to discuss in detail four types of athletic physique.
Swimmers’ Body – Look no further than record-breaking Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps to find the perfect description of a swimmer’s body (for a man, of course). His torso is lean and toned, with well-defined (but not bulky) muscles. For men, the swimmer body type has broad shoulders, a medium to long torso, and a flat abdomen like a board. What distinguishes the body of swimmers from other athletic types is the remarkable thinness of their physique and the breadth of their shoulders. Long bodies combined with great posture create a regal effect. Ironically, a swimmer’s body type for women is a bit different. They also have well-defined muscles, but because it shows mostly in the shoulders, triceps, and biceps, it can appear a bit too wide or bulky. But trust that there is nothing bulky about the swimmer’s body; Like most athletes, a swimmer’s training leads to muscle development the average woman never experiences.
The gymnast’s body: the trained gymnast is usually easy to spot; just look for the person who is generally short in stature, with long, muscular legs and a short torso. Although male gymnasts are taller than female gymnasts (of course), generally speaking, gymnasts tend to be shorter than average. Your strength is in your legs and upper body, so muscular and bulky thighs, calves, biceps, and triceps are not uncommon. This becomes even more noticeable in female gymnasts. Most gymnasts also have square hips and shoulders.
The Dancer’s Body: The dancer’s body type can be identified by defined calves and thighs, a long or straight torso (often emphasized by great posture), and lean muscular arms. In men, the waist line tends to be slimmer and in women, the back / lower back is noticeably toned. Now this is just a general description: there are many types of dance that add strength and definition to the different muscles of the body. For example, someone trained in ballet will have a taller and leaner looking physique, while someone trained in tap will have more definition in their lower legs.
The body of the track runner: The body type of the sprinter track athlete is without a doubt the most muscular of all and this applies to both men and women. This changes for long distance runners. Track athletes who run in cross country events have leaner and longer muscle. The sprinter’s body type is what most people think of when they think of a track athlete. The leg muscles are very well defined, from the calves to the quadriceps to the buttocks. His is a body type built for speed.