Just Your Type

April 1, 2019
Fitness trainer Catudal introduces a diet and fitness program based around one’s individual “genetic blueprint,” which promises progress “more quickly than you ever have with other programs,” but fails to entirely convince. He explains “somatotypes,” or different physique types, in terms of celebrity examples: Barack Obama is a “lean and slender” ectomorph, Dwayne Johnson a “naturally muscular” mesomorph, and Jennifer Lopez belongs to the endomorph group, who have “wider hips, more narrow shoulders, and more pear-shaped bodies.” After taking four body measurements—around the upper arms, upper thighs, chest, and waist—readers learn “metabolism math” to calculate their individual metabolic rates. Catudal’s presentation is certainly detailed, with most of the book devoted to body-type-specific plans that include meal plans and “slim down, shape up workouts.” The biggest question, however, is left unanswered: can readers make the demanding program work on their own, without a trainer’s help? It’s hard to imagine this thorough guide achieving the results it promises without a professional there to personally oversee one’s progress. Agent: Rick Broadhead, Rick Broadhead & Associates Literary.