Use Your Personality to Pick Your Workout

January 19, 2016
man doing bicep curls

Genetics plays a role in all of our development, from physical strengths and challenges, to other predispositions and preferences that shape our emotional and mental selves.

These basics of your personality—the aspects that help define your tendencies and your behaviors—can also reveal what workout you might have the most success with.


What’s Your Type

There are several different personality tests that professionals use to assign a “type” to your personality, or a set of key characteristics that tend to appear in groups of people. One easy to understand method looks at your “Enneagram” which focuses on your style—your one dominant trait of nine different Enneagram types of people.

For example, you might be The Leader who tends to be tough and assertive inside and out. The Leader likes intensity. Or you might be married to the Peacemaker, who is optimistic and tolerant, and likes to avoid conflict.

You could study this personality typing system further, but then again, it can be a pretty intuitive choice for you to learn the nine types and identify your main trait or two. Below paired the Enneagrams with the kinds of workouts that might satisfy them most. Which one are you?

Personality Type
Workout
The Leader: tough, aggressive, always seeking a challenge HIIT. You love that intensity!
The Peacemaker: tolerant, optimistic, usually the mediator Yoga. Restore balance after resolving conflict all day.
The Skeptic: curious, careful, tends to start out doubtful. Group exercise class. You like to follow instructions.
The Enthusiast: Adventurous and always seeking a new experience Jillian Michaels BodyShred. It will keep you guessing!
The Investigator: intellectual, thoughtful, usually an introvert. Treadmill. You can learn to program and do it solo.
The Romantic: artsy, sensitive, tends to seek beauty. Cycling class. You can almost feel the wind in your hair!
The Helper: nurturing, caring, always seeking connection. Pilates. Treat yourself like your own best friend.
The Achiever: motivated, driven, usually successful at what they do. Free weights. You can reach the peak of strength!
The Perfectionist: wise, idealistic, always trying to get things right. Strength machines. They help your form be just right.

All you need to do is consider how you would describe yourself overall in life from this list. You might have one dominant characteristic supported by another one or two.

Then you can consider these workouts to be a good indication of the kind of routine you might respond best to. If you’re the Leader, you might also have characteristics of the Achiever. In that case you could take one HIIT class each week and spend your other gym time lifting weights. There are several possibilities of combinations to help you create a weekly workout routine that you love!