What Is Ottermode Body Type?
Reading Time: 11 minutes Now, if you’ve read the title of our article today, you’re probably asking what is Ottermode body type. While the name is a little unusual, once you’ve learned more about it, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about and will be desperate to start building your dream body.
When people talk about the perfect physique, most people, assume that all guys want to get big, muscular, bulky, and defined, just like a bodybuilder.
Don’t get us wrong, for a lot of people, that is indeed the dream physique. For others, however, they want something different. Different people have different tastes and different goals, and this is particularly evident when discussing the perfect body.
For guys who don’t want to look like big and bulky bodybuilders, but who also don’t want to look like a skinny stick insect that doesn’t lift, finding the right balance between the two is ideal. This is where understanding what the otter mode body type pays off.
But what is ottermode body type and why do so many guys strive to achieve this particular look? Let’s find out, shall we? Here’s a look at the Ottermode body type and what you can do to build your dream body.
What Is Ottermode Body Type?
For decades, men were led to believe that the optimal male physique was that of a bodybuilder about to step on stage.
With guys like Sly Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and later Dwayne ‘The Rock Johnson all sporting muscular and defined physiques, men all over the globe strived to build what they perceived to be the perfect body.
Guys would put hours in at the gym, load up on grilled chicken, rice, and broccoli, spend hundreds of dollars each month on expensive protein powders, and creatine to gain weight, and make themselves miserable in the process.
Worst of all was the fact that they got no way near as big as their heroes, likely because they weren’t using the same kinds of special “supplements”.
Recently, however, there has been somewhat of a cultural shift, and guys are now striving for a new, more achievable, and attainable look that is arguably even more aesthetic. That look is the Ottermode body type.
Even though the name is unusual, this particular type of body is sometimes known as the ‘swimmer’s body’, and it is a shape of the body that has been admired for centuries.
Way back when people would call it the ‘swimmer’s body’.
The word ‘Ottermode’ is all about etymology. Otters, for example, are very good swimmers and they have lean and streamlined physiques to reduce drag and improve their aerodynamics. You can, of course, forget the waterproof fur part.
What Features Do Ottermode Body Types Have?
As the swimmer’s body, or swimmer’s physique, the name implies, an Ottermode body type is the typical type of body that you see on competitive swimmers.
If you’ve ever watched the Olympic Games, or competitive swimmers in general for that matter, you’ll see that they typically have very similar body shapes to each other.
A competitive swimmer usually has a very narrow waist, a great V-taper, a wide upper back, broad shoulders, muscular arms, and low body fat with a lot of definition.
Not only that, but they also often have what people call a ‘V cut’ or an ‘Adonis Belt’ on the lower abdomen just above the pelvis.
While Ottermode body types certainly carry more muscle than the average human, you cannot call them bodybuilders as they are much smaller, though they are often equally as defined.
The main thing to remember when it comes to Ottermode body types is that low body fat percentages are essential.
Ottermodes have visible abs which means that they have body fat percentages of around 13% or below, though some will have single-digit body fat percentages.
Typical Examples Of Ottermode Body Types
Okay, so, as far as Ottermode body type is concerned, for us to get a better understanding of what this particular body type and shape is, we need to look at a few examples.
Of course, most people associate swimmers with the Ottermode body type, and while they do often have this type of body, plenty of other types of athletes and individuals also have it as well.
Here are some typical examples of Ottermode body types so you know exactly what kind of physique we’re talking about.
Swimmers
Needless to say, as Ottermode body types are also often called ‘swimmer’s body’ we thought it only fitting to start this section off with a look at the physiques of swimmers.
When you think of pro swimmers, there’s one name that springs to mind, and that name is Michael Phelps.
Phelps is regarded as one of the best professional swimmers to ever take to the water. The most decorated Olympian of all time, Phelps won gold after gold and set record after record.
If you saw him wearing loose-fitting clothing, you’d likely think he had a very average body. See him in his swim gear, however, and you’ll see he has broad shoulders, a very narrow waist, muscular arms, a six-pack, and very low body fat percentages.
Phelps, and many other pro swimmers for that matter, are prime examples of Ottermode body types.
Men’s Physique Bodybuilders
The Mr. Olympia contest is the most famous professional bodybuilding contest on the planet. Previous winners include guys like Jay Cutler, Phil Heath, Dorian Yates, Ronnie Coleman, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
All of those guys were bodybuilders, but they certainly weren’t Ottermode types. They weighed between 240 – 290 pounds and were huge.
The closest of those was probably Arnold, but he would dwarf an Ottermode body type, even now when he is comfortably in his 70s.
Despite this, however, you do see Ottermode body types competing at the Olympia, just not in the men’s Open Bodybuilding Division. Instead, you’ll see them competing in the Men’s Physique Division.
Men’s Physique competitors have much smaller physiques than their heavyweight counterparts, with very low body fat percentages, heaps of definition, vascularity, and cuts in all of the right places.
Underwear Models
We know that underwear models now come in all shapes and sizes to represent modern audiences, but generally speaking, underwear models are Ottermode body types.
When you think of famous underwear brands such as Calvin Klein for example, you’ll likely know exactly what we’re talking about. ‘Marky’ Mark Wahlberg for example, was once a Calvin Klein underwear model, and at the time he was the perfect example of an otter mode body type.
Mark Wahlberg had six-pack abs, a V-cut, rounded shoulders, a narrow waist, and a decent V-taper too.
Underwear models who are Ottermode body types are often chosen as models because this particular look is very desirable amongst males and is considered to be, by many, the perfect male physique.
Do Ottermode Body Types Skip Leg Day?
First and foremost, any gym bro reading this article will know right away that you NEVER skip leg day, so that should answer that.
Just to be clear, however, as far as what is Ottermode body type, even though we haven’t mentioned the legs, you should never skip leg day and you should always work your legs.
Ottermode body types may not have a set of legs like Tom Platz, but they still have lean, muscular, and defined legs that are in proportion with the rest of their body.
Needless to say, if you do wish to achieve an Ottermode body type, you still need to work your legs.
Don’t think that you can get away with not doing your squats, leg presses, lunges, leg extensions, calf raises, and all of the other leg exercises out there that have been proven to assist with leg development because you can’t!
Ottermode body type or not, you need to ensure that you are working your legs.
How To Achieve An Ottermode Body Type
Okay, so, as we’re talking about what you can do to achieve and build your dream physique, it’s only right that we now take a look at what you can do to build your perfect physique.
If you want a lean, muscular, defined, and aesthetic physique that a Greek God would be jealous of, here’s a look at a few tips for anybody trying to achieve an Ottermode body type.
Lose Excess Body Fat If Needed
Unless you happen to be sitting at 13% body fat or below, with visible abs, the first thing you need to work on when it comes to achieving an Ottermode body type is your body fat percentage.
An Ottermode body type is characterized by low fat and a lot of muscle definition and vascularity. For you to make your body look ripped and defined, and to make your veins stand out like hosepipes, you need to make sure that your body fat percentages are low enough.
It doesn’t matter how many stomach crunches and sit-ups you do, or how pumped you get lifting weights, if your muscles, definition, and veins are covered by a layer of subcutaneous fat, even a very thin layer, you simply won’t achieve an aesthetic otter mode look that so many guys are going crazy for.
It’s also essential that you lose fat safely, healthily, and in a controlled manner.
Increase Your Cardio
One of the most effective ways of losing excess body fat (that is not related to diet and nutrition) is to increase the amount of cardiovascular exercise that you are doing.
Cardiovascular exercise, or ‘cardio’ for short, is a form of aerobic exercise that helps to increase your heart rate, strengthen your heart, boost circulation, and improve stamina, fitness, and endurance in the process.
A solid cardio routine is not only beneficial for your fitness levels, and your health in general, but it’s also very beneficial for losing fat as well, and this is why it’s so pertinent today.
Cardiovascular exercise, such as doing exercise bikes, swimming, hiking, walking, jogging, running, playing sports, or any other activity that increases your heart rate, is hugely important for burning fat.
Try HIIT
High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT for short, is one of the most impressive and productive forms of exercise for anybody trying to lose fat and achieve an aesthetic body.
We now know that having a lean physique is very important and that low body fat percentages are essential for anybody trying to achieve this look.
HIIT is, without question, one of the best ways of burning fat and obtaining an Ottermode body type.
HIIT is all about alternating between low-intensity exercise and fast-paced, high-intensity exercise.
For example, you may hop on a treadmill, set the pace to a gentle walk, and walk for 30 seconds.
Next, you’d increase the speed and run as fast as you can for 30 seconds, running at a high-intensity, fast pace.
After those 30 seconds were up, you would then reduce the speed and walk for 30 seconds once more.
With HIIT, you’ll repeat the process of walking and running for around 8 rounds, or as many rounds as you can fit into a 20-minute window.
HIIT workouts are fast-paced and performed at a high intensity, meaning the workouts are short but very intense.
Not only do you burn calories while doing HIIT, but you can also temporarily increase your metabolism afterward.
This is called the ‘afterburn effect’ and it enables you to burn more calories than usual, even in a rested state. Usually, it lasts for around 12 – 24 hours, so during this period, you’ll burn more calories than usual.
For anybody trying to obtain an Ottermode-type physique, HIIT is ideal and can be implemented into a wide range of different sporting and exercise protocols.
Lift Weights
Even though Ottermode body types do not have huge hulking muscles like those that you’d find on pro bodybuilders, they are still fairly muscular and carry around more muscle mass than the average person.
To build muscle, you of course need to lift weights. It doesn’t matter how lean you get, even though you’ll be defined, if you aren’t carrying around any excess muscle mass, you just won’t look muscular, it’s that simple.
To get the muscular and aesthetic look that has become synonymous with Ottermode body types, you should lift weights and follow a proper training routine or program.
Using a combination of free weight exercises and machines, compound exercises, and isolation exercises, make sure you work for each major muscle group at least once per week, and that includes your legs!
You don’t need to lift heavy weights but try to aim for 8 – 12 reps, with 4 – 5 working sets per exercise.
For building lean muscle, volume is your secret weapon, so ensure you are following a high-volume routine.
Keep Your Macros At Maintenance Or In A Very Slight Deficit
Once you have your body fat percentage where you want it to be, or as close to where you want it to be as possible, you then need to adjust your macronutrients accordingly.
As important as exercise is, as well as the cardio for fat loss, and the weight training for muscle growth and toning, you need to focus on your nutrition to add the finishing touches.
You should eat clean, healthy, nutritious foods high in lean protein for lean muscle growth and recovery.
You also need healthy fats for energy, heart health, and brain health, complex carbs for energy, and fruits and vegetables for vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
To achieve an Ottermode body type, you should adjust your macronutrients so that you are eating at maintenance, or creating a very slight deficit if you want to burn a little more fat and get even leaner and more defined.
You can work out how many calories you need for maintenance by using any number of free online calculators or tools, and you can then act accordingly.
If for example, you need 2000 calories for maintenance, you should aim to consume around 2000 calories per day, or 1900 per day if you wish to drop weight very slowly.
Final Thoughts
Okay, so, as far as what is Ottermode body type, hopefully, things are now much clearer and easier for you to understand.
An Ottermode body type may very well be considered the most aesthetic and visually impressive physique for a man to have, yet achieving this look is far from easy.
With the tips and advice listed above, however, hopefully, things will now be a little bit clearer and easier to understand.
Building an Ottermode body type is not easy, but the results speak for themselves, and by the end of it, you’ll be so glad you put in the hard work and sweat equity.
