Are you ectomorph, mesomorph or endomorph? Get to know your body types so you can adjust your training and diet to get the results you want!

Pursue a physical goal? Observing how you are eating and exercising right now is crucial for getting started. The same goes for knowing your body type.

Here’s why it’s essential: Knowing your body’s natural tendencies can help you work with your body, rather than against it. It permits you to tailor your diet and exercise program to your needs and set realistic goals to help you succeed.

Take our quiz to find out your ideal body type, style, workout routines and the best supplements for your goals!

WHAT ARE THE 3 MAIN BODY TYPES?

The three basic human body types are endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph. These categories, or “somatotypes,” were developed by psychologist William Herbert Sheldon in the 1940s. And while some parts of Sheldon’s system have been debunked, contemporary research has confirmed that body type impacts athletic performance.

For example, a 2018 learning in the journal PLoS One found that mesomorphic men performed better on squat and bench press tests than ectomorphic men. His conclusion was that body type can predict up to a third of strength potential. On the cardiovascular side, a 2005 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that the combination of mesomorph and ectomorph had the most remarkable ability to improve aerobic fitness during exercise.

Research has shown that diet and exercise can affect your somatotype, allowing you to flip the script over time. Here’s what all three body types need to know to reach their full potential.

ECTOMORPHIC BODY TYPE

 

  • naturally slim
  • struggle to build muscle
  • Narrow shoulders and hips
  • accelerated metabolism

An ectomorph tends to be thin and finds it difficult to gain body fat or muscle weight. As a result, they can eat a lot and stay the same, even if muscle building is their number one goal. People who have trouble building muscle are “hard gainers.”

Ectomorphs tend to have slim builds, long limbs, and tiny, muscular bellies. However, even as an ectomorph gains weight, it can still appear thinner than it is, particularly around the calves and forearms.

However, being an ectomorph doesn’t mean you’re doomed to be weak. On the contrary, you can still become powerful, and you can be just as fit and healthy as someone who looks taller and more muscular. But if you need to gain weight, you better be prepared to eat like never before.

MESOMORPHIC BODY TYPE

  • Narrow hips and collarbones
  • Small joints (wrist/ankle)
  • Narrow building
  • lean muscle belly
  • long limbs

The mesomorph has a medium build that incorporates the best of both worlds. As a result, they tend to have broad shoulders, narrow waists, relatively thin joints, and round, muscular bellies.

In short, when you’re mesomorphic, you have a natural tendency to be fit and relatively muscular. Does that mean you can do nothing, eat anything, and get away with it forever? Not!

You still have to eat right also train for your body type, but you can “recover” more quickly than the other two, build muscle, and burn fat with relative ease.

ENDOMORPHIC BODY TYP

heavier bone structure

  • square torso
  • Bigger waist, bigger hips
  • slower metabolism

An endomorph tends to gain weight quickly and has trouble losing it. Its physique is slightly larger than an ectomorph or mesomorph, with a thick chest, broad hips, and shorter limbs. They may have more muscle than any other body type, but they often struggle to gain it without adding significant amounts of body fat. If you’ve ever felt like you’ve gained 5 pounds just by walking past a doughnut shop, you might be an endomorph.

It certainly doesn’t mean an endomorph is any less healthy. On the contrary, they may have some bodybuilding advantages due to their extra muscle mass. But if they decide to bend, it will take hard work!