Which body type am i: How to Exercise and Eat for Your Body

06.03.197010.06.2021 by alexxlab

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How to Exercise and Eat for Your Body

Chasing a fitness or physique goal? Looking at how you eat and exercise right now are crucial parts of starting off right. So is knowing your body type.

Here’s why it’s important: Knowing your body’s natural tendencies can help you work with your body, rather than against it. That way, you can customize your nutrition and exercise plan to fit your needs and set realistic goals to help you succeed.

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

You are primarily an endomorph.

Endomorph:
Mesomorph:
Ectomorph:

Your answers indicate you are an endomorph. This can mean you build muscle easily, but might struggle to keep off body fat. Here’s what that means for your nutrition and training:

Get your heart pumping and stay active every day.
Lift moderate weights with short rests and a quick training pace.
To lose fat, use a calorie calculator to help you establish a caloric deficit.
Avoid junk food if weight loss is your goal.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a high-energy workout plan.

A fast and sweaty workout program will help you control your weight while holding onto muscle. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

Looking to dial in your nutrition for weight control and maximum energy? Consider tracking your macros. These are the amounts of protein, fats, and carbohydrates (as well as alcohol) making up your diet. Paul Salter, RD, shows you how to set them for your goal in the article, “Macronutrient Calculator: Find Your Macro Ratio for Flexible Dieting and IIFYM. “

3. Learn about the best fat-loss supplements.

Supplements can help you accelerate your results once you have your calories and training in place. Krissy Kendall, Ph.D., shares her recommendations in the article, 5 Ways to Up Your Fat-Loss Supplement Game.”

4. Join a fitness community.

For over 10 years, members of BodySpace have been helping each other build their best bodies, regardless of their background or body type. Join a fitness community that’s over 2 million people strong!

You are primarily an endomorph.

Endomorph:
Mesomorph:
Ectomorph:

Your answers indicate you are an endomorph. This can mean you build muscle easily, but might struggle to keep off body fat. Here’s what that means for your nutrition and training:

Get your heart pumping and stay active every day.
Lift moderate weights with short rests and a quick training pace.
To lose fat, use a calorie calculator to help you establish a caloric deficit.
Avoid junk food if weight loss is your goal.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a high-energy workout plan.

A fast and sweaty workout program will help you control your weight while holding onto muscle. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best fat-loss supplements.

Supplements can help you accelerate your results once you have your calories and training in place. Krissy Kendall, Ph.D., shares her recommendations in the article, “5 Ways to Up Your Fat-Loss Supplement Game.”

4. Join a fitness community.

You are primarily a

mesomorph.

Endomorph:
Mesomorph:
Ectomorph:

Your answers indicate you are a mesomorph. This can mean you have a naturally fit build and can gain muscle and burn fat more easily than other body types. Here’s how it can impact your exercise and nutrition:

Strength train fairly often, for workouts lasting 45-60 min.
Train with moderate to heavy weights at a moderate pace, without resting too long between sets.
Play sports and/or do cardio on a regular basis for health and energy.
Stick to a healthy diet to stay lean and muscular and watch for slow-creeping fat gains

1. Pick a muscle-building workout plan.

A mesomorph can handle high volume and heavy weights. Push yourself in the gym with one of these popular programs from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

Looking to gain muscle? Lean out? Either way, consider tracking your macros. These are the amounts of protein, fats, and carbohydrates (as well as alcohol) making up your diet. Paul Salter, RD, shows you how to set them for your goal in the article, “Macronutrient Calculator: Find Your Macro Ratio for Flexible Dieting and IIFYM.”

3. Learn about the best weight-gain supplements.

Supplements can help you accelerate your muscle-building and fat-loss results once you have your calories and training nailed down. Krissy Kendall, Ph.D., shares her recommendations in the article, “8 Proven Supplements for Muscle Growth and Strength. “

4. Join a fitness community.

You are primarily a

mesomorph.

Endomorph:
Mesomorph:
Ectomorph:

Strength train fairly often, for workouts lasting 45-60 min.
Train with moderate to heavy weights at a moderate pace, without resting too long between sets.
Play sports and/or do cardio on a regular basis for health and energy.
Stick to a healthy diet to stay lean and muscular and watch for slow-creeping fat gains

1.

Pick a muscle-building workout plan.

A mesomorph can handle high volume and heavy weights. Push yourself in the gym with one of these popular programs from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best weight-gain supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

You are primarily an

ectomorph.

Endomorph:
Mesomorph:
Ectomorph:

Your answers indicate you are an ectomorph. This means you might burn fat easily, but struggle to add muscle. Here’s what that means for your nutrition and training:

Lift fairly heavy weights with longer rests between sets.
Don’t add any extra volume or work to your workouts.
Don’t overdo cardio or conditioning work.
Be prepared to eat a lot if you want to gain muscle. Hit the protein, don’t fear carbs, and never leave the table less than full.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a muscle-building workout plan.

Want to grow? A systematic program featuring moderate to heavy weights can help you add muscle without burning too many calories. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

Looking to dial in your nutrition for solid muscle gains? Consider tracking your macros. These are the amounts of protein, fats, and carbohydrates (as well as alcohol) making up your diet. Paul Salter, RD, shows you how to set them for your goal in the article, “Macronutrient Calculator: Find Your Macro Ratio for Flexible Dieting and IIFYM.”

3. Learn about the best weight-gain supplements.

Supplements can help you accelerate your muscle-building results once you have your calories and training nailed down. Krissy Kendall, Ph.D., shares her recommendations in the article, “8 Proven Supplements for Muscle Growth and Strength.”

4. Join a fitness community.

You are primarily an

ectomorph.

Endomorph:
Mesomorph:
Ectomorph:

Your answers indicate you are an ectomorph. This means you might burn fat easily, but struggle to add muscle. Here’s what that means for your nutrition and training:

Lift fairly heavy weights with longer rests between sets.
Don’t add any extra volume or work to your workouts.
Don’t overdo cardio or conditioning work.
Be prepared to eat a lot if you want to gain muscle. Hit the protein, don’t fear carbs, and never leave the table less than full.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a muscle-building workout plan.

Want to grow? A systematic program featuring moderate to heavy weights can help you add muscle without burning too many calories. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2.

Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best weight-gain supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

Your body is between an

endomorph and a mesomorph.

Your answers indicate you have characteristics of both mesomorph and endomorph body types. This means you might build muscle easily, but might struggle to keep off body fat. Here’s what that means for your nutrition and training:

Get your heart pumping and stay active every day.
Lift moderate weights with short rests and a quick training pace.
To lose fat, use a calorie calculator to help you establish a caloric deficit.
Avoid junk food if weight loss is your goal.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a high-energy workout plan.

A fast and sweaty workout program will help you control your weight while holding onto muscle. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best fat-loss supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

Your body is between an

endomorph and a mesomorph.

Get your heart pumping and stay active every day.
Lift moderate weights with short rests and a quick training pace.
To lose fat, use a calorie calculator to help you establish a caloric deficit.
Avoid junk food if weight loss is your goal.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a high-energy workout plan.

A fast and sweaty workout program will help you control your weight while holding onto muscle. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best fat-loss supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

Your body is between an

ectomorph and a mesomorph.

Your answers indicate you have characteristics of both ectomorph and mesomorph body types. This means you might burn fat easily, but struggle to add muscle. Here’s what that means for your nutrition and training:

Lift fairly heavy weights with longer rests between sets.
Don’t add any extra volume or work to your workouts.
Don’t overdo cardio or conditioning work.
Be prepared to eat a lot if you want to gain muscle. Hit the protein, don’t fear carbs, and never leave the table less than full.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a muscle-building workout plan.

Want to grow? A systematic program featuring moderate to heavy weights can help you add muscle without burning too many calories. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best weight-gain supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

Your body is between an

ectomorph and a mesomorph.

Lift fairly heavy weights with longer rests between sets.
Don’t add any extra volume or work to your workouts.
Don’t overdo cardio or conditioning work.
Be prepared to eat a lot if you want to gain muscle. Hit the protein, don’t fear carbs, and never leave the table less than full.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a muscle-building workout plan.

Want to grow? A systematic program featuring moderate to heavy weights can help you add muscle without burning too many calories. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best weight-gain supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

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

For example, a 2018 study in the journal PLoS One found that mesomorph men performed better than ectomorphs on squat and bench press tests. Their conclusion was that body type could predict as much as a third of strength potential. On the cardio side, a 2005 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that combination mesomorph-ectomorphs showed the greatest ability to improve their aerobic capacity in training.

Despite what it might feel like at times, you’re not completely bound to one category or the other! Research has shown that both diet and training can influence your somatotype, allowing you to change the script over time. Here’s what all three body types should know to help make the most of their potential.

Ectomorph Body Type

Naturally lean
Struggles to gain muscle
Narrow shoulders and hips
Fast metabolism

An ectomorph tends to be thin, and struggles to gain weight as either body fat or muscle. They can eat piles of food and stay looking the same, even when gaining muscular weight is their biggest goal. People who battle to gain muscle are often known as “hardgainers.”

Ectomorphs tends to have a lean build, long limbs, and small muscle bellies. Even if an ectomorph manages to put on weight, they may still look skinnier than they are, particularly in the calves and forearms.

Being an ectomorph doesn’t mean you’re doomed to be weak, though. You can still get remarkably strong, and you can be every bit as fit and healthy as someone who looks larger and more muscular. But if you want to gain weight, you’d better be prepared to eat like you’ve never eaten before.

Mesomorph Body Type

Narrow hips and clavicles
Small joints (wrist/ankles)
Thin build
Stringy muscle bellies
Long limbs

The mesomorph has a middle-of-the-road build that includes the best of both worlds. They tend to have wide shoulders, a narrow waist, relatively thin joints, and round muscle bellies.

In short, if you’re a mesomorph, you have a natural tendency to be fit and relatively muscular. Does this mean you can do nothing, eat everything, and get away with it forever? Definitely not!

You should still eat well and train according to your body type, but you may be able to “bounce back” from being out of shape more easily than the other two body types, gaining muscle and burning fat with comparative ease. +

Endomorph Body Type

Heavier bone structure
Squarer torso
Wider waist, larger hips
Slower metabolism

An endomorph tends to gain weight easily and struggle to lose it. Their build is a little wider than an ectomorph or mesomorph, with a thick ribcage, wide hips, and shorter limbs. They may have more muscle than either of the other body types, but they often struggle to gain it without significant amounts of accompanying body fat. If you ever feel like you gain 5 pounds simply walking past a donut shop, you may be an endomorph.

This definitely doesn’t mean that an endomorph is somehow less healthy. They can actually have some strength-training advantages due to their additional muscle mass. But if and when they decide to lean out, it’ll take hard work!

Want to go in-depth on training for your body type? Check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” To get systematic about your success in all areas, use Bodybuilding. com’s other most popular fitness calculators:

How to Exercise and Eat for Your Body

Chasing a fitness or physique goal? Looking at how you eat and exercise right now are crucial parts of starting off right. So is knowing your body type.

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

You are primarily an endomorph.

Endomorph:
Mesomorph:
Ectomorph:

Your answers indicate you are an endomorph. This can mean you build muscle easily, but might struggle to keep off body fat. Here’s what that means for your nutrition and training:

Get your heart pumping and stay active every day.
Lift moderate weights with short rests and a quick training pace.
To lose fat, use a calorie calculator to help you establish a caloric deficit.
Avoid junk food if weight loss is your goal.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a high-energy workout plan.

A fast and sweaty workout program will help you control your weight while holding onto muscle. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best fat-loss supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

You are primarily an endomorph.

Endomorph:
Mesomorph:
Ectomorph:

Your answers indicate you are an endomorph. This can mean you build muscle easily, but might struggle to keep off body fat. Here’s what that means for your nutrition and training:

Get your heart pumping and stay active every day.
Lift moderate weights with short rests and a quick training pace.
To lose fat, use a calorie calculator to help you establish a caloric deficit.
Avoid junk food if weight loss is your goal.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a high-energy workout plan.

A fast and sweaty workout program will help you control your weight while holding onto muscle. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best fat-loss supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

You are primarily a

mesomorph.

Endomorph:
Mesomorph:
Ectomorph:

Strength train fairly often, for workouts lasting 45-60 min.
Train with moderate to heavy weights at a moderate pace, without resting too long between sets.
Play sports and/or do cardio on a regular basis for health and energy.
Stick to a healthy diet to stay lean and muscular and watch for slow-creeping fat gains

1. Pick a muscle-building workout plan.

A mesomorph can handle high volume and heavy weights. Push yourself in the gym with one of these popular programs from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best weight-gain supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

You are primarily a

mesomorph.

Endomorph:
Mesomorph:
Ectomorph:

Strength train fairly often, for workouts lasting 45-60 min.
Train with moderate to heavy weights at a moderate pace, without resting too long between sets.
Play sports and/or do cardio on a regular basis for health and energy.
Stick to a healthy diet to stay lean and muscular and watch for slow-creeping fat gains

1.

Pick a muscle-building workout plan.

A mesomorph can handle high volume and heavy weights. Push yourself in the gym with one of these popular programs from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best weight-gain supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

You are primarily an

ectomorph.

Endomorph:
Mesomorph:
Ectomorph:

Your answers indicate you are an ectomorph. This means you might burn fat easily, but struggle to add muscle. Here’s what that means for your nutrition and training:

Lift fairly heavy weights with longer rests between sets.
Don’t add any extra volume or work to your workouts.
Don’t overdo cardio or conditioning work.
Be prepared to eat a lot if you want to gain muscle. Hit the protein, don’t fear carbs, and never leave the table less than full.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a muscle-building workout plan.

Want to grow? A systematic program featuring moderate to heavy weights can help you add muscle without burning too many calories. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best weight-gain supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

You are primarily an

ectomorph.

Endomorph:
Mesomorph:
Ectomorph:

Your answers indicate you are an ectomorph. This means you might burn fat easily, but struggle to add muscle. Here’s what that means for your nutrition and training:

Lift fairly heavy weights with longer rests between sets.
Don’t add any extra volume or work to your workouts.
Don’t overdo cardio or conditioning work.
Be prepared to eat a lot if you want to gain muscle. Hit the protein, don’t fear carbs, and never leave the table less than full.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a muscle-building workout plan.

Want to grow? A systematic program featuring moderate to heavy weights can help you add muscle without burning too many calories. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2.

Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best weight-gain supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

Your body is between an

endomorph and a mesomorph.

Get your heart pumping and stay active every day.
Lift moderate weights with short rests and a quick training pace.
To lose fat, use a calorie calculator to help you establish a caloric deficit.
Avoid junk food if weight loss is your goal.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a high-energy workout plan.

A fast and sweaty workout program will help you control your weight while holding onto muscle. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best fat-loss supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

Your body is between an

endomorph and a mesomorph.

Get your heart pumping and stay active every day.
Lift moderate weights with short rests and a quick training pace.
To lose fat, use a calorie calculator to help you establish a caloric deficit.
Avoid junk food if weight loss is your goal.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a high-energy workout plan.

A fast and sweaty workout program will help you control your weight while holding onto muscle. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best fat-loss supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

Your body is between an

ectomorph and a mesomorph.

Lift fairly heavy weights with longer rests between sets.
Don’t add any extra volume or work to your workouts.
Don’t overdo cardio or conditioning work.
Be prepared to eat a lot if you want to gain muscle. Hit the protein, don’t fear carbs, and never leave the table less than full.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a muscle-building workout plan.

Want to grow? A systematic program featuring moderate to heavy weights can help you add muscle without burning too many calories. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best weight-gain supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

Your body is between an

ectomorph and a mesomorph.

Lift fairly heavy weights with longer rests between sets.
Don’t add any extra volume or work to your workouts.
Don’t overdo cardio or conditioning work.
Be prepared to eat a lot if you want to gain muscle. Hit the protein, don’t fear carbs, and never leave the table less than full.

To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, “Training Tips to Match Your Body Type.” Here are your next steps to train for your body type:

1. Pick a muscle-building workout plan.

Want to grow? A systematic program featuring moderate to heavy weights can help you add muscle without burning too many calories. Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:

2. Calculate your macronutrient ratio.

3. Learn about the best weight-gain supplements.

4. Join a fitness community.

Ectomorph Body Type

Naturally lean
Struggles to gain muscle
Narrow shoulders and hips
Fast metabolism

Mesomorph Body Type

Narrow hips and clavicles
Small joints (wrist/ankles)
Thin build
Stringy muscle bellies
Long limbs

The mesomorph has a middle-of-the-road build that includes the best of both worlds. They tend to have wide shoulders, a narrow waist, relatively thin joints, and round muscle bellies.

In short, if you’re a mesomorph, you have a natural tendency to be fit and relatively muscular. Does this mean you can do nothing, eat everything, and get away with it forever? Definitely not!

Endomorph Body Type

Heavier bone structure
Squarer torso
Wider waist, larger hips
Slower metabolism

What Body Type Am I? Body Shape Calculator

RELATED: How to Dress For Your Body Shape

So, What Is My Body Type? How To Measure Your Body

While most people can tell what their body type is just by looking in the mirror, you can get a more accurate reading by actually measuring your body. Here’s how:

Using a measuring tape, get the measurement of your bust. Wear a proper-fitting bra and measure around the fullest part of your chest.
Ask a friend to help you with this one. Get the measurement of your shoulders. The tape should wrap around you at the highest point without it slipping off.
Then, get the measurement of your waist. This is the area right above your belly button and is usually the narrowest part of your torso (although not always).
Finally, get your hips measurement. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Find the widest point of your hip area, which should be low enough that the tape passes around the top of your butt as well.

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Body Shape Calculator & Measurements Chart

We’ll discuss the different female body shapes in detail below, but you can use this chart as a quick reference for your body type.

	Description	Widest part	Narrowest part
Hourglass	A well-defined waist with even hips and bust	Bust Hips	Waist
Pear	Bottom-heavy	Hips	Shoulder Bust Waist
Inverted triangle	Top-heavy	Shoulder Bust	Waist Hips
Rectangle	Even measurements without much definition	Shoulder Bust Waist Hip	–
Apple	Heavy midsection	Bust Waist	Hips

The Different Female Body Types

Hourglass

Women with an hourglass body have their bust and hips at roughly the same measurement, while also having a narrower, defined waist. This is one of the curvy female body shapes.

Celebrities with a classic hourglass shape include Dita Von Teese, Sofia Vergara, and Marilyn Monroe.

Getty

Pear/Triangle/Spoon

The pear-shaped body type is bottom-heavy, which means that your bust and shoulders are narrower than your hips and butt. While pear and spoon have similar silhouettes, spoon-shaped bodies have a more rectangular upper body with a heavier midsection.

Pear-shaped celebrities include Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, and Beyonce.

Getty

Inverted Triangle/Lollipop

The inverted triangle body type is the opposite of the pear shape – wider shoulders and bigger busts, but with narrow hips.

Celebrities with inverted triangle shapes include Demi Moore, Angelina Jolie, and Dolly Parton.

Straight/Rectangle/Banana

For straight or banana body types, your shoulders, waist, hip, and busts likely have around the same measurements. This gives off a more even, lean, rectangular-looking silhouette.

Celebrities with straight body types include Bella Hadid, Natalie Portman, and Cameron Diaz.

Getty

Apple/Round

The apple body shape is a variation of the inverted triangle where you also have a thicker, less defined waist. People with round or apple body shapes tend to gain weight in their stomach more than any other body part.

Celebrities with apple or round shapes include Mindy Kaling, Queen Latifah, and Rebel Wilson.

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Physique Classifications

Compared to body shapes, physique classifications talk less about your silhouette and more about how you gain weight and muscle. There are 3 classifications:

Ectomorph

Ectomorphs are usually skinny, lean, or thin. They have a fast metabolism, which makes it hard for them to gain weight and build muscle.

Mesomorph

Mesomorphs have your classic athletic body. With a larger bone structure and average metabolism, they can build definition and gain muscle pretty easily.

Endomorph

Endomorphs are usually softer, rounder, and stockier than other physiques. They have a slow metabolism, so they often find it difficult to lose weight or get defined muscles.

What Body Type Am I?: A Body Type Quiz

To find out your body type, take this test!

Your shoulders are:

Wider than your hips
Narrower than your hips
Same as your hips

A pair of well-fitting jeans with the right waist size fits:

Loose around your glutes
Tight around your glutes
Perfect around your glutes

Your forearms are:

Big
Small
Average

You tend to:

Carry some extra fat
Stay skinny
Stay fit and muscular

Your body is mostly:

Pear
Mostly rectangle
Hourglass

If you use your middle finger and thumb to encircle your other hand’s wrist:

The fingers don’t touch
The fingers overlap
The fingers just touch

When it comes to weight, you:

Gain weight easily but have a hard time losing it
Find it difficult to gain and maintain weight
Have an easy time gaining or losing weight

–

If you answered:

Mostly A’s: Endomorph

Mostly B’s: Ectomorph

Mostly C’s: Mesomorph

Conclusion

Understanding your body type is the first step to understanding what clothes work best for you. It also helps to know that even celebrities come in all shapes and sizes, and that having a different body type from the women you see on TV doesn’t make you any less beautiful.

RELATED: 4 simple steps to make the most of your muscles

How to Train & Diet for Your Body Type

Do you have trouble losing body fat, yet seem to gain it after even the smallest slip up with your diet? Or does it feel like you can eat for days without gaining an ounce? It could have something to do with your current body type. But is it really that simple?

Let’s explore them more in depth and analyze how they relate to overall body composition.

What is Body Type?

Body type, or somatotype, refers to the idea that there are three generalized body compositions that people are predetermined to have. The concept was theorized by Dr. W.H. Sheldon back in the early 1940s, naming the three somatotypes endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph.

It was originally believed that a person’s somatotype was unchangeable, and that certain physiological and psychological characteristics were even determined by whichever one a person aligns to.

According to Sheldon, endomorphs have bodies that are always rounded and soft, mesomorphs are always square and muscular, and ectomorphs are always thin and fine-boned.

He theorized that these body types directly influenced a person’s personality, and the names were chosen because he believed the predominate traits of each somatotype were set in stone, derived from pre-birth preferential development of either the endodermal, mesodermal, or ectodermal embryonic layers.

Somatotype Theory, Debunked

Let’s take a deeper look at how he classified each one:

Endomorph

Relative predominance of soft roundness throughout various regions of the body.
Digestive viscera are more massive and relatively dominate bodily economy.
Have a more relaxed, comfortable, and extroverted personality.

Mesomorph

Relative predominance of muscle, bone, and connective tissue that dominates bodily economy.
Heavy, hard, and rectangular in outline.
Have a more active, dynamic, assertive, and aggressive personality.

Ectomorph

Relative predominance of linearity and fragility
Greatest skin surface area relative to body mass causes greater sensory exposure
Have a more introverted, thoughtful, inhibited, and sensitive personality.

Some notions of Sheldon’s theory have held up over time, providing the foundation for more accepted applications of somatotyping, but much of it has not.

The theory that personality is determined by body composition has been wholly abandoned by the psychological community. Additionally, we know that no one is hopelessly predetermined to either be fat, muscular, or thin as a lifelong consequence of prenatal development.

What makes our bodies what they are is an absolutely vast array of environmental and social influences, genetic variations, geographic locations, and personal decisions across the entire lifespan.

The Body Type Spectrum

So then why are we even discussing this topic? Because while the notion of a predetermined body composition looks far-fetched through a 21^st century lens, many of the physiological markers and observations associated with each somatotype do actually exist in the greater population.

However, the modern understanding is flipped from Sheldon’s original concept; it’s our physiological characteristics that determine the current somatotype, not the somatotype that determines our collective physiologies.

No one exists within purely one somatotype; instead, we are all constantly in flux and fall uniquely on a spectrum somewhere between all three.

Your Body Type is Not a Life Sentence

As they are understood and accepted today, body types reflect a generalized picture of how a person’s physiology is functioning in their current state. The observable somatotype represents the current sum of their physical, dietary, and lifestyle choices up to that point in time, combined with a variety of uncontrollable factors influenced by both genetics and the surrounding environment.

For example, at one extreme end of the spectrum, a person who has easy access to high-quality food, makes habitually healthy diet choices, is free of chronic disease, and consistently trains at progressively higher intensities will always have a more functional, muscular, and leaner body composition. On the flip side, someone who always sits all day and eats a lots of excess calories from junk food will undoubtedly develop the “soft roundness” stated in Sheldon’s original classification of endomorphs.

But remember, a body type is not a life sentence. If it were, personal trainers, health coaches, and nutrition coaches would all be out of jobs. The fitness industry, at its core, is all about helping people learn to use tools they can control (i.e., improved lifestyle, diet, and exercise techniques) to overcome challenges presented by genetic and environmental factors that they otherwise have no agency over.

Body type will shift based on lifestyle, activity, and diet modifications . Someone on the DASH diet will have a different composition than someone who doesn’t have a diet preference.

This notion is made clear when looking at average physiques of elite athletes in different sports, where consistent training and diet standards lead to similar average body compositions grouped across the somatotype spectrum.

How to Improve Your Body Composition

Research continues to prove that physical training and consistent, habitual changes to the diet have a strong influence on improving body composition. Metabolic conditions such as hyper- or hypothyroidism are fully within the realm of modern medicine to manage and improve, and chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes are manageable and can even be remedied in many cases through improvements to diet and exercise routines. Simply type “[exercise/diet] impact on body composition” into your favorite search engine and quickly become overwhelmed with the breadth of research spanning the last century.

The human body is highly adaptable and always seeks homeostasis (i.e., equilibrium) within its environment. But it can take a while to break old patterns that the body has gotten used to. This fact – that change takes time and consistency – is more than likely what leads many people to resign to the notion that they are stuck in a somatotype; because change is hard, and it’s often far easier and convenient to chalk one’s body dissatisfaction up to forces beyond direct control. But this is also where Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches have the most opportunity to build long-lasting relationships with clients.

Muscle is healthily gained at around one pound per month, and fat healthily lost at around one pound per week. After a desirable body composition has been attained through lifestyle modification, physical training, and healthy changes to diet – and, more importantly, when those new habits are adopted and maintained permanently – the new body that is symptomatic of all those changes will eventually become the “new normal.”

Metabolisms and appetites adjust to new energy intakes, physical activity becomes a natural part of the day instead of a chore, and someone who was predominately ectomorphic or endomorphic will eventually see themselves displaying far more mesomorphic traits over time.

How to Identify Body Type

In light of all this, understanding a client’s current-state body type is quite beneficial for fitness professionals. A simple observation of body composition can help quickly identify various physiological situations a client might be dealing with and allow you to tailor solutions that will preferentially address each one. Use the following somatotype traits to determine which one a person primarily aligns to:

Endomorphic

Stockier bone structures with larger midsection and hips.
Carries more fat throughout the body.
Gains fat fast and loses it slow.
Naturally slow metabolism; potentially due to chronic conditions (e.g., thyroid deficiency, diabetes) but too frequently the result of a sedentary lifestyle and chronically-positive daily energy balance.

Mesomorphic

Medium bone structure with shoulders wider than the hips.
Developed athletic musculature.
Efficient metabolism; mass gain and loss both happen with relative ease.

Ectomorphic

More narrow shoulders and hips in respect to height.
Relatively smaller muscles in respect to bone length.
Naturally fast metabolism makes it difficult for many to gain mass.
Potentially indicative of disordered eating (e.g., anorexia, bulimia) when BMI is ≤17.

Once you identify which somatotype a client most aligns to, consider the structural and metabolic challenges that are associated with it. Then, tailor the exercise programming and dietary coaching to overcome those hurdles. This will preferentially develop the necessary foundation that each client individually requires.

For the typical new client, the initial, overarching goal to “get in shape” will essentially boil down to a desire to shift their current-state body type toward a more mesomorphic physiology.

Obviously, there will be exceptions to this rule – there will always be endomorphs who want to get even bigger to compete in strongman events and ectomorphs who want to keep thin and trim for running ultramarathons – but it rings true for the majority of clients seeking the help of a Certified Personal Trainer or Nutrition Coach.

In light of that average goal, for example, a client who presents predominately as an ectomorph will most likely need dietary and training solutions that focus on muscle protein synthesis and overall mass gain, while typical endomorphic clients will benefit far more from frequent metabolic training and reduced calorie intakes. So, take a look at each individual, critically evaluate whether you are using the right methods for the body type they currently display, and use the following tips to better tailor your programs for maximal success.

How to Train Endomorphs

Training endomorphs should predominantly focus on fat loss techniques until a desirable body composition and functional cardiorespiratory efficiency have been achieved. Resistance training should be used to strengthen muscles and stabilize joints to support more-efficient movement elsewhere in life, but this population tends to need cardiorespiratory improvement and fat loss above all.

In the gym, work through OPT Phase 1 and Phase 2, but keep the majority of training sessions focused on metabolic conditioning. Use short rest periods, circuits for resistance exercises, lots of plyometrics (within client tolerance), and use as much additional time as possible for steady-state cardio.

Consistent anaerobic and aerobic training will help endomorphic bodies increase their metabolic efficiency and boost the body’s daily energy requirement. Additionally, recommend that primarily-endomorphic clients increase their non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) factor as much as possible, moving more during times of the day when they’re not in the gym. Commitment to a less-sedentary lifestyle overall is the most important thing for this population to begin overcoming their metabolic challenges.

Due to those slower metabolisms (regardless of the underlying cause) and a surplus of stored energy (body fat), nutritional solutions for primarily-endomorphic individuals should focus on techniques to maximize fat loss while still supporting, and even building, the existing lean muscle mass. To accomplish this, a diet that is both low-calorie and high in protein is ideal. Diets containing daily protein of as much as 2.2 grams per kilogram body weight (and sometimes even higher) have been shown safe and effective for supporting existing muscle tissue during times of calorie restriction and weight loss.

After ensuring that daily protein requirements have been met, the remaining pool of calories can come from whatever blend of carbs and fats the individual best tolerates. Some may tolerate a very low-carb “ketogenic” diet that helps them preferentially burn even more fat throughout the day, while others will experience hypoglycemia and its associated nauseating symptoms without enough carbohydrates in their diet.

This rings especially true during workouts, where carbs are important to fuel the higher intensities needed for cardiorespiratory improvement. But regardless of whether carbs or fats are the preferred source of energy, the most important thing is to determine the client’s total daily calorie requirement and keep food intake a bit lower (with still-ample protein) so that the body remains in a negative energy balance with as little muscle catabolism as possible.

TLDR:

Maximize calorie burn and the improvement of metabolic efficiency by primarily using high-intensity, metabolic training techniques.
Consume a high-protein diet with balanced carbs and fats that maintains a slight negative energy balance.

If you are an Ectomorph and want to gain muscle, check your nutrition. Here are some great recipes for gaining muscle to help you hit your goals.

How to Train Ectomorphs

Ectomorphs face the opposite set of challenges as primarily-endomorphic individuals. Due to the numerous factors previously mentioned, most ectomorphic clients have developed bodies with highly active metabolisms and “lanky” bone structures, making it hard for them to put on mass and keep it on. For this reason, exercise techniques for hypertrophy and maximal strength should be prioritized, with a greatly-reduced focus on cardiorespiratory training to reduce overall energy utilization.

After working through the initial level of the OPT model, Phases 3 and 4 will be of most benefit to average clients in this population. Hypertrophy and maximal strength resistance training are primarily anaerobic in nature and, when combined with longer rest periods, won’t stimulate elevated calorie burn in the moment like more-intense, fast-paced exercise programs will. When paired with a consistently-positive energy balance, this type of lifting will preferentially help ectomorphs build up their body mass.

To accompany the mass gain-focused resistance training, ectomorphic bodies should eat a mass gain-focused diet. These individuals tend to burn through energy sources faster than most, so ample calories will be needed. Low-carb, fat-loss focused diets are not recommended here, and in some cases, it may be prudent to recommend that ectomorphic clients even incorporate “mass gainer” nutritional shakes into their diets.

And just like with endomorphic bodies that are working to become more mesomorphic, ectomorphs need high levels of protein too. 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram body weight of daily protein has been shown to be optimal for muscle growth, with some individuals requiring up to 2.2.

That protein should then be spaced out every three hours so that muscle protein synthesis (MPS) signals (from the amino acid leucine) are maximized all day long. An additional protein shake at night, right before bed to minimize the fasting window, can also be beneficial for maximizing MPS in individuals with difficulty gaining weight.

TLDR:

Maximize muscle gain using lower-intensity hypertrophy and maximal strength resistance training with longer rest periods.
Consume a high-protein diet with balanced carbs and fats that maintains a positive energy balance.

How to Train Mesomorphs

There’s no avoiding the fact that mesomorphs have things a bit easier than others. Their metabolisms are relatively efficient, they carry functional – if not athletic – muscle mass and are essentially ready to take on whatever fitness goal they please with minimal foundational work.

But remember, while there are undoubtedly some people who look lean and fit with zero effort, they are the exception to the rule. Most individuals who present a more-mesomorphic body composition have developed it as a consequence of numerous factors over their entire lifetime. And for formally endo- or ectomorphic individuals who have improved their lifestyles, diets, and fitness, hard work and discipline are the biggest factors of all.

A mesomorphic body type indicates a client is ready to transition to more advanced forms of power (like SAQ training), athletic, and sport-specific training. Comparatively, diets for mesomorphic bodies should be tailored specifically to health and fitness goals. Protein should be consumed anywhere between 1.2 and 2.2 grams per kilogram body weight depending on the intensity of the exercise program, with remaining calories coming from a blend of healthy carbs and fats. Then, if changes in body composition are still desired, the daily calorie load can either be increased or decreased to gain or lose weight, respectively.

TLDR:

Utilize OPT Phases directly aligned to client goals.
Eat specifically for fitness goals and activity, increasing or decreasing daily calories to preferentially control body composition with positive, neutral, or negative energy balances.
Increase protein intakes to as high as 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight for muscle gain goals; or, keep closer to the 0.8 gram per kilogram of body weight FDA recommended dietary allowance (RDA) when healthy body composition maintenance is all that is desired.

Other NASM stuff to check out

If you are wanting to start training clients professionally as a personal trainer, nutrition coach, or both, NASM has a fitness-nutrition bundle that combines both products into one package.

For a great tool that calculates the amount of calories needed to hit weight loss goals, check out the NASM Weight Loss Calculator.

Also, see their online CEU nutrition courses for more great information (including 2 free mini courses).

References

Bernard, TJ. (2003). Biography of William Sheldon, American psychologist. Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed online at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Sheldon

Carter, J.E.L. & Heath, B.H. (1990). Somatotyping – development and applications. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-35117-0

Carter, J.E.L. (2002). The Heath-Carter Anthropometric Somatotype, Instruction Manual. Department of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University. Accessed online at: http://www.somatotype.org/Heath-CarterManual.pdf

Clark, M.A., Lucett, S.C., McGill, E., Montel, I., & Sutton, B. (2018). NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, 6th ed. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. ISBN 978-1-284-16008-6

National Academy of Sports Medicine. (2019). Certified Nutrition Coach. Online education program, accessed at www.nasm.org

Toth, T., Michalikova, M., Bednarcikova, L., Zivacak, J., & Kneppo, P. (2014). Somatotypes in Sport. Acta Mechanica et Automatica, 8(1). DOI 10.2478/ama-2014-0005

The Body Type Quiz To Help You Figure Out Your Goals

What defines your figure?

The way we grow and look is defined not only by what we eat, what we do, and where we live. One of the main roles in the formation of our appearance plays genetics. That is why some people are able to stuff their faces with junk food and desserts and still stay skinny, while others don’t have any other choice but to diet their whole life. Your body type for a bigger part depends on genetics (3). Each type is different and requires different weight loss approaches or weight gain techniques. For example, the endomorph diet (4) is poles apart from the ectomorph diet. That is why, before starting a meal plan, or a training program, it is important to find out which of the three existing body types you are. And that is when this body type quiz comes to rescue.

Body type quiz

This quiz will help you figure out your body type and will shed light on the techniques that can speed your weight loss process along.

1. Your shoulders are:

Wider than your hips
The same as your hips
Narrower than your hips

2. When you look in the mirror, what is prevalent in your body?

Bones
Muscles
Body fat

3. Your forearms look rather:

Small
Average
Big

Read More: Meal Plans To Lose Weight: Simple Diet Plans, Menus, and Hacks to Lose Pounds Faster

4. Is it easy for you to gain weight?

I can’t gain weight even when I try
I manage to stay lean, but I can pack on a couple of extra pounds if I want to
It is easy for me to gain weight, but more difficult to lose it

5. Your body has a/an … shape.

Mostly straight
Hourglass
Pear (narrow shoulders, wide hips)

6. If you encircle your wrist with your other hand’s middle finger and thumb, they:

Overlap
Touch
Don’t touch

Results:

Check your answers and count how many As, Bs, and Cs you have got. If you have more “a” answers – you are an endomorph, more bs mean that your body type is mesomorph, and prevalent “c” shows that you have an ectomorphic body type.

A person who has an endomorph body type possesses thick bones, smaller shoulders, shorter limbs, more body fat, and muscle mass. The body of such type stores “high carb” foods as fat instead of burning them. That is why endomorphs are likely to gain fat in their lower belly and hips and find it more difficult to lose weight. Endomorph body type is characterized by a rounded and curvy figure. For people with this body type strength workout is going to be the most effective weight loss tool (2).

Tips for people with endomorph body type:

Your goal is to shed pounds, while maintaining the muscle mass. A relatively fast training pace and moderate weight might just be the healthy combination your body needs. Pulse-racing high-intensity workouts will not only improve your health, but also will melt away the unwanted pounds. If you are giving the training all that you’ve got, but still gain weight, then it is better to revise your meal plan.

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This type is like the golden mean. It is characterized by the best features of the previous two. People with mesomorphic body type have broad shoulders, thin waist, and low body fat. They are strong, athletic and well-built. People who have a mesomorphic type of body tend to generally lose weight and build muscle mass much quicker than others, that is why such activities as bodybuilding suits them well. In women this body type is associated with an hourglass figure.

Tips for people with mesomorph body type:

Although being a mesomorph combines the best characteristics of the other two body types, it doesn’t mean that you are invincible. You are predisposed to not only muscle mass growth, but also a fat deposition. Your goal is to support your lean muscle tissue, while preventing the fat growth. That is why some regular moderate weightlifting and daily aerobic activities are a great option for you.

The ectomorph body type is characterized by thin bones, narrower frame, and smaller joints. People with this body type may not have much volume in the chest and buttocks. They are usually skinny, and it is difficult for them to gain weight, because their body processes food faster. However, it doesn’t mean that they have no fat, moreover, that amount of fat grows with age. If you have an ectomorphic body type, you probably possess a slim or straight form, and it may be a bit difficult for you to gain muscle mass. However, you can strengthen your body by resistance training. People with this body type are better at endurance sports (1). If you still can’t visualize the ectomorphic body type, think of the typical build of a ballerina, distance runner, or stereotypical fashion model (5).

Tips for people with endomorph body type:

Your goal is to gain muscle mass. Consumption of a lot of protein and carbs, regular heavy lifting with good form and moderate aerobic activities are the key to your perfect body. Remember, that being skinny doesn’t necessarily mean being healthy, that is why you need to maintain proper nutrition and fitness.

Other body types

Besides the three main body types, there are some others, which are basically combinations of the main ones. If your body type quiz shows mixed results, then you may have a mixed body type. As for example, if you receive a similar amount of Bs and Cs, then you have an ecto-meso type, likewise, if you have as many As as Bs, you have an endo-meso type. The latter is characterized by a bigger amount of fat, as in endomorph body type, but it is easier to lose that weight, as in mesomorphic type. The ecto-meso type is like the previous one, but with weight gain – you don’t weigh that much, but it is easier for you to put on a couple of pounds, than for people with ectomorph body type. However, at the same time it is difficult to keep that weight, so getting ripped may turn out to be quite a challenge for you.

Conclusion

It may be very difficult to reach your goal. Sometimes, when you want to lose weight or gain muscle mass and follow the diet or training program which is said to be highly effective and is supported by other people’s results, it just doesn’t work. That may happen because you and those people have different body types. As was already mentioned, each type requires its own meal and workout plan. This body type quiz will determine if you are endomorph, ectomorph, or mesomorph. If you want to significantly improve your results, get much more detailed tips and more specific techniques, you can take a quiz to get your personalized meal plan and training program here: BetterMe.

Besides, do you want to take up a challenge and get a snatched body? If so, check out this 20-min Full Body Workout At Home.

DISCLAIMER:

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!

SOURCES:

Do Some People Get in Shape Easier Than Others? (n.d., webmd.com)
How to build muscle with exercise (2020, medicalnewstoday.com)
THE DETERMINING FACTORS IN THE FORMATION OF THE THREE BODY TYPES (ECTOMORPH, MESOMORPH AND ENDOMORPH) (n.d., pdfs.semanticscholar.org)
What to know about the endomorph diet (2019, medicalnewstoday.com)
What Your Body Shape Says About Your Health (2020, webmd.com)

Ectomorph, Endomorph Or Mesomorph? Train For Your Body Type

Do you find that whatever you do in the gym, it’s almost impossible to add significant bulk? Or do you find adding muscle easy, but unfortunately find that you pile on fat just as easily if you’re not working out regularly?

The reasons behind this could well be down to your body type. While humans rarely fit exactly into one category of body type, there’s widespread recognition that there are three broad types into which we all fall to some extent. These are ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph.

Ectomorphs are naturally lean and long, and tend to find it trickier to bulk up, but also don’t get fat quickly if they lay off the training. Endomorphs are the opposite, with higher levels of body fat, a natural pear shape and the ability to add muscle relatively easily. In between these two you find mesomorphs who, by a set of totally arbitrary aesthetic standards, could be said to have won the genetic lottery: they have an athletic build, a high metabolism, and add muscle easily.

It’s unlikely that you purely fall into one of these three categories – it’s more probable that you’re a mix of a couple of them. Below you’ll find all the information you need to identify which body type (or types) you are, plus advice on what that means for your training and diet plans.

Falling Between Categories

Although there are three clear body types, it’s important to be aware that these aren’t set in stone.

“The three body types exist but probably never in their pure form,” says Professor Lars McNaughton from Edge Hill University.

“We all have some aspects of endomorphy, mesomorphy and ectomorphy.”

There’s even a system for rating what mix of types you are, the Heath-Carter method, where you are given a score between one and seven for each body type (you can go outside this range, but it’s generally within those numbers).

“You are scored in an order with endomorphy first, then mesomorph, then ectomorphy,” says McNaughton.

“So a 1-7-5 would be a mesoectomorph – a tall muscular person with little fat.”

Under the Heath-Carter system, an extreme mesomorph would be rated 1-7-1, an extreme endomorph 7-1-1 and an extreme ectomorph 1-1-7. Almost everyone is a mix, though, so it’s case of identifying your own body type and how it fits into each category.

You could be a mix of mesomorph and endomorph where you gain muscle quickly but also put on weight easily if you relax your diet. Or the dream combo: a muscular mesomorph who can strip fat rapidly from just a couple of HIIT workouts. If that’s you, try not to rub it in everyone’s face.

The chart below shows where athletes from various sports fit in the Heath-Carter system. It’s a good starting point for identifying your own body type.

How To Train For Your Body Type

While individuals who are exclusively one body type are extremely rare, you probably have some idea of where you fall within the Heath-Carter system. And while there’s no one true fitness goal everyone should be striving towards, some goals will be harder to achieve for bodies that lean towards certain types. Here’s what you may need to take into account if you’re predominantly one body type.

Ectomorphs

Naturally skinny types will find it harder to add muscle, so if that’s you, you’ll need to follow the fundamentals of building muscle to the letter.

“Ectomorphs need to increase their calorie intake, trying to get it from healthier foods, with an emphasis on protein in the diet,” says exercise physiologist Tom Cowan. “If you’re an ectomorph you should consume protein regularly – every three to four hours. Your intake either side of a workout is particularly important, so maybe a protein shake before strength training and then one within an hour or so after. There is also research to suggest that consuming protein before bed can help to increase muscle protein synthesis rates overnight, and limit the duration of the fasting period when you are asleep.

“Combine that with hypertrophy strength training – eight to 12 reps of an exercise, multiple sets – to promote muscle growth.”

Endomorphs

“For endomorphs the focus should be on losing fat,” says Cowan. “You need to be in a negative calorie balance. You can reduce their calories in or increase the calories out, or ideally a mixture of both.”

When it comes to diet, a good starting point is less fat and more protein, with the latter helping to build and maintain muscle mass.

“You should reduce your fat intake, because fat contains more calories per gram than carbohydrates or protein,” says Cowan, “and slightly increase how many of your calories are coming from protein.”

On the exercise front a broad approach is key for endomorphs to lose weight and keep it off.

“You definitely want cardio in there – steady-state cardiovascular exercise at lower to moderate intensity will burn fat,” says Cowan. “Once you’ve built up a good level of cardiovascular fitness, add in some HIIT or circuit training. That will get the heart rate up and increase the rate of calorie expenditure per minute, compared with steady-state training. HIIT also increases the metabolic rate, not just during the session but for several hours after the session.

“Endomorphs are more likely to be overweight. If you are, you will need to think carefully about the type of cardio you do. Weight-bearing exercise can create joint issues, so running all the time might take a toll on your knees, hips and ankles. Before you’ve lost some weight, maybe look at non-weight bearing exercises like swimming or cycling.

“Strength training is also really important. Muscle mass is a big indicator of metabolic rate. The more muscle you have the quicker your metabolic rate will be, so you burn more calories at rest. This will help tip the seesaw of calories in versus calories out in your favour. Also muscle is key because when you have lost the weight, your metabolism is quicker because you have more muscle mass, so there’s less chance of the weight going back on again.

“Finally, think about NEAT – Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. Which is just saying, let’s try to get endomorphs as active as possible in general. Try to reduce sedentary behaviours.” In layman’s terms: Sit less, move more.

Mesomorphs

Mesomorphs might have won the genetic lottery by having a naturally muscular build and less of a tendency to store fat than endomorphs, but there’s a danger of complacency.

“For mesomorphs it’s more about maintenance of that muscle mass,” says Cowan. “You will also lose muscle mass with age from your 30s. The way to try and reduce that loss is to keep going with strength training and keep enough protein in your diet.”

What mesomorphs should do with their training and diet will often depend on their overall fitness and sporting goals.

“If you’re a mesomorph with a sport-specific goal things might change a little bit,” says Cowan, “and if you want to get bigger then you’re going to have to think about the ectomorph approach – gain mass by increasing calorie and protein intake. You might step up their strength training too, with more hypertrophy range training.

“If you’re a mesomorph who just wants to maintain you might have a more balanced diet without so much protein, and you might not have to do such frequent strength training – maybe just twice a week rather than three, four or five times.”

Free Body Type Quiz. Find Your Body Type With 100% Accuracy

This Body Type Quiz will reveal your body type by some simples questions (For both men and women). Are you Endomorph, Ectomorph, or Mesomorph? Let’s find out.

What is Body Type Quiz?

This is an interesting question that most people are concerned about it. Because we all want to look good and attractive, but sometimes the body frame is hereditary.

Some have a relatively large-size frame with noticeable fats in some parts of their body, while others have a small-size frame with long and slim legs and arms. Some people quickly gain or lose weight; however, others have trouble managing their weight or not gaining weight.

If you want to know your body type, you can see different results by searching the internet. However, the ‘body type test’ is one of the most accessible and reliable sources. The body type quiz asks you some interesting questions about your frame’s shape, exercise, and nutrition. If you answer the questions carefully, you will find out your type. Before start this quiz, here’s a hint about the body types you need to get to know.

Popular shapes for men and women

Generally, there are three types, and most people have one of them; Ectomorph, Endomorph, and Mesomorph. Of course, these should not be confused with the Kibbe body types, as Kibbe analyzes all physical and facial features and the way of clothing.

However, female types are often introduced with the words: Rectangle or “Banana,” Triangle or “pear,” Hourglass, Top hourglass, Round or oval, Diamond, and Athletic. But men types are known by the same three terms described below:

Ectomorph:

If you have these features, your body type is Ectomorph:

Your metabolism is very high, and you burn fat quickly. You are thin and lean; also, you have long legs and arms, narrow hips and shoulders, and slender waists. You are lucky, because no matter how much you eat, you will not gain weight, so you have a beautiful slim body without fat and noticeable muscle mass. Two days of low-intensity cardio with three days of strength training can be beneficial for your health.

Also, you don’t need to live in the gym to build your body, do ABS exercises like the bicycle crunch and the captain’s chair three or four times a week. It would be best if you ate meals rich in calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat. However, this does not mean that you eat unhealthy foods. For example, seeds and nuts are rich in fats.

Endomorph: Pear-shaped, with a high tendency to store fat in the lower body

If you have these features, your body type is Endomorph:

You have narrow shoulders and wider hips. Your body is adept in fuel storage, and you always have trouble managing your weight and overall fitness. You often complain about accumulated fat in the lower body, such as the abdomen, hips, and thighs.

If you are a woman, you have a curvy shape, or if you are a man, you have a stocky or rounded body shape. The best exercises for you are aerobic exercise and weight training, which is useful for burning your fat.

It is also recommended that doing hypertrophy for four days a week can be beneficial to your health. It would be best if you had a low-carb diet such as oats and brown rice. If you want to burn your fats, green tea and spinach are good options for you.

Mesomorph: Muscular and moderate-size frame with a high metabolism and responsive muscle cells

If you have these features, your type is Mesomorph:

You have a naturally muscular and moderate-size frame body. Your shoulders are wide, and your waist is narrow; you also have strong arms and legs. You don’t need to store fat because your body can easily add new muscle.

If you are a woman, you have a sexy body. When it comes to exercise, you shouldn’t train as hard as you can. Timed workouts such as sprints, box, and vertical jumps are best for your health. Fortunately, you can quickly gain or lose weight.

That’s why you should have a mesomorph diet; it means you need slightly more calories and protein than other styles. A balanced meal for you may include grilled chicken and olive oil on whole grain bread, and vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli.

Body Type Quizzes

As mentioned earlier, the best and easiest way to understand your type is to take a quiz. There are different and exciting types of these tests, such as the “body type diet quiz” and the male and female body type quizzes. Here are some questions related to these quizzes:

Questions of the quiz

Question 1
How does the size of your hands and feet look according to your body size?
- My hands and feet are large for my size
- My hands and feet are small for my size
- My arms and legs fit my size
- My arms and legs are long for my body
Question 2
Fitted jeans are generally….
Question 3
Which of the following options best describes your body physique?
- Thin, slender appearance
- Soft, round body
- Heavy, athletic body
- “big-boned” body
Question 4
What is the structure of your facial bones?
Question 5
How much daily activity do you have?
Question 6
How do your hips look compared to your shoulders?
- My hips look wider than my shoulders
- My hips look the same width as my shoulders
- My hips look narrower than my shoulders
- My hips and shoulders are narrow
Question 7
How is your weight control situation?
- I don’t gain weight easily
- I have trouble managing my weight
- I easily gain and lose weight
- I don’t have trouble managing my weight
Question 8
Which part of your body can store more fat?
Question 9
How do your friends describe your body?
- A pencil
- A pear
- An hourglass
- A sexy body
- They have no idea
Question 10
What problems do you usually have when buying pants?
- I should always look for a small size
- The pants don’t go over my hip
- I don’t have any problem
- Sometimes I should use a belt
Question 11
What is an attractive part of your body?
- My legs
- My hips
- My Breast
- My narrow waist
Question 12
In your opinion, what is the best exercise for your health?
Question 13
What is your favorite diet?
- Calories, carbohydrates, and protein-rich foods
- A low-carb diet
- A moderate amount of carbs
- I can eat everything
Question 14
When you look in the mirror, which factors seem most prominent on your body?
Question 15
How would you describe the bone structure of your body?

90,000 📌Body types – summary table of species. How to define your own?

An athletic physique is not only the result of training, but also a gift from genetics. For example, the mesomorph is naturally athletic. The ectomorph, due to its natural thinness, is distinguished by a relief press, and the endomorph is usually successful in strength sports.

How to determine your body type – do you belong to sports mesomorphs, or to easily gaining excess weight endomorphs? Below in the material you will find a summary table of male body types with recommendations for choosing a training and nutrition strategy.

// Body type – what is it?

Body types is a classification of the most common types of human figures with division into ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph. The theory of somatotypes was developed by William Sheldon in the 1940s and was based on an analysis of the anthropological parameters of male students¹.

An ectomorph is a tall person prone to thinness, a mesomorph is distinguished by an athletic build, and an endomorph is prone to weight gain. Separately, Sheldon noted that in a “pure” form, these types of physique do not occur – the average person is a combination of different types.

Differences in each type of physique are expressed in the characteristics of metabolism. Ultimately, the endomorph has a slow metabolism, the mesomorph is characterized by an increased level of testosterone (which helps to gain muscle), and the ectomorph is characterized by a high level of cortisol.

// Body types – briefly:

ectomorph – naturally thin man
mesomorph – athletic body type
endomorph – tendency to gain excess weight

// Read more:

How to determine your body type?

One of the key characteristics of body type is bone and wrist thickness.The girth of the wrist remains unchanged regardless of the amount of fat or muscle mass in the body. Usually the classic ectomorph has thin bones, the mesomorph is medium, the endomorph is wide.

In male ectomorphs, the girth of the wrist (measurements are taken along the bone just above the location of the wristwatch) is less than 17 cm, in mesomorphs – 17-20 cm, in endomorphs – more than 20 cm.In the table below you will find other physical characteristics as well as the pros and cons of each body type.

// Summary table for determining different body types:

Ectomorph – wrist less than 17 cm; narrow shoulders and a flat chest, thin and long limbs, thinness and a minimum of subcutaneous fat. The advantage of the ectomorphic body type is the ability to quickly pump up the abs, as well as the absence of the need to follow a diet. The downside is the difficulty with gaining mass and the increased level of cortisol.
Mesomorph – wrist from 17 to 20 cm; broad shoulders and a developed rib cage, medium to large bone, low fat with visible muscles.The advantages of a mesomorphic body type are high testosterone levels (in men) and an innate love of sports. The disadvantages of mesomorph are the tendency to increase cholesterol levels and problems with blood vessels.
Endomorph – wrist more than 20 cm; large bone and massive limbs, short arms and legs, wide waist and hips, excess fat deposition. The advantage of the endomorphic body type is a powerful bone structure, which allows you to achieve great results in sports. The downside is the tendency to be overweight and the risk of developing diabetes mellitus when eating fast carbohydrates.

Mesomorph – characteristics

Mesomorph is a sports body type with a tendency to engage in active sports. Mesomorphs are characterized by increased testosterone levels and a fast metabolism along with a good appetite – all this allows them to quickly gain muscle. Most professional athletes are mesomorphs.

The advantage of this body type is that the mesomorph’s body needs less time to recover.Mesomorphs can train not three times a week, as is recommended for ectomorphs and endomorphs, but four to five times.

// Mesomorph body type:

athletic build
low fat with visible muscles
medium to large bone
broad shoulders and developed chest
fast metabolism
good strength

How to pump up a mesomorph?

An athletic physique does not manifest itself – to gain the first kilograms of muscle mass, a mesomorph will take months of hard physical training and proper high-calorie nutrition.At the same time, the best training strategy for pumping the body will be to perform a basic weight training program.

After the body weight reaches 70-75 kg (with a standard height of 180 cm), the mesomorph should switch to a bodybuilding split of 3 workouts per week. For each muscle group, 2-3 exercises are performed in 4 sets of 8-12 repetitions. The choice of exercise depends on the goals for working out the lagging muscles.

// Read more:

Endomorph – characteristics

Endomorph is a body type that is prone to weight gain.Among Europeans, endomorph is one of the most common. Differs in slowed metabolism against the background of high endurance. The combination of these factors gives good strength indicators, but provokes the growth of subcutaneous fat.

The key to creating an athletic body for endomorphs lies in a constant diet – they must monitor the glycemic index of carbohydrates consumed, as well as regularly engage in cardio and other fat burning workouts. Endomorphs lose weight the fastest when doing circuit training.

// Endomorph body type:

large bone and massive limbs
high level of physical strength
short arms and legs, wide waist and hips
slow metabolism
tendency to gain fat

Trainings for the endomorph

The more muscles in the body, the faster the metabolism of the endomorph works. However, the body most often is not able to build muscle and burn fat at the same time – which is why the best training format for endomorphs will be the alternation of a cycle for weight and a cycle for drying.

The difficulty lies in the fact that the slow metabolism of a beginner-endomorph does not know how to store energy in the muscles. To “rock” the metabolism, it is recommended to take preworkout and a small portion of fast carbs 30-40 minutes before the start of the workout – this will give the muscles more energy for exercise.

// Read more:

Ectomorph – characteristics

An ectomorph is a nature-thin person with long limbs.Ectomorphs have an increased metabolism and poor appetite, and their muscles do not have enough glycogen stores for training, which reduces the effectiveness of strength training and limits the ability to recover and grow muscles.

The training strategy for lean ectomorphs is based on rare, but intense, low-rep workouts (no more than 8 repetitions of the exercise in each set). The key point is the increased calorie intake and special attention to the carbohydrate window immediately after the end of the workout.

// Ectomorph body type:

low body fat
accelerated metabolism
narrow shoulders and flat chest
thin and long limbs
low strength

ectomorph

Fast metabolism distinguishes lean ectomorphs from overweight endomorphs and muscular mesomorphs. An ectomorph teenager can eat high-calorie foods without gaining excess weight.However, only up to a certain age – after which, against the background of general thinness, fat in the lower abdomen can begin to grow.

At the same time, it is nutrition that is the key to how an ectomorph can gain mass. Naturally thin guys looking to build up need to increase their daily calories and consume protein every few hours. In addition, maintaining muscle mass also requires calories.

// Read more:

How do you know your body type?

Note that modern science is very critical of the theory of body types.Ultimately, there are no clear and unambiguous criteria by which a person refers to one of them. There are always exceptions and individual characteristics.

In some people (most often women), the upper body may show signs of one body type, and the bottom – another. That is why it is extremely difficult for the average person to determine whether he is an endomorph, mesomorph or ectomorph. In addition, nutrition during adolescence also plays a role.

Recall that William Sheldon, the author of the theory of body types, noted that “pure” somatotypes practically do not occur.In real life, a particular person is a combination of all three body types. In total, the scientist identified more than 10 possible types of figure.

***

The strategy of training and nutrition that is necessary for him to create a sports figure depends on what type of physique prevails in a person. However, most people combine the characteristics of all three body types – but in different proportions.

Scientific Sources:

William H.Sheldon, Barbara Honeyman Heath and the Struggle for Hegemony in the Science of Somatotyping, pdf
Somatotyping, antimodernism, and the production of criminological knowledge, source
Somatotype Profile and Body Composition of Players from the Mexican Professional Basketball League, source
Body composition and somatotype of judo athletes and untrained male students as a reference group for comparison in sport, pdf

Continuing the topic

Date of the last update of the material – October 27, 2020

How to determine who you are ectomorph mesomorph endomorph?

Know your body type

Scientists and doctors have long ago deduced three main body types.Focusing on them, you can draw up a training plan, choose a functional and useful diet for losing weight or gaining muscle mass. The body type of endomorph is characterized by the predominance of subcutaneous fat in the human body. The second body type – mesomorph is found in people with well-developed muscles. And finally – ectomorph. This type is characterized by the absence of a large amount of subcutaneous fat and muscle mass.

It doesn’t matter what goal you set for yourself – build muscle or lose weight.Determining your body type will help you progress much faster in solving a number of problems and answer the most common questions.

Photo: musteed.blogspot.ru

Ectomorph

External indicators. You are a pure ectomorph if you have: low body fat, very fast metabolism. Thin and long arms and legs, narrow shoulders and chest. High endurance rate. Visually, your figure is similar to the letter “H”.

Training. You should focus on gaining lean muscle mass.To do this, you need to devote more time to basic exercises with a lot of weight. Exercises should be done at a fairly slow pace, observing the correct technique. Do not stay in the workout for too long, 1-1.5 hours of intense training will be enough. Reduce aerobic exercise to a minimum. They should only be done at the beginning of a workout to warm up the muscles.

Power supply. Use only high quality foods that are high in protein and carbohydrates. Reduce your fat intake to a minimum.Eat 5-6 times a day.

Photo: musteed.blogspot.ru

Mesomorph

External indicators. Broad shoulders and chest, moderate subcutaneous fat. Normal metabolism. High level of physical activity. The girth of the chest is larger than the girth of the hips and waist. The profile of the figure forms the letter “V”.

Training. You have a fairly strong physique. To keep it or get even bigger, you need to exercise properly and monitor your diet. Loads should be moderate.At the end of the last set, you can practice maximum weight training. There are also many people with a body type like a mesomorph with a small amount of endomorph. Therefore, you can devote 10-20 minutes to cardio, so as not to allow excess subcutaneous fat to accumulate.

Power supply. The mesomorph was very lucky not only in terms of muscular physique, but also in that he did not need to pay special attention to nutrition. Eat healthy, high-quality foods that are high in protein and carbohydrates.The amount of fat in the diet of the mesomorph should be reduced to a minimum. If you have a little subcutaneous fat, in addition to aerobic exercise, pay attention to nutrition, increase the amount of protein. Closer to summer, you can practice a carbohydrate-free diet to dry the body.

Photo: bodytrain.ru

Endomorph

External indicators. You are a pure endomorph if you have: the ankle girth is significantly larger than the wrist girth. The waist is larger than the hips and chest. Large joints (broad bone).Characteristic spherical shapes (smooth, round body contours). Slow metabolism and excess fat deposition.

Training. The biggest challenge for you will be losing excess fat. You need to start leading a healthy lifestyle that will help you fight excess weight. Forget about your bad habits. When it comes to training: combine strength and cardio. Heavy basic exercise will help you increase your muscle-to-fat ratio. This will help speed up the metabolism in the body.Aerobic exercise serves as an additional mechanism for burning excess fat.

Power supply. However, your diet plays a major role. To start losing weight, you first need to revise your daily diet. Fatty and fried foods, sweets, alcohol should be excluded. Add protein-rich foods to your diet. Reduce carbohydrates a little, and minimize fat intake. Keep track of the number of calories consumed, make up your diet so that the number of calories wasted per day exceeds the number of calories consumed.Thus, due to a lack of energy, the body will begin to burn fat cells in order to provide itself with the necessary source of energy.

Important to remember

These body types are not universal for every person. Combinations are most often found between ectomorphs and mesomorphs or between mesomorphs and endomorphs. It is not uncommon to meet a person who is a pure mesomorph, but at the same time gains weight like a real endomorph.

How to determine the type of physique by the wrist: methods and methods of determination, indicators, features

July 21, 2018
Health
Ksenia Leonidova

When a person wants to describe someone’s figure, then most often he uses one of three definitions: thin, normal, full.Everyone has their own idea of the difference between these characteristics: to someone one person seems thin, and someone will say that he is quite normal. Of course, the concepts of beauty are different for everyone, but there is also scientific research in which the types of human constitution have been described for quite a long time, and you cannot argue with science, as they say. Scientists distinguish three types of physique: asthenic, normosthenic, hypersthenic. Each group has its own pros and cons, knowing which, you can build a diet and training in the most constructive way.Therefore, before working for a result, find out your physical characteristics. You can determine the physique at home. The most common way is to determine the physique by the wrist. This method was described in 1917 by a domestic physician G. A. Soloviev. The Solovyov index is a relative indicator of bone thickness, by which you can make a conclusion about your figure. Before answering the question of how to determine the body type by the wrist, we list the features of all three body types.

Asthenic body type

As can be seen from the table, if a girl’s wrist is 14 cm, then she is asthenic. People with this type of figure are also called ectomorphs. They are graceful persons with thin bones by nature. It is not difficult to visually identify asthenics, they have:

narrow shoulders and chest;
thin long neck;
relatively short body;

90,021 small breasts;

90,021 angular body contours;

90,021 elongated limbs;

90,021 underdeveloped muscles;

small amount of subcutaneous fat.

It is believed that ectomorphs are not strong and hardy enough, therefore physical activities aimed at developing endurance are more suitable for them. If the goal is to gain muscle mass, then cardio loads should be abandoned in favor of strength exercises. Since the metabolism of ectomorphs is very high, for long-term preservation of energy, it is better for them to eat foods rich in complex or plant carbohydrates, and increase the number of meals up to 5-6 times a day. Fortunately for asthenics, fat deposits are practically not formed on their bodies, but muscle mass is also quite difficult to gain.Nevertheless, with the right diet and proper training process, ectomorphs can achieve impressive results.

Other ways of determining body type

We have considered how to determine the body type by the wrist, but there are other ways that will help in this procedure:

Visual. Quite often, a simple look at your reflection in the mirror is enough to determine the constitution of the body. In the case when the shoulders, chest, waist and hips are approximately on the same line without significant differences, you are most likely an asthenic.If the hips and shoulders (for girls) are on the same line, and the waist is clearly pronounced, then you are more likely to be normostenic. A wide waist, full arms, legs and abdomen indicate a hypersthenic type of constitution.
Along the intercostal angle. In normostenics, this angle is close to 90 degrees, in asthenics, the angle is right, in hypersthenics it is obtuse.
Elbow width. To do this, you need to stretch your hand in front of you, bend it at the elbow at a right angle, with your fingers pointing up, the palm is open and facing the body.Next, with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand, you need to touch the most prominent places of the elbow joint (for the index finger, this will be the ulna) and measure the resulting distance between the fingers using a ruler. The higher the number, the more likely you are an endomorph.
Measurement of some parts of the body and subsequent calculation using special formulas. This is the most accurate method that can be done at home or in a fitness center.
Online calculators with which you can find out your body type.

Celebrities with different body types

In order to better represent all three types of figure, let us give an example of famous personalities who are owners of asthenic, normosthenic and hypersthenic body types.

Stellar asthenics are Keira Knightley, Victoria Beckham, Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Emma Watson, etc.

Popular normostenics – Sophia Loren, Scarlett Johansson, Kim Kardashian, Halle Berry, etc.

Famous hypersthenics – Ashley Graham, Adele, Anfisa Chekhova, Irina Pegova, etc.

So, weight, and with it the appearance of a person throughout life, for one reason or another, can change, while the body type remains unchanged. Striving to achieve ideal forms with the same approach to nutrition and training, people with different constitutions achieve different results. There is a scientific explanation for this: each human somatotype has certain characteristics that ultimately affect the physical state of a person. Understanding which somatic type you belong to will help you create the right training system, as well as determine the foods that you want to include in your diet, and which you need to refuse.

The easiest way to determine your body type is by the wrist. Somatyp is not an obstacle to gaining a fit figure, it only indicates how much effort a person will need to achieve a goal and which path is better to choose in his progress towards this goal. Someone will need to sweat quite a bit, someone will have to give everything to the maximum, but with a great desire and diligence, the work will certainly be rewarded, regardless of your physique.

External differences

Although somatotypes differ from each other in a number of parameters, each representative has its own advantages and disadvantages. There is no absolutely perfect or losing body type. It is not difficult to understand which of them a particular person belongs to, and disadvantages can be easily turned into advantages.

Ectomorph is distinguished by its high growth and thinness, small muscle mass and insignificant reserves of subcutaneous fat.Due to thinness with optimal physical activity, muscle relief appears well. The limbs are generally thin and long, which ensures their owner is tall. Intensive metabolism prevents him from gaining body fat, but also does not contribute to the rapid development of muscles. In order to achieve a good result, they need to engage in a special training program with an emphasis on basic exercises.
Mesomorphs have an athletic figure. They have an average height and, in general, average indicators of the parameters of the ratio of fat and muscle body mass, average length of the limbs, an optimally balanced metabolism, which allows them to train effectively.This metabolism allows you to get rid of excess fat relatively quickly and build quality muscle mass. This is the ideal body type for bodybuilding. Their body is very prominent and with a responsible approach to training, it develops evenly and balanced.
Endomorph has a stocky figure. It can be full and not very high. Along with an increased amount of subcutaneous fat, it has more muscle mass. The limbs are short and firm enough. Indicators of strength and endurance in representatives of this somatotype are very high.They have a slow metabolism, which prevents them from effectively losing weight. However, this is a positive point in maintaining muscle mass at the proper level.

Ways to determine your somatotype

How to understand what type a person belongs to? There are several ways to find out. You can be guided by faster assessment methods, or apply precise formulas that will require a deeper study of the issue. The second category of methods for determining the somatotype requires more information and time to calculate.

The methods below range from the simplest to the most complex.

1) Visual assessment method

Anyone can use this method. The information required to determine the type of body structure is knowledge of all the external characteristics inherent in ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph.

When looking at this or that individual, a well-read person can easily understand and identify belonging to one of the three types of figure.

2) Measurement of wrist circumference

This is a fairly old method that many experts doubt today.This definition is based on the measurement of a person’s wrist. At the same time, a girth with a length of 17.5 cm was initially considered the norm. A smaller girth of the wrist indicated that its owner was a thin-boned ectomorph. Mesomorphs will have a wrist girth from up to 20 cm, and those with more impressive indicators are endomorphs.

An even more old-fashioned way of determining the relationship between wrist size and somatotype will be effective if there are no measuring instruments at hand.you need to clasp your wrist with your middle and thumb.

If the thumb overlaps the middle one, then the person is an ectomorph. If the fingers only touch, then the owner of such a wrist is a mesomorph. And if the tips of the fingers do not reach each other, then this is a clear sign of belonging to the endomorphic type.

3) Measurements of height to weight ratio

Different techniques are used for this. The simplest and most approximate way would be to subtract the number 110 from the growth rate in centimeters, if the height does not exceed 170 centimeters.The resulting difference will roughly correspond to the ideal weight. Depending on the difference between this figure and the indicator of its own weight, you can find out which type the weight of a person is close to.

A more sophisticated method involves age-based calculations. The formula allows you to calculate your ideal weight, which is: 50 + 0.75x (height in cm – 150) + (age in years – 20) / 4.

4) Using tables

You can also use the method of determining your body type according to the table.To do this, you need to know your weight, height and age and, according to the values indicated in the diagram, identify belonging to a particular somatotype.

5) Calculations using formulas

The most accurate approach is considered to be the use of formulas that include several variables, of which – limb girth, body mass index, measurement of folds in the skin. These formulas, derived by anthropological scientists, are named after their researchers.

So, among the most famous are somatotyping of Hit-Carter, Chernorutsky, Chtetsov.

6) Analysis of human tendencies

An additional way to clarify knowledge about a particular somatotype will be to study the tendencies to be overweight and the body’s response to different types of stress. So, the tendencies of an ectomorph include a low ability to gain weight, fat and muscle.

There are special calculators that allow you to find out what somatotype a person belongs to. Some measured parameters are taken as a basis, for example, hand and hip girth, height, weight.

Why is this information needed?

Understanding your somatotype is a very important step. It has been proven that body characteristics affect the design of an individual training program and diet.

The difference in somatotypes shows how differently people should train and eat, and what goals representatives of these three physiological categories should achieve.

In order to choose the optimal frequency and exercise program for yourself and make the right menu, you need to study your somatotype.

Many people with a tendency to be overweight dream of a perfect figure. Often they do not understand that nature has endowed them not only with a special metabolism, but also with a skeleton of a certain width.

Therefore, endomorphs, in particular women, must realize the impossibility of transforming a massive skeleton into a thin doe, no matter how hard it costs them. This knowledge will help them come to terms with some features of their body and turn imaginary flaws into pluses. After all, as you know, curvy and rounded silhouette is very feminine and seductive in the eyes of the opposite sex.If you follow the diet and moderate exercise, you can make your body really beautiful, regardless of the type of figure.

The same applies to ectomorphs who suffer from a lack of muscle mass. But knowing the characteristics of his body, a naturally thin person can achieve good results in sports and create an elegant relief body. And overweight and shortness of breath are definitely not threatening him.

Mesomorph seems to be the luckiest of all, because due to moderate indicators of mass, volume, metabolism and general abilities, it adapts best to stress and diet.However, he should not be arrogant and lazy, because the risk of gaining excess weight and losing muscle is still present.

Who is an ectomorph: a description of the structure of the body of men and women, photo

Human constitution is a genetically programmed set of characteristic features of an organism, which include:

Body parts proportions
Skeleton Features
muscle and adipose tissue volume

There are several classifications of the physique of the human body.One of the most popular is the system of Professor William Sheldon, who identified three main body types (somatotypes), which differ as much as possible from each other in their structure:

ectomorphic
mesomorphic
endomorphic

According to Sheldon’s theory, a person’s body size and appearance can change throughout life, but not the type – it remains unchanged. In addition, according to many psychologists, our appearance directly affects our inner world.And there is a strong relationship between the structure of the human body and its psychological state.

Ectomorph

For the ectomorphic (asthenic) type of men and women, the following features of the body structure are characteristic:

long limbs with fine fragile bones
relatively short body
narrow shoulders and hips, practically equal in width
elongated wrists, palms, fingers, ankles, feet

90,021 small muscle mass.At the same time, the muscles have an elongated shape, which is very difficult to give volume

high metabolism, as a result of which excess weight is not gained throughout life, even if a person eats a lot
elongated face with a high forehead, weak jaw and thin nose
generally fine hair
narrow chest
The predominance of the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which can provoke surges in blood pressure
low body fat
Ability to easily and quickly lose excess weight when needed

With age or with improper nutrition, ectomorph fat is deposited in the waist area, and is not evenly distributed over the entire figure.To gain muscle mass, it is better for such people to give up cardio training, replacing them with strength loads.

Ectomorph after training

Men with this type of build differ:

tall (often called “lanky”)
long legs and arms
narrow-waisted
stretched chest
small volume of muscles, which, however, with sufficient training, easily become prominent and beautiful
Difficulty in building muscle

External features of an ectomorph woman:

slim and fragile figure
graceful elongated neck
flexible body
due to the lack of roundness may look somewhat angular, like a teenager
weak stamina
lack of muscle strength and fatigue
Due to the shortened upper body, legs seem to grow “from the ears”
small breast and buttocks
shape type – “rectangle”

Ectomorphs have the following character traits:

love of solitude
sensitivity that can develop into neurosis
with restraint
Sneak
non-standard behavior
suspect
brooding
Artistic
alcohol resistant

Diseases to which people of the ectomorphic type are often exposed:

gastritis and stomach ulcer
hypotension
vegetative – vascular dystonia
metabolic disorders
nervous disorders

Physique of ectomorph

Known representatives of the ectomorphic type of constitution:

Bruce Lee
Brad Pitt
Edward Norton
Justin Timberlake
Kate Moss
Audrey Hepburn
Nadia Auerman
Cameron Diaz
Paris Hilton

Who is a mesomorph: a description of the structure of the body of men and women, photo

Mesomorphic (normosthenic) type of figure is as close as possible to the average characteristics of the human body.The lucky ones of this type are athletic, with the following features in common:

A small amount of subcutaneous fat, which is evenly distributed throughout the body
slim, athletic and compact body
medium width skeleton and bones
Well-developed shoulders, which are often square
proportional body and limbs
well-developed muscles
firm belly
good endurance
Balancing the work of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
normal metabolism, which allows, with proper nutrition, to keep the body fit and slender
the ability to quickly lose weight and build muscle through training and dieting
generally well-defined lower jaw
coarse hair

It must be said that, despite the natural athleticism, the mesomorphic type has the ability to quickly build not only muscle, but also excess fat.Therefore, they need to adhere to a healthy diet.

Mesomorph Constitution

Mesomorphic men often achieve success in bodybuilding, as they are true athletes by nature, the typical features of which are:

massive cube head
Wide protruding chest
trapezoidal body with narrow basin
dominance of the torso over the abdominal region
wide shoulders
Muscular limbs
possession of natural strength
Rapid muscle building

Women of the mesomorphic type of structure are the happy owners of a proportional slender figure, which is characterized by the following:

legs generally longer than the upper torso
shoulders slightly wider than hips

90,021 average height or above average

“curvature” and body relief
body type is usually “hourglass”, and in cases of overweight – “apple”

Mesomorphs are people of action who are often endowed with the following qualities:

Leadership Inclination
courage
assertive
ambitious
love for active walks and sports
Adventurous
self confidence
pain tolerance

Mesomorphic type

Mesomorphic type most often suffers from diseases:

Digestive system

Respiratory

rheumatism
high blood pressure

Popular people of the mesomorphic type:

Bruce Williss
George Clooney
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Hugh Jackman
Sylvester Stallone
Madonna
Anna Kournikova
Sidney Crawford
Tina Turner
Helly Berry

Who is an endomorph: a description of the structure of the body of men and women, photo

Endomorphic (hypersthenic) structure endows a person with a rather obese dense body, which is characterized by the following features:

spherical body
medium or short height
round head
wide hips and shoulders
short limbs
large massive skeleton
heavy bones and joints
sufficiently weak arms and legs
developed, but flaccid muscles
excess subcutaneous fat
high levels of testosterone and insulin in the body
The prevalence of the parasympathetic nervous system
low endurance and frequent bouts of fatigue
ability for short, but very powerful force movements
Slow metabolism, as a result of which the consumed calories are almost immediately deposited in excess subcutaneous fat, which is very difficult to get rid of
Obesity tendency present
fat tends to be deposited in the abdomen, thighs, sides, shoulders
big round belly
slow weight loss

To have a good figure, representatives of this type must carefully monitor their diet (limit carbohydrate intake) and be sure to engage in cardio exercises.

Male endomorphs are distinguished by the following external characteristics:

stocky and strong, with a short neck
despite developed muscles, due to the high content of adipose tissue, they look quite massive
have full shoulders, tapering sharply at the limbs
have a wide chest

Endomorph

Women of this type look very sensual, attractive and have the following characteristics:

The splendor and softness of the contours of its forms
large rounded breasts
short but strong legs
wide full hips
usually no waist
shoulders, which are usually narrower than hips
body type – “pear” or “apple”

Psychological traits of endomorphic people:

friendliness and tolerance to others
love of comfort
no aggressiveness
need for love and encouragement
slowness
relaxed
the ability to fall asleep quickly and easily
increased appetite

Ailments frequently occurring in the endomorphic type:

diabetes mellitus
atherosclerosis
stomach diseases associated with high acidity
liver disease
high blood pressure

Star representatives of endomorph personalities:

Danny DeVito
Russell Crowe
Oprah Winphy
Jennifer Lopez
Beyonce

How to determine who you are – ectomorph, mesomorph or endomorph: test

You’ve probably noticed that on the way to gaining a slim and fit figure, performing the same exercises and adhering to the correct diet, people achieve completely different results.This is due to the fact that we all belong to different somatic types. Understanding which one you are specific to will help you to properly adjust your daily diet, as well as develop the necessary training system.

In order to determine the body type of a person, there are a number of different methods. The most popular are the following:

according to anthropometric characteristics – the indicators of some physical data of the figure are measured, and then the somatotype of a person is determined using special formulas.This method is considered one of the most accurate. You can take such testing in fitness centers or find a description on the Internet.
visual assessment of your appearance and observation of your own body – pay attention to how quickly you lose or gain weight, as well as the width of your bones and the volume of your hips, shoulders. Remember what figure you had in your youth (metabolism slows down with age, and this increases the chances of gaining extra pounds)
in the width of the elbow – the width of the elbow joint bent at a right angle is measured and compared with the indicators.
along the intercostal angle – put your fingers under the lower border of the ribs so that they repeat the costal line. Then you need to measure the angle that formed between the fingers and copies the intercostal space (an angle of 90 degrees is typical for mesomorphs, acute for ectomorphs, blunt for endomorphs).
questioning – it is necessary to make certain measurements and answer the test questions as honestly as possible.

It should be noted that the described types “in their pure form” are rare.In reality, mixed options prevail. Usually, the way of life and diet determines the presence of some external features in a person, which belong to other types of addition.

If you have data of two or all three types, then tests can show the percentage of this or that body type in your figure.

No need to be upset if the test results show that you belong to an unwanted body type for you. Think of your somatotype as a starting point for adjusting your lifestyle and eating habits.Every person can change and acquire a slender toned body. The main thing is persistence and a strong desire to achieve positive results.

How to find out, understand who you are – ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph: definition by the wrist

One of the simplest methods of determining your body type without the use of complex calculations and questionnaires, is to measure the width of the wrist. It is believed that its girth is a constant value and does not change from the gain or decrease in muscle and adipose tissue.

There are several basic variations of this method.

Method 1. Grasp the wrist below its protruding bone with the thumb and middle fingers of the other hand. The somatotype is determined depending on the location of your fingers:

cover each other – ectomorphic
touch each other – mesomorphic
do not reach each other – endomorphic

Method 2. Using a tape measure, measure your wrist at its narrowest point.Now compare the result with the indicators below:

ectomorph – less than 15 cm in a woman and 18 cm in a man
mesomorph – 15-17 cm for a woman and 18-20 cm for a man
endomorph – more than 17 cm in a woman and 20 cm in a man

Method 3. Enter the parameters of the wrist and your height in the proposed table.

Calculation table

Of course, the above methods are very conditional and do not give accurate results, since they do not take into account the parameters of the lower body.Therefore, for a more accurate determination of body type, it is better to use special tests.

90,000 What is my body type? 💪 Find out now!

Body Type Quiz

Want to know what your body type is? There are three different body types, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. This can affect, for example, how easily you gain weight or muscle, how your workout and diet should look, and more.So if you want to get in shape, it’s good to know your body type!

What are you waiting for? Find your body type now with this Body Type Quiz!

Constitution

The somatotype, developed in the 1940s by the American psychologist William Herbert Sheldon, tried to link human physiology with human psychology. But later his theory was dismissed as “quackery.” So this classification is rather outdated.

But his views on the body itself were not entirely wrong; learning about your body type can still help you understand better.

What is my body type?

It’s good to know what your body type is, as this can determine what your diet or exercise regimen should look like. But the following body types are not set in stone. Most people are not one clean physique, but rather a mixture.

Body type endomorph

Endomorphs are fairly large-boned people, quickly gaining fat and muscle. As a rule, they are shorter than others, have a more rounded physique and a slow metabolism.They should do a lot of cardio to minimize fat gain.

Body type ectomorph

Ectomorphs are generally thin and in most cases tall people with small shoulders and lean muscle mass. They find it difficult to gain muscle mass and weight due to their fast metabolism. In most cases, ectomorphs can eat almost anything without gaining weight. They should do a lot of weight training.

Body type mesomorph

Mesomorphs are located between ectomorphs and endomorphs.They are usually athletic and well-muscled. In most cases, they are considered strong people who quickly gain muscle mass, but do not gain fat too quickly.

Disclaimer

This is by no means a professional way to find out what your body type is. Moreover, such a classification is considered very outdated.

And every body is beautiful!

More quizzes

90,000 How to determine your body type? | HEALTHY WORKSHOP | THE WAY TO HEALTH

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Determine your body type! Who are you?

Good day, everyone who visited my site WORKSHOP healthy lifestyle | THE WAY TO PERFECTION! From this post you will learn about how to determine the type of physique, I think this post will be very useful for novice bodybuilders, as well as women.I ask the clever men to walk by. And so …

From the point of view of physiology, there are three fundamental types of human constitution – asthenic ( ectomorph ), normosthenic ( mesomorph ) and hypersthenic ( endomorph ). Each specific type is characterized by individual characteristics of muscle development and requires appropriate training and nutrition.

In order to find out your body type, it is enough to apply a simple and affordable method – to measure the thickness of the wrist of your right (or left – if you are left-handed) hand.An ectomorph has a circumferential wrist thickness of no more than 17.5 cm, a mesomorph – 17.5-20 cm, for an endomorph this figure exceeds 20 cm.

In general, I think that the most accurate way to find out your type is to determine the epigastric angle by the chest. The epigastric angle is measured between the costal arches, see the figure below.

A. Hypersthenic-Endomorph, obtuse epigastric angle.

b. Normostenik-Mesomorph, right epigastric angle.

c.Asthenik-Ectomorph, acute epigastric angle.

This applies to both men and women .

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Diet and training regime! By body type!

1. Who is an ectomorph, type of training and nutrition?

Ectomorphs or Asthenics , have a body type characteristic of high growth, elongated long limbs, thin bones, long and thin muscle fibers.People with this type of build have a low rate of muscle development, however, and the percentage of body fat is low – this is their noticeable advantage in gaining lean muscle mass. How to gain mass for an Asthenic person?

For ectomorphs, the most important factor in body building is proper high-calorie nutrition. Asthenics, in order to move the body weight off the ground, need to increase the calorie content of their diet over 500-1000 calories per day from the top of their norm. To increase the calorie content in the diet, it is recommended to use gainers as a source of essential carbohydrates.

Ectomorph workouts are compiled with an emphasis on heavy basic exercises such as deadlifts, squats, barbell bench press – three, two heavy workouts per week. With this in mind, isolation exercises and cardio training are minimized, if not eliminated altogether, the average training duration is no more than an hour.

For each main basic exercise, a separate training day is allocated, the best option for such a training is 2-3 exercises from 3-4 sets of 6-10 repetitions.It is important to observe a sufficiently long rest between sets (from two to three minutes) and limit the use of auxiliary exercises after the basic one – 1-2 “auxiliary” exercises are enough for ectomorphs.

2. Who is a mesomorph, type of training and nutrition?

Mesomorphs or Normostenics , differ from nature by a developed muscular skeleton, strong bones of moderate size, their muscle mass initially occupies a significant part of the body weight. Body fat is relatively average.

Such people have beautiful, regular proportions of the limbs, broad rounded shoulders, a massive chest. Mesomorph metabolism is ideally suited for converting nutrients into muscle fiber growth. Mesomorphs have the greatest tendency to gain muscle mass and, with the right training, can get good results in bodybuilding in the shortest possible time.

Nutrition of a mesomorph bodybuilder should consist of quality healthy food. It is important to limit the consumption of fast carbohydrates – foods that lead to a set of “fat” mass.

It is recommended to include protein in your daily diet – complex or whey. It will help increase your daily protein intake, which is beneficial for faster muscle gain.

Mesomorph training should combine aerobic and strength components. You can allocate one training day per week especially for aerobic and cardio loads. The principle of strength training is generally similar to the training of ectomorphs – the heaviest working weights. Short workout duration – 3-4 exercises of 4 sets of 8-12 reps.

However, unlike asthenics, mesomorphs can expand the arsenal of auxiliary and isolating exercises. Because it is easier for them to recover from hard strength training.

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3. What is an endomorph, type of training and nutrition?

Endomorphs or Hypersthenics – people prone to obesity, characterized by short stature (in relation to weight) and wide bones.Hypersthenics have a fairly high body fat content and are characterized by a slow metabolism.

For good results in the body structure, the endomorph must follow a strict diet. And almost drastically give up fast carbohydrates and saturated fats. It is also important to consume starchy foods in moderation, such as rice or potatoes. The endomorph’s diet should include a large amount of foods containing fiber and protein. The most preferred food for this is various vegetables, boiled meat and fish.

Optimal training regimen for endomorph-hypersthenic, alternating cross-fit and cardio training with heavy strength training. Approximate ratio 65/35%. The cross-fit program and aerobic exercise allow the hypersthenic to work in the mode of maximum elimination of adipose tissue. And heavy power loads will give an additional signal to the body, aimed at overall muscle growth.

It is worth noting the necessary training frequency for the endomorph. The more regularly he trains, the better the body fat goes away.Naturally, it’s not worth driving yourself into everyday cardio training. It is important to think over a program with the calculation of 4-5 training days a week. 3-5 exercises in 4 sets of 10-15 reps.

For more information on training for each body type, its intensity features, sets and repetitions, you can find information under the heading “ PROGRAMS “.

Well, that’s all friends. You have read my article “How to determine the type of physique?”. I will be glad if you leave your opinion in the comments.I will also be grateful for your recommendation on social networks in your accounts! All human blessings, health and progressive training to you!

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My name is Albert, I am the author of this site, I have been doing amateur bodybuilding since 1992. To anyone who wishes I will give a FREE consultation, I will draw up a competent individual training program, taking into account your body type, both a beginner and an average athlete. You can write to me on this page.

Source: http://voskresinfo.ru/teloslozhenie/kak-opredelit-tip-teloslozheniya.html

How to determine the body type. Body calculator.

Having determined your size and body type (who are you – ectomorph, mesomorph or endomorph?), You can find out your normal weight and determine the best exercises and dietary plan for transforming your body.

Instructions for Calculator

Measure your wrist

Determine your body size using the body type calculator below.First select your gender. Then enter one of two things that are easier for you to measure: either the size of the wrist or the width of the elbow. Finally, enter your height in meters and click “Calculate”.

To determine your wrist size, measure your wrist just below the wrist bone with a tape measure. Basically, this is the narrowest part of your wrist, where you usually wear a wristwatch.

Measure the width of the elbow

To determine the width of the elbow, straighten your arm and extend it in front of you so that it is horizontal and parallel to the floor, palm up.Then bend it at the elbow so that your forearm is at a 90 ° angle to the ground. Place the index and thumb of your other hand on either side of your elbow joint. Keeping the position of your fingers, measure the distance between them with a ruler.

Finding your body type will help you set realistic weight loss goals (use an ideal weight calculator that takes body size into account). We all have different body sizes, some have a small and light build, others have a heavier build.Thus, if you have a large body size, then you do not need to think that your weight should be the same as someone with a smaller body size.

This is a very rough method for determining size and body type and it is needed mainly in order to:

You realized that not all of us have the same structure, and we cannot all look the same (even if we try).
Help you set more realistic goals.
Pay less attention to measurements, and focus on a healthy body composition.

As you can see, this calculator only calculates the size of the physique from one dimension (upper body), it does not take the lower body into account. However, the upper and lower body measurements are not necessarily the same. A pear-shaped woman’s upper body, for example, may be small (thin arms and wrists), while her lower body may be larger (larger ankles). Find out what body types exist in women to better understand the characteristics of your body type and what will be useful for you to work on.

Scoring systems such as BMI do not take into account your body size, which means they lack precision in determining if you are truly within a healthy weight range. For example, mesomorphs tend to have a medium to large build, and also have a decent amount of muscle mass. You cannot compare the weight of such people when they are in shape, with the weight of an ectomorph, whose body is small and even at the best of times has little muscle mass.

90,000 what is my body type. How a man and a woman define their physique

Before engaging in sports training, you need to know your own body type, depending on which a training complex and a diet are developed. If you do not take into account such features, you may not get the desired result.

Somatotype is a type of human body structure, characterized by specific features of the development of bones, subcutaneous fat, metabolic processes in the body.The genetic factor plays an important role in the formation of the somatotype.

Body types

According to W. Sheldon, three types of people are distinguished, depending on their physique:

ectomorphs – such people are distinguished by weakly developed organs, low weight, sophistication and fragility;
endomorph – in people with this somatotype, the organs are overdeveloped, excess weight is observed, which appears as a result of the accumulation of fatty deposits;
mesomorph – this somatotype is characterized by proportional body development, a stable psyche and good physical characteristics.

Most often there are people with a mixed body type. That is, they are dominated by individual signs of ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph.

Ectomorph

Ectomorphs are energetic, active, but lack strength and endurance. Such people are distinguished by a thin physique, they have narrow shoulders and chest, but elongated limbs. The muscle mass is poorly developed, the bones are thin. They do not have to exhaust themselves with diets, subject to excessive physical exertion in order to lose the hated pounds, since they simply do not have excess weight.

In the body of ectomorphs, the metabolism is fast, their problem is weight gain and muscle building.

Mesomorph

Mesomorphs are slender, average build. The bones are of medium size, the arms and legs are in proportion to the body. It is difficult to call such people fat, but they do not differ in excessive thinness. Fat is evenly distributed throughout the body, and does not accumulate in any particular place.

Due to effective material metabolism, mesomorphs easily gain muscle mass through exercise.

Endomorph

Natural strength and endurance are characteristic of endoforms. The physique of such people is round, there is a predisposition to overweight. The body of endoforms quickly accumulates fats, and all due to the slowed down metabolism. Their figure is pear-shaped: the hips are wide, and the shoulders are narrow. And although nature has endowed endoforms with strength, they are often subject to fatigue and laziness.

How to determine your somatotype?

There are several ways that you can determine the type of your physique:

according to anthropometric data;
along the intercostal angle;
according to the measurement of the wrist.

It is possible to determine the type of physique according to anthropometric data as follows: physical indicators of the body are measured, and then, using formulas, conclusions can be drawn. This technique is considered the most reliable. It is used in health centers and fitness clubs.

The advantage of the second technique is its simplicity. To determine your own somatotype, it is enough to feel with your hands the lower border of the ribs. By placing thumbs on them and repeating their line, you can see that an angle has formed.If it is less than 90 degrees, then the human body belongs to ectomorphs. If the angle between the thumbs is more than 90 degrees – endomorph. Accordingly, a right angle indicates that a person is a mesomorph.

An insufficiently accurate result is given by the method for determining the type of physique of a person by measuring the girth of the wrist. However, its advantage lies in its simplicity. It is enough to grasp the wrist with the thumb and middle fingers of the opposite hand. If they overlap each other, the person is an ectomorph.For mesomorphs, only the contact of the fingers is characteristic. In endomorphs, they do not touch each other.

In addition, the wrist can be measured with a tape measure or a meter at the narrowest point. The results are described below:

endomorph – 15-17 cm for women and 18-20 cm for men;
mesomorph – more than 17 cm in women and more than 20 cm in men;
ectomorph – up to 15 cm in women and up to 1 cm in men.

The last method is not accurate, it is used only as an auxiliary method to help determine the body type of a person.

There are also special programs for determining the somatotype of a person. It is enough to pass the test by answering simple questions.

For a person of a certain body type, there are recommendations that will help to get the maximum effect from training.

For ectomorphs

, unlike mesomorphs and endomorphs, the amount of calories burned during exercise should be minimal. It should be borne in mind that their body is already distinguished by a high level of metabolic processes.The main part of the lessons is occupied by basic exercises. The number of sets and reps increases slowly. Rest between workouts plays a big role, which is necessary for recuperation. Sports loads for ectomorphs are intense, but short. This is how you can effectively gain muscle mass.

For maximum training results mesomorphs

should frequently change the pace of strength exercises, as well as combine them with different numbers of repetitions.

In the body endomorphs

quickly accumulate body fat, so they need to exercise often, taking as little time as possible to rest. Exercise intensity plays a big role, it must be high to gain muscle mass and break down fats.

People with different body types should also have a different diet. Ectomorphs

can eat absolutely anything and in large enough quantities, especially if they exercise regularly.Organic substances that enter their body with food are quickly converted into energy. With a sufficient intake of proteins (3 g per 1 kg of net weight per day), they become a building material for muscles. It is necessary to drink up to 1 liter of liquid per day.

Mesomorphs

is allowed to eat in moderation, but make sure that it does not become excessive. Also important is the intake of protein products (2 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight per day). As for fats, mesomorphs are not recommended to get carried away with foods high in them.However, it is not necessary to completely remove fats from the diet. The main thing is to adhere to the correct proportions.

Tendency endomorphs

to being overweight causes them to reduce their calorie intake. Especially hard to limit carbohydrates. The main emphasis for people with an endomorph physique should be on foods high in protein, minerals and vitamins. As a result of training, given the lack of intake of carbohydrates and their subsequent conversion into fats, the body will begin to borrow nutrients from the subcutaneous layer.

Therefore, training and nutrition must be tailored to fit the body. This is the only way to achieve the maximum result on the way of strengthening muscles and not harm your health. If you cannot independently determine your somatotype and develop a set of necessary exercises for gaining muscle mass, you should contact a specialist. It is especially difficult to do this for people with a mixed body type, who simultaneously have signs of an exomorph and a mesomorph or endomorph.

A very important point in bodybuilding is to determine your type of build. It is depending on this that the nutrition and training program will be built. Thanks to the knowledge of the type, you can achieve effective results in building your body. The article will tell you what types there are, how to define your own, and how the workouts are built for each of them.

Skeleton.
Muscle.
Subcutaneous adipose tissue.

For each person, it is determined at the genetic level by metabolic processes that occur in the body.

The somatotyping system was first introduced by the scientist Sheldon, who proposed three main types:

Ectomorph.
Mesomorph.
Endomorph.

This typing theory was introduced after long anthropometric measurements. The names are borrowed from embryology, each means one of the germ layers. So, the endoderm is internal, the mesoderm is the middle, and the ectoderm is the outer layer. According to the theory of development of the embryo, thanks to endoderm, internal organs develop, mesoderm – bones, muscles and blood vessels, ectoderm – skin, hair, legs, brain and nervous system.

Description and characteristics of types according to Sheldon

Sheldon identified seventeen dimensions, calculated on a seven-point scale. These measurements are described in three main indicators.

Description of somatotypes according to Sheldon:

It is clear that such extremes as a clear type are extremely rare. Usually people have mixed build. So, in someone there may be more of the mesomorph, but there are also features of other types. How much each of them is expressed in a particular person, these three numbers show.

How to determine your type

As already indicated, most people belong to mixed types, which are already more difficult to determine by eye than extreme gradations. Of course, experienced bodybuilding trainers can often determine the type by a person’s appearance or his photo, but often they want a more accurate result. In this regard, the question arises of how to determine your somatotype. There is a wide variety of tests and methods for this.

One of these methods is Wrist Index
, also called “Determination of the Soloviev index.”This method provides information on bone thickness. To use this method, you need to measure the circumference of your wrist at the thinnest part. For men, the following readings should be obtained:

18-20 centimeters – mesomorph.
More than 20 centimeters – endomorph.
Less than 18 centimeters – ectomorph.

For women, there are also grades according to the wrist index, although Sheldon developed his types primarily for men. For women, there is a more extensive somatotype table that is used in bodybuilding.

According to the Solovyov index, women can have the following indicators:

Mesomorph – 15-17 centimeters.
Endomorph – over 17 centimeters.
Ectomorph – less than 15 centimeters.

The next method is body composition testing. These are more complex techniques that cannot be carried out at home and without special devices. These tests show what the ratio of subcutaneous fat to muscle mass is in the body. There are several tests:
Measurement of skin folds, body immersion in water, electrical resistance.Testing can be done in clinics, as well as in some gyms equipped with the necessary equipment.

How to determine the somatotype

Advantages and disadvantages of somatotypes

Each somatotype has both advantages and disadvantages, even if it is not obvious at first glance. As already mentioned, men with the addition of an ectomorph find it difficult to gain muscle mass and they have to resort to special nutrition, as well as train hard to achieve success in training. Metabolism in ectomorphs slows down over the years
, due to which, despite their build, they can get fat if they do not resort to dieting and exercise. Endomorphs, on the other hand, find it very difficult to lose weight. To lose weight, people of this type need not only to diet, but also to constantly exercise.

Of course, the mesomorph is the most beneficial somatotype, which makes it quite easy to both lose weight and gain weight, while not exhausting yourself too much with diets and training.But mesomorphs are more likely than other types to be susceptible to gastrointestinal diseases, which are associated with low acidity, respiratory organs, and low blood pressure. Each of the somatotypes has its own predisposition to certain diseases.

Features of training for each type

Now that it has become clear how to determine your type, you can move on to what training features exist for each of them.

Ectomorphs, due to their high metabolism, need to structure their workouts in such a way as to burn the minimum number of calories.The workouts are usually based on basic exercises and each workout is done in strength mode. All loads and increases in weights, as well as approaches and repetitions, are carried out gradually. It is important to remember to rest between workouts.
so that the body has the opportunity to recover. The diet, on the contrary, should be high in calories, meals should be frequent, high in carbohydrates. The protein content also increases by up to three grams per kilogram of body weight.

Mesomorphs due to the natural disposition of the body to quick adaptation, it is recommended to make training varied, often changing exercises.Since it is not difficult for people of this type to gain muscle mass, the main thing in the diet is that it is balanced. Proteins are usually calculated at two grams per kilogram of body weight.

Endomorphs tend to accumulate body fat, so exercise frequency is very important for them. It is recommended to work with light weights, but at a fast pace and with minimal rest between sets. The diet should practically eliminate fats from the diet, the number of calories should be reduced, the main emphasis in nutrition should be on protein.

By defining your own type of addition, you can create the most effective nutrition and training program with which you will be able to achieve the desired result.

Greetings to the future owners of a relief body! Have you ever wondered why someone comes to the gym and manages to build a beautiful body in 1
– 2
, and some for 3
, even one iota cannot come close to the indicators of his more successful counterpart? And the whole point is what an athlete’s body type is.Of course, this is a complex question, and it is very difficult to answer it unequivocally, because objectively there are a large number of factors responsible for the final result.

For example, the system and conditions of training, the athlete’s nutrition, internal motivational aspirations, etc., however, the main factor was, is and will be – human genetics, and specifically, his body types (somatotype)
… Of course, if you are frail by nature, this does not mean at all that you can forget about your dream – to have a muscular body, it just takes much more time to reach the final goal, i.e.That is, here you are not just trying to pump up, you are here entering the battle (not always equal)
with its genetics, rebuilding the original material inherited.

That’s all about this: genetics, body types, how to determine your type and all that, we have to talk today.

What are we waiting for, let’s go …

Body type: what it is and what is its role in building the training process

Knowing what type of figure / constitution / constitution a person has is, as it might seem at first glance, not only female prerogative.

Ask a woman something about her figure, and she will give you a whole bunch of information, and not only about the type of her build. Men, and even more so novice bodybuilders, should take an example from the opposite sex in terms of studying issues of their body (whether it be physiology)
and keep up with them.

So, we will begin to enlighten ourselves with the fact that every person from birth is endowed with one or another set of physiological signs that allow us to judge his body type.

There are total of these somatotypes 3
:

ectomorph;
mesomorph;
endomorph.

Isn’t that intriguing name?

So, it depends (in many respects) on which of these three types you belong to
a gap in the window titled: “can I swing and become the owner of impressive proportions?”

Note:

Human somatotype is modifiable (exhaled)
, t.That is, nature can be “deceived”, you just need to know how to do it and give certain terms for transformation.

Determination of the type of addition, first of all, is important because it depends on which path you go on to achieve your goal. After all, you can immediately step in the wrong place (not knowing the basics of body physiology, choose the wrong type of training and nutrition)
and walk along it for a very long time, without seeing the end of the path.

I.e. You can give all your best in training, but not get tangible results, because you go to the goal in a completely different direction.To determine belonging and somehow classify your constitution, you need to know the characteristic parameters inherent only to this somatotype. Now we will consider them, and most clearly it will be done in the form of the following pivot table.

Body type: three main types and their signs

So, you are a pure ectomorph, if …

You are a pure mesomorph, if …

And finally you are a pure endomorph, if …

Most often, such outstanding forms are difficult to find in gyms, so it is better to focus on more “earthly” ones, for example, such (see.picture).

So, let’s look at each body type in more detail.

Body type: meaningful conversation

Ectomorph

This type does not differ in article and good strength indicators, although they (people of this type)
and do not have subcutaneous fat, but muscles are also not observed. I don’t know, I often heard that such a somatotype is called “rattle bones” or “pimples”. Gaining muscle mass for them is a very difficult task, albeit quite feasible.Stopping the training process can result in the loss of so difficult to gain muscles.

The training and nutrition strategy can be described as follows: short, high-intensity training ( 40-50
minutes, 3
times a week)
with medium weights, minimum cardio loads (running, etc.)
… Fortified nutrition with increased calories and protein content of 3 grams per kilogram of body weight. Nutrients as a percentage: – 20-30%
, – 50-60
%, – 20-30%
.

Note:

One of the Outstanding Ectomorph Athletes – Frank Zane
. With its growth 90 909 177
cm and weight 90
kg, he was awarded the title “Mr. Olympia”, and three times.

Mesomorph

This type of folding is ideal for bodybuilding. Athletes in this category are naturally athletic and can be called the genetic lucky ones. Although, of course, one cannot do without proper work on oneself and proper nutrition – if you neglect these principles, then you can easily ruin the best material.

The training and nutrition strategy can be described as follows: any type of training works, it is only important to train smartly and visit the gym 2-3
times a week (from 60
to 90
minutes)
… The diet should adhere to general principles and maintain the level of protein intake 2-2.5
grams per kilogram of weight. Cardio load – moderate ( 30
– 45
minutes)
, at regular intervals.

Nutrients as a percentage: proteins – 30-40%
, carbohydrates – 40-50%
, fat – 10-20%
.

Note:

A prime example of a mesomorph is the seven-time Mr. Olympia title holder Arnold Schwarzenegger
. Do you know this?

Endomorph

This is the most common somatotype that most men have. It is characterized by a tendency to be overweight (rapidly gaining fat mass)
, slow metabolism and barrel-shaped body.

The training and nutrition strategy can be described as follows: work with multi-joint, with a large (from 10
)
the number of repetitions, increased water consumption (from 1.five
90,910 liters per workout)
, a high-protein meal with a moderate carbohydrate content. Careful selection of food ration. Nutrients as a percentage: proteins – 40-50%
, carbohydrates – 30-40%
, fat – 10%
.

If you involve science, there is even a specially designed seven-point system that allows you to more accurately classify a person’s somatotype, depending on the content of one or another component in the general structure of addition. The first figure estimates the proportion of the components of the endomorph, the second – the mesomorph, the third – the ectomorph.Confused? Then here’s a concrete example.

A pure endomorph corresponds to the following numbers “7-1-1”: endomorph
– 7
; mesomorph
– 1
; ectomorph
– 1
. First digit ( 7
)
– the largest contribution to one of the three components. The principle works similarly with other types.

So, we examined the extreme body types of a person, however, it is worth saying that this is just a theory, in practice – “pure” somatotypes (from 100%
features)
are extremely rare.Usually by some measure (for example, wrist girth)
You belong to one – ectomorph, and by the girth of the chest to another – mesomorph. Therefore, you should also keep this in mind and display some kind of averaged type of addition, which occupies an intermediate position between these 3
.

For example, someone easily builds muscle, but at the same time tends to gain fat, i.e. there are muscles, but they are buried in the fat layer. This type can be attributed to an endomesomorph with a scale “ 5-6-1
“and includes: heavyweight wrestlers, rugby players, shot putters, etc.n. So, I think the general principle of the seven-point system (although, why exactly 7
why not 3
or 5
, here’s the question)
understandable.

It should also be said that this classification is relevant for those who do not go in for sports, but also – this is not the ultimate truth, i.e. you can bring your body to the structure you need, the main thing would be desire.

In general, in order to correctly determine your somatotype, it is best to plunge into the past, or rather into childhood (photos will help you)
and remember the tendencies of your body, by the latter I mean the ability to gain or lose weight.What were you like as a child – a well-fed robust man or a painfully thin child?

So, since we see that the boundaries between different types of constitution are very blurred, then try to determine (approximately)
your body type, based on the past, adjusted for the present. I am sure it will not be difficult for you after such a meaningful story.

In order to somehow “settle” all the above information and summarize a certain common denominator, I will give specific recommendations for all types of physiques, during which you can count on a minimum increase in muscle mass.

Purchase a subscription to the gym and take a couple of consultations from the trainer who is there;
Exercise with medium to heavy weights;
Learn and work with both basic / multi-joint (,)
free weight and isolation exercises;
“Do not drive” – intense workout, but not long ( 60–80
90,910 minutes is enough)
;
Pay attention to your technique and avoid any kind of injury;
Say no to long-term illnesses;
Make and stick to your plan (food intake, specific meal times)
food;
Consume vitamin complexes;
Drink water – up to 2 / 2.5
90,910 liters per day;
No – stress, yes – positive emotions!

Age 18-25:

Ectomorph – 5
kg;
Mesomorph – 6
kg;
Endomorph – 7.2
kg.

Age 26-35 years:

Ectomorph – 4
kg;
Mesomorph – 5.4
kg;
Endomorph – 5.85
kg.

Something like that.

In conclusion, I want you to once again learn that the given somatotypes are a kind of starting point in determining your possible body type, it should not become the ultimate truth if it does not fit the given criteria.The main thing is to observe your body: how it reacts to loads, weights, nutrition, and based on this information, make a final decision. So listen to your own body, lean on immutable truths (working for everyone)
taking into account the “twisting” them for yourself and draw the appropriate conclusions from all this.

Yes, and remember in the end, genetics is an important factor in building the body, it is a given sent from above, but this does not mean at all that the latter cannot be changed.It also lends itself well, the main thing is that there is knowledge in my head, and I will provide you with the last, be calm!

The moral of this fable is as follows – you need to work with what you have, and not be killed, that someone is more fortunate. An effective training strategy, proper nutrition, a positive attitude are the main ingredients that can be precisely controlled.

Afterword

Today we have sorted out another important topic from the section “” – body type. We learned how to navigate the body types of a person, which is very important for the formation of the correct training strategy and organization of the nutrition system.All this, ultimately, will allow us to better “start” and take the right course towards the goal called “I am the owner of a relief body”!

That’s all for this sim, let me take my leave, see you soon!

PS.

I’m waiting for your measurements, numbers and body types
in the comments for this post. Also, if someone is tormented by vague doubts and he finds it difficult to determine his somatotype, write, we will do everything in the best possible way.

Update:

now you can independently determine your body type and learn how to eat and exercise properly with the help of

With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov
.

P
Rivet, hello, dear friends. I am with you again, and I would like to introduce you to such a topic “Ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph. How to determine. ” It is clear from the title of the topic that you will hear about the features of body types and learn how to determine which of them you belong to. But that’s not all. Read on and you can find out a lot of interesting things. For example, how to eat with this or that body type. Let’s get started.

There are people in our society who are very different from each other: athletic, thin and fat.And the point is not that one of them regularly goes to the gym, and the other two do not pay attention to their health. No, it’s all about genetics. It may even be that a fat person spends a lot more time in the gym than one with an athletic physique.

Remember that funny excuse of some fat people like “I have a wide bone”? They are partly right, but it’s not about the bones, but about the predisposition to gaining excess weight. More precisely, in the rate of metabolism – metabolism.It is because of him that there is a classification of body types. I will describe each in more detail below.

Differences in somatotypes

To put it simply, body types are also called somatotypes. The classification described below was proposed by William Sheldon. I do not know who this man is, but if anyone is interested, then you will find information about him without any problems.

Despite the fact that somatotypes differ from each other in many respects, each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, which, if desired, can be “operated” – for example, turn disadvantages into advantages.

So, body types:

Ectomorph
– tall, thin, with a small percentage of muscle and adipose tissue, but a lot of muscle detail. The bones are thin, but elongated, which is why the owner of this type has an impressive height. Rapid metabolism that prevents the body from storing subcutaneous fat. If you are an ectomorph, then here you are.

Mesomorph (athletic)
– of average height, has an optimal ratio of fat and muscle mass, average build (not thin, but not fat).The bones are of medium size, which is why carriers of this type can be considered almost tall people. Average metabolism, allowing you to quickly gain and lose weight. The same principle applies to “dry” mass (muscles).

Endomorph
– low (stocky), full, with a large percentage of muscles, but also with an increased percentage of body fat. The bones are short, but compacted (thick), which indicates a powerful musculoskeletal system. Slow metabolism: Gains weight quickly and sheds it slowly.This quality has a positive effect on muscle tissue.

How to determine your somatotype?

There are many methods to do this. There are exact ones, such as measuring individual parts of the body and their proportions, and there are not very accurate, but simple ones, such as a test on the wrist.

This test is as follows: Place your thumb and middle fingers around your wrist at the thinnest point (approximately under the protruding bone on the wrist, right at the bend). If both of your fingers lie on top of each other, then you are an endomorph; they just touch one another (or just fall short), you are a mesomorph; they do not reach each other very much (the distance is about 1 centimeter), you are an ectomorph.

This test cannot be considered a reference test, rather an auxiliary one, because large-scale incidents occur due to the inaccuracy of this test or body imbalance. A person may think that he is an endomorph, although in fact he is a slightly overweight mesomorph. As a result, an incorrectly selected training program, wasted time, inappropriate nutrition and lifestyle.

It is still better to look at yourself in the mirror, comparing yourself to any of the characteristics. Choose the right one and remember how fast you are going to gain or lose weight.

Well, there are no problems with ectomorphs – they quickly drop and slowly gain. Mesomorphs are fast gaining and fast dropping. Endomorphs – gaining fast and slowly dropping. So be guided by this, although it would not hurt to measure yourself.

Women and men of the same body type have almost no serious differences in this regard.

As a rule, there are very few pure body types. People with such phenomena are very rare. In most cases, people are of a mixed type, and one of them prevails over the others.

For example, a good friend of mine has 65% mesomorph, 25% ectomorph, and 10% endomorph. These numbers indicate that a person is not an ideal creature, and that everyone has their own imbalances. It would seem that where there should be a characteristic trait of a full person, there is a trait of a thin one. Although in general the guy is an ectomorph. Something like that.

Power

The information below is based on the fact that people with different body types want to achieve optimal physical shape and a beautiful body.

As far as nutrition is concerned, ectomorphs need to eat a lot and everything: carbohydrates, fats and especially proteins, subject to regular exercise. They allow “excess weight” (fats and carbohydrates) to be converted into energy, and proteins to be used to build muscles.

Mesomorphs should consume enough carbohydrates to maintain a vigorous body, but not overdo it. A large amount of protein is also characteristic. Fats are a little more difficult – they need to be reduced.Not to remove (still not possible), but to reduce.

But endomorphs need to focus only on proteins and vitamins with minerals. Carbohydrates and fats will have to be cut very strongly. This is due to the fact that under your skin there is a problem zone and there is so much food for the body. So get the body to take nutrients from there, not giving it carbohydrates and fats with food.

Based on everything described, you need to choose accordingly. For example, an endomorph should never take a gainer, even if it is high in protein.All the same, there is a carbohydrate base.

So, I hope I have easily told who are ectomorphs, mesomorphs, endomorphs, how to determine belonging to a particular type, and also provided interesting information. If you liked it, then you can thank me by sharing this article with your friends on social networks. Write what your somatotype is, and also subscribe to blog updates. Until.

Best regards, Vladimir Manerov

Subscribe and be the first to know about new articles on the site, right in your mail.

If you want to build the figure of your dreams and in search of truth go to the forums dedicated to fitness and bodybuilding, you will immediately see characteristic posts and comments there. “I am an ectomorph in its pure form, tell me how to gain weight?”, “And I am an endoectomorph with a bias towards endo, this course does not suit me”, “You’re lucky, you are an ectomesomorph in general!”

It is clear that we are talking about a certain typology associated with the structure of the body. But where did it come from and what are the exact typing criteria? And what is the benefit after all? Let’s try to answer.

Dr. William Sheldon and somatotyping

Somatotyping, or the same division of people into ectomorphs, mesomorphs and endomorphs, was invented in the 1940s by the American physician and psychologist William Sheldon. He noticed a certain connection between physique and personality traits and set out to “calculate” this connection scientifically.

Dr. Sheldon got down to business thoroughly. He first examined 4,000 standard front, side, and back nude photographs of college students.The doctor analyzed only the figures of men – morality and the public rebelled against the “scientific study of naked students”.

The indefatigable researcher carefully measured all possible parameters of the figures, looking for patterns. As a result, he identified 17 key anthropometric characteristics and, on their basis, deduced the three most clearly manifested somatotypes.

Borrowing terms from embryology, W. Sheldon named them:

1. Ectomorph.
The name is due to the fact that skin and nervous tissue develop from the ectoderm.The body of an ectomorph is fragile and thin, the chest is flattened. The limbs are long, thin, with weak muscles. The nervous system is very sensitive.

2. Mesomorph.
Representatives of this type have a well-developed muscular system, which is formed from the mesoderm. Slender strong body. The mesomorphic type has great mental stability and strength.

3. Endomorph.
From the endoderm, mainly internal organs are formed, and in people of this type, their overdevelopment is just observed.The physique is relatively weak, with an excess of adipose tissue.

It is incorrect to think that W. Sheldon divided all of humanity into three discrete types. He has repeatedly emphasized that there can be infinitely many body types, but at the same time you can always calculate the preponderance of proportions, which does not change even with weight loss or weight gain.

After finding the somatotypes, Dr. Sheldon took up the “most interesting”, that is, the search for a connection between them and the psyche. As a result, he stated that three types of physique correspond to three types of temperament: viscerotonia, somatotonia and cerebrotonia.They differed in physical reactions, sociability, ability to self-control, etc.

The plans were enormous. Based on somatotyping, Sheldon was ready to give advice on raising children, identifying leaders, identifying criminals – but something went wrong.

Defeat in Psychology and Resurrection in Bodybuilding

After the Second World War, during which humanity shuddered from the brutal persecution of people along ethnic lines, the idea of dividing people according to the type of figure began to lose fans.Criticism flew from all sides, but Dr. Sheldon did not want to give up without a fight.

In 1954 he managed to publish his famous atlas of somatotypes with numerous illustrations and practical explanations. The Atlas was really good, and even some haters recognized its convenience and information content.

As luck would have it, in the 1960s, humanistic psychology flourished. Victor Frankl and Abraham Maslow inspired stories about the priorities of the highest values, self-actualization of the individual, creativity, freedom and the victory of the human spirit over circumstances.Sheldon’s “body type theory” had to move and find a place for itself in a lonely dusty corner. So she would have withered, but this did not happen, thanks to the development of bodybuilding.

At the end of the 60s, Arnold Schwarzenegger became “Mr. Universe”, and then “Mr. Olympia 1970” and held this title for 6 years. After that, he starred in the iconic Hollywood blockbusters. Its popularity has grown to fantastic proportions. The world was crazy about Arnie: men wanted a “figure like his”, and women wanted such men.

People en masse wanted to find certain body proportions, and then Joe Wyder, the “dad” of the American bodybuilding empire, wasting no time, reworked the half-forgotten theory of somatotyping for these purposes, which told literally everything about proportions. Over time, the words “ectomorph”, “mesomorph” and “endomorph” have become part of the generally accepted bodybuilding vocabulary. True, only the facade remained of Sheldon’s theory.

Modern “ectomorph”, “mesomorph” and “endomorph” are not the same as Sheldon’s, although the general meaning has been preserved.They differ from each other in the relative width of the bones, the predominant type of muscle fibers and the metabolic rate.

Sheldon did not pay much attention to bone width
, but now this figure is considered one of the basic ones. Based on measurements of bones (elbow, wrist) and height, you will be calculated the type in any body type calculator. Here, the terminology of M.V. Chernorutsky is often used to designate constitutional types. Asthenic is equated with ectomorph, normosthenic – with mesomorph and hypersthenic – with endomorph.
One of the most important indicators in bodybuilding – the ability to build muscle mass
. It is believed that red (slow) fibers predominate in an ectomorph, so it is difficult for him to pump up, a special training system is needed. Mesomorph and endomorph were more fortunate in this regard. To determine the predominant muscle type, there are several types of testing with a decrease or increase in weights. You need to know the type of dominant fibers in order for them to be loaded and grown in training.
It is also believed that ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph have different types of metabolism
(carbohydrate, mixed and protein). Therefore, the ectomorph, relatively speaking, “eats rolls with jam every day” and is still thin, and the endomorph cannot afford an extra piece of cake on holidays. On the Internet, you can find a couple of tests to determine the type of metabolism. The nutritional strategy of different somatotypes should be different.

Mixed types are also taken into account today, the very same ectomesomorphs, endoectomorphs, etc.Sometimes they are also divided into subtypes with separate recommendations for each. However, there are critics who still lack something in this typology. Often they criticize without looking up from the couch.

Most bodybuilders do not neglect training and nutrition advice for different constitution types. These guidelines have withstood half a century of practical use and are definitely worth discussing in more detail. We will certainly do this in the next article.

Irina Kainova

Photo depositphotos.com

Ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph – how to define. Photos and examples

Training and nutrition regimen for ectomorph

Since muscle mass in ectomorphs is gained with great difficulty, and the metabolism works at a frantic speed, the muscles begin to experience a glycogen deficiency, which negatively affects the quality of training with an extremely slow set of muscle mass …

To make them more effective, you don’t need to hit the gym too often.The breaks between workouts should be 2-3 days. To understand that you can already go to train, listen to the condition of your muscles, since it is very important here not to overtrain them and give the muscles enough rest to recover. But those rare workouts that you will do should be very intense, aimed at working with large muscle groups, accompanied by a small number of repetitions for each exercise and a long rest in between.

The duration of workouts, taking into account the warm-up, should not exceed 60 minutes (that is, the main workout should take no more than 45 minutes), and it is better to exclude cardio training at all, so as not to waste precious calories.

Nutrition plays a special role in this process .

It should be intense, high in calories. After finishing the workout, there must be a carbohydrate window. In addition, it is recommended to eat before bedtime, since the catabolic processes occurring in the body at night may not allow you to build muscle mass as quickly as you would like. Best of all, if it is a protein-rich food (low-fat cottage cheese) or a protein shake, drunk an hour and a half before bedtime.By the way, the proportion of proteins in the daily calorie intake should be 30%.

In terms of carbohydrate nutrition, preference should be given to slow carbohydrates: pasta from whole grains of wheat, cereals, fruits, herbs, vegetables, barley, cereals. But sweets and sugar should be discarded. Carbohydrates should make up 50% of your daily calories.

Fats should provide 20% of the total caloric value of the daily diet. The preference should be given to polyunsaturated fatty acids contained in fish and fish oil, olive and sunflower oil, nuts, seeds.

Probably, it was for ectomorphs that special sports nutrition was invented. They are shown the use of supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, as well as protein shakes and gainers. The frequency of use is 2 times a day. You can, for example, in the morning and before bedtime. Or instead of one of the five recommended meals, if there is no time for it. You need to drink at least 2 liters of water per day.

Mesomorph training and nutrition regimen

Those who are really lucky are mesomorphs.Their penchant for various sports is innate. And thanks to the presence of a good appetite against the background of a fast metabolism, they manage to gain muscle mass easily and quickly enough. But here it is important not to overdo it, since body fat grows as quickly as muscle mass.

An important point of training should be a combination of strength training and physical exercises aimed at increasing muscle tone (should be included in the cardio training program), which will form harmonious body proportions.The frequency of training for mesomorphs should be 4-5 times a week, since the final result depends on their frequency and intensity.

In order to gain muscle mass, it is necessary to adhere to the principle in the diet often, but little by little (you need to eat every 2 hours in small portions), and observe the optimal ratio of fat intake (10-20%), protein (20-30 %) and carbohydrates (50-60%). Turkey meat, chicken breast, eggs, fish, milk and cottage cheese can be used as the main sources of protein.Carbohydrates should be slow, their main sources are buckwheat, rice, pasta, as well as fruits that can be eaten in unlimited quantities.

It should be noted that variety in nutrition (and in training too) is the key to success. For mesomorphs, the use of sports nutrition is also permissible. The last meal should be 3 hours before bedtime. And do not forget about the water – clean, without gas and aromatic additives.

Training and nutrition regimen for an endomorph

On the one hand, it is most difficult for endomorphs to create a dream body.But, on the other hand, their muscle gain is no worse than that of mesomorphs. The main thing here is to reduce the amount of body fat. For this purpose, it will be effective to conduct cardio or circuit training to .

Since the legs are naturally strong enough for endomorphs, it is the exercises on the lower body that are given to them with the greatest ease (deadlift, squat).

For endomorphs, it is extremely important to follow a correct, balanced diet. It is absolutely unacceptable to consume all kinds of sandwiches, fatty dairy products, inadequate sources of protein and alcohol.

It is especially important to monitor the glycemic index and avoid carbohydrates in the evening and even more so at night. Preference should be given to fibrous carbohydrates (fiber), it is better not to lean on starchy carbohydrates. But the presence of protein in the diet, on the contrary, is only welcome. Sports Nutritionist Laura Crivell, from the most suitable protein sources, isolates skinless chicken breast, egg whites and fish.

It is quite possible to refuse sports supplements for endomorphs.

As mentioned earlier, all these body types are extremely rare in their pure form. It also happens that with a physique similar to an endomorph, a guy is slender, like an ectomorph, or vice versa, an ectomorph suffering from overweight. Therefore, in the matter of training, it is important to determine the most suitable, comfortable mode for yourself, which will bring you true pleasure both from the process and from the result.