What’s your Body Type
Maybe you have heard of these three body types: ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph.
Do you know which body type you primarily fall into? More importantly, do you know how you should eat and train based on your body type? I will answer all your questions in this article.
What is the difference between ectomorph endomorph and mesomorph?
Ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph are three different body types. Ectomorphs have little muscle on their lean, lithe slight bodies. Endomorphs have a large bone structure and carry a lot of body fat. Finally, the mesomorph carries a lot of muscle on a compact, dense frame.
Let’s discuss each body type in more detail below.
Ectomorph
Ectomorphs have small, slight bone structures. They tend to have smaller wrists and ankles and a small bone structure. If anyone has told you that you have a slight build or a small frame, you are probably an ectomorph.
Ectomorphs appear quite thin and they may even appear lithe despite adding some muscle to their frame.
Long distance runners, ballet dancers and figure skaters tend to have an ectomorph body type.
Mesomorph
Mesomorphs have thicker, shorter bones and slightly larger bone structures. They tend to have thicker wrists and ankles. Typically, mesomorphs tend to be more muscular. They have round muscle bellies that fill out nicely with strength training. Mesomorphs appear compact and dense.
Track sprinters and gymnasts tend to look like mesomorphs.
Endomorph
Endomorphs tend to have medium to large bone structures with a lot of fat on top. They appear soft and round. Endomorphs tend to carry a lot of fat on their lower abdomen, hips and lower body. Endomorphs may struggle with their weight.
Diet and Train for your Type
Ectomorphs who want to achieve a more muscular appearance should mainly do resistance training with heavy weights and long rest periods in addition to some hypertrophy type training. They should avoid doing too much cardio to avoid losing even more weight.
Their diet should supply ample calories and carbohydrates to allow them to put on some muscle mass. This group usually has a really fast metabolism and may need extra calories to improve body composition and to put on some muscle.
Mesomorphs can perform resistance training with heavy weights as well as hypertrophy and power type training. This group responds really well to strength training. They can eat a balanced diet but might need more protein due to all the muscle their body carries naturally. This body type can usually eat a lot of food due to a high metabolism.
Endomorphs should aim to perform workouts that burn calories and help them lose some body fat. Circuits, interval training and all types of cardio can help this group lose some of the excess body fat. For those who have not exercised in a long time, sustained low intensity cardio can really help them burn calories and build stamina.
This group should probably follow a reduced calorie diet to help lose some extra body fat.
Does your Body Type Impact your Results?
Your body type does impact how much muscle you can add to your frame. Smaller, slighter people usually can not add as much muscle to their frame as mesomorphs can.
Dr. Casey Butt believes that people with larger frames can build more muscle than those with smaller frames.
He believes that building muscle resembles hanging clothes off of a clothesline. The bigger the clothesline, the more clothes you can hang. The larger the skeletal frame, the more muscle that body can support.
Still, many ectomorphs can add muscle to their frame.
And having an endomorph body type does not equal a death sentence. Even if you have a large frame or carry too much body fat, you can decrease your body fat by decreasing your calorie intake and performing some exercise.
While I think understanding your body type can help you manage your expectations, I would caution people to take generic exercise and nutrition recommendations for their body type with a grain of salt.
After all, you could be an ectomorph who loves long distance running and has no desire to add muscle to your frame. You do not need to eliminate cardio in that case, but you will still need plenty of carbs.
Conversely, you may be an endomorph who participates in sumo wrestling. Why change your diet and training to fit a rigid body ideal?
The nutrition and training recommendations for different body types are somewhat generalized and do not take your unique goals and lifestyle into account.
What do you think about the different body types? Please leave a comment below.
