Being physically fit is one of the best ways to increase your overall wellbeing.
Before you start your training and nutrition regimen, it’s a good idea to figure out your body type.
Knowing which of these three basic body types will help you better tailor your diet and exercise plan to meet your needs, and set realistic, attainable goals that pave the way to your success.
Men’s Body Types:
Ectomorph:
An ectomorph is a typical skinny guy. Ecto’s have a light build with small joints and lean muscle. Usually, ectomorphs have long thin limbs with stringy muscles. Shoulders tend to be thin with little width.
It noted that ectomorphs tend to be quiet and fragile. He believed them to be socially anxious and self-conscious and suggested most ectomorphs tend to keep to themselves.
- Small “delicate” frame and bone structure
- Classic “hard gainer”
- Flat chest
- Small shoulders
- Thin
- Lean muscle mass
- Finds it hard to gain weight
- Fast metabolism
Ectomorphs find it very hard to gain weight. They have a fast metabolism which burns up calories very quickly. Ecto’s need a huge amount of calories in order to gain weight. Workouts should be short and intense focusing on big muscle groups. Supplements are definitely recommended. Ectomorphs should eat before bed to prevent muscle catabolism during the night. Generally, ectomorphs can lose fat very easily which makes cutting back to lean muscle easier for them.
Mesomorph:
A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles, and a naturally athletic physique. Mesomorphs are the best body type for bodybuilding.
They find it quite easy to gain and lose weight. They are naturally strong which is the perfect platform for building muscle.
Psychologically, says mesomorphs are somewhat similar to endomorphs. They are adventurous, courageous, and assertive. Always willing to take chances, mesomorphs tend to be very competitive and prefer being dominant in relationships.
- Athletic
- Generally hard body
- Well defined muscles
- Rectangular shaped body
- Strong
- Gains muscle easily
- Gains fat more easily than ectomorphs
The mesomorph body type responds the best to weight training. Gains are usually seen very quickly, especially for beginners. The downside to mesomorphs is they gain fat more easily than ectomorphs. This means they must watch their calorie intake. Usually, a combination of weight training and cardio works best for mesomorphs.
3.Endomorph:
The endomorph body type is solid and generally soft. Endomorphs gain fat very easily. Endo’s are usually of a shorter build with thick arms and legs. Muscles are strong, especially the upper legs. Endomorphs find they are naturally strong in leg exercises like the squat.
They are also the polar opposite of ectomorphs in terms of their behavior. Endomorphs are fun-loving, even-tempered, and sociable.
- Soft and round body
- Gains muscle and fat very easily
- Is generally short
- “Stocky” build
- Round physique
- Finds it hard to lose fat
- Slow metabolism
- Muscles not so well defined
When it comes to training endomorphs find it very easy to gain weight. Unfortunately, a large portion of this weight is fat, not muscle. To keep fat gain to a minimum, endomorphs must always train cardio as well as weights. Usually, supplements may not be needed as long as the person has a high protein intake in their diet.
What’s A Stocky Body Type?
For today’s men, body types aren’t limited only to the three devised by Sheldon more than 70 years ago.
The “stocky” body type is a good example of this. Technically speaking, the stocky body type doesn’t neatly fall into any of the three body type categories.
Although this body type is most similar to the endomorphic body type, it’s not exactly synonymous with it.
Stocky men are shorter than average with broad shoulders and hips. They gain muscle easily and have difficulty losing excess fat.
What is a medium build man?
Like stocky, the term medium build doesn’t correspond with any of the three main body types.
Although it’s very similar to the mesomorph body type, men with medium build bodies are neither short nor tall, neither skinny nor overweight, neither muscular nor delicate.
In a word, men of a medium build fall within the average ranges for both weight and height.
