Body Types

Body types tend to get a lot of press. Special thanks to Allen for asking about this topic last week. I can’t believe I have never blogged on this. Sometimes as we set goals and seek to understand our situation, it helps if we can classify traits and characteristics so that we can make assumptions based on those classifications.   How you look and your body type is no different.

It was Dr. William Sheldon who first theorized about general classifications of body types (or somatotypes). The three groups, which we still use today, are the endomorph, the mesomorph, and the ectomorph.

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Endomorph – This body type is described as having a soft body, flabby, underdeveloped muscles, and being round in shape. They are described as having trouble losing weight but generally gains muscle easily.  These are the people who eat 1 dessert and gain 5 lbs!

Ectomorph – This body type is described as fragile, thin, flat chested, young in appearance, tall, lightly muscular, and having an overall delicate build. This group is what’s thought of as a classic “hard gainer” and is typically thought to have a more difficult time gaining weight and adding muscle.  These are the people who eat all day and can’t gain an ounce!

Mesomorph – This body type is described as being athletic, muscular, having a mature appearance, and being naturally fit. This group is said to lose or gain weight easily and grow muscle quickly.  This is the body type everyone wants to have (in theory).

So did you hear any characteristics that describe you? Are you relating to one group more than another? Maybe a couple body types described you in part but not completely. The truth is that most people are combination of body types. Most, including myself, are not just one body type.  You could very well fall between being an ectomorph and a mesomorph. Or maybe your little softer yet still very athletic and would fall somewhere between the endomorph and a mesomorph.

Based on the fact that I’ve weighed over 300 lbs, with 30% or higher body fat in the past, I definitely have endomorph characteristics.  I have also always been strong, and once I got serious about my nutrition and workouts I was able to really bring out my mesomorph traits.  I’d classify myself as being in between mesomorph and endomorph (although my tenacious attention on fitness definitely has me looking more like a mesomorph these days).

How you should apply info about body types to your training and nutrition.

I  DO think there are specific precautions that each body type can take to maximize their training and nutrition. But let me start with this … just because you fit a specific body type, that doesn’t mean you are stuck with that appearance or performance. Just because you’re in endomorph doesn’t mean you can’t lose weight and get ripped. Likewise, being an ectomorph doesn’t doom you to a life of looking frail and small. We are so much more defined by what we do with our bodies than the “body type” we might identify with initially.

Mesomorph – Let’s get this out of the way first!  For guys this is often the most desired category. Your training can be hard and your body will respond very well. Nutritionally, when you’re at maintenance you’ll gain muscle and even lose body fat. In a surplus those gains will only be greater and the body fat added will be minimal. This is NOT a free ticket to a beach body year-round. You still need to track your nutrition and exercise regularly.

Endomorph – People tend to feel bad about themselves and put themselves in this category. Often we’re soft, flabby, and round because of our lifestyle choices. We eat WAY too much and never exercise. Endomorphs will still build muscle well but should take special care of their nutrition. I would recommend concentrating on losing body fat first and then maintaining your ideal weight for a while. This will help you know specifically how your metabolic rate impacts your weight. If you are truly an endomorph, make sure you work slowly into a surplus as to not overdo it. You will gain body fat more easily when you decide to bulk. Short, intense cardio can be a great tool to keep your calorie totals in check.

Ectomorph – The good ol’ hard gainer. If you see yourself as an ectomorph, you really need to lift and lift BIG! Someone who is an ectomorph already has a difficult time gaining weight, so why would you choose an exercise type that is not optimal for adding mass? If you want to put on mass, cardio is not your friend. If you’re okay with your size or maybe it suits your tastes in sports, then that it is completely fine to do cardio. But if you’re an ectomorph looking to put on size you must lift heavy and eat. In most cases the biggest thing working against an ectomorph is their metabolism. You have to be willing to find the number of calories necessary to gain weight. The typical calorie calculators can grossly underestimate your need when you’re a true ectomorph. Shorter, intense lifting is perfect for the ectomorph. Body Beast could really help.