Body Types – Ectomorph | Mesomorph | Endomorph
March 13th, 2008 Posted in Conditioning, Diet, Weight TrainingYou could be wasting your time with exercise and proper nutrition, if you don’t know how to train and eat based on your body type!
Everyone’s body is different, I am sure you will agree. All bodies look different, smell different, work different, move different, etc… Why would you train like someone who is genetically gifted to be a bodybuilder, if you are genetically gifted to be a Kenyan endurance runner? It doesn’t work. Let me explain how you can better target your daily routine to your body type.
What is a Body Type?
A body type describes how easily it is for you to gain and lose, fat and muscle. Some people are just predisposed to being large, like Ronnie Coleman for instance. While others tend to stay skinny no matter what they do. Let us get into the details. There are three kinds of body types; ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph.
Ectomorph Body Type
Ectomorphs usually refer to themselves as hard-gainers, which means that in order for Ectomorphs to gain muscle, it takes significant hard work, dedication, and lots of food. These folks usually carry very low levels of bodyfat, tend to have smaller muscles, and often have a smaller skeletal structure.
Training for Ectomorphic Body Type
Ectomorphs should be lifting heavy weights. That’s all there is to it. These guys need to build a strong core, a strong foundation, upon which to build the physique they desire. Compound exercises with a rep range from 3-5 should be used to facilitate strength gains. After a stable base is built, Ectomorphs will want to incorporate hypertrophy training, which is about 8-10 reps of slightly more isolationist exercises, like seated dumbbell shoulder press, or dumbbell bench press, single arm triceps extensions, perhaps single-leg extensions, and maybe a few curls. Since maximal intensity is needed during sets, and since stored ATP should be replenished as much as possible, rest periods between exercises should last about 2 minutes.
Diet for Ectomorphic Body Type
You skinny bastards have metabolisms faster than a bullet. If you are not eating, you should be. When you’re not hungry, eat. If you just ate and you’re full, eat some more or drink some milk or a protein shake. Pick the high calorie, high protein, healthier foods, and constantly be eating. Foods that are highest in healthy fats should provide the biggest bang for the buck since the Omega 3’s and calories will go a long way to putting on some bulk. Try 95% fat free beef, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, and all-natural peanut better. Keep milk, yogurt, kidney beans, and fruit on hand for snacks. Protein bars are good too, if you can stomach them. I prefer Pure-Protein bars and Chef Jay’s Trioplex.
Mesomorph Body Type
Mesomorph bodies are more inclined to gaining muscle mass quite easily. These folks are considered the ‘genetically gifted’ when it comes to bodybuilding. They are not necessarily easy gainers, but they are definitely not hardgainers either. Mesomorph body types are very athletic looking and are aesthetically pleasing to the eye. These are the guys that people refer to as jacked, ripped, and cut; and they usually walk with good posture. Mesomorphs can build muscle faster than Ectomorphs and can also lose fat much faster than Endomorphs, as long as they eat and train properly.
Training for the Mesomorphic Body Type
The best form of training for a Mesomorph would be heavy weight lifting utilizing maximal force. This would include the kind of explosive training found in powerlifting and Olympic lifting. Different exercises should be utilized in each and every training session targeting every muscle in the body with heavy weights to increase size and strength. Full body training probably works best for Mesomorphs since they can recover quickly and adapt to traditional training programs easily. Cardio should still be performed, but kept to a maximum of 2 sessions a week. This will keep the heart and lungs healthy, and the fat at bay, while not impeding muscle growth. 30-40 minutes for each cardio session is ideal. Intensity should be kept at a high intensity to focus more on the fat burning process rather than the chance of minimizing muscle mass. Interval sprints and other explosive exercises should be mandatory.
Diet for the Mesomorphic Body Type
For the mesomorph, a balanced diet should be maintained. A 30/30/40 balance of protein/fat/carbs should be utilized. This will give the trainee a full supply of nutrients and enough diverse calories to facilitate muscle growth and to maintain a lean physique.
Endomorph Body Type
“Hey fatty, having trouble getting lean?” You don’t want to say this to an endomorph because most likely he is stronger than you and will either crush you with his fist or sit on you. This body type is more likely to gain fat but is also more likely to be big, strong, and large boned. Endomorphs usually have a soft and squashy appearance, and they have much tougher time losing fat than the other two body types. The most can be made of this body type with a dedicated workout routine, and a dedicated nutrition plan. It is not that bad to be a big fat guy, as long as you know how to turn it into a jacked, ripped, son of a bitch through diet and exercise.
Training for the Endomorphic Body Type
Weight training should be kept to a higher rep range for most workouts. I recommend 1-2 complexes per week with several exercises strung together and little rest between sets. An example of a complex might be a deadlift into a hang clean into a push press into a back squat into a rear push press, and back to the floor. This will train for endurance, strength, and will keep the metabolism elevated. Endomorphs will still want to dedicate one day a week, one week a month, or two months a year, to serious strength training. The majority of the training though, should focus on the 8-12 rep range. Cardio is a big plus for endomorphs. 3-4 sessions of cardio per week is recommended, for 40-50 minutes at a time. At each cardio session, different types of cardio exercises should be utilized. Sprints, complexes, jumping rope, cycling, and kickboxing classes are all examples of decent cardio exercise.
Diet for the Endomorphic Body Type
It is best to eat about 7 or 8 small meals through the day. The key phrase here is SMALL MEALS. I am talking like 300-400 calorie meals. This type of eating increases your metabolism and your body burns additional calories when it is digesting food, so keeping your body in a constant state of digestion is a bonus. Concentrate more on protein and carbs, and keep fat to a bare minimum, especially saturated fats. Fats are the higher calorie nutrient and should be kept to only 20% of your overall diet.
Now that you know where you stand and have a better idea of how to train for your body type, I expect that you will examine your current diet and exercise plan. Make the changes that you need to make in order to maximize your efficiency, and get back in the gym! Be sure to contact me with any questions.
Steve is a formerly ISSA certified personal trainer and sport nutritionist, who has been studying, practicing, and experimenting since 1994. Please use the content at Project Swole to supplement the advice of your doctor or physician. All medical questions should be directed towards a qualified medical professional, and the advice provided at Project Swole should be used at your own discretion.
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28 Responses to “Body Types – Ectomorph | Mesomorph | Endomorph”
By cardioqueeninfinity on Apr 6, 2008
This article is quite helpful. I am going to be taking up jumping jacks, jump rope, and kickboxing as part of my cardio routine here on out. At 37 yers old and being 120lbs overweight, I realize that i have a endomorph and will eat and train like this from now on. Like my old trainer use to say, you are the cardio queen from now on!
By Buttabeen on Jul 15, 2008
i’m a mesomorph female so does the same diet and workouts apply for me as a women such as for a man?
By Steve on Jul 15, 2008
It sure does. Typically the only change I make to exercise and nutrition between males and females is this:
Females usually require fewer calories and are usually trying to lose fat rather than anything else. Therefore I recommend fewer total calories.
Females are usually trying to shape and tone rather than get big or strong. Therefore I recommend between 8-12 reps for most sets for females rather than 3-7 reps for males. However, don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place for 3-7 rep training for females.
By kaiser on Jul 23, 2008
ive gained some muscles over the past 5 months but I still have a layer of fat that covers all my muscles. Im definetely an endo and I was wondering how can I get rid of all this fat without losing that much muscle?
im currently weight training 3 days a week and also doing cardio 3 times a week, hiit training that is. I just started this so i really dont know if its going to work. Also i eat like 7 times a day, small meals. Should I hit the weights hard or is it better to do leaner weights, high reps? and is 3 times a week cardio enough?
thanks
By Steve on Jul 24, 2008
Kaiser:
If you’re already training with intensity the way you say, then it seems your training is just right. Hopefully you are utilizing compound exercises like squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press, rows, and pull-ups.
Next I would say the solution lies in your diet. You will need to cut down on calories just enough to start losing around 2-4 pounds a week. If you lose more than that, you are surely losing muscle. Read some of my diet articles for ideas on how to lose weight slowly, or how to lose weight quick. Obviously the quicker the weight comes off, the more likely it is to be a higher percentage of muscle than fat.
One thing to keep in mind is this: unless you are using steroids or many very powerful anabolic supplements, you have to accept that you will lose a little bit of muscle when you are dieting… unless you take it real slow and try to only lose like 2 pounds a week for half a year or so.
One more word of advice: if you do too much cardio you definitely risk losing muscle faster. Keep your 6-7 meals, keep the protein high, but decrease the calories.
By lalo714 on Sep 10, 2008
I’m an ectomorph cause I’m skinny but I aint bonny either I guess beacause my bones aint thick for my body but I’ve been trying to build up
By love your body on Sep 12, 2008
A few years ago, i look like an ectomorph,BUT gain and lose weight easily.I’m not skinny either,could Ibe a combination of all.Does the somatotypes apply to teenagers wiht bodies still developing?
By farrukh on Sep 16, 2008
I am a 16 year old boy. i think i am something between am endomorph an mesomorph. i have big muscles and good strength but i am not so ripped. i train very heavy with weights with which i can do 6-8 reps. the problem is that i dont gain much fat but cant lose my body fat either. help me plz. and yeah, i have been training for the past 6 months.
By Sadiq ali on Sep 17, 2008
Hello, I am an ectomorph, i would like you to give me a link or a book which emphasises the diet required and exercice for a foundation building my core body so that I can achieve a mesomorphic body type and that I can proceed to next level, I have been bodybuilding for the passed 3 years, I have gained around 3-4 kG of muscle.. but now I cannot gain anymore. I am 59 kg and I work very intense, perhaps I need to get back to basics to look at what I have missed out.
By buttabeen on Sep 20, 2008
hi,
im back again with some more questions. i appreciate the response to my previous question BUT unlike most women, I want to get stronger, build lots of muscle and burn as much fat as possible. Im not trying to look skinny by no means unlike most women.
i blessed with being a meso, so i want to look the part. Strong and lean with lots of muscle mass.
Now im an endo meso, probably more so a meso and i read that we’re suppose to do cardio 2/wk??? is that really enough if you want to burn the maximun amount of what?
I do cardio 20 min 3/wk and my main focus is not the intensity. I try to work out at a steady pace of65-70% of my maximun heart.
I also take gnc thermoburst to increase my energy/ fat burn.
Do yo know if this supplement could help me as an endo meso. I sweat a whole lote more and it takes less time for my body the get warm when i take the supplement so im just assuming that it doing what its set out to do. are these supplements good to take on days when you lift weights also?
ive also seen books about dieting according to you body type.
do you know if these diets really work.
I want to learn how to eat good for my body for LIFE, not just to achieve a swimsuit body 09
i added my myspace page address so you can take a look of what im working with,
if that’s of any interest.
keep up the good work on this site!!!!
have a great weekend
By Qubit on Nov 7, 2008
I have read about the three types of body structures and all, but I still have some questions. one of them is : 1) Can a body be a mixture of the two or three body types mentioned? Does it require different type of training?
(2) I am 177cm tall [5'9"] and weigh 155 lbs. My wrists are around 6.5 inch in circumference while my biceps are around 14 inch so basically almost small-boned. But I played collegiate and semi-professional soccer and was a middle distance runner [800-1500m] in high school, which has developed my legs to superb proportions while my upper body remains under-developed in comparison. So what body type do I fit in? it seems I am two different people fit together at the waist. [underdeveloped upper body with well-developed lower body].
By James Jones on Nov 10, 2008
Hi i weigh a ton for my age, but i dont look that fat, and also im very very very athletic. im an endomorph and i usually have long periods of trainnig then stop. like i train for a month then forget, then train again. Since im an endomorph what should i do if i want to get smaller and lose more weight but still have muscle?
By Tina George on Nov 21, 2008
Can you tell me the difference in a body builder’s health and a long distance runner’s? I have to do a paper for school and I have no facts. I have to tell which one is healthier between the two and why? Thanks so much for your help, your comments are very interesting.
Thanks again!!!
By Jeff on Dec 16, 2008
Hi ,
I am an overweight ectomorph. I was skinny like this until I turned 30 and quit smoking, now I look like a small boned fat person with a big belly and don’t drink! I see that for an ectomorph, it says to limit cardio, but how else can I lose this fat?
By Christopher Daugherty on Jan 3, 2009
I was just told that I have a Mesomorph Body Type by a personal trainer in the Army which means that I should probably see results pretty fast but I feel more like an Ectomorph. I don’t know much about working out or eating but from what I gather… three or four healthy meals a day should be good, right?
Thanks.
By Craig on Jan 10, 2009
Hmm for anyone reading this article, I would take it with a pinch of salt. There are a whole bunch of references to myths and common ignorance here. For example endomorphs almost always suffer from some degree of insulin resistance, so suggesting a high carb diet for an endomorph is possibly the worst thing you can do. Ironically, a low-carb, moderate-protein, high-fat diet would be best suited for an endomorph.
By Steve on Jan 10, 2009
Craig:
You are right to a certain degree. If I were suggesting a high carb diet for endomorphs, you would be totally right. Instead, I am suggesting that endomorphs keep fats low in order to keep calories low. Up above I mentioned 20% of the diet should be fats, but that could go as high as 30%. Carbs should also be 30%, but they should be strictly low glycemic index carbs. I’m talking about fiber, oats, veggies, and fruit.
On the other hand, if an endomorph wanted to go on a crash diet and lose a bunch of fat real quick, I might recommend a low carb, high fat, high protein diet.
By anand on Jan 15, 2009
i am 14 years old and i waigh 52 Kg i am going to the gym for body building can it restrict my groth ?
By brandon on Jan 17, 2009
Hey, I’m 15 years old, soon to turn 16 in a few months, and I’m interested in starting going to the gym. I think I’m somewhere between an ectomorph and mesomorph, if that’s even possible. I heard that to build up muscle quickly (IE: testosterone), you should work your quads to hell, and back. I heard that they somehow manage to bulk your upper body up…somehow.
Anyway, I already have a very strong torso, but my legs are pretty skinny. If I start working out those quads, would it raise my testosterone level and make my upper body bigger as well?
By paolo on Feb 11, 2009
I have very narrow shoulders and weak chest however my thighs and butt is quite large so ya i look like a woman. is this an ecto-meso body type. if i pick up weight its always in my ass and thighs first and im a male.anypointers to try and proprtion better
By C.S.S.C. on Feb 17, 2009
Articles like this have led to a lot of myths in fitness/bodybuilding/weighttraining.
First of all, you should never eat 7 meals a day, because it is unhealthy and takes up a considerable amount of time. Google “intermittent fasting” if you want proof.
Secondly, endo;s shouldn’t perform complexes of 10 reps. They should focus on getting strong, i.e. performing +- 5 reps of the major exercises (squat, deadlift, press, (weighted)pullups, bench press, rows, (weighted) dips), as they are genetically gifted to become extremely strong. In the process of becoming strong they will get lean, that is if they eat healthy.
By Timothy Ruth on Mar 13, 2009
To Whom reads this:
Hello, my name is Timothy. After reading this page, I feel that I may have a solution to my problem.
After reviewing the descriptions of each body type, and of course the images, I am fairly confident that I am a endomorph body type. What confuses me though, is I am a fairly good marathon runner, and runner in general. I have sub-3 hour marathons. I think this was just through hard work that I obtained that I suppose.
On top of that, I do tons of ab work outs. I have a very strong core. What baffles me though, is my inability to lose that stomach pudge. I commonly get the accusations of being the “skinny fat guy” and that I dont look like a marathoner. (I run for Navy)
My diet fluctuates. With all of the running, its hard for me to stick with one diet, I feel absolutely drained after too long.
What exactly kind of diet should I follow? Id love to see my abs one day.
Thanks alot,
Very Respectfully,
Timothy J. Ruth
By sophelia mathis on May 9, 2009
man i love you you are truely a god sent and i did even have to get undress thank you did i say thank you!!!!!
By euridice on May 11, 2009
I weigh in at 45kg’s every morning and by the end of the day I weigh a happy (well for me) 46,5kg’s. What I’d give to make 50kg’s on my scale
… I eat the right foods, and carrying my son around is enough exercise for me… isnt there a quicker full proof way like maybe a pill one can pop that gives you 5 kilo’s in a go… (grin)?
By Steve on May 12, 2009
euridice: It’s called anadrol, and if you actually manage to get some and take it, you’re either a dolt or a professional bodybuilder.
By Yeuouo on May 28, 2009
I just made a somatotype test and the result was 2.17. It places me closest tomthe mesomorph type, according to the author. Highly credible: I might be a little ectomorph, as I am slender and can have very intense metabolism-sometimes. But my wide chest, 5.11-6 feet tall and somewhat muscular feet bring me closest to mesomorph. I am 26, by the way, and I was a strong, resistant but at times also rather fat kid-slender as late teenager.
We should eat balanced foot and not funk with fastfood too much.
By Jane on Jun 25, 2009
I am an Endomorph and definitely agree with the suggestions stated in this article, as well as others I’ve read on the web. I’m 35 years old, female, 5′ tall and weigh 105 lbs. I’m fit, and I exercise a lot (at a glance, most people would think I was a mesomorph because I work at being like one or close to one, etc). But I know I am really an endomorph. I went low (pretty much no) carb when I was 21 because somehow I just realized that I balloon up when I eat carbs. I also do low-weight, high rep weight training and get lots of cardio. I love carbs, but I’ve just come to terms (for years now) that I cannot eat them. It is really weird because my friends and family seem to have no awareness that different bodies function differently. When a family member says “Oh it’s just a little bread,” they mean well; they just don’t realize that a little bread totally fattens me up! I know for sure I am an endomorph just because of what I see when I go for just a few days without working out (though this never happens, only when I am on vacation) and eat a lot of carbs. My mother has a very soft, pudgy, overweight body, because she does not work out and she is not low-carb. We have the same body type; I would look like her if I didn’t know how endomorphs are supposed to eat & exercise.
By Steve on Jun 25, 2009
Jane: thanks for your comments. Hopefully you can keep making more and more progress with your healthy diet and exercise habits.