Mesomorphic body type refers to body types with a naturally high muscle to fat ratio. People with this body type typically respond well to strength training and have an easier time building and maintaining muscle than other people. They also gain and lose weight easily.
Everyone has their own body type. However, one theory is that there are three main body types, and most people fit into one or a combination of these categories.
There are wide differences between body types, and this largely has to do with how easily a person gains weight or builds muscle, as well as their natural body shape.
Mesomorphic body type - definition
The mesomorphic body type typically includes an average build with good muscle development and relatively low body fat. He can be described as having an athletic build.
William Sheldon first coined the term mesomorph in the 1940s as one of three body types, or somatotypes. Somatotypes are general categories that many people believe describe their body type.
People with a mesomorphic body type, or mesomorphs, tend to be athletic and strong due to their high muscle-to-fat ratio and have muscular chests, shoulders and limbs. Their fat distribution throughout the body is usually relatively even.
People with a mesomorphic body type easily build muscle mass, are able to lose weight quickly, but also gain weight easily. Therefore, mesomorphs may need to watch their calorie intake or stay active to avoid weight gain. A combination of strength training and cardio usually works best for mesomorphs.
People with a mesomorphic body type are suitable for sports and have correct posture. For example, many studies show that athletes in basketball, boxing, martial arts, strength training, swimming, track and field, and volleyball tend to have mesomorphic characteristics.
Ectomorph: how to determine exactly this type of physique
First of all, ectomorphs are distinguished by a thin physique - this applies to both women and men.
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In addition, ectomorphs have the following features:
• narrow shoulders;
• flat chest;
• thin wrists and feet;
• short body;
• low strength indicators;
• difficulty gaining weight – both fat and muscle mass;
• very fast metabolism.
You can more accurately determine your body type by looking at your wrist. Measure its circumference with a measuring tape. For an ectomorph woman, this figure will be up to 15 cm, for a man – up to 17. Why do you need to measure the wrist?
This way you will record the size of the bone. And in the wrist area, we practically do not change in parameters, even when we gain weight or lose weight sharply.
Different body types
Sheldon also introduced ectomorphs and endomorphs as other possible body types.
Ectomorphs have little muscle and fat. They usually have a lean body shape with long limbs. People with this body type tend to gain weight or build muscle.
Endomorphs have a high body fat content with a curvy figure. They may gain weight and muscle quickly, but struggle to lose it again.
In reality, many people may have a combination of different body types. For example, ectoendomorphs retain more fat in their lower body and have a leaner upper body. This weight distribution creates a pear-shaped figure.
Endoectomorphs have more fat on the upper body with a leaner lower body. Other people may feel like they have traits of all three body types.
What is body type
Human body type (Somatotype) is a certain structure of the human body, which is characterized by bone thickness, metabolic rate, percentage of body fat and many other factors.
Somatotype depends on genetics. In other words, if the parents are thin, then the children are more likely to be thin and have thin bones.
Body type is determined in order to select the most suitable training and nutrition. As stated earlier, each body type has its pros and cons. Knowing the somatotype, you can neutralize its disadvantages. The following aspects of training and nutrition depend on your body type:
- Type of training;
- Training intensity;
- Duration of rest between approaches and workouts;
- Diet;
- The need for certain sports nutrition.
Diet for mesomorph
A diet for a mesomorph will depend on their health or fitness goals. Mesomorphs gain weight easily, so they need to eat a healthy and balanced diet or stay active to avoid excess body fat.
The calorie needs of people with a mesomorphic body type are slightly higher than those of people with other body types. They usually respond better to high-protein diets. Those who have gained weight may want to reduce their portions and calorie intake. However, people who want to gain muscle mass should increase their calorie intake by eating a healthy diet.
A healthy diet should include a variety of foods. People with a mesomorph body type should divide their meals into three parts: one-third protein, one-third vegetables (or fruits) and one-third whole grain carbohydrates (or healthy fats).
Characteristics of body types
The ectomorphic body type is characterized by:
- Narrow shoulder girdle;
- Thin build;
- Flat chest;
- Thin muscles;
- Long limbs;
- Gaining weight is difficult;
- Poor strength indicators;
- Fast metabolism.
Everyone has seen long, thin guys who can eat as much as they want, whenever they want, without gaining any weight. In this regard, ectomorphs are lucky; girls are especially envious of them. All good things come to an end sooner or later, and so it is in this case. After thirty years, even ectomorphs will gain weight, but only in the waist area. Therefore, it is worth accustoming yourself to proper nutrition in advance, so that there are no problems later.
The mesomorphic body type is characterized by:
- Large developed muscles;
- V-shape;
- Broad shoulders;
- High strength indicators;
- Fast metabolism.
Most outstanding bodybuilders have a mesomorphic body type. The mesomorphic body type is considered ideal. People born with this somatotype are truly lucky.
The endomorphic body type is characterized by:
- Short limbs;
- Thick bones;
- Developed muscles and ligaments;
- Slow metabolism;
- Tendency to obesity;
- Outstanding strength indicators.
This somatotype is suitable for powerlifting and weightlifting. Andrey Malanichev is an example of an outstanding powerlifter with an endomorphic body type.
Workouts for mesomorphs
To achieve a lean and muscular physique, you need to include both cardiovascular and strength training. A person with a mesomorphic body type who wants to lose weight should prioritize cardio exercises.
For optimal results, they are recommended: High-intensity interval training, which involves alternating intense exercise with lighter activity. People with low fitness levels can start with less intense forms of cardio such as walking.
Mesomorphs looking to gain muscle mass may favor resistance exercises such as strength training. As a rule, mesomorphs respond well to strength training and quickly gain muscle mass.
Depending on a person's goals, strength training should include exercises targeting different muscle groups. To achieve optimal results and increase muscle mass, you should perform low to moderate repetitions of the exercises with moderate to heavy weights.
It is also important to regularly change your training regimen and ensure normal rest and recovery.
Mesomorphic type
The mesomorphic type (normosthenic) is the dream of any athlete, a picture figure: a muscular body with wide bones and developed joints. Mesomorphs look dense and strong. They also have well-developed calf and forearm muscles, which allows them to achieve excellent results in sports.
Most mesomorphs are men, since they have a predominant production of the hormone testosterone, which is responsible for increasing muscle mass. In men, testosterone is produced by the gonads (testes), in women - by the adrenal cortex. When adrenal activity is high, women may also develop muscle mass. But this still does not compensate for the amount of testosterone produced by the gonads, so a woman will never be able to have the muscles possessed by a mesomorph man.
Men are also more often mesomorphs, because evolution has left its mark. For millions of years, man has been forced to hunt, protect women and family, as a result of which only the strongest have always survived. As adaptation progressed, the man’s body developed precisely as a mesomorphic type, as evidenced by human anatomy.
Despite the fact that the mesomorphic type helps to achieve success in sports, in some sports, on the contrary, muscle mass interferes with success, for example, long-distance running, marathon running, rhythmic gymnastics, etc.
The diet of a mesomorph should be neutral, no nutrients should predominate. A mesomorph guy (or girl) gains weight easily, but can also easily lose it and lose weight quite quickly.
Mixed body types
Most people do not belong to any specific body type. Mixed somatotypes are common.
For example, let's take Arnold Schwarzenegger. In his youth, Arnold was a tall, thin boy who did not stand out for his strength or muscle mass. The signs of a typical ectomorph are obvious. Then no one could have thought that he would become a bodybuilding legend.
After starting to train, Schwarzenegger discovered a predisposition to gain muscle mass with virtually no fat. These are already signs of a mesomorphic body type. Based on this information, we can conclude that Schwarzenegger has a mixed body type.
A pure ectomorph or endomorph will not become an outstanding bodybuilder, but with proper training and proper nutrition, he can build a body with which he will not be ashamed to go to the beach. The main thing is not to be lazy!
Author: Full-Fit
Ectomorph training for mass
People with a thin physique must adhere to special training rules. We list the main ones:
- When gaining muscle mass, aerobic exercise should be minimized . Aerobic exercise speeds up the already fast metabolism in the body of an ectomorph. In this case, calories from food will be spent not on muscle growth, but on increased physical activity.
- Use only basic movements . An ectomorph's training program should include as few secondary exercises as possible. Therefore, it is better to opt for the classics, which include the bench press, deadlift and squats . Moreover, these three exercises are quite enough for muscle progress.
- Exercise intensively, but not much . The training including warm-up should last no more than 60 minutes. Accordingly, in order to stay within these limits, you should reduce the number of exercises, as well as approaches in each of them. In this case, the working weights need to be increased and a weight selected with which the athlete can perform only 5-6 repetitions.
Ectomorph. Features of body structure
An ectomorph by nature has thin bones, underdeveloped muscles and, as a rule, does not have great physical strength. Most often, representatives of this type are tall and have a low percentage of body fat. According to experts, all these anthropometric data are associated with accelerated metabolism in ectomorphs.
Unlike other types, people with a thin build are more resilient . It’s not just that the overwhelming majority of marathon races are won by ectomorphic athletes.
In bodybuilding, thin-boned athletes have a hard time, especially if they train naturally. Ectomorph muscles do not respond well to stress . And sometimes even high-intensity training does not bring serious results.
Natural supplements for ectomorphs. Build the body of your dreams
To gain weight, an ectomorph needs to opt for natural dietary supplements from the Parapharm . Especially for athletes and physically active people, the manufacturing company has released a sports line of drugs, which includes:
- Leveton P is a natural remedy for muscle growth, increased strength, increased testosterone levels and tone of the whole body;
- Leveton Forte is an enhanced formula of Leveton P , which increases testosterone levels by 27% of the original values. Due to the increase in the concentration of this hormone in the body, the athlete’s muscle and strength growth occurs many times faster;
- Elton P – a supplement for increasing endurance and strengthening the immune system of athletes;
- Elton Forte is an improved version of Elton P with L -carnosine and royal jelly for better exercise tolerance.
Using these supplements, the ectomorph will be able to quickly gain the treasured muscle mass, increase strength and increase the body's endurance during physical activity.
Ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph. How to determine your body type?
In addition to the ectomorph, there are two more body types - endomorph and mesomorph .
An endomorph is the exact opposite of an ectomorph. This type is characterized by short to average height, a high percentage of body fat, as well as very dense bones and impressive muscles.
Mesomorph is an average body type, located between ectomorph and endomorph. People with this build have average height, hypertrophied muscles and, at the same time, their body does not contain a large amount of fat. In other words, a mesomorph is the best option for bodybuilding.
Determining your body type is quite simple. To do this, you need to clasp the wrist of the other hand with the thumb and middle finger of one hand. At the same time, if your fingers lie on top of each other, then you are an ectomorph. If their pads touch, your type is mesomorph. Well, if there is a distance between your fingers, then most likely you are an endomorph. This simple test shows bone thickness , which is slightly thinner in ectomorphs than in other types. Nevertheless, this method is informative, and with its help you can easily determine the constitution of your body.
