Body Types Explained

Ectomorph? Mesomorph? Endomorph? If you ever heard those terms and wondered what they have to do with your body type, here is a simple explanation.

Three Body Types

The three different body types are the lanky ectomorph, the stocky endomorph and the athletic mesomorph. The last is considered the big winner in the gene lottery, but mostly there is a mixture of the types present in all of us and just about no one represents a “pure” specimen:

Ectomorph Troubles…

Once more: A good number of emails I get start with the line “I’m an ectomorph…” followed by the supposed troubles that means to gain muscle and don’t I have to share some secret to get a bit brawnier?

As hinted in the video, I don’t have that secret and there really isn’t any and I am more or less an ectomorph myself. When it comes to building muscle, I simply don’t worry myself about my body type, but what I can do to get the most out of what I got. That means I work out and keep working out. That way I may well end up looking better than the guy who on paper is a mesomorph but just sits on the couch. Just like leaning toward the ectomorph side of things didn’t keep me from growing fat either.

…And Endomorph Troubles

If you fear you are an endomorph and destined to be the Pillsbury boy, it’s the same. You may have gotten a bad gene blueprint, but blueprints aren’t set in stone. You can hugely influence your appearance and physical fitness through what you do.

In other words, no matter if you consider yourself an ectomorph or endomorph, it’s as the doctor told Tatianna in her recent article on increasing metabolism: Forget your genes, it’s much more important what you do with your diet and lifestyle.

Picture courtesy of Tony Alter.