Can be divided into three types: mesomorph, endomorph, ectomorph. This is one of the simplest and most comprehensive classifications currently existing. Sheldon makes an attempt not only to find criteria for describing the physical parameters of the body, but also to determine what temperament is behind this or that appearance. At first, this system of constitutional typology applied only to men, but then it began to be applied to women as well. Do you want to know who you are - mesomorph, endomorph, ectomorph? Then take a closer look at yourself and compare with the descriptions below.
Endomorphs
They have the slowest metabolism, well-developed internal organs, especially the digestive system. They quickly accumulate fat and have difficulty losing it. People of this type have a round and soft body, a short neck and a wide waist.
Endomorphs are friendly and good-natured, slow and careful, moderately emotional and tolerant. They love physical comfort, good food and relaxation. Such people have a good sense of humor, are sociable and are not prone to irritability.
Mesomorphs
This type is also called athletic. He is characterized by a proportional physique, average height, broad shoulders, and muscularity. People with this type of figure tend to gain excess weight, but they can lose it quite quickly. Mesomorphs easily build muscle and gain physical strength.
As for their temperamental characteristics, they are energetic, courageous, persistent, risk-taking, love competition and physical activity.
Ectomorphs
They are thin, wiry and angular. They are characterized by long and thin limbs, often tall, short torso, flat chest, narrow shoulders, minimal fat reserves and poorly developed muscles that are difficult to build.
Ectomorphs love loneliness and solitude, are internally repressed, shy, artistic, and prone to mental activity. They are believed to have the largest brain and a well-developed nervous system.
Ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph - how to determine?
In reality, most people have traits of all three types to varying degrees. In their pure form, mesomorph, endomorph, and ectomorph are not so common, and this division is very arbitrary. To more accurately find out your somatotype, you need to use the method developed by Sheldon, where each individual is described by three numbers from 1 to 7. In this case, 1 corresponds to the minimum manifestation of signs of a particular type, and 7 to the maximum. That is, a pure endomorph is 711, a mesomorph is 171, an ectomorph is 117. A person with a harmonious physique has a description of 444. It is clear that combinations of 111 and 777 are impossible.
Mesomorph, endomorph, ectomorph and bodybuilding
Determining who belongs to one type or another is especially important in bodybuilding for choosing training methods. After all, training for an endomorph is completely unsuitable for representatives of the other two types.
Mesomorphs are especially lucky: athletes with such a physique have the best chance of achieving outstanding results in bodybuilding. Endomorphs can quickly build muscle mass, but they find it difficult to get rid of excess fat and achieve good definition. The hardest thing will be for ectomorphs, who are not distinguished by either good strength indicators or responsive muscles to stress. They will not be able to gain large volumes, but due to the minimal amount of fat, their muscles will always be sculpted.
This chapter focuses on existing body types.
Beginners have many questions on this topic: how to determine how to create a program for an ectomorph, endomorph or mesomorph, how important is this when losing weight?
What if it’s all just a hoax and doesn’t affect anything?..
Broad Bone will figure it out and tell you everything!
Types of constitution
Some scientists identify three different types of human body build: ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph, as well as some signs of how to determine which group you belong to. People, depending on their figure, will also be called: asthenic, normosthenic, hypersthenic.
Ectomorphic or asthenic
According to beliefs, this type represents a typical thin person. Asthenics have narrow shoulders, thin wrists, an acute intercostal angle, a relatively low diaphragm, an elongated chest from top to bottom (and a relatively reduced circumference), an elongated neck, and narrow shoulders.
We also learned from the Internet: “The ectomorph has small and almost no muscles.” Hmm, how's that? What is he, a humanoid? Probably, the authors meant that an asthenic person’s muscles do not grow well and it is difficult for him to gain weight.
How to determine?
- Small body
- Flat chest
- Narrow shoulders
- Skinny
- Lack of muscles
- Difficulty gaining muscle mass
- Fast Metabolism
It is quite difficult for an asthenic person to build muscle mass. He has an excellent one that burns the resulting calories quickly. An ectomorph needs to eat extremely actively, both to gain weight and to maintain it. But he doesn’t need to lose weight.
An ectomorph does not have difficulty losing excess weight, so subsequently his muscles are dry and not covered with fat layers.
Training program for an ectomorph: should be intense, but short-lived (45-60 minutes), focus on the base (). no more than 10 minutes in quality.
Nutrition for an ectomorph to gain muscle mass: increase the amount of calories in general and carbon in particular. In all KBJU calculations, adhere to their upper limit.
Recommended for use.What does the asthenic type look like in women:
Endomorphic or hypersthenic
These are people with a decent amount of fat mass and have broad shoulders, large body circumferences in different places, including on the limbs, and an obtuse intercostal angle. It's not worth it to get a lot of work for them! Hypersthenics are not deprived of muscle mass, especially their upper leg muscles are well developed.
Features:
- Round body
- Rapidly increase both muscle and fat mass
- Most often short in stature
- It's quite difficult to lose weight
- Slow Metabolism
Hypersthenics gain weight quite easily, but the problem is that most of this mass is not muscle. Endomorphs are obsessed with one question: “how to lose weight”? Usually they do not need sports supplements so much, of course, provided that their diet contains a sufficient amount of protein.
Training program for endomorphs for weight loss: it is best to train for three days. The program is based on heavy basic exercises that help burn a large number of calories and gain muscle mass. The duration of the workout should be 90-120 minutes, starting with a good warm-up and ending with at least 30 minutes of intense cardio.
Dear ladies! If you have problems with blood vessels, then do cardio on the same day of training DO NOT DO IT, this is fraught with capillary mesh or in general. Move it to the next day or better yet, don’t do it at all. Losing weight will take longer, but you will have healthy, beautiful legs
Mesomorphic or normosthenic
This type is characterized by good development of muscle mass, and as a result, a strong and developed bone skeleton. The amount of adipose tissue is approximately average. Features of the internal structure - the chest is convex, the shoulders are wide, the length of the limbs is proportional. All characteristics correspond to average.
Mesomorphs are born with the body of an athlete. This type quickly builds muscle mass and loses excess weight. They are naturally strong, which is an excellent platform for further growth.
Distinctive features of a mesomorph:
- Athletic build
- Rectangular body shape
- Build muscle mass quickly
- More susceptible to excess weight than ectomorphs
Mesomorphs (also people with an asthenic body type) quickly build muscle mass, especially beginners. On the other hand, mesomorphs can also quickly gain excess weight. This means they must watch the number of calories they consume. For mesomorphs, the ideal option is a combination of strength training and cardio.
Mesomorph women have initial genetic bonuses: it is easy for them to stay thin and fit, but they, as a rule, lack motivation for weight loss, and if you start eating and don’t exercise, the body can quickly “swim”, especially in the abdomen and waist (remember , Yes, ?)
Training program for mesomorphs: focus on the base and working on individual muscle groups with isolated exercises. Remember about variety: change the number of approaches and repetitions, and rest time, working weight, combinations of exercises,
The program should be cyclical: 3-4 weeks of high-intensity training, then 1-2 weeks of training at lower speeds, this will give a greater effect and help avoid overtraining.
How to find out yours?
According to the Internet, one of the main differences between these three types is the different skeletal structure. The mesomorphic type has wide, thick bones, the ectomorphic type has thin bones, and the endomorphic type occupies an intermediate position. The bones determine the height (there's no arguing that) and the width of your figure. Modern technologies are not yet able to change these parameters. You cannot become taller or shorter, just as you cannot make your hip bones or shoulder bones narrow.
How to determine what type of build you have - by your wrist. To understand this, it is enough to take a few measurements. The easiest way to determine the type of constitution is by the wrist. Measure its circumference with a measuring tape:
asthenic- up to 17.5 cm for men, up to 15 cm for women;
normosthenic- 17.5-20 cm for men, 15-17 cm for women;
hypersthenic- above 20 cm for men, more than 17 cm for women.
As we can see, methods for assessing a person’s body type, to put it mildly, look unscientific and forced! The boundaries are very close, so the difference is practically erased and determining the body type becomes like a lottery.
Are you sure that you are a mesomorph and not an overfed ectomorph? And are you really an endomorph or just a mesomorph who overdoes it with food? Unanswered questions. These divisions are ephemeral and made “by eye”, according to external (the most unreliable) signs, although it can really differ among people.
Why is this all nonsense?
In theory, those with the third type are most inclined to be overweight, have a stocky figure type, they will never be weightless princesses, however, for some reason, in life there is often evidence to the contrary. Your body type doesn't matter at all!
There is such an anecdote: “A woman comes to see a doctor, tries to clasp her left wrist with her right hand and says: “Doctor, you can see for yourself that I weigh so much because I have a wide bone.” The doctor looks at her wrist and answers with a smile: “My dear, a brontosaurus has a wide bone, but you are simply obese.”.
William Sheldon is a scientist who studied the human body, trying to find any patterns and who identified these types of structure. psychologist. Faith, of course, is not enough for him. With the same success, one could have identified not 3, but 5 categories, or 7, or used some other criteria for categorization.
The more classification parameters, the easier it is to describe everything in the world. The question is what model is behind these parameters! And why adjust all this? Reminds me of zoology. If this classification allowed us to make predictions (give tailored recommendations), then this would make sense. And here, even without abstruse speeches, everything is clear: eat less - you will lose weight, eat more - you will gain weight.
Everything is already in the lexicon: fat, thin and neither here nor there, in our opinion an excellent classification🙂 All these endo-exo-meso-asthenics only create confusion and allow you to come up with new excuses to justify your own unsightliness: it’s not me who is thin or fat, but the type of build I have!
If you read carefully, you will notice that the recommendations for all body types are almost the same! Because this classification does not have a scientific and technical basis, but research and experiments show that if a person, no matter what physique, begins to follow the KBJU and trains with a knowledgeable trainer, then he will inevitably lose weight or gain muscle mass, a huge amount. in.
By the way, professional trainers and medicine do not use such concepts in any way when constructing training and nutrition. Because any person is a compilation of all three body types: Vasya is tall, heavy, but without muscles, and Anton is short and weighs very little, but is decently pumped up.
The Internet is simply flooded with information about body types, special training programs and diets for ectomorphs and mesomorphs, special nutrition plans for hardgainers (slang name for ectomorphs among bodybuilding fans) and other useless hype. Just think how many people think that they are ectomorphs and find it difficult to gain weight, although in fact they just don’t train well and don’t get enough calories, or how many girls cry that they are endomorphs and tend to be overweight, although they have no idea how much consume every day?
Meanwhile, everything is extremely simple, so much so that we have already discussed this issue earlier in articles and. And it doesn’t matter at all whether a person is thin, average, or fat - the principles of nutrition and (precisely the principles, and not specific approaches and programs and diets) are the same for everyone. It's like physics: the force of gravity acts on everyone and always!
Yes, you may not be able to lose weight to size 40 due to your skeletal structure, but don’t allow yourself to become fat and cry into your pillow from unfulfilled life plans.
Useful video
Informative video on this topic:
Conclusion
Thus, dividing people into: thin (ectomorph), average (mesomorph) and plump (endomorph) does not provide any useful information when it comes to changing your appearance. But there are also a certain number of objective factors that influence how you look and how difficult it will be for you to change your appearance.
- For example, length of muscles, tendons and places of their attachment. Some people have long muscles and short tendons, while others have the opposite. And first it will be much easier to train the muscles, and they will look better aesthetically:
- Length of arms, legs, torso etc. All training is physics; the shorter the lever, the greater the load on it.
- Height And weight. Again, 50 kg. by 1.50 cm and the same 50 kg. 1.70 cm will look different. But it doesn’t mean that one is a mesomorph and the other is an ectomorph: just one is overweight, and the other controls the weight :)
- etc.
There are actually more such parameters. And it is precisely based on such parameters that you need to build your training, and not at all from an incomprehensible classification invented by a psychologist and replicated by followers of the cults of bodybuilding and fitness.
The main thing is how hard you work in the gym and how you eat, the rest is all simple tinsel with big names. We recommend reading the article, which discusses this topic in detail. Remember, these body types are effects, not causes!
Content:
Somatotype, unlike physique, which constantly changes, is determined genetically and is a constant characteristic throughout a person’s life. A somatyping system that divides all people according to morphological characteristics into three main body types: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph, developed by Harvard University professor William Sheldon (1898-1977).
Most people do not belong to the extreme body types (endomorph, mesomorph, ectomorph), all of them are expressed to varying degrees in their physique three components. The differences between types should be taken into account when drawing up a training plan, choosing nutrition for losing weight or gaining muscle mass, and restoring strength. Girls should also familiarize themselves with the types of female figures.
Somatotype - body type - determined on the basis of anthropometric measurements (somatotyping), genotypically determined, constitutional type, characterized by the level and characteristics of metabolism (predominant development of muscle, fat or bone tissue), a tendency to certain diseases, as well as psychophysiological differences.
Determining your body type
By the wrist
To determine your type of build, it is necessary to measure the girth of the wrist, since it is by the thickness of the bones that one can determine the somatotype, and the wrist remains unchanged when muscle or fat mass changes.
Endomorph - full body type.
A person with round shapes, as far as possible, is a pure endomorph. Such an individual has a large belly, a round head, weak, flabby arms and legs, a large amount of fat in the shoulder and hip area, but thin wrists and ankles. Such a person with a large amount of subcutaneous fat could be called simply fat if all the profile dimensions of his body (including the chest and pelvis) did not prevail over the transverse ones. With prolonged fasting, as Sheldon puts it, he becomes simply a starved endomorph, but does not approach the scores of either an ectomorph or a mesomorph. This constitution is largely accompanied by excess fat deposition.
Endomorph - tendency to be overweight, short arms and legs, wide bones.
Typical traits of an Endomorph:
- wrist circumference more than 20 cm;
- wide waist, shoulders and hips (“stocky” body type);
- legs are usually shorter than the body;
- slow metabolism;
- You are often overweight, or gain it easily due to poor nutrition.
Pros. An endomorph has no problems gaining muscle mass.
Minuses. It's easy to gain weight, but difficult to lose excess fat. It is difficult to achieve relief; everything is hidden by the fat layer.
Mesomorph – normal body type.
A person with a predominance of bones and muscles is a pure mesomorph. He has a massive head (cubic), broad shoulders and chest, muscular arms and legs. The amount of subcutaneous fat is minimal, the profile dimensions are small.
Mesomorph - strong muscles, broad shoulders and chest.
Typical Mesomorph traits:
- wrist circumference 17.5-20 cm;
- waist, shoulders and hips of medium width (not too wide and not narrow);
- good metabolism;
- muscles respond well to training and grow willingly;
- There is fat, but not too much of it and with proper nutrition it is easy to get rid of it.
Pros and cons of this somatotype
Minuses. Due to the fact that results are achieved relatively quickly, athletes often relax and do not pay due attention to nutrition and training. Because of this attitude, their genetic potential remains unfulfilled.
Pros. With a competent training program and proper nutrition, athletes belonging to this type can reach the initial competitive level after 2-3 years of regular training - an ectomorph will need 2 times more effort and time for this.
Ectomorph - thin build.
A tall (lanky) person with a thin, elongated face, a set back chin, a high forehead, a narrow chest and stomach, thin and long legs and arms will be a pure ectomorph. The subcutaneous layer of fat is practically absent, the muscles are not developed. An obvious ectomorph is not at all threatened by obesity.
Body type can be divided into three types: asthenic (ectomorph), normosthenic (mesomorph) and hypersthenic (endomorph).
Most often, your body is a mixture of all three types with dominance of one of them.
More recent studies have shown that genetics are at the core of everything. They determine the metabolic characteristics and predisposition to the level of daily activity in each somatotype.
Test - ectomorph, mesomorph or endomorph?
Asthenic body type (ectomorph)
Main characteristics:
- "Fragile" structure
- Classic “skinny people” who have a hard time gaining weight (both fat and muscle mass)
- Flat chest
- Narrow shoulders
- Low muscle mass
- Increased basal metabolism
Ectomorph- a typical “thin guy”, be it a man or a woman. The ectomorph's body has a light structure with small joints and small muscle mass, long limbs, elongated muscles and narrow shoulders. Most often, the weight of ectomorphs is normal or below normal.
Ectomorph women are characterized by general thinness, a long and thin neck, narrow shoulders, a flat and narrow chest, elongated thin limbs, an elongated face and a thin nose. Height is often above average.
The muscles of such women are poorly developed. Therefore, they lack strength and endurance. But the representatives of this group are energetic, light and graceful, and have little weight. One of the obvious advantages of an asthenic physique is the minimal tendency to be overweight.
When choosing sports disciplines, it is better to give preference to those that are aimed at developing missing skills: strength and endurance. These include swimming, aerobics, and dancing.
To correctly classify your body type as thin-boned, measure the circumference of your wrist. In the group under consideration it should be less than 15 cm.
Ectomorph character
Asthenics are focused on understanding the external and internal world, on constant reflection on life, science, and art. They love a variety of logical problems, are prone to abstraction and mathematical reasoning, and are not averse to fantasizing, but in everyday life they are more often guided by reason than by feelings.
For an asthenic person, work that requires lengthy reflection, classification, and systematization of scattered facts is more suitable. Asthenics, unlike hypersthenics, more easily move from simple to more complex types of work, reaching the peak of their performance by the middle or end of the working day.
It is more difficult for an asthenic person to establish contact with other people and he is more comfortable working with documents and equipment in scientific and design departments.
Normosthenic body type (mesomorph)
Main characteristics:
- Athletic
- Strong physique
- Well defined muscle definition
- Rectangular figure
- Gains muscle mass easily
- Gains weight easier than an ectomorph
Mesomorphs have large bones, large muscle mass and a strong build, and are usually quite athletic. This is the ideal physique for bodybuilding and many other sports disciplines. It is relatively easy for people with this body type to gain and lose weight.
In women of this constitution, the main body dimensions are proportional.
Such ladies often have slender legs, a thin waist and, in general, a beautiful harmonious figure. Height is usually average.
Such people are naturally well-coordinated, sharp and fast. Of the sports disciplines best suited
t game types (volleyball, basketball, etc.).
The circumference of the wrist should be between 15 and 17 cm.
Mesomorph character
The mesomorph hates unfinished business, red tape and reasoning. He likes clearly defined tasks that require decisive and immediate action. He speaks easily in large audiences, among unfamiliar people, and is often a good organizer.
Normosthenics are suitable for professions related to production activities, the creation of material assets and managing people. This expresses his need to transform the surrounding reality, including managing people.
Normosthenics always strive to dominate in communication and relationships. Normosthenics need to learn to respect the rights of other people so that their self-confident behavior does not suppress representatives of other types. And this way they will be able to achieve even greater success.
Hypersthenic body type (endomorph)
Main characteristics:
- Soft body with rounded shapes
- Easily gains fat and muscle mass
- Short stature
- Having a hard time losing weight
- Poorly defined muscles
Endomorphs are more likely than other types to be overweight, even while consuming fewer calories.
Women of this constitution have heavy and wide bones, voluminous shoulders, a wide and short chest, and slightly shortened limbs (as a rule). Height is often below average.
By nature, such ladies have strength and endurance, but are deprived of flexibility and grace. Therefore, the recommended sports disciplines are the following: yoga, callanetics, martial arts, etc.
In addition, the disadvantages of a hypersthenic body type include a low metabolic rate, which
implies an increased tendency to be overweight.
The circumference of the wrist with a large-boned physique is more than 17 cm.
Endomorph character
Hypersthenics are sociable, emotional, impressionable, and their behavior is driven by feelings, not reason. People of this type love company, know how to make fun of themselves and others, and easily make acquaintances and adapt to new surroundings.
Hypersthenics easily switch from one task to another, but they are more likely to develop fatigue and lose interest in work. It is easier for them to switch to other things than to continue what they started. Therefore, for effective work, it is advisable for a hypersthenic person to start the day by solving more complex problems, and at the end of the day to do easier work.
Hypersthenics have good short-term memory, so they effectively solve current, operational problems.
body type, body type test, woman's body type, mesomorph body type, ectomorph body type, endomorph body type, endomorph, ectomorph, mesomorph.
How to determine body type or “bone width”?
Determine your body type in 10 seconds without leaving the screen!
When I first started lifting weights, I was literally overloaded with all kinds of information. I can say I was drowned in various types of training programs, sports supplements, diets, articles and other things. I noticed that many training programs and nutrition programs contradict each other in many ways and I just didn’t know: what should I do right? How to organize your training and your diet? As a result, I worked out in the gym for 6 months and gained very little muscle mass, losing all the motivation I had at the very beginning.
I was almost lost and almost gave up, when one day a person from my gym gave me an article from a sports magazine to read. The article was about differences in body structure, in short, body types. And at that moment I understood why I still have not achieved success in the gym and have not built up the desired muscle mass.
I'm a real ectomorph. When I first came to the gym my weight was 60 kg. Back then I had no idea about body types and trained according to the principle (as many beginners do) “the more I lift, the bigger I get.” Thinking that the more weight the better, I started working on a program from an elite bodybuilder, as a result of the work I built 1.7 kg of muscle mass in 6 months.
After reading an article about body types that the person in the room gave me, I began to understand more about my body: how it works, how my metabolism works, and how I can gain mass. Being an ectomorph made me think about the amount of calories I was consuming, how I needed longer rest periods, and how I needed to keep my cardio to a minimum. After that, I saw real results and never returned to my old principles.
So, I believe that every person who wants to achieve success in the gym needs to understand exactly what body type they have and, in accordance with this, design their workout and diet.
Below are three body types - ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph:
// Ectomorph
An ectomorph is a typical skinny person. An ectomorph has small joints and almost no muscles. Ectomorphs typically have long, skinny fingers and narrow shoulders.
How to identify an ectomorph?
- Small body
- Flat chest
- Narrow shoulders
- Skinny
- Lack of muscles
- Difficulty gaining muscle mass
- Fast Metabolism
It is quite difficult for an ectomorph to build muscle mass. He has a fast metabolism that burns the calories he receives very quickly. For this reason, he needs a very large amount of calories in order to gain weight. Workouts should be small and mainly aimed at large muscle groups. Sports supplements are recommended for use. An ectomorph must also eat before bed in order to prevent the effects of catabolism during sleep. An ectomorph does not have difficulty losing excess weight, so subsequently his muscles are dry and not covered with fat layers.
// Mesomorph
Mesomorphs have a good physique and are already blessed with the body of an athlete from birth. The mesomorph type is ideal for bodybuilding. It quickly builds muscle mass and loses excess weight. They are naturally strong, which is an excellent platform for further growth.
Distinctive features of a mesomorph:
- Athletic build
- Rectangular body shape
- Strong
- Build muscle mass quickly
- More susceptible to excess weight than ectomorphs
Mesomorphs quickly build muscle mass, especially beginners. On the other hand, mesomorphs can also quickly gain excess weight. This means that mesomorphs must watch the amount of calories they consume. For mesomorphs, the ideal option is a combination of strength training and cardio.
// Endomorph
Endomorphs are big people, in terms of having fat mass. It's not worth it to get a lot of work for them! Endomorphs are not deprived of muscle mass, especially their upper leg muscles are well developed. They will feel real natural strength when working their leg muscles.
Distinctive features of an endomorph:
- Round body
- Rapidly increase both muscle and fat mass
- Most often short in stature
- It's quite difficult to lose weight
- Slow Metabolism
Endomorphs gain mass quite easily, but the problem is that most of this mass is not muscle. To reduce excess weight to a minimum, enomorphs need constant cardio training. Typically, they do not need sports supplements as much, provided, of course, that their diet contains a sufficient amount of protein.
// Combinations
These body types are not universal for every person. Many people have characteristics from different body types. Combinations are most often found between ectomorphs and mesomorphs or between mesomorphs and endomorphs. It is not uncommon to meet a person who is a pure mesomorph, but at the same time gains weight like a true endomorph.
I hope that this classification will help you easily determine your own belonging to one type or another. Once you determine your body type or combination of body types, begin creating a workout program and diet based on your body type.
In the end, I would like to point out that it doesn’t matter what type you are. Each of you is capable of acquiring the body that he wants. Even very skinny guys have a chance to become muscular athletes in the future. Naturally, you will have to work a lot, but if you are ready to do it, everything will work out.
I was also a skinny guy, but now as I write this article I can boast that I have already gained 30 kg of pure muscle mass. Nothing is impossible!