There are three distinct categories of the human body:
The endomorph, characterized by a preponderance of bodyfat.
The mesomorph, marked by a well-developed musculature.
The ectomorph, distinguished by a lack of either much fat or muscle tissue.
| Ectomorph | Mesomorph | Endomorph |
|
|
|
Obviously, most people are not going fit exactly in one category or another. We tend to have a combination of the 3 body types. But knowing which of the 3 body types you predominately lean towards can help you structure your workouts and nutrition program to better meet your fitness goals.
Here are some general training and nutrition guidelines to follow for each of the 3 body types…
==============
Ectomorph
Ectomorphs need to focus their efforts of gaining muscular bodyweight.
Heavy weight training will help ectomorph’s stimulate muscle growth. Slower paced workouts with longer rest periods (i.e. at least 2 minutes between sets) will allow heavier weights to be lifted and thus help stimulate more muscle growth. Ectomorph’s also need to train less frequently in order to give their body plenty of time for growth and recovery. 3 weight training workouts per week would be ideal.
Cardio and other aerobic activities should be kept to a minimum until you are happy with your current bodyweight. This will conserve calories and allow them to be utilized for muscle growth.
Ectomorph’s need to make sure that they consume more calories then they burn off in order to have a caloric surplus from which to grow from. Ideally they should not go any longer then 2 hours without eating something. Each meal should contain protein and starchy carbohydrates. While the diet should be focused around natural unprocessed foods, some higher fat foods like peanut butter, red meat, whole eggs, and full fat dairy products can be added to the diet to help increase the caloric intake.
Ectomorph’s have really fast metabolisms so the risk of gaining bodyfat is low. And even if they do gain some bodyfat during the mass building phase, they will easily be able to get rid of it once they return to a lower calorie diet.
==============
Endomorph
An Endomorph’s biggest problem is losing bodyfat and keeping it off.
Weight training will help endomorph’s develop a better muscle to fat ratio in their body and therefore speed up their metabolism. Ideally endomorph’s should train at a fast training pace (very little rest between sets and exercises) to help burn up more calories during their workouts.
A minimum of 30 minutes of daily cardio, preferably done first thing in the morning before eating, will help burn up stored bodyfat and help increase the metabolism. Moderate intensity activities like brisk walking, bike riding, and cardio machines at the gym are ideal.
Endomorph’s need to eat less then maintenance calories in order to burn up stored bodyfat for energy. 5-6 small meals spaced out every few hours during the day. These meals should be based around lean protein and green veggies. The only time starchy carbohydrates should be consumed is immediately after exercise. At these times the body is primarily concerned with replacing muscle glycogen and the carbohydrates will be unlikely to get stored as bodyfat after exercise. Obviously, sweets, junk foods, and heavily processed foods should be eliminated from your diet, except for an occasional treat once or twice per week.
==============
Mesomorph
Mesomorph’s tend to be in the middle of the road as far as muscle mass and bodyfat. They generally have a naturally fit body, but to maintain it or improve it they need to exercise and diet correctly. Most successful bodybuilders have this body type.
Weight training can be done more often and for longer sessions then would be good for an ectomorph, but mesomorph’s still need to be careful not to overdo it. Depending on the individuals fitness goal, a mesomorph could focus on the guidelines suggested for an ectomorph and gear their training towards gaining muscular bulk. Or they could focus more alone the guidelines outlined for the endomorph and gear their training towards fat loss and getting ripped.
A lot of mesomorph’s like to cycle their training by bulking up and gaining muscle mass during the fall and winter months. And then switch to training for fat loss during the spring and summer months, in order to have a lean fit looking physique for the summer.
Eventually ectomorph’s and endomorph’s can take on a similar training cycle pattern as their physiques get more developed and they begin to take on some of the characteristics of the mesomorph. But they will still have a tendency to need more work on their trouble areas (i.e. gaining size for ectomorphs and losing fat for endomorph’s).
When a mesomorph is happy with their muscle size and leanness they can simply train to maintain it by sticking to a good healthy diet and performing moderate cardiovascular exercise several times per week to keep the bodyfat in check.
==============
Conclusion
When you know what body type you have and then train and eat properly for your body type, you will make much better progress with your workouts.
Your goal should be to look as close as possible to a mesomorph. With the correct exercise and diet this is an attainable goal. And while some people may have to work harder then others to either gain muscle or lose bodyfat, progress is possible regardless of genetics. And very often people with a stronger work ethic and more determination will be able to overcome their limitations and surpass those with better genetics.
==============
Get Your Very Own Customized Diet & Training Program
Designed EXACTLY For Your Individual Body Type!
Let Lee Hayward help you get into your best shape ever with a personalized diet plan and customized training program + one-on-one online coaching and support to ensure that you maximize your progress.
Whether your goal is to lose bodyfat, gain muscular bodyweight, or increase strength Lee can help get the results you want.
Click Here for more information and to book a Free 20-Minute Coaching Call.
143 Comments
Comment navigation
Matt
I’m an ectomorph that has to do cardio because of a pre-existing condition (cystic fibrosis). In terms of my long term health, the cardio is much more important than bulking up, but I still want to gain some muscle and I’m having a hell of a time making it happen…
Nathan
Hey Lee,
I have never exactly known what I am. I’m 5’8″ at around 163. I gained muscle pretty fast when I started but now I’ve reached a plateau. I have thin wrists, which would lead me to an ectomorph, but at the same time I have abourt 13-15% body fat, so I’m not that lean. I’ve been working out for quite a bit now but I have not changed my body comp at all and I’ve changed my routine quite a bit but still no show. What do you think?
Thanks and keep writing good stuff.
Billy Blackwell
I believe I’m probably a cross between all three, as weird as that sounds. My dad was definitely an ectomorph if he didn’t exercise but he also strangely enough put on weight easily and was able to get big. I’m not as tall and not really lanky but I would say I have fairly long arms that would need to be filled out to look bigger than shorter bodybuilders. I gain weight extremely easily (I was viciously overweight as a child but naturally strong and muscular underneath) but I can also lose 5-8 pounds overnight by being slightly hungry.
I’d probably be most suited in the mesomorph.
kevin
I’ve seen articles about endomorphs, mesomorphs, and ectomorphs all the time. I wanna see a good article about in between body-types. Me for example I have a little bit of all three. I look like a mesomorph but if I slip up on my training and diet ill turn skinnyfat and lose muscle. I want to read about what to do if I am not exactly in one distinct category
john
my body is Ectomorph type.
hope u can help me to get something which makes my muscles grow faster
john
my body type is Ectomorph.
thanks
Zero
Hi Lee,
I’m a mixture as well. It’s hard for me to gain muscles, and even harder to lose fat. I’m currently at 5’6 150 lbs at 13% bodyfat. I’m an Ectomorph when it comes to gaining muscles and an Endomorph when it comes to losing fat. I lift heavy weights MWF and do cardio/aerobic TTHS and rarely ever miss my training sessions. I rest 1-2 min between sets when lifting weights and do about 30 min cardio. I’d like to learn more tips and tricks to lose bodyfat as I’ve only got to a 2 pack and never a 6 pack abs.
Zero
BTW, these are really good explanations and tips to gain muscles and lose fat. Thanks Lee. Since I’m a mixture of Ectomorph and Endomorph, whenever I start lifting heavy weights with little cardio I’ll pack on a lot of bodyfat easily. But when I do cardio daily and lift weights with little rest between sets I can’t make any strength/muscle gains. Which is why I took the hybrid to lift heavy weights on MWF to gain muscles/strength with 1-2 min rest between sets and do 30 min cardio TTHS to reduce bodyfat.
Michael R.
This concept is not new at all. I’m surprised you wasted a post about it. It’s not that confusing either. Fat people do more cardio; skinny people lift more weights; and people who are in good shape should continue to be in good shape… duh.
harry
hey lee hope u doin gud….
my body is endomorph type help me to gt a lean body fat free
Hashmat
Most of the time we are focusing on muscle mass. I want to know how to increase bone size? Like broader shoulder, chest …
Joshua
Hey, I’m a Mesomorph 🙂 I had reached a platue for sometime but you have helped me find a way around it 🙂 Am doing HIIT and it’s helping me loose my body fat and am gaining muscle 🙂
Murphy
This is cool i’m a pretty good mix of endo and meso. 🙂 was always good for contact sports in high school but it’s time to lose 20 lbs.
Masterhossaine
I agree with this vission & Impressed to. Thank’s Lee.
Masterhossaine
I am Mesomorph
Alan
Thanks Lee great article again. One fact which has helped me move from the left of ectomorph to the right is getting older @ 16 yrs 133 lbs and 184 cm @ 38 yrs 184 lbs 184 cm. For years what training alone and then later healthy eating has done for me is stop me becoming a fat skinny. I only realised 6 months ago that I’ve never eaten enough protein to look like a mesomorph. A nice goal for my 40th.
Chris Russell
Thanks Lee! I know I’ve been reading on this for quite a long time. And the more I read the more I’m convinced I’m a Mesomorph. Even when I eat like crap for a long time and I don’t go to the gym the weight piles on me! And when I clean it up and do 30 mins in the morning on an empty stomach and train in the evening I drop like crazy!
Jay Edwards
Hey Lee,
its your buddy Jay here, well i know i’m a meso-endomorph but i still have a fairly high body fat ratio. I have very thick chest, arms and shoulders but my waist is still to large being only 14inches smaller than my chest which is 54inches, as you know i’m 189cm and 267ibs at the moment, but i look best at 235ibs. I do martial arts regularly and lots of weights, i keep my carbs low in the day except just after a workout and consume 350-400gr of protein a day.. it just seems to 260+ ibs.. i need some help dude
Thanks
Jay
prads
hey hai lee my body type is ecto and i have a problem with my lower bck due to which i have stopped doing workouts waht do you prefer me to do further ?
leehayward
The main thing when it comes to gaining size is being consistent with your eating. Because ectomorphs have such a fast metabolism eating frequently throughout the day (i.e. every 2-3 hours) is much more important then it is for mesomorphs and endomorph body types.
leehayward
I’d still classify that as leaning towards an ectomorph body type. Even though 15% bodyfat isn’t “lean” by bodybuilding standards, it’s actually fairly lean compared to the average person in today’s society.
leehayward
You are probably right, even though mesomorphs tend to have a balance between leanness and size. They still have to keep things in check with training and nutrition. If they screw up in the nutritional department they’ll pack on the blubber. And if they slack off in the gym they’ll get a bit scrawny looking.
leehayward
You really can’t directly change your bone structure. Granted your bone mass will become more dense with heavy training, but it can’t physically change and grow longer, wider, etc. that’s determined by your genetics.
leehayward
Stopping working out all together is NOT the answer. You need to work around your injury and perform light active recovery workouts. If you are not sure what you can and cannot do check with a physiotherapist and they can put you on an active recovery workout regimen.
leehayward
While this may not be new to you now, it was considered “new” at one point in your training.
Not everyone who checks out my website is as advanced as yourself. There are a lot of beginner and intermediate level guys and gals who would like to hear about this stuff as well. That’s why I sometimes “waste” posts to cover the basics from time to time.
glenn
hey what if your a mix of endo and ecto, what do you call tht lol?(expect from shitty lol)
Sean
I think I’m between ecto and meso.. I’m 5’10 and weigh between 180 to 182 and about 12 or 13% body fat. I have, I guess, a muscular build but its hard to gain more muscle.
michael iantorno
I am a endomorph with some mesomorph, but i can retain fat very easy if i don’t cardio and keep a tight rein on my nutrition. BUT that being said i do build musle
with a good lifting program, and it is true that anyone can look like a mesomorph
if they work hard at it——— i know i am one of them.
Thane Lindholm II
I have always known I’m an Ectomorph since I was 22 yrs old. I’m now 29 wondering when my metabolism will eventually slow down in my favor. I’m in the Marine Corps and at our gym I was able to take a computerized calorie-burning (at rested rate) test and at 29 it was determined I need up to 3700 calories in order to sustain everyday energy. I tried to match this but that’s a day and a half worth of food everyday that I can’t seem to stomach. Is there a reasonable diet plan out there for someone like me without making myself sick of eating and will help balance my workout ethic to help me gain?
Drew
God stuff, Lee.
Ectomorphs (like me) do need to realize that just because they have a high metabolism doesn’t mean that they can’t get fat. The “ectomorph curse” as I call it is becoming skinny fat as he/she ages. Men will get a lovely “beer belly” while continuing to look “small” overall.
Also, training is HIGHLY individual. While the training regimen you recommend is normally the answer for ectomorphs, I found it useless for me. I change up training, but I use a hybrid program of 8×8 with the8th set being a heavy weight followed immediately with lowe weight extension (this for 8 weeks); then go to a lactic acid program (for 6 weeks); then what I call “5:15” – a 5×5 heavy set supersetted with a stretching set of 5×15 (for 6 weeks); then repeat the cycle. The 8×8 and 5:15 give me opportunity to “push” the heavier weight while the lactic program gives me some nice “pump” definition.
I’ve gained much more muscle this way than by a strict 5×5 with long rests. That never did anything for me. Again, the right training is individualized and each person must find what is right. A good trainer can help speed up the process, but there will be some trial and error for almost everyone.
Angy
I would consider myself an Ectomorph. I have really skinny legs with tiny muscles. When I gain weight it’s just my upper body(belly and chest) that gains fat. I’m trying to balance my upper body with my lower body. Any ideas?
Mike
How much protein should an ectomorph (125lb ) eat in a day? Also what protein-carb ratio should I go for. I play tennis for 2-3 hours a day so I probably need alot of calories.
James
Great job Lee,
Thanks for the update. Believe it or not, many physicians out there do not fully understand the three major body types and have no clue how to train them for optimal muscular growth and conditioning. Although medical doctors receive tons of medical education, their knowledge of nutrition and fitness is quite limited. I know this for a fact. My girlfriend is an MD and I am working on a PhD in nutrition. Every time I turn around, she and her collegues ask me questions about nutrirional and fitness issues. If they don’t know about these things, and keeping people healthy is their occupation, what does that say about the rest of the population?
It is great that you offer training suggestions that help keep aspiring bodybuilders and powerlifters on track. It is more than a lot of others do. And heck, you’re doing it for free. Cudos my man! It is appreciated.
carlos
im endothorm i think i have a lot of muscle but a lot of body fat at the same time 20% to be exact i need tips on losing body fat i wanna be 10%
Fred
I’m an ectomorph…. sounds like an alien thing here!
Ryan Philipson
I am a combination of Ectomorph and Endomorph, i have all the caracteristics of an Endomorph except gaining muscle, i DONT gain muscle easy, i gain it very hard, i have to be really strict to gain even a pound of muscle, on the other side, fat gain has a very high priority.
So its kind of a combination. What do you think folks?
Johnmci
Could not agree more lee, you would think that the experienced individual who left the post would be atleast wise enough to be constructive with his criticism, rather than just rude.
Don’t get me wrong I also have read similar information before, however it is still good to read another persons view. Revisiting many subjects in fitness and bodybuilding offer motivates me for a few workouts. I personally have learned a great deal from your blogs and emails etc.
I think I speak for everyone ( everyone else rather, ha ha) when I say thanks for the hard work and enthusiasm. John
james
i want to know if i can do crunches everyday
Tang, Chi Khay
I am thankful that I fitted quick nicely in the mesomorph category. However, i do have a pretty stubborn love handles that would go away when my body fat drops to a single digit…. Thanks for the article, Lee Haywards
Colton
I think that i’m between a ecto-meso because i’m 6ft 4in so that’s why I think i’m an ecto, but at the same time i’m 225lbs and still gaining muscle at a moderate pace..
Alex
im an ectomorph for sure 6 ft 140 pounds. should i continue to work on doing bodyweight exorcises or should i move back towards more freeweight exorcises like the bench
Alex
fuck your awesome lee
Kyle
Alex,
I was 6′ 145 about a year and a half ago and now I’m nearly 170. It’s really simple to gain weight.
1) Eat so much you literally cannot take another bite before throwing up at every meal (but don’t throw up since that defeats the point). Snack too.
2) Perform heavy Squats, Deadlifts, and Bench Press, with assistance lifts being military press, rows, dips, and pull ups. Spend only 45 minutes to 1 hr. 15 minutes per workout and stuff your face with food as soon as possible when leaving the gym.
Eat foods packed with protein and fats if you can, but don’t avoid carbs. A few of my go to foods are peanut butter, milk (1 gal per day), cheese, and meat. Drinking lots of milk is probably most important.
I hope this helps.
Paul
Lee, I guess I would be closer to mesomorph. I can gain weight and drop it quickly. I have been overweight at times, but most of the time I’m within my normal weight range given my height and bone structure, two things that help determine what is a healthy weight range. Another would be muscle to fat ratio.
A person with a low body fat percentage can ideally carry more weight and be healthy at the same height as someone with a higher body fat percentage.
Bill
Hi Lee.
I am an ectomorph. I have managed to grow good amount of muscles with basic compound exercise like heavy squat , deadlifts and bench press, but now I have low back problem so i cannot do them anymore except the bench press. Will I still be able to maintain or improve my muscle if I change to alternaitves like doing leg press, leg extention, chin ups and cable rows while keep bench press in my exercise?
Nate
Im Definatley an ectomorph. when i first started weight training i was weighing in at 140lbs @ 5 11″, after about a year of working out i plateaued at 170 lbs, and what i did to get out of my plateau was instead of having 1 leg day a week, i started doing my legs 2 to 3 times a week with arms and or chest incorperated in. Ive been doing this routine now for a little over a month and ive already gained over 10 lbs. With this new routine i no longer dread that awful leg day.
leehayward
I call it “skinny fat”, but you are right…
Shitty would be an acceptable term to use as well LOL.
leehayward
Thanks John, your comment and feedback is much appreciated.
leehayward
Shoot for 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight daily for muscle growth. Space this out over 6 meals per day and this will be enough to keep your body in a positive nitrogen balance.
leehayward
The Blast Your Squat routine that’s included as a bonus along with the Blast Your Bench program would be an awesome routine to help beef up your leg development in a hurry.
Comment navigation