They are the genetically gifted individuals that can easily maintain low body fat, increase or decrease weight based on the requirement of their preferred physical activity, and develop all muscle groups evenly. Mesomorphs have the ideal physique for physical activities requiring strength, agility, and speed such as football, wrestling, and Olympic lifting. Sheldon describes mesomorphs as rugged and thick-skin individuals who are extroverted, aggressive, direct, dominant, courageous, and prone to physical activity and taking risks. In general, mesomorph body types have a wedge-shaped body, cubical head, broad shoulders, muscular arms and legs, narrow hips, minimal fat, and are narrow when viewing their side profile. Mesomorphs are athletic, strong, not underweight or overweight, and can increase and decrease their bodyweight weight with minimal effort. The mesomorph body type is your stereotypical ideal bodybuilding physique. Because of their smaller surface area, ectomorphs can regulate their body temperature and breathe more efficiently than mesomorphs and endomorphs a trait that is particularly important in aerobic endurance activities.įamous athletes with an ectomorph somatotype include Frank Zane, Ulisses William Jr., Michael Phelps, Lance Armstrong, Kevin Garnett, Manny Pacquiao, Usain Bolt, and Bruce Lee. One study of 63 men ages 18-40 years found that ectomorphs had the greatest ratio of carbon dioxide produced to oxygen consumed in one breath as well as the lowest peak oxygen uptake during peak exercise. Being able to naturally maintain very low levels of body fat allows ectomorphs to keep a high strength to bodyweight ratio as well as undergo less physical stress during repetitive movement long-duration activities such as running and cycling compared to mesomorphs or endomorphs. Įctomorph body types typically do not excel at power and strength sports since they have a hard time gaining muscle mass, but they do excel in endurance sports and gymnastics. Sheldon describes ectomorphs as intellectual, introverted, emotionally restrained individuals who crave isolation and solitude due to their tense, anxious, and secretive nature. In general, ectomorphs have a high forehead, receding chin, narrow shoulders, hips, chest, and abdomen, as well as thin arms and legs. An ectomorph has a hard time adding mass to its long and lean build, but naturally carries less fat than other somatotypes. The ectomorph body type is your stereotypical self-proclaimed hard gainer. Now that we have discussed the history of somatotypes, let us examine the three pure somatotypes - the ectomorph, the mesomorph, and the endomorph.
He likely designed this system after receiving a critique someone may exhibit characteristics of more than one somatotype. Each digit, based on predefined criteria, ranges from 1 to 7 where a pure ectomorph is 1-1-7, a pure mesomorph is 1-7-1, and pure endomorph is 7-1-1.
He offered a three-digit scaling system to determine someone's somatotype. Sheldon further expanded on this concept of body types in his 1954 book entitled Atlas of Men. Related: Maximize Your Gains With Best-Selling MTS Whey Protein Powderĭr. His studies yielded three primary body types called somatotypes - ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph.Įach somatotype was said to have unique characteristics that may influence an individual's preferred form of physical activity based on their strengths and weaknesses. In the 1940's, William Sheldon, PhD, MD, attempted to group individuals based on bone structure and weight distribution. In this article, we will dig a bit deeper into the differences in body types, take a more detailed look at their bone structure, and dive into fat and muscle distribution. We want to help you figure out where you fit into the main body types: endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph. Every person has a unique body, but there are some main characteristics across them all. Next time you step into the gym, stop, look around, and examine the body types utilizing each area of the gym.
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