How Do I Find My Body Type?

The answer to the question “how do I find my body type” is one of the key questions to ask by anyone attempting to lose weight, transform their body, and for general fitness and the answer can be found with a basic understanding of the somatotype system.

Somatotypes at a Glance

American psychologist William Sheldon (1898-1997) developed a system to categorize people’s general constitution which he called somatotypes. By understanding your body type according to the somatotype system you can arrange your diet and exercise program to suit your body.

The somatotype system classifies the human body into three distinct types however; no one is just one type. Instead, each of us has some of each type but one is usually much more pronounced than the other two. Please note that Dr. Sheldon’s classification system was quite elaborate but the following should allow you to find yours

The “skinny” type

Ectomorph body types are characterized by long, stringy muscles, light bone structures, fast metabolisms and can eat and eat without gaining an ounce. Most ectomorphs have a difficult time gaining weight and surprising to most, many ectomorph body types would like to increase their body weight as much as the majority of people would like to lose it (and they have as much trouble putting on weight as those trying to lose weight do losing it).

Additional Clues:
Ectomorphs usually appear straight up and down, that is, neither their shoulders nor their hips are very broad. In addition, their calf and forearm muscles are often short (the muscle does not extend very far down the bone).

The “Husky” type

Endomorph body types have heavy bone structures, plenty of natural muscle, sluggish metabolisms, and tend to store extra fat. Every ounce of muscle or fat is easily recognized on the endomorphic frame and because of this most endomorphs usually seek weight loss fitness programs.

Additional Clues:
Endomorphs have wide hips and shoulders, appearing “blocky”, or square and in contrast to ectomorphs, their calf and forearm muscles often extend a long distance down the bone. They usually have naturally large calf muscles.

The “Athletic” type

Mesomorphic body types are usually tall, with large, long bones, plenty of muscle, and relatively little body fat due to fast metabolisms. They do not tend to store extra fat; they are the natural athlete and fitness generally comes easy to them.

Additional Clues:

Mesomorphs are usually tall with good proportions: wide shoulders but relatively narrow hips. Their muscles are long but not excessively so; unless excessively overweight they appear aesthetically pleasing without doing any type of exercise.

So now you can answer the question “how do I find my body type” but now what?

Ectomorphs (skinny)

If you are ectomorphic resistance training (weight lifting) should be your primary training method so that the weight you add is muscle rather than fat. The best way to increase muscle size is by using as much weight as possible for low repetitions. Since you have a fast metabolism, in addition to heavy weight you will make your best progress by limiting your number of training days to no more than four per week.

In order to increase body weight, it is necessary to increase your overall number of calories with an emphasis on increased protein consumption. The best way to do this is SLOWLY. It takes time to learn to eat more both for your body and mind. One of the best ways to begin increasing calories is by introducing protein shakes between meals. Liquids are easier to digest and you can manipulate the number of calories by adding things like bananas, peanut butter, milk, etc. and blending them together.

It is important for everyone to include a post workout protein/carb supplement (best within 30 minutes) but it is imperative for anyone wishing to increase muscle size. Chocolate has a near perfect ratio of protein to carbs but you can also simply plan your training around your “snack” (protein shake).

Endomorphs (husky)

If you have found that you are endomorphic don’t despair. Though you have the body type that most often struggles with diet and weight, there’s plenty you can do. Besides that, under that fat is a bunch of beautiful muscle just waiting to be shown off!

You are probably tempted to jump on the cardio bandwagon but even though you do have plenty of natural muscle, the best training protocol seems to be combination of strength and cardio training; especially effective is training done in a circuit training format.

Circuit training combines strength training and cardio in one work out. Unlike a typical health club work out (based on bodybuilding) where you perform cardio for 30 minutes to an hour and then lift weights by doing a set, resting, and then doing another, circuit training is done by performing one exercise after another, not stopping until the entire body is trained. It is both efficient and effective for weight loss.

Since you already have plenty of muscle, you should keep your repetitions high (12-15 for most body parts). If you are doing circuit training (and you should), do your circuit training three days per week and once your body has adapted to your training, begin adding additional days of strictly cardio of your choice (cycling, walking, running, swimming, etc).

Diet plays a major roll for the endomorph and you should minimize dietary fat and make certain that your carb intake is rich in dietary fiber (3g per serving or more). In addition, since many people simply try to eat less and often skip meals to do so, it’s worth mentioning that eating 4-6 smaller meals, provides energy to be used throughout the day but also prevents becoming overly hungry and gorging later.

Mesomorphs (athletic)

If you have found that you are mesomorphic, congratulations, your job is easy! But being body-gifted often leads to poor habits that can sometimes lead to excess fat or loss of muscle. Generally speaking, if you are mesomorphic, you should include both strength and cardio work outs designed or proportioned according to your specific needs and goals; lower repetitions and heavier weight to increase muscle mass; higher repetitions and cardio to lose fat.

A diet that takes blood sugar control into account is usually all anyone needs to do diet-wise; this is particularly true for mesomorhs (eat 4-6 smaller meals per day, ensure that all carbs contain at least 3g of fiber per serving, and drink only water, 100% fruit juice, plain coffee or tea)