What Fitness Body Type Are You?

When it comes to athletic performance, gaining muscle, and staying fit, it is super important to know your body type. Overall, there are three different body types- the ectomorph, mesomorph, and the endomorph. Each have different ways to gain muscle and achieve that desired "athletic look". Likewise, the fitness plans for each are very different. If you have been burning your wheels at the gym but seeing no real change, it could be because the way you are working out does not match with the body style you have.

I recently took this test and found out that I am 63% Mesomorph, 38% ectomorph, and 0% endomorph. Yes, this also means that I am 101%, if you can figure that out, please let me know!

These numbers made quite a bit of sense to me since I naturally have a pretty long body structure (my fingers almost reached my knees when I was a kid) and I gain muscle (and fat) pretty easily. Very few people are 100% of any of these categories, but knowing which you are can help in taking the first steps to a healthy, productive fitness plan.

Ectomorphs

Ectomorphs are those long, lean folk who have a hard time gaining fat or muscle. They usually have small joints and lean bones. These people also tend to be less curvy no matter if they are male or female. I like to think of these as the runway models of the fitness world.

Workouts that work great for ectomorphs are weight training that uses short spurts of intense energy. Aerobic activity should be kept to a minimum so you are not burning calories needed for muscle growth. Instead, focus on lots of weight training with heavier weights and fewer sets. Body weight training will most likely not be enough for ectomorphs. Heavier weights and weight exercises that focus more on building muscle and less on increasing cardio strength are best. Think less kettlebell and more dumbbell squats.

Mesomorphs

Mesomorphs are the bodybuilders of this group. These people tend to gain muscle fairly easily and can gain or loose fat without too much effort. For me, the gain and loss of fat can easily be seen as micro yoyo-ing where one week I am 2lbs heavier than the week prior but look exactly the same.

Since mesomorphs gain weight easier than ectomorphs, it is important to keep calorie intake low and complete workouts that both burn fat and increase muscle. A workout routine that combines both cardio and weight training will be perfect for the 100% mesomorph. Weight training should be slow over a longer period of time and only use low to medium sized weights. Jogging, kettlebell workouts, and body weight training like yoga or pilates could be great for the mesomorph who wants to look lean and athletic without having bulky muscles.

Endomorphs

Endomorphs are those who gain fat easily but have a harder time gaining muscle. They tend to be shorter and have less muscle definition; however, endomorphs have super strong thigh muscles and tend to be fantastic at exercises that include squats. These people also tend to have a slower metabolism and find cardio workouts vital. It is important for endomorphs to train with lots of cardio and weights. Weights should be on the heavier side and exercises will need to be faster with very few breaks between sets.

Endormorphs should also massively limit their sugar intake since it is easily turned to fat- this means no breads and no sweets. Meals should also be small and frequent throughout the day to help maintain a healthy metabolic rate.

Did you take the test? What body type are you?