found this over at BB.com..looked like a good post and thought i would share.
The major body types are:
True Ecto
Ecto-Meso
Meso-Ecto
True Meso
Mesendo
Endo-Meso
True Endo
Most people do not fall into one set catagory but have attributes that relate to a few, this is just a good overview of each....damn I get bored in night class
True Ectomorph:
Characteristics:
-aka hard gainers, ectomorphs is the model body type of the western society, long lean and thin the majority of women wish they possessed and the second least body type a man would want to have….
-Usually taller individuals ranging in male height of 6+, females appox 5’8-6
-Longer limbs, thin angular face more rectangular in structure
-A true Ectomorph has trouble gaining weight both lean mass and fat, however, more often then not even though they often have slightly faster metabolisms most people who claim to be ectomorphs are simply underfed…
-Very resistant to body fat gain, esp. with mild cardio
-Very resistant to lean mass gain
-Generally stay very lean and thin without a rigid diet or workout plan
-Once lean mass is gained it is easily lost if training is not followed rigidly
-Acquired body fat is lost easily
-Generally are excellent endurance (distance) athletes due to light frame and less fast twitch fiber
Training Tips:
-Ectomorphs should stick to major compound lifts and avoid isolation movements until a good deal of training experience is acquired…due to faster metabolic rates and/or underdeveloped digestive tract, eating often is very important as well as simply eating more at each meal…also ectomorphs require more days off from heavy lifting since they should be focusing on heavy lifts and low to medium reps…. heavy lifting along with proper nutrition and plenty of rest are most important…. a 5 x 5 mixed with a 3 x 8 scheme works well.
-3-4 day splits work well
-When attempting to gain lean mass cardio should be avoided or minimized, proper post workout nutrition is extra important to ectos
-When attempting to lose body fat cardio should be minimized to avoid muscle catabolism
-With all body types when cutting lifting heavy is important to maintain fast twitch mass
-Bread and butter of working out should be the holy trinity of squats, deadlifts, and bench press (actually that’s not a bad order of importance)
Natural Enemies:
-Endomorphs have a deep hatred for lean body types esp. ectomorphs, commonly overheard by a rigid dieting endo with lines such as “man I eat 5000 calories a day and I can’t friggin gain a pound” as they munch away on fast food
Examples:
-Male
-Lance Armstrong
-Female
-Paris Hilton
Ecto-Meso:
Characteristics:
-Often the female and male fitness type due to long lean limbs and naturally low body fat.
-These individuals out number true ectomorphs, but generally look like ectomorphs unless trained, these individuals tend to resist body fat and lean mass gain, due to increased and/or undeveloped digestive tracts
-Body structure similar to ectomorphs, thin bones, naturally lean, heights usually range from 5’9-6+, face very angular and rectangular in shape, slightly longer limbs then most other body types but not as naturally lanky looking as true ectomorphs…
-These individuals tend to be excellent endurance sports athletes (soccer, lacrosse, rock climbing, and longer sprint events 800’s+) due to light frame and better muscle building genetics then a true ecto.
-Tend to gain a fair amount of lean mass easily but then quickly plateau
-Will tend to lose some but not all lean mass if training is stopped
Training Tips:
-Ecto-meso’s should also avoid most isolation movements and focus on compound lifts, rep ranges of 5 x 5 and 5 x 8 work excellent for building lean mass as well.
-Metabolisms increase very rapidly with lean mass gain and increased physical activity, so diet must be constantly updated, post workout nutrition is very important to this group
-Again when bulking ecto-meso’s should minimize cardio.
-When cutting more cardio can be incorporated, interval training is best to maintain lean mass
-3-4 day splits work well; as ecto-meso’s should lift heavy compound, be sure to take off days and eat big, unless of course your goal is different then lean mass gain.
-12-15 sets of compound lifts per major body part is a good guideline, do 10 sets of heavy squats one day for quads and tell me how much you have left to give, your intensity is what matters not 500000 reps in 500 different sets…
Natural Enemies:
-All except True Mesomorph, ecto-meso’s tend to be the “pretty” boys and athletic chicks of society, naturally lean and noticeably muscular, most envy them for there ability to stay lean and ripped year round without a back breaking diet…however, the trade off is when it comes to brute strength and pure size ecto-meso’s finish in the back of the pack, but can usually run circles around those bigger
Examples:
-Male
-Ryan Renolds
-Female
-Jessica Alba
Meso-Ecto
Characteristics
-Untrained these individuals look like thicker less lean ectomorphs, however the difference of body type appears rapidly with training, the larger frame is quickly pronounced, and strength and lean mass gains will surpass the plateau commonly encountered by ecto-meso’s.
-Not as naturally lean as ectomorphs
-Better muscle building genetics then ecto-meso’s
-Generally between heights of 5’7-6
-Face is more square then ecto-meso’s
-Larger bone structure and broader shoulders, naturally more adapt to fast twitch fiber development.
-Metabolism does not increase as radically with weight gain, which is why a static diet will breed more weight gain with a meso-ecto then with an ecto-meso
-These individuals tend to dominate in interval sports such as basketball, and medium range sprinting events (400’s), combined with a reluctance to lose lean mass once gained these individuals tend appear very, very lean, due to intense interval training.
-Body fat fluxuations are noticeable in varying seasonal activities, these individuals tend to have no real problem getting into the single digit body fat levels, but a moderate diet and physical activity must be constantly undertaken to maintain it.
-Have outstanding strength to weight ratios
-Will resist loss of both strength and lean mass, gives quite a margin of error in training.
Training Tips:
-Meso-Ectos should use the most effective training styles possible to gain lean mass, as rapidly as possible, heavy compound lifts along with isolations should be incorporated into routines, various splits can be used as results come fairly easily.
-Various rep ranges work well for this group both high and low reps and weights should be used to keep shocking the body, and to develop stabilizer muscles as these individuals have the potential to rapidly progress in a major exercise like a squat but have insufficient stabilizer support and ultimately end up getting injured.
-Cardio should be added a few times a week to keep body fat in check when bulking
-Cardio can be highly used both endurance and interval will yield effective results with little muscle loss as long as they are eating enough.
Natural Enemies:
Ecto-meso’s and ectomorphs who aren’t satisfied at being lean and wish to become stronger or bigger often get annoyed at meso-ectos not having to force feed themselves 24-7, or watching them progress faster in terms of lifts…. Endo’s tend to get annoyed that if they train similar to a meso-ecto in regard to diet and cardio and a meso-ecto will progress much faster then them.
Examples
-Male
-Michael Johnson
-Female
-Carmen Electra
True Mesomorph
Characteristics
-Rare body type
-Fairly lean like the meso-ecto, however, has outstanding muscle building genetics and potential, medium to large bone structure, loaded with fast twitch fiber. Gains muscle with ease, these are the people you see that go to the gym do a set of bi curls and bench press and their calves and quads grow.
-Usually dominate in super intense sports (football linebackers and short sprints, 40, 100, and 200)
-Have a tendency to start bad training habits which other people pick up on, a Mesomorph can hop around in one foot in a puddle of water with a Swiss ball above his head and will get results from it, everyone else will soon be doing it as well and injuring themselves.
-Square face, very muscular neck, various heights, very broad shoulders, and narrow waist
-Ideal bodybuilding body type
-Gains muscle with ease
-Gains fat moderately
-Has no trouble loosing fat and preserving lean mass
-Narrow waist, natural V taper, broad shoulders, and muscular thick neck
Training Tips
-Mesomorph can pretty much carve their own path, compound lifts are the most useful but rep range and sets are custom to each person
-While Mesomorph can pretty much eat whatever and gain, eating clean and eating enough helps minimize body fat gains and maximizes strength and muscle gains
-Cardio can be done with weight training; interval training often adds noticeable mass to these individuals
-When cutting these individuals can do more extreme diets since there body hangs onto muscle mass like an endo hangs onto body fat
Natural Enemies:
-All, everyone envies how easily a meso can alter their body, ectos hate them because they can eat 3 cheeseburgers in one sitting and nothing else and gain mass, endo’s hate them because they can eat three cheeseburgers in one sitting and gain little to no fat
Examples
-Male
-Lavar Arrington
-Arnold
Mesendomorph
Characteristics
-Perhaps the naturally strongest body type, these individuals range from the short and stocky to big and tall…generally speaking these individuals hold a higher amount of body fat naturally but when clothed don’t really look fat, even untrained, they still have naturally broad shoulders, and hold more body fat evenly throughout the body rather the gut area
-Excellent muscle building genetics
-Gains fat fairly easily but can lose a fair amount of fat easily as well
-Generally mesendomorphs are Olympic lifters, some power-lifters and strong men
-Square or slightly rounded face, still has a predominate jaw
-Slower natural metabolism
-Metabolism is effected little by lean mass gain
-Have much narrower hips then endo’s (often the difference between the two)
-Thick bone structure
-Rigid diet is needed to get lean, extreme diet is needed to remain ultra lean
Training Tips
-Mesendomorphs have little to no trouble gaining mass so workouts can be custom built to focus on weaker areas
-Diet is important for these individuals to stay lean, as they tend to quickly accumulate body fat but they tend to hold extra fat well
-Cardio should be used w/bulking, to minimize fat gain
-Cardio should be used while cutting
-Extreme diets fail to work as well on these individuals as the body likes to slow its metabolism if starving; eating small frequent meals is needed to achieve low body fat level
Natural Enemies
-Perhaps the only rival to the Mesomorph in terms of strength gain and size gain Mesendomorphs, tend to become stronger quicker then Meso’s due to there extra bodyweight helping stabilize major lifts, with rigorous diet and training Mesendomorphs can basically become temporary Mesomorphs
Examples
-Male
-Defensive Linemen
Endo-Meso
Characteristics
-Holds more body fat then a Mesendomorph esp. around the belly
-Round Face
-Wide hips
-Looks heavy and out of shape clothed
-Gains lean mass easily
-Gains body fat easily
-Resistant to loosing both body fat and lean mass
-Extremely lipostatic
-These individuals are basically a rounder version of the Mesendomorph; often they are power lifters but generally are not as naturally strong as Mesendomorphs, esp. in explosive strength but often rival them in power lifts such as deads and squats
-Tend to be shorter, have shorter limbs, which gives excellent mechanical advantage for powerlifts
Training Tips
-In terms of gaining strength simply lifting heavy and hard
-For lean mass gain a variety of rep ranges work well, generally Endo-meso’s have no real trouble gaining mass
-For getting lean much cardio is needed along with a very rigid diet, staying lean is the greatest challenge for this body type as strength comes naturally
-Tend to naturally flock to deadlifts and squat since they excel at both lifts
-Eating very small meals frequently, tend to need to cycle or go l low carb to really make noticeable results in bodyfat
Natural Enemies
-Ecto-Meso’s often hate the common cocky attitude of Endo-Meso’s as they pile plates onto the deadlifts platform and hoot and holler for ultra heavy low rep sets, commonly insulted with the line “yeah well you may be strong but your still fat”, ironically the Endo-Meso’s hate the Ecto-meso’s cocky attitude as they admire themselves in the mirror and often do curls in the power cages, commonly insulted with the line “yeah you may be ripped but your skinny and I’ll break you over my back”
Examples
-Male
-Most powerlifters
True Endomorph
Characteristics
-The genetic shaft body type
-These individuals imbue both the “skinny-fat” and “fat-fat” bodies
-Horrible muscle building genetics often on par with Ectomorphs
-Retains and gains bodyfat like a Meso gains lean mass
-These individuals often eat a snickers bar and gain 5 pounds of water weight
-Round face
-Narrow shoulders
-Wide hips
-Slow Metabolism and/or overdeveloped digestive track
Training Tips
-Flawless diet is needed for both bulking and cutting
-Cardio burns both lean mass and bodyfat
-Small frequent meals
-Similar weight training to ectomorphs
-Generally a bulking session leads to fat gain so a cutting session is needed which keeps progress slower then most other body types
Natural Enemies
-None, unless the world goes into starvation, then this will be the sought after body type
and heres a lttle test to body type test kinda neat, not to accurate.
more body type info
The major body types are:
True Ecto
Ecto-Meso
Meso-Ecto
True Meso
Mesendo
Endo-Meso
True Endo
Most people do not fall into one set catagory but have attributes that relate to a few, this is just a good overview of each....damn I get bored in night class
True Ectomorph:
Characteristics:
-aka hard gainers, ectomorphs is the model body type of the western society, long lean and thin the majority of women wish they possessed and the second least body type a man would want to have….
-Usually taller individuals ranging in male height of 6+, females appox 5’8-6
-Longer limbs, thin angular face more rectangular in structure
-A true Ectomorph has trouble gaining weight both lean mass and fat, however, more often then not even though they often have slightly faster metabolisms most people who claim to be ectomorphs are simply underfed…
-Very resistant to body fat gain, esp. with mild cardio
-Very resistant to lean mass gain
-Generally stay very lean and thin without a rigid diet or workout plan
-Once lean mass is gained it is easily lost if training is not followed rigidly
-Acquired body fat is lost easily
-Generally are excellent endurance (distance) athletes due to light frame and less fast twitch fiber
Training Tips:
-Ectomorphs should stick to major compound lifts and avoid isolation movements until a good deal of training experience is acquired…due to faster metabolic rates and/or underdeveloped digestive tract, eating often is very important as well as simply eating more at each meal…also ectomorphs require more days off from heavy lifting since they should be focusing on heavy lifts and low to medium reps…. heavy lifting along with proper nutrition and plenty of rest are most important…. a 5 x 5 mixed with a 3 x 8 scheme works well.
-3-4 day splits work well
-When attempting to gain lean mass cardio should be avoided or minimized, proper post workout nutrition is extra important to ectos
-When attempting to lose body fat cardio should be minimized to avoid muscle catabolism
-With all body types when cutting lifting heavy is important to maintain fast twitch mass
-Bread and butter of working out should be the holy trinity of squats, deadlifts, and bench press (actually that’s not a bad order of importance)
Natural Enemies:
-Endomorphs have a deep hatred for lean body types esp. ectomorphs, commonly overheard by a rigid dieting endo with lines such as “man I eat 5000 calories a day and I can’t friggin gain a pound” as they munch away on fast food
Examples:
-Male
-Lance Armstrong
-Female
-Paris Hilton
Ecto-Meso:
Characteristics:
-Often the female and male fitness type due to long lean limbs and naturally low body fat.
-These individuals out number true ectomorphs, but generally look like ectomorphs unless trained, these individuals tend to resist body fat and lean mass gain, due to increased and/or undeveloped digestive tracts
-Body structure similar to ectomorphs, thin bones, naturally lean, heights usually range from 5’9-6+, face very angular and rectangular in shape, slightly longer limbs then most other body types but not as naturally lanky looking as true ectomorphs…
-These individuals tend to be excellent endurance sports athletes (soccer, lacrosse, rock climbing, and longer sprint events 800’s+) due to light frame and better muscle building genetics then a true ecto.
-Tend to gain a fair amount of lean mass easily but then quickly plateau
-Will tend to lose some but not all lean mass if training is stopped
Training Tips:
-Ecto-meso’s should also avoid most isolation movements and focus on compound lifts, rep ranges of 5 x 5 and 5 x 8 work excellent for building lean mass as well.
-Metabolisms increase very rapidly with lean mass gain and increased physical activity, so diet must be constantly updated, post workout nutrition is very important to this group
-Again when bulking ecto-meso’s should minimize cardio.
-When cutting more cardio can be incorporated, interval training is best to maintain lean mass
-3-4 day splits work well; as ecto-meso’s should lift heavy compound, be sure to take off days and eat big, unless of course your goal is different then lean mass gain.
-12-15 sets of compound lifts per major body part is a good guideline, do 10 sets of heavy squats one day for quads and tell me how much you have left to give, your intensity is what matters not 500000 reps in 500 different sets…
Natural Enemies:
-All except True Mesomorph, ecto-meso’s tend to be the “pretty” boys and athletic chicks of society, naturally lean and noticeably muscular, most envy them for there ability to stay lean and ripped year round without a back breaking diet…however, the trade off is when it comes to brute strength and pure size ecto-meso’s finish in the back of the pack, but can usually run circles around those bigger
Examples:
-Male
-Ryan Renolds
-Female
-Jessica Alba
Meso-Ecto
Characteristics
-Untrained these individuals look like thicker less lean ectomorphs, however the difference of body type appears rapidly with training, the larger frame is quickly pronounced, and strength and lean mass gains will surpass the plateau commonly encountered by ecto-meso’s.
-Not as naturally lean as ectomorphs
-Better muscle building genetics then ecto-meso’s
-Generally between heights of 5’7-6
-Face is more square then ecto-meso’s
-Larger bone structure and broader shoulders, naturally more adapt to fast twitch fiber development.
-Metabolism does not increase as radically with weight gain, which is why a static diet will breed more weight gain with a meso-ecto then with an ecto-meso
-These individuals tend to dominate in interval sports such as basketball, and medium range sprinting events (400’s), combined with a reluctance to lose lean mass once gained these individuals tend appear very, very lean, due to intense interval training.
-Body fat fluxuations are noticeable in varying seasonal activities, these individuals tend to have no real problem getting into the single digit body fat levels, but a moderate diet and physical activity must be constantly undertaken to maintain it.
-Have outstanding strength to weight ratios
-Will resist loss of both strength and lean mass, gives quite a margin of error in training.
Training Tips:
-Meso-Ectos should use the most effective training styles possible to gain lean mass, as rapidly as possible, heavy compound lifts along with isolations should be incorporated into routines, various splits can be used as results come fairly easily.
-Various rep ranges work well for this group both high and low reps and weights should be used to keep shocking the body, and to develop stabilizer muscles as these individuals have the potential to rapidly progress in a major exercise like a squat but have insufficient stabilizer support and ultimately end up getting injured.
-Cardio should be added a few times a week to keep body fat in check when bulking
-Cardio can be highly used both endurance and interval will yield effective results with little muscle loss as long as they are eating enough.
Natural Enemies:
Ecto-meso’s and ectomorphs who aren’t satisfied at being lean and wish to become stronger or bigger often get annoyed at meso-ectos not having to force feed themselves 24-7, or watching them progress faster in terms of lifts…. Endo’s tend to get annoyed that if they train similar to a meso-ecto in regard to diet and cardio and a meso-ecto will progress much faster then them.
Examples
-Male
-Michael Johnson
-Female
-Carmen Electra
True Mesomorph
Characteristics
-Rare body type
-Fairly lean like the meso-ecto, however, has outstanding muscle building genetics and potential, medium to large bone structure, loaded with fast twitch fiber. Gains muscle with ease, these are the people you see that go to the gym do a set of bi curls and bench press and their calves and quads grow.
-Usually dominate in super intense sports (football linebackers and short sprints, 40, 100, and 200)
-Have a tendency to start bad training habits which other people pick up on, a Mesomorph can hop around in one foot in a puddle of water with a Swiss ball above his head and will get results from it, everyone else will soon be doing it as well and injuring themselves.
-Square face, very muscular neck, various heights, very broad shoulders, and narrow waist
-Ideal bodybuilding body type
-Gains muscle with ease
-Gains fat moderately
-Has no trouble loosing fat and preserving lean mass
-Narrow waist, natural V taper, broad shoulders, and muscular thick neck
Training Tips
-Mesomorph can pretty much carve their own path, compound lifts are the most useful but rep range and sets are custom to each person
-While Mesomorph can pretty much eat whatever and gain, eating clean and eating enough helps minimize body fat gains and maximizes strength and muscle gains
-Cardio can be done with weight training; interval training often adds noticeable mass to these individuals
-When cutting these individuals can do more extreme diets since there body hangs onto muscle mass like an endo hangs onto body fat
Natural Enemies:
-All, everyone envies how easily a meso can alter their body, ectos hate them because they can eat 3 cheeseburgers in one sitting and nothing else and gain mass, endo’s hate them because they can eat three cheeseburgers in one sitting and gain little to no fat
Examples
-Male
-Lavar Arrington
-Arnold
Mesendomorph
Characteristics
-Perhaps the naturally strongest body type, these individuals range from the short and stocky to big and tall…generally speaking these individuals hold a higher amount of body fat naturally but when clothed don’t really look fat, even untrained, they still have naturally broad shoulders, and hold more body fat evenly throughout the body rather the gut area
-Excellent muscle building genetics
-Gains fat fairly easily but can lose a fair amount of fat easily as well
-Generally mesendomorphs are Olympic lifters, some power-lifters and strong men
-Square or slightly rounded face, still has a predominate jaw
-Slower natural metabolism
-Metabolism is effected little by lean mass gain
-Have much narrower hips then endo’s (often the difference between the two)
-Thick bone structure
-Rigid diet is needed to get lean, extreme diet is needed to remain ultra lean
Training Tips
-Mesendomorphs have little to no trouble gaining mass so workouts can be custom built to focus on weaker areas
-Diet is important for these individuals to stay lean, as they tend to quickly accumulate body fat but they tend to hold extra fat well
-Cardio should be used w/bulking, to minimize fat gain
-Cardio should be used while cutting
-Extreme diets fail to work as well on these individuals as the body likes to slow its metabolism if starving; eating small frequent meals is needed to achieve low body fat level
Natural Enemies
-Perhaps the only rival to the Mesomorph in terms of strength gain and size gain Mesendomorphs, tend to become stronger quicker then Meso’s due to there extra bodyweight helping stabilize major lifts, with rigorous diet and training Mesendomorphs can basically become temporary Mesomorphs
Examples
-Male
-Defensive Linemen
Endo-Meso
Characteristics
-Holds more body fat then a Mesendomorph esp. around the belly
-Round Face
-Wide hips
-Looks heavy and out of shape clothed
-Gains lean mass easily
-Gains body fat easily
-Resistant to loosing both body fat and lean mass
-Extremely lipostatic
-These individuals are basically a rounder version of the Mesendomorph; often they are power lifters but generally are not as naturally strong as Mesendomorphs, esp. in explosive strength but often rival them in power lifts such as deads and squats
-Tend to be shorter, have shorter limbs, which gives excellent mechanical advantage for powerlifts
Training Tips
-In terms of gaining strength simply lifting heavy and hard
-For lean mass gain a variety of rep ranges work well, generally Endo-meso’s have no real trouble gaining mass
-For getting lean much cardio is needed along with a very rigid diet, staying lean is the greatest challenge for this body type as strength comes naturally
-Tend to naturally flock to deadlifts and squat since they excel at both lifts
-Eating very small meals frequently, tend to need to cycle or go l low carb to really make noticeable results in bodyfat
Natural Enemies
-Ecto-Meso’s often hate the common cocky attitude of Endo-Meso’s as they pile plates onto the deadlifts platform and hoot and holler for ultra heavy low rep sets, commonly insulted with the line “yeah well you may be strong but your still fat”, ironically the Endo-Meso’s hate the Ecto-meso’s cocky attitude as they admire themselves in the mirror and often do curls in the power cages, commonly insulted with the line “yeah you may be ripped but your skinny and I’ll break you over my back”
Examples
-Male
-Most powerlifters
True Endomorph
Characteristics
-The genetic shaft body type
-These individuals imbue both the “skinny-fat” and “fat-fat” bodies
-Horrible muscle building genetics often on par with Ectomorphs
-Retains and gains bodyfat like a Meso gains lean mass
-These individuals often eat a snickers bar and gain 5 pounds of water weight
-Round face
-Narrow shoulders
-Wide hips
-Slow Metabolism and/or overdeveloped digestive track
Training Tips
-Flawless diet is needed for both bulking and cutting
-Cardio burns both lean mass and bodyfat
-Small frequent meals
-Similar weight training to ectomorphs
-Generally a bulking session leads to fat gain so a cutting session is needed which keeps progress slower then most other body types
Natural Enemies
-None, unless the world goes into starvation, then this will be the sought after body type
and heres a lttle test to body type test kinda neat, not to accurate.
more body type info
Last edited:
