From human anatomy we know there are three body types- ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph. By definition an ectomorph would be the person (male or female) that is thin, with very little fat or muscle, maybe even frail looking with a small bone structure. An endomorph is an overweigh person with more body fat than most, very little visible muscle (but can be strong because of their size and the fact that they have muscle, it's just not visible) and very heavy bone structure to support their size. And finally the mesomorph, the muscular and yet lean type with visible muscle, vascular, and bone structure to accommodate the powerful build.

Trying to determine where you fall in these three types can range from relatively clear to somewhat uncertain because there are degrees of each one. For example, let’s assign a number system from 1 to 3 with 1 being the most extreme case of each type and 3 being very close to the next type with a combination of 2 body types. A good example from an athletes point of view-lets say a football interior lineman-ideally you look for size, strength, power, etc. so a mesomorph moving toward an endomorph would be a 3. On the other hand, a tennis player that is looking for speed, strength, quickness, etc. would ideally be a mesomorph moving the other way toward an ectomorph or a mesomorph level 1. And finally a bodybuilder would ideally be a mesomorph level or degree 2 because here we are looking for lean body mass or muscularity, which would also bring on vascularity and very little body fat.

Adjusting your training program to fit your body type is most important if you expect to make positive gains or progress in your chosen sport. Of course if one of your goals is to gain strength and lean body mass, most athletes use weight training as a major part of their training (of course some athletes like swimmers or cyclist do not want to add bodyweight so their training/diet must be adjusted accordingly).  So with that being said, if you are an ectomorph, your training should be brief with emphasis on basic exercises (squats, deadlifts,presses-military and bench, and curls), low to medium reps (6-8) , 3-4 sets per exercise but each set should be done with maximum intensity.  Bottom line here - the more activity done, the more calories burned.  Monitor your training and if you feel tired most of the time and you don't see any positive weight gain, adjust your training which usually means you are doing too much or over-training.

The endomorph's training should be almost opposite of the ectomorph in regards to duration because this individual needs to burn up many more calories. They should train for longer periods of time and more days per week with higher reps and sets. Something like a 6 day program with 12-15 reps per set, 6-8 sets per exercise. Many of the actual exercises can be the same with some additions. And the mesomorph's training should be, yes, you guessed it, a combination of the other two types-medium reps (8-10), 4-6 sets per exercise and a combination of heavy basic movements and isolation exercises. The number of days per week to train could be something like 4-6. And most important; keep in mind that we are all different and the above recommendations are general rules but you must 'tweak' your training to meet your individual needs and situations. Finding the right program is an ongoing experiment and I say ongoing because just when you find that 'right' program, changes take place within and you begin the search once more. Welcome to 'learning to read what your body is saying'!

I did not mention anything about nutrition/diet, probably the most important phase of a successful program, but will do so in a future article.

I hope this basic information about body types will be helpful to you in your quest to be the best that you can be!

Kenny Guess

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