This post contains a summary of information I gathered from various sources. The concept of somatotypes,
or body types was introduced by William H. Sheldon, PhD, MD in the 1940s. People
are born with an inherited body type based on skeletal frame and body
composition, but generally people fall into a particular category of body type:
ectomorph, endomorph, or mesomorph. Keep in mind that these are
generalizations, and that most of us have characteristics of two or even all
three somatotypes. Different body types require different training methods and
diet plans. Below are the explantaion of the three body types: ectomorph,
endomorph and mesomorph.
An
ectomorph is a typical skinny guy. Ecto’s have a light build with small joints
and lean muscle. Ectomorphs tend to have very high metabolisms and
often complain of relentless eating with little to no weight gain. As you may
have guessed, the perfect example of an ecto is a fashion model.
Characteristics:
- Small frame and bone structure
- Hardgainer (hard to build muscle & fat)
- Small chest, shoulders and buttocks
- Skinny appearance
- Low body fat
- Fast metabolism
Examples
of male ectomorphs: Brad Pitt, Bruce Lee. Toby Mcquire
Examples
of female ectomorphs: Kate Moss, Cameron Diaz, Calista Flockhardt, Gisele Bunchen
Endomorph
The
endomorphic body type is the complete opposite of an ectomorph. This individual
will usually be larger in appearance with heavier
fat accumulation and little muscle definition. They find it hard to
drop the weight even though they try several diets or workout
programs. Football lineman tend to be endomorphs.
Characteristics:
- Larger frame
- Gains muscle and fat very easily
- Soft and round body
- Muscles not so well defined
- High body fat
- Slow metabolism
Examples
of male endomorphs: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Luther Vandross, Jack Black
Examples
of female endomorphs: Queen Latifah, Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce Knowles
Mesomorph
The
mesomorph is somewhat in between the ectomorph and the endomorph. Mesomorphs
are the best body type for bodybuilding. They find it quite easy to gain and
lose weight. They are naturally strong which is the perfect platform for
building muscle. You could say this is the aspiring body type that everybody wants.
Characteristics:
- Athletic
- Generally hard body
- Wide shoulders
- Small waist
- Well defined muscles
- Gains muscle easily
- Gains and burn fat pretty easily
Examples of male mesomorphs: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg
Examples of female mesomorphs: Jennifer Garner, Tina Turner, Halle Berry, Anna Kournikova
Aside from the
three mayn somatotypes, some say there are combination of somatotypes such as:
Ecto-mesomorph,
have the characteristic of mesomorph and ectomorph.
Endo-mesomorph,
have the characteristic of mesomorph and endomorph.
Ecto-endomorph,
endomorph who have the characteristic of ectomorph. Pear-shaped body with thin,
delicate upper body and high fat storage in the hip and thigh.
Endo-ectomorph,
ectomorph who have the characteristic of endomorph. Apple-shaped body with high
fat storage in the mid-section and thin lower bodies.
And other combinations, even combinations of all
three somatotypes.
That covers the
general information about somatotypes. No matter what somatotype category you
are in, do your best to achieve your goal. If you are not lucky enough to be a
mesomorph, take it as a greater challenge and feel double satisfaction when you
have achieve your goal!
Reference:
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