You’ve probably compared yourself to other people before and noticed the diversity in body types. In another article on this site, the ectomorph body type has already been extensively described. These are the so-called “hard gainers,” people with a long and slim appearance and a fast metabolism. There are various body types with different characteristics.
The three different body types are: Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph. It’s too simplistic to say that everyone falls exactly into one of these three categories, and that’s not the case. For example, many people have a combination of two body types. What often occurs is an Ectomorph/Mesomorph combination and a Mesomorph/Endomorph combination. There are also sometimes exceptions to the rules described here, so don’t assume that everyone fits within the described situations.
Metabolism and Muscle Building
An important factor that leads to variation in body types is metabolism. The body is an enormously intricate and complex system but can also adapt to the stimuli it receives. Through training, it’s possible to change your body, and this also affects your metabolism. For example, when you gain a lot of muscle mass. Muscles are metabolically very active and therefore burn a lot of calories. This can ultimately make it easier to stay slim.
In this article, we focus mainly on the Mesomorph body type. But to make things a bit clearer, the characteristics of an Endomorph and Ectomorph body type are briefly outlined:
Ectomorphs are people with a very narrow and thin body build. A short upper body with a flat chest and narrow shoulders are characteristics. Additionally, the arms and legs are often long and thin, and they have narrow hands and feet. Ectomorphs have a fast metabolism and easily burn calories.
Endomorphs are people with a stocky build, broad hips, and a short neck. The muscles of Endomorphs are not very defined. Metabolism is not fast, and these people easily gain both muscle and fat mass, which is why they have a higher percentage of body fat.
Mesomorph Body Type
What is this body type
Mesomorphs are people with a large chest and torso, and they often have broad shoulders. These individuals are well-muscled and are often very powerful. This body type has the most athletic build and is also the ideal physique for bodybuilding. Arnold Schwarzenegger is an example of a Mesomorph body type. Arnold describes himself as naturally very slim, so he may be a combination of two body types, also known as ecto-mesomorph.
What are the pros and cons of this body type
Mesomorphs have little difficulty building muscle tissue, but they need to do varied strength exercises to proportionally build muscle and define their muscles well. Mesomorphs need to watch their calorie intake because they gain fat mass faster than Ectomorphs. On the other hand, Mesomorphs have more muscle mass than Ectomorphs, so they also burn more calories at rest (muscle mass is metabolically more active than fat mass).
What to do if you want to grow as a Mesomorph
Gaining weight is less challenging for the Mesomorph than for the Ectomorph. However, there should be a wide variety of exercises to bring out muscle definition. Isolation exercises are therefore very suitable for the Mesomorph. Additionally, the diet should contain sufficient proteins because Mesomorphs have more muscle mass than Ectomorphs.
What to do if you want to lose weight as a Mesomorph
Mesomorphs shouldn’t bulk too much because losing weight is more difficult than for the Ectomorph. Additionally, a combination of strength and cardio training is ideal for this body type. If you want to lose weight as a Mesomorph, the rule is the same as for other body types: burn more calories than you consume. This can be achieved by exercising more, eating less, or a combination of both.
Conclusion
Determine for yourself what your body type is and research the characteristics of this body type. It’s also always good to have an overview of the number of calories you consume and burn. A Mesomorph body type is ideal for bodybuilding. However, note that a combination of body types is possible, and exceptions to the described characteristics may occur.
