It used to be that women were the only ones who obsessed over their particular body shape Mother Nature gave them.  But due to the proliferation of advertising featuring male models clad only in underwear, it has made men more self-conscious of their own physique and which body type they are.

There are essentially three body types or shapes – ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph.  This is the same body shape categories women’s body types are placed into also. 

Men, like women, do not necessarily have a body shape that is set in stone.  They can be a combination of a couple of different body types.  The combinations usually are ectomorph/mesomorph or mesomorph/endomorph. 

Knowing which physique a man falls into, can give them some insight into about how it affects their ability to gain or lose weight, build muscle, and how to optimize their diet and exercise to suit their body type.

Ectomorph

Ectomorphs are usually easy to spot. These are the skinny guys who are also often tall with long thin arms and legs.  They have a light-looking build with small joints and lean muscle.  These were they guys who excelled at endurance sports such as cross country running.  Their typical traits include:

·         Flat chest

·         Small shoulders

·         Thin

·         Lean muscle mass

·         Small “delicate” frame and bone structure

·         Difficulty in gaining weight

·         Fast metabolism

Ectomorphs have a fast metabolism making it hard for them to gain weight.  They usually have to eat a lot of calories just to be able to put on some pounds.  Men who have an ectomorph body shape wanting to gain weight need to keep their workouts short and intense focusing on large muscle groups such as the legs, arms and abdomen.  They need to eat at least three meals a day with around 30 grams of protein at each meal.  Each meal should also include at least one cup of vegetables, about 1 ½ to 2 cups of a carb dense food such as whole grain rice, farro, beans or lentils, and a healthy source of fat such as almonds or walnuts.

Mesomorph

Mesomorphs are men who have a naturally athletic physique.  Their muscles and bone structure are large making them excellent candidates for excelling at explosive types of sports such as football or basketball.  They have no problem gaining weight but they can also lose weight easily when they want. 

Traits of men who are mesomorphs include:

·         Athletic

·         Hard body with well-defined muscles

·         Rectangular body shape

·         Strong

·         Easily gains muscle mass

·         Gains weight and fat easily

Any man who is a mesomorph will have few problems with putting on muscle mass with weight training.  But if they overconsume on calories, they can also easily gain too much weight in the form of fat.  What works best for them is to balance their workouts with a combination of weight training and cardio exercises.  Their meal plans should include around 30 grams of protein at each meal along with 2 cups of vegetables, 2 cups of carb dense foods such as whole grains, fruit, beans, and lentils and some healthy fat.

Endomorph

The third body shape is endomorph.  Men who fall into this physique have a solid yet soft body.  They usually have a shorter build with thick arms and legs.  They have strong muscles making them naturally good at exercises like squats or at sports such as powerlifting, being a football lineman or throwing a shot put. This body type gains weight and fat the easiest. 

The typical traits of an endomorph include:

·         Soft and round body

·         Usually short

·         “Stocky” build

·         Round physique

·         Gains muscle and fat easily

·         May have trouble losing fat

·         Slow metabolism

·         Muscles are not as well-defined

Weight gain is not a problem for endomorphs and unfortunately is often in the form of fat.  To keep fat gain at a minimum, men with this body type always need to do both cardio and lifting weights while making wise food choices that don’t promote too rapid of weight gain in the form of fat.  A good dietary plan for endormorphs include eating around 30 grams of protein at each meal, 2 cups of vegetables, 1 cup of carb dense foods and a little higher portion of healthy fats.