Health and Fitness Coach

Take the Body Type Test- What Body Type are You?

24 August 2008 10:53 pm

Ever wondered what Olympic sport your body shape would suit? What is your body shape? Would you be best suited as a marathon runner, 100m sprinter or a shotputter?

Take the body type test to determine if you are an ectomorph, mesomorph or endomorph.


Ectomorph: These are you lean, lightweight athletes who perform best at distance sports requiring muscle endurance.

  • rectangle shape
  • thin
  • flat chest
  • delicate build
  • lightly muscled
  • has trouble gaining weight
  • muscle growth takes longer
  • Fast metabolism

Suitable Olympic Sports: Marathon running, walking, triathlon, Rhythmic gymnastics, basket ball, football

Endomorph: These are your heavier athletes who naturally carry more body fat and do best in sports requiring power, and body weight force.

  • Round and soft shape
  • The illusion that much of the mass has been concentrated in the abdominal area. This may or may not be true.
  • The arms and legs of the extreme endomorph are short in length and taper.
  • The hands and feet of the endomorph are comparatively small,
  • the upper arms and thighs are often more developed than the lower parts of the arms or legs.
  • The body has a high waist.
  • Weight Loss is Difficult
  • Gains Muscle Easily Like the Mesomorph.

Suitable Olympic sports: wrestling, shot-put, discus, hammer throw

Mesomorph: These are your naturally muscular athletes, who have low body fat and excel in sports requiring strength and power.

  • upside down triangle shape
  • hourglass shaped for women
  • wider shoulders with torso tapering to a relatively narrow and low waist
  • arms and legs are developed
  • athletic
  • hard, muscular body
  • overly mature appearance
  • upright posture
  • gains or loses weight easily
  • grows muscle quickly.

Suitable Olympic sports: Weightlifting, boxing (Heavy weight), cycling (sprint distances), Athletic sprint events (100m is the best example), artistic gymnastics

Although some people are clearly one of the above somatotypes (body types),  most of us are a bit of a mix.  For example, a lot of endomorphs might also have the muscular shape of a mesomorph (an endo-mesomorph mix).  Physiologists often use a rank based on the number 7.  I.e. a pure endomorph is a 7:1:1 (Endo, meso, ecto), and a pure mesomorph would be 1:7:1.

Everyone is genetically predisposed to being a certain somatotype (body type), but with training, environmental influences, and diet, one can quite dramatically change what they have genetically been given.  However if you are an ectomorph and you want to become a sumo wrestler, good luck!

Take the body type test here!

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Posted by Amelia Burton in Health and Fitness. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.

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7 Comments On “Take the Body Type Test- What Body Type are You?”

On 28th August 2008 12:57 am, Fitness Tours said:

I hope the recently concluded Beijing Olympics will inspire a lot of people to get on shape. It’s not about having a great body, it’s about being healthy. There are so many ways to stay healthy and fit these days. It’s just a matter of looking what will give you the most benefits while allowing you to enjoy yourself.

On 28th August 2008 10:45 pm, Amelia Burton said:

Hi Fitness Tours,
Yes, how incredibly motivating is it to see the fastest, strongest, fittest people in the world competing. Your point about enjoying what you do is very good. Most people forget to try new things, and there are so many wonderful activities for us all to try, surely we will fall in love with one of them at least!
Amelia

On 3rd May 2009 1:54 pm, Mesomorph said:

Body types are useful in sports and in determining which activity you will be most likely to succeed. However, it is also useful in those wishing to lose weight. If you know you body type, you can then set realistic goals and have expectations of what is possible.

A voluptuous female endomorph will never be able to become a willowy ectomorph. An endomorph can lose weight and become significantly more ectomorphic. However, endomorphs have larger frames and more muscle mass that ectomorphs, which even weight loss cannot change. Many women try to look like another body type without realizing that they can naturally or healthily achieve such a body. But you can make your body better, stronger and leaner no matter what your body type.

http://www.superskinnyme.com/Body_Type/Body_Type.html

On 5th May 2009 11:21 am, Amelia Burton said:

Hi Mesomorph,

Yes setting realistic expectations is so important or the person will set themselves up for failure. Focus on your good points and try to enhance them rather than trying to change what biologically can’t be altered.
Amelia

On 18th November 2009 11:47 am, jessica said:

Female mesomorphs don’t have a wide waist. It’s actually the opposite.

On 18th November 2009 2:55 pm, Amelia Burton said:

Hi Jessica,

You are exactly right. Mesomorphs tend to have an upside down triangle shape. I corrected the confusing wording, thanks :)

Amelia

On 21st December 2009 12:51 pm, How To Know If You Have An Eating Disorder « Nourishing by Heart said:

[...] health and fitness is important to a fulfilling life -finding balance is key. Remembering we have different body types and have different physical and nutritional needs can take us far to listen not only to the experts [...]

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