Understanding Your Build: A Guide to Body Type (Somatotype)

The concept of body types, or 'somatotypes', was developed in the 1940s by psychologist William Sheldon. He proposed that people could be classified into three fundamental body types based on their skeletal frame and body composition: ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. While modern science recognizes that most people are a blend of these types rather than fitting perfectly into one category, understanding your dominant body type can be a useful tool for tailoring your diet and exercise plans to work *with* your natural tendencies, rather than against them. It can help explain why some people build muscle easily while others struggle, or why some seem to gain weight just by looking at a carbohydrate. This calculator provides a very simplified estimation of your body type based on the ratio of your wrist to ankle circumference, which can be an indicator of your overall bone structure.

Disclaimer: This is a highly simplified and non-scientific estimation for informational purposes only. A person's true body composition is far more complex than a single ratio. This should be used as a fun guide, not as a definitive physiological assessment.

The Three Somatotypes Explained

Each body type has a distinct set of physical characteristics and metabolic tendencies.

1. The Ectomorph

Ectomorphs are characterized by a lean, delicate, and linear build. They typically have a light frame, small joints, and long limbs. Their metabolism tends to be very fast, which makes it difficult for them to gain weight, both in terms of muscle and fat.

Physical Traits: Thin, long limbs, small joints, narrow shoulders and hips.
Metabolic Traits: Fast metabolism, high carbohydrate tolerance. Often described as a 'hardgainer'.
Training & Diet Recommendations: For ectomorphs looking to gain muscle, training should focus on heavy compound lifts with longer rest periods. Their diet should be rich in calories, with a high intake of complex carbohydrates and moderate protein and fat to fuel their fast metabolism and support muscle growth.

2. The Mesomorph

Mesomorphs have a naturally athletic and muscular build. They are characterized by a medium frame, wider shoulders, a narrow waist, and a low body fat percentage. They tend to gain muscle and lose fat with relative ease.

Physical Traits: Athletic, well-defined muscles, medium bone structure, rectangular-shaped body.
Metabolic Traits: Efficient metabolism; can gain muscle and lose fat easily.
Training & Diet Recommendations: Mesomorphs respond well to a wide variety of training, including both strength and cardiovascular exercise. A balanced diet with moderate carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats is typically effective for maintaining their physique and performance.

3. The Endomorph

Endomorphs have a larger, softer, and rounder physique. They typically have a larger bone structure and tend to store more body fat. Their metabolism is generally slower, which can make it easier to gain weight and harder to lose it.

Physical Traits: Soft and round body, stocky build, large joints, short limbs.
Metabolic Traits: Slow metabolism, often less tolerant of carbohydrates. Prone to fat storage.
Training & Diet Recommendations: For endomorphs, a combination of regular cardiovascular exercise to burn calories and strength training to build muscle and boost metabolism is key. Diet-wise, they often benefit from controlling their carbohydrate intake, particularly from simple sugars, and focusing on a higher intake of protein and fiber to manage appetite and blood sugar levels.

Body Type Calculator