Written by Kirsten Yovino | CPT Brookbush Institute
Fact checked by Tyler DiGiovanni, BSBM
FACT CHECKED
We all have that friend - or are that friend - who can regularly eat a double cheeseburger, French fries, and a milkshake and never seem to gain a pound. On the opposite end of the spectrum are those who gain 5 pounds simply looking at a large plate of food. And then, of course, we can’t forget about others who are naturally athletic looking and seem to be able to gain muscle mass at the snap of their fingers or quickly shed a few pounds for an upcoming vacation.
So, what determines whether you can eat incessantly and never worry about weight, feel as though you’ll always be a few pounds overweight, or look like you live in a gym? It could be your somatotype, or body type, which explains why everyone looks a certain way and includes three categories: endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph.
There’s a lot of information to unpack here, so in this article, we’ll cover:
- Understanding the different body types
- Whether they’re fact or fiction
- Traits of the mesomorph body type
- Best diet and workout plan for mesomorph body types
UNDERSTANDING BODY TYPES
In the 1940s, Dr. W.H. Sheldon created the somatotype theory, believing that your genetics were pre-determined and unchangeable. The three different body types, also referred to as somatotypes, include:
Endomorph:
- Rounder and stockier
- Larger hips, round midsection, and excess body fat
- Gains fat quickly
- Struggles to lose weight and with fat loss
- Slower metabolism
Ectomorph:
- Slender and lanky
- Faster metabolism, resulting in minimal muscle and body fat
- Struggles to put on weight
Mesomorph:
- Medium frame
- Shoulders are typically wider than the hips
- Athletic
- Muscular upper and lower body
- Efficient metabolism, resulting in quick muscle gain or weight loss
We all know that people rarely fit into a single box, and body types are no exception. You may have features of more than one somatotype, such as looking muscular and athletic with larger hips or a stocky stature. Or, maybe you found yourself thinking: “I’d be this body type if I didn’t regularly workout and make a conscious effort to eat nutritious foods.”
And that’s a promising note to end this section on, as it’s important to remember that just because you may identify with a certain somatotype doesn't mean it's your destiny to look that way forever.
ARE BODY TYPES A MYTH?
There are certainly some truths behind the somatotype theory and genetic predisposition. However, body type doesn’t factor our habits into the mix, which also play a significant role in how we look today. You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who looks fit and lean with zero effort. Mesomorphs may have the genes to work for muscle and maintain it, but their athletic body compositions are usually partially thanks to the healthy gym and dietary habits they’ve adopted over the years.
Similarly, some people, specifically ectomorph body types, have a hard time gaining weight and muscle mass due to a hyper-efficient metabolism, while others don't eat as much as they need to. Some genuinely struggle to take excess body fat off due to an inefficient metabolism, while others are chronic overeaters.
Part of the issue with the somatotype theory is that it can easily cause you to have a defeatist attitude. Feeling as though your stocky stature and slow metabolism will prevent you from ever getting in shape or your tall, lanky frame will never build muscle may lead to a “what’s the point” frame of mind, which is something we aren't encouraging. Ultimately, adopting a healthy lifestyle consisting of exercise and proper nutrition is good for you, regardless of your body type. No matter your somatotype, there are ways to achieve body recomposition, in which you lost fat and gain muscle.
How to Use Your Body Type to Meet Health and Fitness Goals
Our suggestion: Identify the body type you most closely relate to and use it to your advantage. For example, suppose you are an ectomorph with a lower body fat percentage who struggles to put on muscle. In that case, a full-body workout plan that focuses on building strength and mass while avoiding too much aerobic exercise can help you build muscle. That, paired with an emphasis on eating high protein and plenty of calories for muscle gain, will help you meet your goals.
If you are an endomorph body type who can’t lose a pound to save your life, a high protein diet and daily calorie goal, paired with cardio, plyometrics, and high-rep resistance training will help. Looking for some workout inspiration? These plyometric exercises for beginners will get you started.
Since you found your way to this article, we’re assuming you most closely identify with the mesomorph body type. So from this point, the post will focus on this somatotype and the mesomorph best healthy diet and workout plan.
Focusing on weight lifting, cardio, and HIIT, this is an effective results-driven plan - not only for mesomorphs but for anyone looking to gain muscle and burn fat, regardless of body type. Please keep in mind: It is primarily geared toward mesomorphs, so if you’re struggling with an ectomorph trait, such as putting on muscle, it may not address those somatotype needs.
WHAT IS A MESOMORPH BODY TYPE?
Mesomorphs typically have more muscle than body fat and don't share the same weight loss and gain struggles as ectomorphs and endomorphs. A mesomorphic body can gain weight quickly and shed it just as fast, add muscle mass, and maintain it with minimal effort.
Additional features of this body type include:
- Square-shaped head
- Broad and muscular chest and shoulders
- Muscular arms and legs
- Minimal body fat and an even weight distribution
If you’re a mesomorph, you likely enjoy eating as you please, knowing you can quickly shed any weight gain. You may also identify with the frustration of putting weight on just as easy if your goal is maintaining a trim figure.
HOW TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE A MESOMORPHIC BODY TYPE
As a whole, the mesomorphic traits apply to both men and women. But just as the genetic differences between each somatotype, there also are between men and women within each of the categories, as men and women tend to vary in body shape and gain fat in different areas. Take thigh size, for example. The ideal thigh size varies between genders, as men and women are shaped differently and tend to build muscle mass uniquely.
Here are some distinct features for each gender that will help you determine whether you’re a mesomorphic body type
Male Mesomorph:
- You have a thick, athletic frame that's a square shape.
- Your arms are large, and your chest is round.
- Your thighs and calves are thick and muscular.
- You gain weight easily (both muscle and fat) and tend to store fat in your hips, butt, and stomach.
- Your body responds quickly to a training regimen, making it easy to gain weight and shed pounds.
Female Mesomorph:
- You have an hourglass figure and may describe yourself as curvy.
- You have wide shoulders and hips with a narrow waist.
- Weight gain occurs in the hips and butt.
- You have an athletic build and gaining muscle is relatively easy. Training specific body parts, like in this women's back workout, results in visible muscle mass fairly quickly.
- Even small amounts of fat gain are noticeable.
While these are the primary characteristics of the mesomorph body type, please remember to take this with a grain of salt. People are far more complex than a checkmark on a body type categorization sheet, and likely, you may primarily identify with one somatotype while also having features of another. Don’t let a body type define you. Instead, use it to your advantage to build the body of your dreams. We’ll show you how.
MESOMORPH DIET AND WORKOUT PLAN
If you’ve gone through the checklist and are still identifying as a mesomorph, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty of the best diet and workout plan for this body type. As we highlighted above, there are some gender differences between body shape and fat storage of female and male mesomorphs, but the following diet and workout plan will yield great results for both genders.
BEST DIET FOR A MESOMORPH
Good news, mesomorphs! The more muscle you have, the better your metabolism runs. And if you feel like you could benefit from speeding up your metabolism even more, there are plenty of strategies for improving it. As one of your main traits is a higher level of muscle, it enables you to eat more calories per day than you likely could if you were an endomorph. Just make sure you're eating nutritious foods and following a balanced diet.
You should eat at least 1,800 calories daily to support your current muscle, future muscle growth, and active lifestyle. This number is a starting point, and you can adjust it in several ways to hit your goals. Extremely active mesomorphs with lots of muscle can probably eat closer to 2,200 calories and still achieve their body goals.
If you aren’t already tracking your daily calories, we suggest tracking your calorie intake using an app, such as MyFitnessPal, to see your current calorie consumption. Happy with your current size? Keep that same calorie range.
If you want to add more muscle, bump up your calories by 5% and monitor progress. Similarly, to lose a little body fat, decrease by 5% (nothing drastic here, or you may lose muscle), monitor it, and adjust as you go.
Target higher protein diets:
Wondering what your protein requirements are for building muscle? Mesomorphs need ample protein, so aim for 25 to 30% of your daily calories going toward lean protein sources, including eggs, chicken, lean pork and beef, fish such as salmon and tuna, turkey, and non-fat yogurt, and cottage cheese, and casein supplements. For protein intake, you can target between 1.2 and 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight, depending on your goals.
To gain more muscle, lean toward the higher protein range of 2.2 grams, whereas for maintaining your existing mass, closer to 1.2 grams will do the trick. If you're struggling to eat that much protein, try adding some protein powder to your coffee, creating a delicious and nutritious cup of protein coffee.
Monitor your carb and fat intake for less body fat:
Mesomorphs should target a carbohydrate range of 45 to 50%, and the rest, between 20 and 25% should go toward healthy fats, such as avocado, olive and canola oil, nuts, seeds, and fish, such as salmon. For healthy carbs, stick with whole grains, quinoa, brown rice, sweet potatoes, rolled oats, beans, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
Opt for low-glycemic carbs such as these (as opposed to enriched flour, sugar-riddled cereal, for example) as they are high in fiber and contain essential micronutrients that will further contribute to your performance in the gym.
Despite sharing body characteristics with other mesomorphs, your needs will vary from others based on your muscle mass, metabolism efficiency, and your specific ability to gain and lose fat (some mesomorphs can be more lenient with their diet, whereas others have to be relatively strict). Use these guidelines as a starting point, monitor your progress, and tweak along the way.
BEST MESOMORPH WORKOUT ROUTINE
Unless you fit into the 1% of mesomorphs who look like they live in the gym but never actually work out, we’ll assume your athletic build is part genetics, part dedication to your fitness routine, and part understanding how to best build muscle mass. This means you already have a fitness foundation in place, so the goal here is to maintain your fitness, continue building muscle mass, improve your anaerobic energy system (HIIT helps with this), and include some steady-state cardio to keep your body fat in check.
We’ve outlined a week’s worth of training, so you can see the best split and combination of exercises to help you maintain your muscular frame.
Weight Training:
It consists of a 4-day strength training split of two upper and two lower-body sessions, two steady-state cardio sessions, and two HIIT sessions. You'll hit your core on your lower-body days with stabilizing exercises such as the dead bug.
Cardio:
For steady-state cardio, this is pretty versatile and can include everything ranging from running, walking at a fast pace, cycling, elliptical, or the rowing machine. If you have another way to maintain a steady, elevated heart rate for 30 to 60 minutes, that works too! There’s no need for an elaborate HIIT routine either unless you want there to be.
Keep it simple using 1 to 3 movements in your routine, following a 20-second work, 10-second rest format. You can sprint for 20 seconds and walk for 10 for the workout's entirety, or try alternating between classic exercise moves such as burpees, mountain climbers, and jump rope. Circuit training workouts are another great cardio option for mesomorphs.
Progressions for Losing Weight:
For muscle hypertrophy and weight loss, follow this routine for 6 to 8 weeks. After this time frame, you can continue to follow the same framework, but make progressions with it to continue challenging yourself. For steady-state cardio, this can be as simple as adding 10 minutes to your session or increasing your overall intensity.
For high intensity interval training, you can add time to your session if you’re not going for the full 30 minutes, or adjust your work-to-time ratio. Instead of 20 seconds of work, and 10 seconds of rest, try 30 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest.
As for your resistance exercises, you can continue using the same ones as long as you're progressively overloading correctly. You can also follow this same format but use different exercises than the ones listed here. For example, instead of the barbell chest press, use dumbbells, or replace it with the incline and decline presses instead. Instead of 1 set of chin-ups, add a second set of 12 to 15 reps.
In your next round, try swapping the back squat for a front squat instead. There are endless ways to continue progressing this mesomorph workout plan (that’s why it’s the best). If you make changes, ensure you're targeting each muscle with 10 to 20 sets each week. A strategic way to hit this benchmark without spending hours in the gym is to include plenty of compound exercises to simultaneously target multiple muscle groups.
Below, we’ve shown you what a training week looks like, along with a more specific breakdown of your upper and lower body days. Before starting any of these exercises, remember to include a dynamic warm-up and finish with some stretching.
Weekly Workout Schedule:
|
Day |
Exercise |
Workout Guidelines |
Reps |
|
Monday |
Upper Body Resistance Training, followed by steady-state cardio |
6-8 different exercises, targeting chest, back, shoulders, triceps, and biceps |
8-12
Steady-state cardio: Target 30-60 minutes |
|
Tuesday |
Lower Body & Core Resistance Training |
6-8 different exercises, targeting core, glutes, quads, and hamstrings |
8-12 |
|
Wednesday |
HIIT |
Follow a 2:1 work/rest ratio; work for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds |
20-30 minutes |
|
Thursday |
Rest Day |
|
|
|
Friday |
Upper Body Resistance Training, followed by steady-state cardio |
6-8 different exercises, targeting chest, back, shoulders, triceps, and biceps |
8-12
Steady-state cardio: Target 30-60 minutes |
|
Saturday |
HIIT |
Follow a 2:1 work/rest ratio; work for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds |
20-30 minutes |
|
Sunday |
Lower Body & Core Resistance Training |
6-8 different exercises, targeting core, glutes, quads, and hamstrings |
8-12 |
Upper Body Workout:
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
Rest |
|
Barbell chest press |
3-4 |
8-12 |
30 to 90 seconds |
|
Single-arm dumbbell row |
3-4 |
8-12 |
30 to 90 seconds |
|
Bicep curl to Arnold press |
3-4 |
8-12 |
30 to 90 seconds |
|
Machine chest fly |
3-4 |
8-12 |
30 to 90 seconds |
|
Barbell overhead press |
3-4 |
8-12 |
30 to 90 seconds |
|
Machine lat pull-down |
3-4 |
8-12 |
30 to 90 seconds |
|
Chin-ups |
1 |
12-15 |
|
Lower Body Workout:
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
Rest |
|
Barbell back squat |
3-4 |
8-12 |
60 to 90 seconds |
|
Romanian deadlift |
3-4 |
8-12 |
60 to 90 seconds |
|
Bulgarian split squats |
3-4 |
8-12 |
60 to 90 seconds |
|
Forward lunge |
3-4 |
8-12 |
60 to 90 seconds |
|
Box step-up |
3-4 |
8-12 |
60 to 90 seconds |
|
Planks |
2-3 |
Hold 60 seconds for each set |
60 seconds |
|
Dead bug |
2-3 |
8-12 |
30 to 60 seconds |
Make Your Body Type Work For You
Regardless of your somatotype, don’t let it discourage you or be a reason for not changing your eating and exercise habits. Instead, use the information to your advantage to get your best results. This is a great diet and workout routine for mesomorphs, but if you're an endomorph or ectomorph, you can adjust the plan to meet your needs.
Endomorphs can incorporate the strength-training moves into circuits for an extra calorie burn, put plyometrics into their HIIT training sessions, and add an extra steady-state cardio session into their plan. Plyo box exercises are a great way to add some calorie-burning variety to your routine.
Ectomorphs, increase your total calories to put on muscle mass, and for the strength-training moves, lower the reps to between 5 and 8. You'll also want to increase the weight you're using, adding longer rest periods of 3 minutes.
Remember: Your somatotype does not define you, and you’re not designated to look a certain way forever. Determining your body type only enables you to meet your fitness goals faster.
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Kirsten Yovino
Author