What Body Type Are You? (Men Only)

1. Your ability for weight gain/loss sounds most like

A). I can’t gain weight easily, in the form of fat or muscle

B). I can gain muscle easily, and gain very little fat

C). I gain fat easily, I might have some muscle tone, but it is hard for me to become “ripped”

2. My bone structure is

A). Small

B). Medium to large

C). Large

3. I gain muscle

A). Slowly, I resemble a long distance runner

B). Easily-it is easy for me to become ripped

C). easily, but I rarely look ripped

4. My body most resembles

A). Short torso, long limbs, narrow chest and shoulders, long thin muscles

B). Large chest, long torso, solid lean muscles

C). Short neck, large stature, round face, soft looking

5. As a child I was

A). Thin

B). Average

C). Chubby

6. In the sun I tend to

A). Burn easily

B). Tan well

C). Burn and then tan

7. If I pig out for a whole week without working out, I will

A). Stay the same, or maybe lose a pound or two

B). Stay about the same

C). Gain weight

8. If I diet for a week without working out, I will

A). Lose weight

B). Lose a few pounds, but look the same

C). Stay the same

9. I mostly resemble

A). A runner

B). A bodybuilder

C). A football player

10. My fat/muscle ratio is

A). Low fat/ low muscle

B). Low fat/ high muscle

C). High fat/ high muscle

Answers:

Mostly A’s – Ectomorph

If you fall into this category you are probably a lean, tall, frail person who can’t gain weight easily. Since this site is about bodybuilding, I’m sure this is not the look that you are going for. However, not all hope is lost. People who are ectomorph’s need to add more calories to their diets. Be careful not to add the calories into one or two big meals, because your body cannot use them all up as fuel to add muscle. It is a better idea to spread these calories out into 5-7 meals per day. Also watch out for what types of foods you are eating. It’s easy for people with high metabolisms to go out and eat fast food all the time, because it doesn’t affect their weight. But, when you are trying to gain muscle, eating high quality foods counts just as much as when you are trying to lose weight. You can have a fat intake up to 30% of your diet, but try to get most of it from quality fats such as fish and vegetable oils. When it comes to exercise, ectomorphs should limit their cardio activities and focus more on lifting weight. When lifting you should aim for lower reps using heavy weights. Resting between sets is important, as well as resting between workouts to give you’re muscles time to grow. The best exercises to do are heavy compound movements such as dead lifts, squats, bench press and pull downs. The main focus should be to put on mass, and worry about definition a little later.

Mostly B’s – Mesomorph

If you belong to this category, consider yourself lucky. This is the ideal body type for bodybuilding. It is not extremely difficult for you to gain or lose weight, and you can pack on muscle quickly. People in this category should aim for 4-6 well balanced, healthy meals per day. Your fat intake should be around 20% of your daily calories, and you should try to consume 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body mass. Remember, just because you are blessed with the ideal body type, doesn’t mean that you can slack off by eating extra dessert and skipping workouts. As you get older and these habits become engrained, you will begin to notice trouble areas on your body, and ailing health. When you are at the gym you should strength train 2-3 times per week, and do aerobic activities either daily or every second day. Since every person is different, you should prioritize your workouts to the best of your own personal advantage.

Mostly C’s – Endomorph’s

If you are an endomorph you are probably rather round or soft looking. You may have muscles but you have very little tone. To achieve the bodybuilding look that you desire, it is extremely important to focus both on healthy eating and exercise. You are probably going to have to cut calories from your daily diet. Start by eating smaller portions, more frequently throughout the day (every 2-3 hours), about 4-6 meals a day. Having your last meal 3-4 hours before you go to bed is an easy way to cut down on calories and speed up weight loss. Be sure to eat a lot of lean protein and high fiber foods, such as beans, whole grains, brown rice, fruits and vegetables. When it comes to exercise, you should be doing at least 30 minutes of cardio activity 5-6 days per week and strength training two to three times per week. Make sure you get at least 2 days rest in between your strength training workouts. You can focus on major muscle group exercises such as dead lifts and squats, and you will also want to incorporate isolation exercises for more tone.

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