Male Body Types

You must have often noticed this; some put a lot of efforts in doing exercises, literally slog in the gym and religiously follow their workout routine but yet fail to show a sizable increase in muscle mass.

There are others who engage in weight training and cardio workouts just twice or thrice a week but still develop a well-toned body easily. This change in body's response to exercise in men has been attributed to male body types. It is discussed here:

Male body is classified into three types - Mesomorphs, ectomorphs and endomorphs. Body type is a genetic attribute but of course can be changed with exercise and diet. A specific body type will have a positive or negative impact on the physical attributes and overall appearance. It is discussed here:

Following a moderate intensity exercise routine is enough to increase muscle mass. In other words, gaining a well-toned body or losing weight is no big deal for mesomorphs. Mesomorphs are appealing and have an eye-catching body shape. Mesomorphs have thick muscles that easily respond to exercise.

They are athletic and have an envious chest and wider shoulders. Even other body parts like buttocks, hips, calves and abdomen are not out of shape but tends to be well-defined and muscular. Mesomorphs that have a rectangular or trapezoid body shape show good posture and impressive height. The best examples of mesomorphs are body builders and athletes.

Inability to gain weight is the most common complaint among ectomorphs. To be precise, they find it difficult to add pounds to their weight due to high metabolic rate.

One good thing about ectomorphs is that they usually don't suffer from low stature. They are tall, slender with long limbs and arms. However, unlike mesomorphs, these long-legged ectomorphs have very lean muscles and so they have to strive hard to achieve a well-toned body.

For ectomophs, high intensity workouts are a must if they are keen to increase muscle size. They have a weak build, narrow chest, small shoulders and thin wrists. No wonder, ectomorphs have to really work hard to tone up their muscles.

However, being linear in shape and having an overall low body fat, they tend to show great stamina for endurance activities. Hence, ectomorphs are found to be good runners. So, even though ectomorphs are skinny, their performance in marathon running might be far better than mesomorphs.

Endomorphs are found to be overweight and so their main concern is how to lose weight easily. Endomorphs are short, have fat arms and legs, but they possess strong muscles, particularly in the legs. That is why, endomorphs excel in leg exercises such as squats and jumping jack. However, their pear-shaped body tends to accumulate fat in the abdominal area.

They are less inclined to doing exercises and therefore are prone to obesity. This body type can invite unfriendly stares, if a healthy diet and exercise are not incorporated into the daily schedule.

Also, endomorphs are at an increased risk of developing heart ailments and chronic conditions like diabetes as they tend to gain fat easily. On a positive side, endomorphs have larger bones in comparison to other body types.

So, depending on your body type, you have to decide what exercise and diet needs to be followed that helps to achieve that ideal male body.

On the whole, whatever may be your body type, make sure not to lead an inactive lifestyle because it will only lead to weight gain and obesity. Remember, getting the mesomorph body type is not difficult if you are determined to pursue your workout routine religiously.