Somatotype

Somatotypes are the three basic body shapes, charted by Dr William Sheldon in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The three Somatotypes are

Ectomorph- These tend to be long and lean. Low body fat, long, slender, limbs and in some cases, a small torso. Peter Crouch is a classic example of an Ectomorph.

Mesomorph- These tend to be ‘Triangular’ shaped. Capable of packing on muscle relatively easily, they tend to have broad shoulders, a small waist, be fairly lean and usually have strong bones. Brad Pitt is a good example of a Mesomorph.

Endomorph- These tend to be very muscular and strong, with higher body fat than the other two somatotypes. In many cases, endomorphs can be quite short, but very strongly built. Wayne Rooney is a good example of an endomorph.

Although there are three main somatotypes, they are flexible and most people are a mixture of each. It is uncommon for a person to be one single somatotype, so for example an endomorph can be tall and have the ability to reduce body fat to low levels. Similarly, an Ectomorph may have the ability to grow large amounts of muscle or have broad shoulders.

Somatotypes are calculated using a chart system. Each of the three categories is enlisted with a rating between 1 and 7. The somatotype with the highest rating is your dominant type, but we can be a mixture.