Help me figure out my body type

[Determination]

This is something I neglected to do, and since I originally was getting such great results, I never bothered to check back on it. Now that I've been stuck at a plateu for quite some time, I've been re-reading my books, trying to get myself into a groove again.

In Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, he has checklists for each body type (Endo, meso, ecto -morph)

I simply checked which ones applied to me and this is what I got:

Ectomorph characteristics:

Very small jointed. I can put my fingers around my wrists with ease. Very small hands and feet are 8-8.5 us size.

Mesomorph characteristics:

I have broad shoulders, gaining strenght and size is easy for me, I respond quickly to trainining, I've always been able to jump higher that people my height and weight. Always been into sports, very quick off my feet. Cat like reflexes.

Endomorph characteristics:

Endurance has always been an issue. To build up endurance takes 50 times as much work as the average person. My upper body is pearshaped, meaning my waist dominates over my chest. My latteral quickness has always been crap. I have bouted with fatigue and tiredness my whole life.

Any ideas on what I might be? And how it might affect my fat loss goals? Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[aztecwolf]

can't really tell yeah, for i too am confused at what type I am, I long skinny apendages, a pencil neck, can put on weight rather well by adjusting my food intake and exercise patterns. I build well in the shoulders, back, and chest, and see hardly any development in the arms or legs. I have never really been one of those naturally skinny low bf guys, but i can get there with a lot of hard work. I also look rather big for my height and weight, 5'11 165 lbs.

 

[PreMier]

Rarely does a person fit into one category. Most fit into 2-3, just like yourself.

Im probably dominant Meso and part endo.

 

[Akateros]

You could take this test.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm
No guarantees of accuracy made.

 

[PreMier]

Your score is 1.92.

Your body is closest to a Mesomorph. You have a naturally fit body but to maintain it or improve it you should exercise and diet correctly for your type. Strength training can be done more often and for longer sessions then would be good for an Ectomorph, but you must still be carefull not to overdo it. You should train with moderate to heavy weighs and at a moderate pace, not resting too long between sets. You will find you gain muscle quite easy (some women and even men might not want to get too bulky, but this won't happen suddenly. When you are happy with your muscle size simply train to maintain it). Stick to a good healthy diet to keep you lean and muscular, and watch for any slow creeping fat gains. Engage in and enjoy aerobic activities, sports, etc. but do not overdo.

 

[arbntmare]

my score was 1.62... now i am depressed it just told me i am fat! that lying piece of shit system.. jk

 

[Determination]

I took that thing, but I found that there wasn't an accurate choice for an answer for almost all the questions...score was 2.08 but I don't take it to mean anything

I'm simply trying to find things inherent to my body type that might help me tweak my diet/exercise routine. Trial and error's a bitch

 

[Akateros]

Honestly, if you discount the small hands and feet, you sound like some combination of meso-endo to me.

Really, though, I think those divisions are not as hard and fast as people like to think. By all evidence, I'm a pretty classic meso with endo tendencies -- but my body responds differently depending on my weight and exercise. When I used to run a lot, and was severely underweight, I'd react to carbs in the classic "ecto" fashion, burning 'em up like paper. Before that, I was overweight, and the endo traits were prominent. Now that I've got more mass on me, the bod acts like a meso.

Point being, it still comes down to trial and error to a degree. You should be aiming to change and evolve your body, and if you do, your diet strategies may well -- in fact probably will -- lose their effectiveness and need more or less tweaking.

 

[Determination]

My body overall is very odd. I'm "thinned boned" like an ecto, but I have wide shoulders like a meso, yet I'm pear shaped like an endo. Very hard to pin-point. I'm hoping the pear shape is something that I can correct by chest/back growth and getting rid of the fat around my waist.

My back's actually been growing quite a bit even on a calorie deficit...just trying to get my abs to pop out so I can start lifting for gains again. That used to be so much fun ha

 

[Akateros]

Thin-boned, or just with small extremities? A lot of "typical" endomorphs tend to have a sort of taper effect -- more marked in women, but I've seen it in men as well -- wide in the middle, heavy thighs and to a lesser degree upper arms, and rather delicate hands and feet.

 

[Determination]

well I have very small hands, but I also have tiny wrists. I've always had muscle on my legs, but after my calves my legs are super thin.

It's funny, you see me with a shirt on and I'm a pretty slim yet muscular looking guy. I'm actually pretty happy with the progress made with the rest of my body. But shirt off, I have a pear shaped upper body, I've always had a gut (regardless of how defined the rest of my body is) that's why I've been trying to burn as much fat as possible.

My goal is to get rid of the fat around my waist so I can then work on putting muscle and develop a V-shaped upper body.

basically I'm trim and muscular everywhere except my midsection.

Usually the advice there is to clean up your diet, but my diet was already A+ clean, i just messed up with calories and killed my metabolism...haven't lost crap in over a month. Currently refeeding so I can get back on track.

 

[Vital Signs]

I scored 1.83,... Your body is closest to a Mesomorph.

I think 2.0 would have been more accurate!

 

[Premo55]

Determination, I am exactly like you in every way. Well maybe except the gut. Haha. Hang in there, though. I'm sure you'll get it right soon.

Peace.