If you happen to have a mesomorph body type, you’ve been dealt some great genetic cards. But knowing how to play them is half the battle.
Eating and training for the wrong body type can be a frustrating endeavor. Any health and fitness buff worth their salt will tell you how significant the differences between a mesomorph, an endomorph, and an ectomorph can be.
So understanding your body’s genetic features is the first step toward a healthy lifestyle. Only then can you know what you need to play your mesomorphic game full out.
What Is a Mesomorph?
Those with a mesomorph body type tend to naturally possess an athletic build — lean and muscular. Due to their genetic figure, they’re able to gain muscle and lose fat with ease.
According to the somatotype theory by psychologist William H. Sheldon, mesomorph is one of three main body types; the other two are ectomorph and endomorph.
Each body type has a number of unique features. Here are the main aspects of a mesomorph body type:
- Rectangular-shaped body
- Well-defined muscles
- Athletic build
- Medium constitution
- Even weight distribution
These characteristics are just a general outlook. When it comes to body types, things are not always black or white. You may be a mesomorph, but you can also have some traits of an ectomorph or an endomorph.
How to know if you are a mesomorph
Mesomorphs are naturally lean, muscular, and strong. They have a moderate frame and their bodies respond well to exercise.
The male body types possess less drastic differences than their female counterparts. So when it comes to the characteristics of a mesomorph male versus a mesomorph female, here is the comparison:
- Mesomorph body type, male: Broad shoulders that taper into a narrow waist.
- Mesomorph body type, female: Medium frame, commonly appearing like an hourglass figure.
Curious to find out if you’re a mesomorph? (Or maybe one of the other body types?) Here’s a quiz to find out.
Famous mesomorphs
Pop culture is filled with mesomorphs. Think Jessica Rabbit, DC Comics’ Wonder Woman, Cartoon Network’s Johnny Bravo, Dragon Ball Z’s Goku, and even SpongeBob’s Larry the Lobster.
However, they’re not only found in animation. Many wonderful mesomorph body type celebrities represent this particular community — Dwayne Johnson, Jason Mamoa, Jennifer Garner, Gal Gadot, and Simone Biles, just to name a few.
How to Get a Mesomorph Body
Based on genetics, you’ll fall under one of Sheldon’s three somatotypes — ectomorph, mesomorph, or endomorph. Remember that if you’re mesomorphic, you may have traits of the other two body types, but you will undoubtedly be categorized as a mesomorph.
What matters most is understanding your lifestyle and health goals, as well as how you decide to go about achieving them. So know your body type and its genetic predispositions to determine the best course of action to meet your goals.
With a little patience, persistence, and hard work, you’ll be amazed by the results you can achieve.
How to lose weight as a mesomorph
When people think of weight loss, they usually go straight to nutrition and exercise. However, other parts of your lifestyle contribute to body transformation.
So to optimize your well-being for your body type, here’s a closer look at the most ideal lifestyle regimen with insights from Ronan Diego, Mindvalley’s head of health and fitness and trainer of Mindvalley’s 10X Quest.
Morning routine
How you start your day sets the tone for the rest of it. So it’s always a good idea, as backed by science, to get a morning routine down.
Ronan jumpstarts his day with a few practices, including getting sunlight, doing Qigong, and drinking a mixture of water and salt. Here are some other ways:
Nutrition
Whatever your physique, it’s important to have a well-balanced diet. So as a mesomorph, your diet should consist of equal parts of:
- Protein, like eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, beans, and lentils.
- Carbohydrates, including brown rice, oatmeal, nuts and seeds, and healthy oils like coconut or olive oil.
- Fruits and vegetables that are in season.
Since you’re prone to muscle gain, you can take advantage of eating more calories while maintaining your weight and keeping your body fat percentage low. Additionally, consistent protein consumption will help with muscle repair if you exercise regularly.
What other eating habits can you implement in a healthy diet? Here are Ronan’s seven tips:
Fitness
Although, as a mesomorph, you’re able to lose weight easily, you’re also able to gain weight just as easily. So ideal exercises to maintain a healthy weight for your body type are those that engage multiple muscle groups at the same time and rapidly trigger your body’s adaptive response.
“What you need is, first, a type of exercise that gets your body to adapt,” says Ronan. “Then, you need to make these exercises intense enough so that you don’t need to spend hours doing light work.”
It’s not about working out harder, he adds. Rather, it’s about working out smarter.
Here’s where you can find out how:
Sleep
Your slumber may not seem like an essential player in the weight loss game. However, research has shown that there is a connection between sleep and weight.
In fact, past studies suggest that those who get less than six hours of sleep per night are more likely to be obese. It can slow down your metabolism and encourage overeating.
“Everything that you do, you do better a lot better when you sleep,” Ronan explains. “Sleep deprivation is one of the things that is shortening your life, increasing your stress levels, and it is an indirect probable cause for most of the problems that you face later on in life.”
To better optimize your sleep, here are some steps from Ronan you can use:
Your Greatness Knows No Limits
As genetically gifted as they might be, mesomorphs aren’t spared from having to put in the work if they want to explore the full potential of their physical bodies. So, treat your body well as a mesomorph, and it will return the favor tenfold.
If you need a little help, Mindvalley’s here to support you. With Ronan as your guide, you’ll learn how the tools and exercises to get your body in a stronger, fitter, faster, and more resilient state.
Welcome in.
