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Jeremy Weinstein

English & Composition

Zach Gregory

7/1/20

Catering to the Mesomorph

Everyone would love to be physically fit and generally healthy. The general consensus is

exercising and eating healthy on a regular basis will make us reach our health and wellness

goals. However, the biggest struggle is not doing those things; the real battle lies in figuring out

what to do in the first place and how to do it. Everybody is different and therefore should be

prescribed with a diet and exercise regiment that compliments one’s body type. Somatotype, a

branch of taxonomy, is broken into 3 classifications of body types: Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and

Endomorph. Each somatotype has its own set of characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages;

each influencing how our bodies react, or don’t react, to our fitness efforts. My body type is

considered mesomorphic. My question is: “What is the ideal diet and workout regimen to reach

my goal of building muscle and cutting fat with a mesomorphic body type?”

The classification system of somatotypes was pioneered by William Sheldon, a Ph.D.

holder in psychology and M.D. in the mid 20th century. Sheldon believed there was a strong

relationship between a person’s body type and personality/temperament. The system is as

follows: Endomorphs (heavier set and round bodies, believed to have a selfish, more outgoing

personality), mesomorphs (square-shaped and muscular, known to be more aggressive and

competitive), and ectomorphs (tall and skinny, thought to be introverted and bashful). These

were explained in-depth in Sheldon’s Works: The Varieties of Human Physique and The

Varieties of Temperament, both published in the early 1940s. This system was also utilized to
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analyze and predict the temperaments of criminals. (Bernard, Thomas). “It was originally

believed that a person’s somatotype was unchangeable and that certain physiological and

psychological characteristics were even determined by whichever one a person aligns to” (Payne,

Andrew). This system was very significant in its time, however it was severely criticized due to

its small sample size and the entire study mistook the correlation between body type and

personality with causation (Bernard, Thomas). Encyclopedia Britannica has been an incredible

resource for background information regarding the history of somatotypes and the study of body

types. It offers multiple, credible, related articles on the ones I am using that have given me more

contextual information that has helped me interpret and share the information I have learned. The

National Academy of Sports Medicine is also a great resource for the background of somatotypes

because it fills in the holes and answers the questions that emerge from the debunking of the

relationship between the psychological and physical. It also offers solutions to how one can

overcome their struggle to change their body composition.

Now I must specify that the idea of one’s psychological make-up is due to the size, shape,

and mass of one’s body that has been completely debunked. There is no causation between the

two, other than the influence of secondary factors such as self-esteem and disabilities on mental

health. Somatotype is a misnomer for fitness diagnoses. Body type is a more accurate term when

it comes to describing one’s current physical health and shape. It is also important to note that

body types are not a life sentence. “The observable somatotype represents the current sum of

their physical, dietary, and lifestyle choices up to that point in time, combined with a variety of

uncontrollable factors influenced by both genetics and the surrounding environment” (Payne,

Andrew). Meaning that if one changes their physical, dietary, and lifestyle choices they can

change their body type. Throughout the remainder of this paper when I refer to “body type” I am
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referencing the physical make-up of my body and not the psychological conclusions drawn by

William Sheldon.

The first point of improving physical health and ability is exercising. The more important

factor, however, is incorporating a proper diet into the newly adopted lifestyle. The saying “Abs

are made in the kitchen” has some truth to it.

In Just Your Type, Phil Catudal specifies that Mesomorphs have an abundance of fast-

twitch muscle fibers, meaning that their muscles respond and build muscle quickly. However,

due to a lack of slow-twitch muscle fibers, they lack muscle endurance and do not usually grow

at a consistent rate. This often results in a fitness plateau, where the body has adapted to the

stress of the workouts and does not develop beyond a certain point despite activity and diet. The

key to combat this is “periodization-based training”, breaking down a long term goal into

smaller, more obtainable, phases that allow consistent progress to a final goal. “For example, a

plan might consist of six weeks of using heavy weights, followed by a one-week break, followed

by a four-week endurance and cardio phase then a one week rest, then a six- to eight-week phase

of bodybuilding training for aesthetic purposes and high-intensity interval cardio workouts” (61).

Just Your Type is extremely helpful when it comes to comparing body types and their individual

needs. It has also given me extensive, helpful information for my key points: diet and activity.

Important factors to note are the effort and pacing of these exercises. How hard do I have

to push myself when exercising? Breaking the phases down even further, Catudal describes the

most efficient method of exercise is performing HIIT (High-Intensity-Interval-Training)

workouts. These are sessions composed of multiple compound exercises that target multiple

muscle groups done in bursts of 30-45 seconds alternating with shorter rest periods. This method

of exercise cultivates body synergy, maximizing fat loss, and muscle development (Catudal).
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However, it has also been concluded that the best results are obtained when athletes train

their muscles to failure as opposed to pacing exercises via circuit training (Oroles). The concept

of training to failure is pushing your body to its absolute limit and is unable to perform any more

reps of the current exercise without rest. For example: performing push-ups to the point where

your arms cannot lift your body anymore despite any amount of effort exerted and you

eventually collapse to the ground.

When analyzing these two sources and the conclusions they have drawn for the optimal

method of exercising, I have concluded that perhaps the most effective method would be finding

a proper balance between the two. One way of combining the two is writing a HIIT workout and

increasing the interval time to allow the athlete to work to the point of failure before moving on

to the next exercise in the circuit and eventually returning to the original exercise once they have

properly rested for an allotted time.

Due to a higher amount of muscle mass and a lower amount of fat, mesomorphs burn

more calories in a day and require 300-400 more calories in their daily diet, in order to maintain

and or grow, compared to the ecto- and endo- counterparts. He also goes on to specify that

mesomorphs who are looking to lose weight should eat within a 1,500-2,300 daily caloric intake.

The nutrient breakdown for mesomorphs weighing in between 140-200 pounds should be 30%

carbs (400-560 calories), 35% protein (400-600) calories, and 35% of fat (540-720) each day

(Catudal).

To personalize these guidelines, I used MyPlate.org’s “MyPlatePlan” feature. I inserted

my age, weight, height, and activity level and received the following breakdown of daily

nutrition: 2 ½ cups of fruit, 3 ½ cups of vegetables, 10 oz of grains, 7 oz of protein, and 3 cups of

dairy all amounting to around 2,800 calories (choosemyplate). This is a great resource to use to
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get a more specific breakdown of macronutrients rather than estimating a percentage or

meticulously counting calories. It is especially reliable because its sole purpose is to give these

breakdowns and not to push fad diets on to the reader.

Overall, the biggest takeaway from my research thus far is keeping in mind that body

composition fluctuates. Where one person is at one point is not a life sentence. It can be changed

by modifying exercise, diet, and lifestyle habits. More specifically, when it comes to

mesomorphs, exercise should be done in intense intervals that are long enough to allow the

athlete to exert their full capacity of effort. Their diet should stay within a range of 1,500-2,300

calories depending on goals and skeletal build. And an active lifestyle should be maintained in

order to sustain the effects of the efforts made so far.

Works Cited:

Bernard, Thomas J. “William Sheldon.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia

Britannica, Inc., 15 Nov. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/William-Sheldon.

Catudal, Phil/ Colino Stacey. Just Your Type: The Ultimate Guide to Eating and Training

Right for Your Body Type. Perseus Books Group, 2019.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Mesomorph.” Encyclopædia Britannica,

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 29 Jan. 2020,www.britannica.com/science/mesomorph.

“MyPlatePlan.” ChooseMyPlate, www.choosemyplate.gov/resources/MyPlatePlan.

Accessed 24, June 2020.

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Oroles, Florescu, et al. “THE EFFICIENCY OF THE BODY STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT

PROCEDURES ON THE MESOMORPH SUBJECTS.” Shibboleth Authentication

Request, eds-a-ebscohost-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=be41a8

66-f7aa-4c94-b3d8-57f53d1ba6ab%40sdc-v-

sessmgr03&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3D#AN=134143003&db=asn.

Payne, Andrew. “Body Types: How to Train & Diet for Your Body Type.” NASM, 2019,

blog.nasm.org/fitness/body-types-how-to-train-diet-for-your-body-type. Accessed 27,

June 2020.

Starvation mode?

Fitness Plateau?

https://www.britannica.com/science/nutritional-disease

https://www.britannica.com/science/ectomorph