The Best Diet, Workouts, and Supplements for Your Body Type

One of the most common questions I get asked by people new to fitness is, “what is my body type?” 

Often, they follow this up with something like, “I know I can’t change my body type, but how can I make the most of what I’ve got?”

The theory goes that everyone has an innate “body type” that informs your ability to build muscle and lose fat. This body type is written into your genetic code, which makes changing it impossible.

For example, some people think they have a “skinny body type,” sometimes called an “ectomorph” body type, that will forever hinder their ability to build muscle, but that also prevents them from gaining fat.

Likewise, other people think they have a “thick body type,” sometimes called an “endomorph” body type, which makes it easy for them to gain muscle but without a cat in hell’s chance of slimming down.

While it’s true that you can categorize people based on their current body type, this doesn’t say anything about what their body type could be in the future. 

In other words, pigeonholing people based on their body type is like classifying people based on how they dress—it’s an obvious distinction, but a simple one to change.

Regardless of your starting point, with the right diet, workout plan, and supplement regimen, you can have any body type you want. 

Read on to learn how. 

What Is a Body Type?

A body type, or somatotype, is a way of classifying a person’s body based on physical characteristics such as skeletal frame and distribution and proportion of muscle mass and body fat. The three main body types are ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph.

Psychologist Dr. William Sheldon first introduced the theory of body types in 1940. He believed that everyone is born with an unchangeable body type that determines several aspects of your personality and temperament. 

While research has discredited Sheldon’s claims, many people continue to use body types in the context of health and fitness because they believe that to maximize your results, you should eat and train according to your body type. Some also point to Sheldon’s somatotypes to justify why they can’t lose fat or gain muscle regardless of their behavior. 

The Three Main Body Types

Ectomorph Body Type

People commonly think of the ectomorph body type as the “lean body type” or “slim body type.”

Ectomorphs tend to have narrow hips and shoulders, thin wrists and ankles, long limbs, and low levels of body fat and muscle. They also struggle to gain muscle and fat and can easily lose any muscle or fat they gain.

Mesomorph Body Type

People commonly think of the mesomorph body type as the “athletic body type.”

Mesomorphs typically have broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and large, well-formed muscles. They naturally have more muscle than most people and can gain muscle and lose fat easily.

Research also shows that mesomorphs tend to be significantly stronger than people with other body types.

Endomorph Body Type

People commonly think of the endomorph body type as the “stocky body type.”

Endomorphs are characterized by broad shoulders and a wide rib cage and waist, giving their upper body a “blocky” appearance. They also have thick joints, short limbs, and higher-than-normal levels of fat and muscle. Generally speaking, endomorphs find gaining muscle relatively easy but struggle to lose fat.

What Is My Body Type?

Determining your body type isn’t as difficult as many people think. You don’t have to take a “body type quiz” or plug your measurements into a body type calculator—you simply have to look in the mirror and be objective.

If your wrists and ankles are thin, your shoulders are narrower than or the same width as your hips, and you tend to find gaining weight difficult, you’re probably an ectomorph.

If you have broad shoulders and a slim waist and are relatively muscular and lean, you’re probably a mesomorph.

And if you have a “blocky” upper body, short limbs, and gain fat easily, you’re probably an endomorph.

That said, people rarely fit into any of these categories perfectly. What’s more common is you’re predominantly one type, with “shades” of another.

Does Your Body Type Matter?

There’s no denying that your genetics influence many aspects of your appearance. Some people, however, lean too far into this, claiming that they’ll never have the body they want because their somatotype prohibits it.

For instance, it’s common to hear endomorphs lament that they’re just “built big” as a justification for why they can’t trim down, or ectomorphs (and some mesomorphs) whinge that their “fast metabolisms” make it hard to gain strength and size.

And this is wrong on just about every level.

First, your levels of muscle mass and body fat are primarily determined by your eating and exercise behaviors, not your genetics. While losing fat and building muscle is easier for some than others, everyone can build a healthy body they can be proud of.

Second, there’s little evidence that the genetics that inform your somatotype affect your body composition. For example, you could have many ectomorphic traits (thin wrists and ankles, long limbs, and narrow shoulders) while appearing to be an endomorph due to high body fat levels. Or, you could have many endomorphic traits (short limbs, thick joints, wide shoulders) and look like an ectomorph because you’re very skinny. 

What actually determines your body composition, then? 

You guessed it—your behaviors. 

With the right diet and exercise program, you can transform yourself into just about any body type you want. Even if you have narrow shoulders, small joints, long limbs, and a short torso, you can still look like a mesomorph by adding 10-to-20 pounds of muscle in the right places and reducing your body fat percentage. 

This is why I don’t put much stock in the concept of body types. While it’s useful for describing how you might look in the present, it has almost no bearing on how hard or easy it will be to change your body type in the future.

In the final analysis, then, your body type is mutable and largely in your control.

How to Eat and Train for Your Body Type

According to Dr. Sheldon’s original theory, your body type is assigned before you’re born, and there’s no way to change it. 

This isn’t the case, though.

Regardless of your starting point, you absolutely can change your body type—you just have to follow the right diet and training plan. 

Here’s everything you need to know.

Diet, Workouts, and Supplements for Ectomorphs

Ectomorph Diet: An ectomorph’s number-one priority is gaining muscle, and that requires you to consume more calories than you burn. For most people, the sweet spot for maximizing muscle gain while minimizing fat gain is somewhere around 110% of your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).

You should also consume 0.8-to-1 gram of protein, 0.75-to-2 grams of carbs, and 0.2-to-0.4 grams of fat per pound of body weight per day.

(And if you’d like more specific advice about how many calories, how much of each macronutrient, and which foods you should eat to reach your fitness goals, take the Legion Diet Quiz.)

This should allow you to gain 0.5-to-1 pound of body weight per week, which is your goal if you’re a man. Women should shoot for about half that.

Some ectomorphs will struggle to gain weight because they subconsciously move more when they eat more calories. If this is the case for you, the solution is simple: eat more.

Here’s what I recommend:

1. Eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day.
2. Eat 25-to-35 more grams of carbs per day.
3. Follow this diet for 7-to-10 days. If your weight stays the same, repeat step 2.

Continue to follow these steps until you’re gaining weight at the desired rate. If you’re still not gaining weight when you’re eating 3 grams of carbs per pound of body weight per day, increase your fat intake by 10-to-15 grams per day instead.

Ultimately, the exact amounts or ratios of carbs and fat you eat isn’t important. Assuming you’re eating enough carbs to perform well in your workouts, you can increase your calorie intake by eating whatever combination of fat and carbs you prefer. 

Ectomorph Workouts: The best way to build muscle as an ectomorph is to focus on compound exercises that allow you to get stronger over time and do the right number of weekly sets to promote hypertrophy without wearing yourself to a frazzle.

For a workout program that checks all of these boxes, check out this article:

Hypertrophy Training: Best Workout Program for Hypertrophy

You should also keep a lid on your cardio, too. 

Doing a lot of cardio can make gaining weight more difficult by significantly increasing the number of calories you burn, making it more challenging to stay in a calorie surplus. It can also sap your energy levels, making your weightlifting workouts less productive. 

There’s no need to forgo cardio as an ectomorph, provided you account for the calories you burn and eat more accordingly. Still, you may want to limit yourself to no more than one-to-two 30-to-40-minute low-intensity cardio workouts per week.

Ectomorph Supplements: No amount of pills and powders will add 20 pounds of muscle to your frame overnight, but there are some that can speed up the process.

The best supplements for building muscle and boosting your performance in the gym are:

• Whey+ protein powder and Casein+ protein powder. You want to eat 0.8-to-1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day, which provides your body with the “building blocks” it needs to build and repair muscle tissue and help you recover from your workouts. You can get this protein from whole foods or supplements, but if you want a clean, convenient, and delicious source of protein, try Whey+ or Casein+.
• 3-to-5 grams of creatine per day. This will boost muscle and strength gain, improve anaerobic endurance, and reduce muscle damage and soreness from your pull workouts. If you want a 100% natural source of creatine that also includes two other ingredients that will help boost muscle growth and improve recovery, try Recharge.
• One serving of Pulse per day. Pulse is a 100% natural pre-workout drink that enhances energy, mood, and focus; increases strength and endurance; and reduces fatigue. You can also get Pulse with caffeine or without.

(And if you’d like even more specific advice about which supplements you should take to reach your health and fitness goals, take the Legion Supplement Finder Quiz, and in less than a minute, you’ll know exactly what supplements are right for you. Click here to check it out.)

Diet, Workouts, and Supplements for Mesomorphs

Mesomorph Diet: Mesomorphs typically have a moderate amount of muscle and a low body fat percentage, which means they start within spitting distance of the bodies most people want.

Therefore, most mesomorphs only need to make subtle changes to their diet and training programs to get the body they’re gunning for, which usually involves getting even leaner by cutting and gaining a little more muscle by bulking.

Which route you take depends on your goals and preferences. If you want help deciding, check out this article:

The Easiest Way to Know If You Should Cut or Bulk

If you decide to bulk, consume around 110% of your total daily energy expenditure and 0.8-to-1 gram of protein, 0.75-to-2 grams of carbs, and 0.2-to-0.4 grams of fat per pound of body weight per day, and adjust following the same guidelines you learned above for ectomorphs.

If you decide to cut, consume 20-to-25% fewer calories than you burn every day and 1-to-1.2 grams of protein, 0.75-to-2 grams of carbs, and 0.2-to-0.4 grams of fat per pound of body weight per day.

And if you choose to maintain, consume about the same number of calories as you burn every day and 0.8-to-1 gram of protein, 0.75-to-2 grams of carbs, and 0.2-to-0.4 grams of fat per pound of body weight per day.

Mesomorph Workouts: Mesomorphs should train similarly to ectomorphs and prioritize compound exercises that allow you to get progressively stronger over time. That said, in most cases, mesomorphs don’t need to work as hard as ectomorphs to make progress, so they can do less volume (sets and reps) each week and get comparable results.

The only exception to this rule is if you have a mesomorphic look because you already lift weights regularly. In this scenario, you may need to increase your weekly volume to continue progressing.

And if you’d like specific advice about how many sets you should do each week, how often you should train, and what exercises you should do to reach your health and fitness goals, take the Legion Strength Training Quiz, and in less than a minute, you’ll know the perfect strength training program for you. Click here to check it out.

Mesomorph Supplements: Mesomorphs don’t need supplements to build muscle, but there are a few that can help maximize their results. Specifically . . . 

• Whey+ protein powder and Casein+ protein powder. You want to eat 0.8-to-1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day, which provides your body with the “building blocks” it needs to build and repair muscle tissue and help you recover from your workouts. You can get this protein from whole foods or supplements, but if you want a clean, convenient, and delicious source of protein, try Whey+ or Casein+.
• 3-to-5 grams of creatine per day. This will boost muscle and strength gain, improve anaerobic endurance, and reduce muscle damage and soreness from your pull workouts. If you want a 100% natural source of creatine that also includes two other ingredients that will help boost muscle growth and improve recovery, try Recharge.
• One serving of Pulse per day. Pulse is a 100% natural pre-workout drink that enhances energy, mood, and focus; increases strength and endurance; and reduces fatigue. You can also get Pulse with caffeine or without.

Diet, Workouts, and Supplements for Endomorphs

Endomorph Diet: Most endomorphs have a substantial amount of muscle, but this muscle is usually obscured by fat. In the best case scenario, this leaves them looking stocky—in the worst case scenario, they wind up looking amorphous.

Thus, the easiest way for endomorphs to improve their physique (and health) is to lose fat. Specifically, I recommend you reduce your body fat percentage to 15% or below if you’re a man or 25% or below if you’re a woman.

Research shows that eating 20-to-25% fewer calories than you burn every day will help you lose fat lickety-split without losing muscle or wrestling with excessive hunger, lethargy, and the other hobgoblins of low-calorie dieting.

You should also consume 1-to-1.2 grams of protein, 0.75-to-2 grams of carbs, and 0.2-to-0.4 grams of fat per pound of body weight per day.

Endomorph Workouts: The goal for endomorphs is to burn a fair number of calories while preserving muscle. To do this, you need to focus on . . . 

Studies show that compound exercises produce the greatest increases in metabolic rate, muscle mass, and strength, which means they’re the best type of exercise for increasing fat loss.

• Heavy weightlifting: Research shows that lifting weights that are 75-to-85% of your one-rep max (weights that you can do 6-to-12 reps with before failing) helps you build more muscle and burn more fat than training with lighter weights. 
• Progressive overload: The best way to build muscle and thus maximize the fat-burning effects of weightlifting is to strive to add weight or reps to every exercise in every workout. This is known as progressive overload, and it’s the single most important driver of muscle growth.

(And if you want an exercise program that’s proven to help you gain muscle, lose fat, and get healthy fast, then check out my best-selling fitness books Bigger Leaner Stronger for men, and Thinner Leaner Stronger for women.)

Endomorphs can increase their rate of weight loss by doing some cardio, too (what’s referred to as concurrent training).

For best results do . . .

• At least two low- to moderate-intensity cardio workouts per week of 20-to-40 minutes each
• One HIIT workout per week if you enjoy it
• No more than 2-to-3 hours of cardio per week
• Cardio and weightlifting on separate days. If that isn’t possible, lift weights first and try to separate the two workouts by at least 6 hours

Although you’ll often hear fitness “gurus” tout HIIT as the most effective kind of cardio for fat loss, this isn’t true. Moderate-intensity, steady-state cardio is just as good at fat-burning, easier to recover from, and doesn’t sap your motivation or energy as much as HIIT, which is why I recommend you do it for the majority of your cardio workouts.

Endomorph Supplements: The best supplements for endomorphs to boost weight loss are:

• 3-to-6 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight per day. This will raise the number of calories you burn and also increases strength, muscle endurance, and anaerobic performance. If you want a clean, delicious source of caffeine that also contains five other ingredients that will boost your workout performance, try Pulse.
• 0.1-to-0.2 milligrams of yohimbine per kilogram of body weight before fasted workouts (if you choose to train fasted). This increases fat loss when used in conjunction with fasted training, and is particularly helpful with losing “stubborn” fat. If you want a 100% natural source of yohimbine that also contains two other ingredients that will help you lose fat faster, preserve muscle, and maintain training intensity and mental sharpness, try Forge.
• One serving of Phoenix per day. Phoenix is a 100% natural fat burner that speeds up your metabolism, enhances fat burning, and reduces hunger and cravings. You can also get Phoenix with caffeine or without.