Struggling to gain muscle? It could be your body type

Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh

Body Types

There are three main body types—mesomorphs, ectomorphs, and endomorphs—each impacting how easily a person can build muscle.

Mesomorph Advantage

Mesomorphs, with their naturally athletic build, have a distinct edge in muscle growth. Their balanced composition of muscle and fat allows for quicker results from moderate workouts.

Easy Muscle

Thanks to their broad shoulders, narrow waists, and higher muscle mass, mesomorphs can build and maintain muscle faster than other body types.

Effortless Strength

For mesomorphs, moderate exercise delivers significant muscle gains, especially in strength and stamina-focused activities.

Fat vs. Muscle

While mesomorphs can easily gain both muscle and fat, they have the advantage of losing fat quickly through a healthy diet and exercise.

Endomorph Challenge

Endomorphs, with higher body fat, find it harder to reveal muscle mass. Their workouts need to be tailored with calorie control, muscle-building, and high-intensity cardio for optimal results.

Ectomorph Struggles

Ectomorphs—naturally lean and often slim—find it difficult to gain muscle, despite proper training and nutrition, needing a high-calorie, nutrient-dense approach to muscle growth.

Targeted Approach

Ectomorphs and endomorphs can still build muscle—they just need specialized workouts and diets to overcome their body type’s unique challenges.

Muscle Mastery

While mesomorphs have a head start, all body types can gain muscle with the right approach, proving that muscle-building is achievable for everyone.