Body Type Calculator
Discover your somatotype — ectomorph, mesomorph, or endomorph — and get personalized training and nutrition guidance
Body Type Quiz
Answer the following questions based on your natural tendencies, not your current condition after training or dieting.
Consider your bone structure independent of muscle or fat — look at wrist and ankle size as indicators.
How easily do you gain or lose weight when you eat ad libitum (without intentionally dieting or eating extra)?
How do you perceive your metabolism — how quickly does your body use energy?
When you engage in strength training, how readily does your body build visible muscle?
Without any specific training or diet intervention, how would you describe your natural body composition?
How would you describe your natural appetite and food intake tendencies?
Calculate Your Body Type
Enter your details above and select an assessment mode to discover your somatotype with personalized training and nutrition recommendations.
How to Use the Body Type Calculator
Choose Your Gender, Age, and Units
Select your biological sex (male or female), enter your age, and choose your preferred unit system (metric or imperial). Gender affects measurement thresholds for frame size classification and the specific formulas used for wrist-based assessments. Age is used in the BMI calculation and to refine quiz-based scoring. These inputs apply across all three assessment modes.
Select Your Assessment Mode
Choose from three modes: Quick Quiz uses six behavioral questions to estimate your somatotype — ideal if you do not have a tape measure available. Measurements mode uses body circumferences (height, weight, wrist, waist, shoulder, hip) for a more objective assessment. Advanced Heath-Carter mode adds skinfold thicknesses and bone breadths for the most scientifically precise calculation. Start with the Quiz if you are new to somatotyping, then try the Measurements mode for a cross-check.
Enter Your Measurements or Complete the Quiz
For quiz mode, answer all six questions honestly based on your natural tendencies rather than your current trained or dieted state. For measurement mode, use a flexible tape measure and take readings at the specified anatomical landmarks. For the wrist, measure just below the wrist bone. For the waist, measure at the navel (men) or narrowest point (women). For shoulders, measure across the widest deltoid points. For hips, measure at the widest point. Enter skinfold measurements in millimeters and bone breadths in centimeters if using advanced mode.
Review Your Somatotype and Recommendations
Your dominant body type and hybrid type classification appear at the top. Review the somatotype component scores and percentage chart to understand your unique composition. Switch between the Characteristics, Training Plan, Nutrition Plan, and Body Shape tabs for tailored guidance. Check your BMI, frame size, and shoulder-to-waist ratio in the key metrics section. Use the Export or Print buttons to save your results for reference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the three body types — ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph?
Ectomorphs have a lean, narrow-framed physique characterized by long limbs, a flat chest, minimal body fat, and a very fast metabolism. They struggle to gain both weight and muscle. Mesomorphs have a naturally athletic physique with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, well-developed muscles, and an efficient metabolism. They gain muscle relatively easily and maintain moderate body fat. Endomorphs have a rounder, softer build with wider hips, a tendency to accumulate fat easily, and a slower metabolic rate. They can develop significant strength with dedicated training but must pay close attention to diet to manage body fat. Most people express characteristics of two body types, making them hybrid types like ecto-mesomorphs or endo-mesomorphs.
Can your body type change over time with training and diet?
Partially. Your skeletal frame — bone structure, joint widths, shoulder-to-hip ratio — is genetically determined and does not change with training or diet. However, the fat and muscle components of your somatotype are highly trainable. An endomorph who loses significant body fat will score lower on endomorphy and may develop a more mesomorphic appearance. An ectomorph who completes years of progressive strength training will score higher on mesomorphy. This plasticity is why body type is best understood as a description of your genetic tendencies and starting point, not a permanent destiny. The Heath-Carter system captures this by providing continuous numeric scores rather than discrete categories.
Which assessment mode is most accurate — quiz, measurements, or Heath-Carter?
The full Heath-Carter anthropometric method is the most accurate, as it uses objective physical measurements including skinfold thicknesses, bone breadths, and muscle girths to calculate precise component scores. However, it requires specialized calipers and ideally a trained assessor. The measurements mode using circumferences (wrist, waist, shoulder, hip) provides a good intermediate level of accuracy using only a flexible tape measure. The quiz mode is least precise because it relies on self-reported behavioral tendencies, which are subjective and influenced by current fitness state. For practical purposes, using the measurements mode and cross-checking with the quiz gives a reasonable picture of your somatotype without specialized equipment.
What training approach works best for endomorphs trying to lose fat?
For endomorphs, the most effective approach combines high-intensity interval training with consistent strength training four to six days per week. HIIT maximizes the metabolic afterburn effect and burns more calories per unit of time than steady-state cardio. Strength training builds muscle mass, which raises your resting metabolic rate — this is particularly important for endomorphs because muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue. Nutritionally, endomorphs typically respond well to a moderate caloric deficit (300 to 500 calories below maintenance), with reduced simple carbohydrates, higher protein intake (30 to 35 percent of calories), and strategic carbohydrate timing around workouts. Avoid very low carbohydrate diets as they can impair training performance.
How does the shoulder-to-waist ratio indicate body type?
The shoulder-to-waist ratio is one of the key proportional metrics that distinguishes somatotypes. Mesomorphs typically have a shoulder-to-waist ratio of 1.4 or higher, reflecting the classic V-taper of broad shoulders relative to a narrow waist — a result of both skeletal structure and muscle development in the deltoids and lats. Ectomorphs typically have a ratio between 1.2 and 1.4, reflecting narrower shoulders and a relatively lean waist. Endomorphs typically have a ratio below 1.2, reflecting a widening at the waist that closes the gap between shoulder and hip measurements. However, this ratio changes significantly with training — a trained mesomorph-aspiring individual can increase their shoulder-to-waist ratio by building shoulder and back muscle while reducing waist circumference.
What does it mean to be a hybrid body type like ecto-mesomorph or endo-mesomorph?
A hybrid body type means you display significant characteristics of two somatotypes rather than being dominated by just one. An ecto-mesomorph has the lean, linear skeletal frame of an ectomorph combined with the muscle-building responsiveness of a mesomorph — often seen in naturally slim individuals who build muscle quickly when they train. An endo-mesomorph has substantial muscle development (mesomorphy) alongside a tendency to carry higher body fat (endomorphy) — common in naturally strong, stocky athletes like powerlifters or rugby forwards. The Heath-Carter system identifies 13 distinct somatotype categories to accommodate these real-world hybrid profiles. Understanding your hybrid type helps you tailor both training and nutrition more precisely than a simple three-type classification allows.