Whenever you go out, how often do you come across people that tend to be tall, skinny, lean, and with little body fat? I’d say it’s pretty often. These are the characteristics of an Ectomorph body type. Now the question remains, are Ectomorphs rare?
Skinny people, in general, are pretty common. Ectomorphs on the other hand are quite rare. According to multiple surveys done to people about their body types, on average, only 1 in 15 of them have an Ectomorph body type.
How do you know if you are an Ectomorph?
Here are all the fundamental characteristics of an Ectomorph body type. If you fit at least 3 of them, then there is a good chance you’re an Ectomorph:
- Ectomorphs have a small and delicate frame and bone structure which makes them look skinny even though they pack some muscles mass. And this is a pretty common struggle among all ectomorphs. No matter how hard they train, it’s so hard for them to look big
- Ectomorphs often have a flat chest. They can benchpress double their weight, but their chest won’t have that 3d effect that the average bodybuilders tend to have. However, because of their low body fat percentage, Ectomorphs’ chest will look much more ripped, lean, and aesthetic.
- Ectomorphs find it really hard to gain weight. That’s because of their rapid metabolism that will constantly burn calories more than average even on simple activities. And this is the most difficult thing to handle as an Ectomorph. You’ll need to be eating every two or so hours in order to have a calories surplus if you want to gain weight.
- Besides the struggle of gaining weight which is hard as it is, Ectomorphs also struggle greatly to build muscles. Even if you hit the gym on a daily basis and put in some hard work and dedication during your workouts, you won’t see fast results at all compared to someone that has another body type. This can get pretty demotivating and it’s one of the main reasons why Ectomorphs tend to quit early during their transformation journey.
Ectomorphs need to develop some pretty strict habits if they want to improve their results. For example, If you read some of my previous articles, then you know that I highly recommend following a workout plan that’s well adapted to the Ectomorph body type, at the gym or at home. Also, make sure to follow the tips mentioned in this Ectomorph weight gain guide as well.
Is It Good To Be An Ectomorph?
So “Are Ectomorphs rare?” you now know the answer to that and you know how to identify yourself as one. You may have noticed though, most of the things and characteristics I’ve said about Ectomorphs are bad. And you’re probably asking yourself this, “Is it good to be an Ectomorph?”. To tell you the truth, I’m personally an Ectomorph, and I absolutely LOVE it.
And here is why:
- If you think about it, I get to eat whatever I want, and whenever I want, without ever thinking about gaining weight or having a good diet (Although it is recommended to have a diet that’s adapted to the Ectomorph body type). While other people with different body types are constantly watching and keeping track of what they eat and are always scared to put on fat, I get to sip on my coke and eat my favorite hamburger without a single worry about losing my 6-pack.
- When I first started training, I looked muscular even though I only gained a tiny amount of muscle mass. And that’s because of the low body fat Ectomorphs tend to have. 1 month after training and I instantly started seeing some abs, veins and my overall muscles started to take shape.
- As an Ectomorph, I dominated in almost every sport I played, I remember when I used to play basketball during high school, I would always score all the points with little to no effort because of my Ectomorph characteristics. Here are some great sports Ectomorphs can play.
- One of the most important features of all Ectomorphs, in general, is that we look darn good shirtless. Just imagine all the attention you’re going to get if you take off your shirt to reveal a lean, low body fat, ripped body. But you need to work hard for it of course and it’s not going to be easy. Here is an article talking about the attractiveness of Ectomorphs.
And here is an in-depth article answering if it’s good to be an Ectomorph.
As you can see, pure Ectomorphs are pretty rare. And if you’re one of them, in my opinion, consider yourself as one of the luckiest few. You’ll have some unique characteristics that not all body types tend to have.