What’s The Best Body Type For Calisthenics

Some athletes have certain body types that gel well with calisthenics, while others don’t. While consistent training will change this over time, it makes some beginners naturally better than others.

So, what is the best body type?

A mesomorph body type is supreme to calisthenics; naturally, having broad shoulders, a thin waist, and a moderate amount of lean muscle enables you to pick up basic techniques and statics rapidly. The athletic build offers a high strength-to-weight ratio, giving the explosiveness and muscular endurance calisthenics individuals need.

If you don’t see yourself having this body type, there are two other categories you’ll likely fall into:

• Ectomorphs: Long, lean, little body fat and minimal muscle
• Endomorphs: Wide waist and large bones, who easily put on weight.

Below we go in detail about how calisthenics affects each body type. But first, let’s look more into the Mesamorph physique.

Why A Mesamorph Physique Is Prime For Calisthenics

A mesomorph complements all calisthenics movements: be statics, techniques, or exercises – making it the best-fitting body type.

A prime example is Cristiano Ronaldo – while he isn’t known for calisthenics, we bet he can do many pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups.

So, what are the main reasons they go so well together? Glad you asked:

• High Relative Strength: Due to their higher muscle mass and lower weight, they can lift their body weight relatively easily – even without previous training. As a result, they have the foundations of calisthenics established and are quick to move on to complicated tricks.
  
  
• Easy To Put On Muscle: While other body types incorporate weight training or alternative calisthenics movements to build muscle, a mesomorph physique gains strength rapidly. Therefore, they spend most of their time developing skills rather than constantly repping exercises for muscle hypertrophy.
  
  
• Don’t Put On Fat Easily: The most important part of calisthenics is your strength-to-weight ratio. By having a mesomorph body, you have a quick metabolism, preventing you from gaining weight easily. If this weren’t the case, the more weight you put on, the more you must lift per rep, which makes your muscles fatigued quicker and reduces power.
  
  
• Rotational Movements Are Easier: A mesomorph physique is the optimal weight for bar work. You aren’t too heavy that you struggle to hold yourself on the bar, and you aren’t too light that you struggle to build momentum for exercises like muscle-ups.

Is Calisthenics Good For Ectomorphs

An Ectomorph physique (commonly referred to as a hard gainer) is a tall individual who struggles to put on weight and gain muscle mass.

Think of fashion models like Cameron Diaz.

Calisthenics is one of the best starting places for ectomorphs; it utilizes compound exercises that help to build a broader, symmetrical frame. This is great for ectomorphs to build their relative strength and see better muscle definition.

For example, a circuit of pull-ups, push-ups, and abs contracts the core, deltoids, upper back, lower back triceps, and pectorals. As a result, your whole body frame grows within one workout; helping you to put on size. Whereas a circuit like bicep curls, hammer curls, and cable curls only engages your bicep.

Should calisthenics be the only training method an Ectomorph does? No. We recommend:

Build your muscle foundations using calisthenics. This sets you up with a proportioned body frame and sufficient power. Once you’re comfortably lifting your body weight; move towards weight training. This progressively overloads your muscle, helping to counteract the struggle ectomorphs find in putting on mass and accelerating hypertrophy.

The Best Calisthenics Workout For Ectomorphs

Before hitting the weights, ectomorphs should participate in calisthenics for the abovementioned reasons.

As ectomorphs struggle to put on weight, there are two essential parts of a calisthenics workout to focus on:

• Negatives – the eccentric (lengthening) part of the exercise.
• Isolation – narrowing the exercise to use fewer major muscle groups.

For example, when performing a squat:

• Take the negative of a squat (the lowering part) slowly. Don’t let gravity do the work. This increases the time under tension, which builds muscle mass faster for ectomorphs.
  
  
• Once you’re ready, try a one-leg squat (a pistol squat). This engages your gluteals, hamstrings and quadriceps – but only to a single limb. Therefore, your body weight sits on one leg, rather than being distributed between two; increasing muscle hypertrophy.

Upper Body

1. Push-Ups: 3 sets of 10-14 reps. – increase isolation by doing diamond push-ups.
2. Pull-Ups or Inverted Rows: 3 sets of 8-12 reps – increase isolation by widening grip.
3. Dips (using parallel bars or a sturdy surface): 3 sets of 8-12 reps – increase isolation by leaning forward.
4. Planks: 3 sets, hold each for 45-70 seconds.

Lower Body

1. Bodyweight Squats: 3 sets of 15-20 reps – increase isolation by using one leg.
2. Lunges: 3 sets of 12-15 reps (each leg).
3. Glute Bridges: 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
4. Calf Raises 3 sets of 15-20 reps – increase isolation by using one leg.

If you can fly through this, consider weight training to maintain muscle gain.

Is Calisthenics Good For Endomorphs?

Endomorphs are wide-waisted with curvy, rounded body features. They easily put on weight, be muscle mass or fat stores; however, aren’t necessarily overweight.

A good example to refer to is Chris Patt.

Due to its explosive demands and high intensity, calisthenics is excellent for endomorphs. It burns through an immense number of calories, helping endomorphs to shed off their body fat and lower bad-cholesterol levels.

Here is the science:

• Calisthenics involves a lot of compound movements that need to exert lots of power.
  
  
• Due to the intensity, we run out of breath quickly so we respire anaerobically. This means we use glucose to fuel ourselves rather than oxygen.
  
  
• So, the longer we exercise, the more glucose stores we burn. This leads to a lowering of fat levels.

The imperative part to bear in mind is maintaining high-intensity exercise. Otherwise, endomorphs struggle to see results.

NOTE: Calisthenics is a broad training method; it refers to the whole bodyweight training scene. Because of this, not all exercises benefit endomorphs. Instead, they should focus on fast-twitch, HITT exercises (such as burpees), rather than statics like handstands.

So, with that in mind, here is a basic calisthenics workout plan for endomorphs.

The Best Calisthenics Workout For Endomorphs

Workout 1: Core and Cardio

1. Skipping: 8 minutes of total skipping time
2. Bicycle Crunches: 4 sets of 20 reps (10 per side)
3. Jumping Jacks: 3 sets of 45 seconds
4. Mountain Climbers: 3 sets of 45 seconds

Workout 2: Lower Body and Endurance

1. Jump Lunges: 4 sets of 15 reps per leg
2. Burpees: 4 sets of 12 reps
3. High Knees: 3 sets of 45 seconds
4. Box jumps: 3 sets of 10

Workout 3: Upper/ Full Body

1. Handstand Press-Ups: 4 sets of 2
2. Tricep Dips: 3 sets of 8
3. Explosive Pull-ups: Rep until failure as fast as you can 3 times
4. Clap (assisted or non-assisted) Push-ups: 3 sets of 10

Can Calisthenics Change Your Body Type

We widely consider our body type to be genetically determined. Yes, some people can afford to have an extra biscuit without putting on weight; however, this doesn’t mean you’re stuck with the body you have.

Your body type is hereditary and influenced by your environment (diet, exercise, activities, etc). You can’t do much about your genes; however, you can reduce fat levels and increase muscle definition with calisthenics. While you won’t become a pure mesomorph – you’ll get marginally close!

Due to the intensity and muscle demands of calisthenics, calories burn rapidly, and muscles go through hypertrophy. Regardless of your current body type, this builds your structure towards having a broad pair of shoulders, a thin waist, defined abdominals, and a chiseled face.

As calisthenics is so energy-demanding, it speeds up your metabolism! Good news for endomorphs, but not ectomorphs. Don’t worry, though; the muscle gain is significant enough to see a wider frame – even if you burn more calories.

To simplify, here is how calisthenics will change each body type:

Mesomorph	A noticeable increase in muscle ripness, broader shoulders, and ‘pumped‘ arms and legs. Your body structure remains athletic, so there is minimal difference regarding your frame.
Endomorph	Muscle definition is more obvious; any belly, facial, or back fat is lost, and a six-pack becomes present. However, hips stay relatively wide, and you may struggle to see smaller muscle groups such as obliques.
Ectomorph	More muscle definition and a better toned body. But, results look ‘diluted‘; for example, shoulders aren’t visibly broad. This makes you look fuller, but the body structure stays looking slender.

Does Your Body Type Affect Calisthenics Ability

We have concluded how calisthenics affects your body type – what if you were to reverse the question?

Your body type doesn’t impact your skill level or the range of tricks you can perform. However, different body types will put you at a head start when beginning calisthenics; so some have a faster rate of progression than others.

So who are the lucky ones? Well, it’s pretty much as follows:

• Mesomorphs have an optimal body for calisthenics and will see results much quicker than the rest.
• Ectomorphs follow as they’re light. Therefore, the explosive movements are far easier.
• Endomorphs are usually third best.

Ultimately, it’s your hard work and consistency that determines calisthenics ability.

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