To do that, you need to make sure that you’re measuring the width of your bone structure, like so: If you want to figure out whether you have a mesomorphic or ectomorphic frame, you can measure the length of your collarbones (bi-acromial breadth) and then divide it by the width of your hip bones (bi-iliac breadth). All body types can build muscle, but guys with a more mesomorphic bone structure are going to have a slightly higher muscle-building potential than guys with a more ectomorphic bone structure. In both studies, the researchers found that these body type differences were predictive, meaning that by taking these shoulder and hip measurements, we can get an idea of how big and muscular we can naturally get. They found that the Inupiats (aboriginals of Alaska) have a 1.38 collarbone-to-hip ratio and are slenderer than Finns, who have a 1.41 ratio ( study). These are the ectomorphs, and again, they really are naturally thinner.Ī follow-up study titled Body Mass Prediction From Stature and Bi-iliac Breadth in Two High Latitude Populations confirmed the findings from Johns Hopkins, but more importantly, proved that the findings were applicable to the general population, not just elite athletes. The endurance athletes, such as the decathletes, were the narrowest and thinnest, with a ratio of 1.3. These are the mesomorphs, and they really are naturally bigger and stronger. The strength athletes, such as the Olympic weightlifters, were the broadest and most muscular, with a ratio of 1.5. In this study, the researchers took elite athletes who competed in various sports, measured their collarbone-to-hip ratio, weighed them, and established a way to predict body mass based on bone structure. The first is a study out of Johns Hopkins University titled Body Mass Prediction From Skeletal Frame Size in Elite Athletes. Two of these studies are especially interesting. Digging into the research, there are indeed a few studies proving that we can use that ratio as a way of predicting our overall size and muscle mass. In it, Dr Berardi suggested that if your collarbone-to-hip ratio is 1.46 or higher, then you have an ideal frame for building muscle. I initially read about this a decade ago in the old Scrawny to Brawny book by Dr John Berardi. Figuring out if we have narrow shoulders relative to our hips is a great place to start because it’s almost entirely genetic and can influence our ability to build muscle. However, the more we understand our body type, the easier it’s going to be to get into great shape.
Women don’t care much about our body type, but they do care about whether we’re in good shape or not. If you have a muscular upper body and a lean waist, then your bone structure won’t matter very much. Having naturally longer collarbones can help with that, certainly, but attractiveness is based almost entirely on how lean your waist is and how muscular your upper body is ( study).Īfter all, having broad shoulders is just a proxy for strength, and having a lean waist is just a proxy for having a low body-fat percentage. When it comes to your shoulders, the broader your shoulders are compared to your waist, the more attractive your body looks to women. In our article on aesthetics and attractivenesses, we dive deep into the most attractive male proportions. Overall Ectomorph Muscle-Building Geneticsĭo Our Bone Structures Affect Our Attractiveness?.Ectomorphs May Be The Most Attractive Body Type.Do Our Bone Structures Affect Our Attractiveness?.