Endomorph / Mesomorph / Ectomorph = Outdated?

Knowing your bone frame helps contextualize training and nutrition expectations.

The calculator is based on standards from Grant, Broca, NHANES, and commonly used references in sports and nutrition anthropometry.

👉 This tool is educational, not medical. It doesn’t replace professional diagnosis but provides useful context for training and diet planning.

Reading the Result

🔵 Small frame → fine bone structure
🟢 Medium frame → average bone structure
🟠 Large frame → broad bone structure

What it implies

🔵 Small frame
Focus: relative strength, higher emphasis on energy & protein intake.
🟢 Medium frame
Flexible adaptation: responds well to most training/diet protocols.
🟠 Large frame
Strength leverage advantage, but watch out for joint stress & bodyweight management.

Practical Coaching Tips

🔵 Small frame → Aim for 1.8–2.2 g/kg protein + progressive strength cycles.
🟢 Medium frame → Standard hypertrophy/strength cycles, adjust to goals.
🟠 Large frame → Break up heavy volume, monitor recovery & mobility.

💡 “These categories don’t set limits — they simply help tailor training and nutrition to the client’s bone structure.”

Morphotypes: Misunderstood but Useful

The term morphotype refers to an individual’s general build — the balance between muscle mass, fat mass, and bone structure.

In the 1940s, psychologist William Sheldon popularized three categories:

• Ectomorph → narrow build, fast metabolism, harder to gain muscle or weight.
• Mesomorph → balanced frame, broad shoulders, naturally muscular.
• Endomorph → larger frame, stronger baseline, more prone to storing fat.

👉 Still used in fitness and coaching, but these are descriptive, not strict scientific categories.
Lifestyle, diet, and training strongly shape physical appearance — alongside genetics.

Why bone frame is more relevant for coaches

Unlike the broad endo/meso/ecto terms, elbow width is an objective anthropometric measure.
It reflects genetic bone structure and changes little with age or training.

👉 That’s why the classic small / medium / large frame classifications are based on elbow width adjusted for height.

Application in coaching:

• Small frame → harder muscle gains, but good for endurance & definition.
• Large frame → mechanical advantage for strength, but must monitor joints & weight.
• Medium frame → versatile, responds well to most programming.

Strengths & Limitations

• ✅ Contextual tool for planning (cycles, volume, intensity).
• ✅ Combine with wrist/ankle size, body fat %, injury history.
• ✅ Educational/statistical, not medical.

• ⚠ Sensitive to measurement errors (elbow angle, tool placement).
• ⚠ Adolescents/seniors: account for growth or bone loss.
• ⚠ Always interpret in training/nutrition context.

From Theory to Practice with DietHelper

Knowing your frame size is one thing.
Applying it in real client follow-ups is where DietHelper makes the difference.

👉 In DietHelper’s BodyFat Blueprint, elbow width is integrated with:

• A full interpretation table to help coaches contextualize results.
• A personalized protein intake indicator based on frame type and goals (muscle gain, fat loss, recomposition).
• An analysis linking bone structure, lean mass, and nutrition goals for tailored coaching.

💡 “Measuring elbow width transforms a simple observation into actionable data — exactly what BodyFat Blueprint does inside DietHelper.”

🚀 Save time in client assessments and deliver personalized recommendations.

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References:

• Frisancho, A. R. (1990). Anthropometric Standards for the Assessment of Growth and Nutritional Status. University of Michigan Press. → inclut la largeur du coude et autres indices.
• Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (1983). Desirable Weight Tables. → utilisait largeur du coude/poignet pour classer frame size.
• NHANES Anthropometry Procedures Manual → protocole officiel pour mesurer la largeur du coude et définir la corpulence osseuse.