Body type calculator

See your body type on the Heath-Carter scale. It uses three ratings, and one of them can be worked out from height and weight alone.

Your details

Your ectomorphy rating

3.5

Moderate linearity

Ectomorphy (linearity)3.6, from a height to weight ratio of 43.9
Endomorphyadd the triceps, subscapular and supraspinale skinfolds
Mesomorphyadd both bone breadths, flexed arm and calf girths and the calf skinfold
Scale0.5 to about 9 for each part; most adults sit between 1 and 5

Height and weight give only the ectomorphy part. Moderate ectomorphy is where most adults sit.

The science

Three numbers, not three boxes

The Heath-Carter method, used by sports scientists since 1967, gives everyone three ratings from about 1 to 9: endomorphy (relative fatness), mesomorphy (muscle and bone) and ectomorphy (how long and lean you are). Nobody is just one type. A typical rating looks like 3, 4, 3.

The working

Ectomorphy from height and weight

Divide your height in cm by the cube root of your weight in kg. That is the height to weight ratio (HWR). If it is 40.75 or more, ectomorphy is 0.732 × HWR − 28.58. Between 38.25 and 40.75, it is 0.463 × HWR − 17.63.

At 10 st 0 lb (63.5 kg) and 5 ft 9 in (175.3 cm), the cube root of 63.5 is 3.99, so HWR = 43.9 and ectomorphy = 3.6, rounded to 3.5. Moderate.

The other two

If you have the measurements

Endomorphy adds the triceps, subscapular and supraspinale skinfolds, scales the sum by 170.18 ÷ height, and puts it through Carter's curve: −0.7182 + 0.1451X − 0.00068X² + 0.0000014X³. Mesomorphy is 0.858 × humerus breadth + 0.601 × femur breadth + 0.188 × corrected arm girth + 0.161 × corrected calf girth − 0.131 × height + 4.5, where each girth has its skinfold (in cm) taken off.

At 70 kg and 175 cm, with skinfolds of 10, 12, 8 and 8 mm, an elbow of 6.9 cm, a knee of 9.8 cm, a 32 cm arm and a 37 cm calf, the somatotype is 3.0-5.0-2.5: a balanced mesomorph. A sports science lab or a trained coach can take the measurements in about 15 minutes; self measured skinfolds are much less reliable.

Naming the shape

Carter's categories

When no rating is more than 1 away from the other two, the build is central. Otherwise the highest rating names it: two ratings within 0.5 of each other make a pair such as endomorph-mesomorph, and when the lower two are within 0.5 it is balanced, as in balanced mesomorph.

On the chart

Your somatochart point and a goal weight

Sports scientists plot a full somatotype on a somatochart, a triangle with the rounder build to the left, the linear build to the right and the muscular build at the top. Carter's manual gives the point as X = ectomorphy − endomorphy and Y = 2 × mesomorphy − (endomorphy + ectomorphy). For 3.0-5.0-2.5 that is X −0.5 and Y 4.5: near the middle, well up towards the muscular top.

Add a goal weight and the page works out ectomorphy again at the same height. In the 10 st example, 9 st 7 lb (60.3 kg) lifts the height to weight ratio to 44.7 and ectomorphy from 3.6 to 4.1. Only ectomorphy can be predicted like this; the other two need new measurements.

Questions

Common questions

Are body types real?

The original 1940s idea that body type predicts personality has been dropped. The Heath-Carter version is a real, measurable description of build used in sport science, but it does not limit what you can do.

Can I change my body type?

Partly. Training and eating change endomorphy and mesomorphy over time. Ectomorphy shifts as your weight changes, since height stays put.

What is a typical rating?

Many adults sit around 3 to 4 on each scale. Elite marathon runners often have ectomorphy of 4 or more.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

If your weight is on your mind

Talk to your GP if your weight has changed a lot without trying, or if it is worrying you. If food or your body feels hard to think about, Beat has a free helpline on 0808 801 0677 (England, weekdays 3pm to 8pm).