Body Type
Although it is not a component of fitness, an individual's body type will have a significant impact on their ability to perform various physical tasks successfully. A simple system for assessing body type is visual system of somatotyping.

The somatotyping system suggest that there are 3 distinct body types: Ectomorphs, Mesomorphs and Endomorphs
(Mc Ardle et al, 2001)

Ectomorphs are naturally thin with little body fat or muscle mass. Ectomorphs find it difficult to gain weight (either muscle or fat) and are well suited to weight-bearing aerobic activities such as long distance running.

Mesomorphs tend to be naturally lean and muscular with broad shoulder and, narrow waist and hips. Mesomorphs are naturally athletic and tend to be suited to a wide variety of sporting activities, especially those requiring a good power to weight ratio.

Endomorphs are naturally predisposed to fat storage. They tend to be apple or pear-shaped and carry large amounts of body fat. Endomorphs also tend to posses a reasonable degree of muscle mass, although this is often overlooked due to the predisposition for fat storage. Activities such as shot putt and hammer throwing may be suited to endomorphs.

Ectomorph	Mesomorph	Endomorph

Many individuals are not exclusively one of the body types, but rather a combination of two or more. For example, an individual with a small frame, little muscle mass and a tendency to store body fat could be considered an ectomorph with endomorphic tendencies.

An understanding of body typing is important when discussing and cementing someone's objectives. An endomorph with a goal of becoming a competitive marathon runner may need to re-evaluate their objective as they are not structurally suited to this type of activity. Similarly, ectomorphs are
unlikely to succeed in the field of competitive bodybuilding as they have difficulty gaining muscle size.