# differences between tall and shorter men



## Z3R0-CooL

*Tall Vs Shorter people. Are they the same when it comes to abs?*​
Yes. Tall guys cannot get abs like the shorter guys.4313.65%No. Tall guys can get abs as good as anyone else.11536.51%huh??15749.84%


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## Z3R0-CooL

besides the fact that tall people need to eat more and be heavier to look better is there any other physiological effect of this?

general rule of thumb says that tall people cant look as wide as a shorter guy..

i have also read that tall people cant get abs as easy as shorter people... is there any truth in that???? i think that its crap but then again look at all the tall bodybuilders.... none of them had good set of abs...

not arnold, not gunter.. definitely not Kovacs, not coleman(he is 5'11)....

however shorter people seem to be more "blessed" in that department..

ahmad haidar, dexter, johnie jackson, chris cormier etc.......

so what do u think?


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## big pete

ive always thought of shorter people having an easier job. cos they dont have to be as heavy to look a similar build.

the best squatter i know is only 5'5. and its getting close to 400kg, but then he suffers cos his fingers are short so cant deadlift heavy


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## John

many, if any tall builders with great mid sections:confused: , but when you look at shorter guys theres loads of them, Lee labrada, Thierry pastel, Lee priest, could prob give you a few more.I,ll need to have a think about taller guys, Pastel wasnt the shortest but he certainley wasnt tall.


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## Jimmy1

Ronnie coleman has one of the best mid sections I have ever seen!

Dexters is better though


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## John

but do you know how tall they are?, im guessing were suggesting over 6ft is tall .


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## zoidberg

I had always wondered how height affected strength.

I'm 6 foot 3 and my housemates are both under 6 feet and our strengths are in very different exercises.

I can lift much heavier than them in back and shoulder exercises such as deadlifts and military press and I put this down to having more "back" area than them.

They can lift heavier in exercises that isolate the arms muscles (tricep extension, rows) but their upper and lower arm bones are about 2 inches shorter than mine so their bis and tris are stretched over a shorter distance.

Does that make sense?

Cheers,

-zoidberg-


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## andy78139

i dont thinki it really matters how tall you are, its more a question of muscle belly lengths and area of muscle insertions. I think shorter guys have it easier simply because most of them have endomorph structure(stocky, short, wide). Taller guys tend to be ectomorphs and have that more "rake like" appearance. Although this tends to be the general rule there is always acceptions.

Arnold is a classic-hes tall, but has the long muscle bellys and wide shoulders of an endomorph but the hips and legs of an ectomorph, he also had a short torso making his other muscles(chest ,shoulders, etc)look big in comparison.

In conclusion i dont think height is the issue , more a case of structural make-up


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## winger

Short legs, long torso, wide shoulders and short neck


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## winger

zoidberg said:


> I had always wondered how height affected strength.
> 
> I'm 6 foot 3 and my housemates are both under 6 feet and our strengths are in very different exercises.
> 
> I can lift much heavier than them in back and shoulder exercises such as deadlifts and military press and I put this down to having more "back" area than them.
> 
> They can lift heavier in exercises that isolate the arms muscles (tricep extension, rows) but their upper and lower arm bones are about 2 inches shorter than mine so their bis and tris are stretched over a shorter distance.
> 
> Does that make sense?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> -zoidberg-


Less throw. 

What about muscle attachments? If a bicept was attached closer to the wrist, the future is born..............lol


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## Guest

Big people obviously have the potential to hold more mass, but lb for lb they are weaker. (A 6'5'' 200lb guy is not going to be able to bench 5 plates, whereas a 5'7'' 200lb guy won't have so much trouble.) Short poeple have better leverage, but cannot hold as much mass. For example, the semi-pro that has recently poste don this forum (jamie lewis??) is only 160lb but looks very big. Its cos he is 5'5''.


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## Stephen

I'd say tall guys can get just as good abs as short guys.... but in my experience it's easier for short guys get great abs whereas a if you're on the tall you have to work at it more...

Same goes for calves to... shorter guys nearly always have better calves than taller guys who have put the same amount of work in...


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## SD

zoidberg said:


> I had always wondered how height affected strength.
> 
> I'm 6 foot 3 and my housemates are both under 6 feet and our strengths are in very different exercises.
> 
> I can lift much heavier than them in back and shoulder exercises such as deadlifts and military press and I put this down to having more "back" area than them.
> 
> They can lift heavier in exercises that isolate the arms muscles (tricep extension, rows) but their upper and lower arm bones are about 2 inches shorter than mine so their bis and tris are stretched over a shorter distance.
> 
> Does that make sense?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> -zoidberg-


What James said basically, shorter arms/legs = shorter lever and therefore a mechanical advantage.


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## Cookie

Maybe the bigger guys of today cant get abs is because they use that much GH that their intestines are so swollen that it hurts to do sits up.

Only other guy that springs to mind that had very weak abs was boyer coe


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## Killerkeane

i think we need a poll here;

1.would you rather be tall

2.would you rather be short


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## Skin and Bone

I think everyone would rather be tall. I'm 6'2" and I haven't even got started for various reasons. Now it might be harder for me to gain than a shorter person, but most shorter guys who are already experienced body builders would love the chance to have started out with my height.


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## winger

Skin and Bone said:


> I think everyone would rather be tall. I'm 6'2" and I haven't even got started for various reasons. Now it might be harder for me to gain than a shorter person, but most shorter guys who are already experienced body builders would love the chance to have started out with my height.


Ya think. Look at Lee Labrada, that guy looks awsome, but standing next to a tall massive guy he just gets dwarfed. Even though he looks perfect.


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## Killerkeane

it is an interesting debate, franco columbo was the strongest out of anyone back in the 70's even though Arnold was 40 pounds heavier. Taller people have more potential but shorter people can fulfill their potential a hell of a lot quicker. I personally think height is an advantage.


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## Gridlock1436114498

There seem to be more proportionally more short people in the bodybuilding world than in the general population, I wonder if shorter people tend to get attracted to bodybuilding because of some type of complex like the need to take up more space or assert yourself more? or do shorter people just find it easier to pack on muscle and build impressive bodies and so are more likely to stick with it and take it seriously?

There are loads of short boxers this is (as far as I can see) for two reasons firstly boxers tend to start training hard at very young ages and so actually stunt their own growth, but also being short reperesents an advantage as the weight boundries are quite tight so a shorter persons skeleton weighs less than a taller one(?) and they can carry more muscle at the same weight.


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## Killerkeane

a lot of tall people are intiimidated to even start the gym and lifting weights i think. Short people look more mesomorphic and so they try and capitalise on this.


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## Carlos901

when i was 16 (6years ago) i was stocky at 5 foot 6 now im 6 foot 4 and basicly like a rake. i wish i was 5 foot 6 again


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## ShreddedSteve

Jimmy said:


> Ronnie coleman has one of the best mid sections I have ever seen!
> 
> Dexters is better though


Yeah Dexter has great abs! Best in the business IMO.

BUT ronnie?? PLEASE their terrible. Ronnie has roid gut (from taking too much Growth Hormone) and his abs are big, seperated and chunky, his waist is too wide. i fail to see good abs on him.

If iam wrong - please correct me. Just my opinion lads  .

i the recent olympia Ronnie beat Dexter in the pose down when Dexter called out abs - how the hell did good 'ole Ronnie beat Dexter on abs 

well iam short at 5'5" i dont like it when it comes to girls - girls dig taller men, which is a fact.

But for bodybuilding its better for me to look bigger as being short. i dont mind being short iam used to it and it makes me different from everybody else  .

yeah it might possibly be harder for taller guys to have good abs because their abs are longer so they have to bring them out more by making them bigger which is hard!

i dont know any person that likes training abs!

Personally i never train my abs - they get hit from all the compound exercises anyway. in the end of the day it all comes down to diet.

Short asses rule! :beer:


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## OnePack

Killerkeane said:


> i think we need a poll here;
> 
> 1.would you rather be tall
> 
> 2.would you rather be short


what about:

3. you would rather be in between

also, what height is tall, short, etc.? i think it depends on where you come from?


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## winger

MatracaBergFan said:


> what about:
> 
> 3. you would rather be in between
> 
> also, what height is tall, short, etc.? i think it depends on where you come from?


I think this is true. That would be neat to know. What country has taller people.


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## Bigdav

Not really sure that height really matters any more, at one point maybe it did with guys like coleman and yates being 5' 11" and over 260 while everyone else was 230, but youre now gettin guys 5' 6" weighing around the same weight. look at tom prince, he was 5' 8" (i think) and at his last competition before he retired he weighed 270, i feel structure is more important than height. If height was a real factor gunter wasshissname would have won more comps by now. same with flex wheeler, he was only 5' 8" but he got up to 245 and lookee unbelievable. If you have a small waist, wide shoulders and relatively small joint youve got a big advantage over most of the bbing population


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## winger

Bigdav said:


> If you have a small waist, wide shoulders and relatively small joint youve got a big advantage over most of the bbing population


This is true all the way. But if you stand next to a guy with the same dimensions and you are much taller they will always pick the bigger guy. Just look at Lee Labrada! Click here.

Perfect in every way. Just too short imo.


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## stu_moon

winger said:


> I think this is true. That would be neat to know. What country has taller people.


US, Netherlands, UK, Scandinavia basically the tallest

Italy, China, Japan, parts of Asia, some of the shortest

:smoke:


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## samurai691436114498

stu_moon said:


> US, Netherlands, UK, Scandinavia basically the tallest
> 
> Italy, China, Japan, parts of Asia, some of the shortest
> 
> :smoke:


The smallest europeans are from portugal (WHO info), which is cool as i look like a giant here, though things are changeing as there is better nutrition and less real poverty.

I am tall ish with broad shoulders etc, narrowish joints, my problem is a short muscle belly and long tendons, so its far more difficult getting a full muscle shape, true that too thick joints makes for a stocky appearance, but long tendons with short muscles doesnt look so good either


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## Damian81

Im 5.5.....stocky looking...weighing in at 150lbs..looks ok but need a lot more work to get were i want to...like to sometime in the future be about 180lbs...but am doing well in the gym...still need to improve on the eating but have also got a good 6 pack which i find easily to get back into shape and on show.....


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## EXTREME

I feel I must disagree with a few things here, IMO Ronnie Colemans midsection is hideous with his bloat and genetically not nice abdominals. Can anyone remember Achim Albrecht? Awesome 8 pack, never got a rair crack at in IMO.

With regard to the smaller guy suffering if made to stand next to a bigger guy in a comparison, what about Paul George? Onstage at 12.5 stone, won EFBB British Overall last year and placed 8th at British GP beating Thorvildson and another hanfull of bigger names in his first pro show, and only 5ft 2.5!

Chris Wall, biggest man the EFBB had onstage in 2004, beaten by a smaller, smoother but admittedly more genetically gifted in the shape dept Hunni Glanville who was then beaten for the overall by an even smaller shredded to fukc Paul george.

So the height thing doesn't cut it in my opinion.

One thin I have found in a lot of small guys is a rotten attitude and an overwhelming desire to prove their macho prowess over big guys, especially after 7 or 8 pints, anyone agree?


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## Carlos901

yes i agree

i am 6 foot 3 and it realy is hard to gain.


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## winger

EXTREME said:


> One thin I have found in a lot of small guys is a rotten attitude and an overwhelming desire to prove their macho prowess over big guys, especially after 7 or 8 pints, anyone agree?


It's called small mans complex.:rolleye11


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## Damian81

bieng shorter ie arms/legs = shorter lever and therefore a mechanical advantage.


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## bigdaftjoe

im 6ft 3" and ive never even seen my abs seen plenty of pies though! im touching 19 stone but some of my mates look bigger at 15 stone and can lift as much (and sometimes more) as me the dwarven little swines!


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## winger

bigdaftjoe said:


> im 6ft 3" and ive never even seen my abs seen plenty of pies though! im touching 19 stone but some of my mates look bigger at 15 stone and can lift as much (and sometimes more) as me the dwarven little swines!


Being taller definately has its advantages. Size does matter.


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## TypeR

i am 6ft4 and been trainning for since i was 15, my freind who is about 5"5 started this year can now do more or equal to me on most exercsies he has to lift and such a shorter distance compared to me i think this plays a very big part in it.

still i would rather be 6"4


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## winger

TypeR said:


> i am 6ft4 and been trainning for since i was 15, my freind who is about 5"5 started this year can now do more or equal to me on most exercsies he has to lift and such a shorter distance compared to me i think this plays a very big part in it.
> 
> still i would rather be 6"4


Hell yea. Taller males go up the corparate ladder faster than short ones. Also, I look up to taller people. But on the internet I can be that tall guy........lol:rolleyes:


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## devilsquest

im not to sure on this one?im6`3 and have been since i was 13 years old,at first i was like a rake but by the time i started 2nd school i looked alot broader than i was,infact alot of ppl see me as much broader than i am,ether that or im seein my self as skinnier than i am,as to gainin weight well ive all ways been lucky there,but ive never stuck at it 100% as i get a toned look vry easy and then slipped away from the gym,but this time ive put 110% into it and im lookin forward to seein just how far my body will go as im a bit of a genectic freak,plus with my first cycle comein up im intrested how my body responds well thats if it adds to what i all ready have in the way of a good reation to training!!!


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## Sherlock1436114498

I'm 6'1" and my abs are usually still visible off season - never had a problem with them when dieting. Shorter guys definately had an advantage on certain lifts due to mechanics and not having to lift over as great a distance. Plus being tall means you get pestered a lot more by old ladies to reach the tins on the top shelf in supermarkets!


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## Techknow

i'm 6'3", and find it hard to gain, and see my abs, cos of my height I have to have alot more mass than a shorter guy to look as big, which means I find it hard to get my abs to show.

Does genetics come into it, I think it was pscarb, who did a thread on genetic's and i just wondered if this difered from taller people to shorter?

Don't know if that's owt to do with it.


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## winger

Abs are diet, genetics then training, in that order. I have seen guys with an 8 pack and I dont care what excercises you do you will never get that unless you have the genetics in the first place.


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## Robsta

Originally Posted by EXTREME



> One thin I have found in a lot of small guys is a rotten attitude and an overwhelming desire to prove their macho prowess over big guys, especially after 7 or 8 pints, anyone agree?


Get out of here moron, I'm 5'5" and the only attitude I've ever had is from big guys in the gym giving looks and attitude cos I'm bigger than them, same when I'm on the door, always big blokes looking to have a go cos they see you as a threat to their size and can't intimidate you with their build.

There's just as many pricks out there wether they're tall or short


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## Robsta

> It's called small mans complex.


The wife says it's short mans syndrome...lol


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## 3752

so what ou all are saying due to mechanics it is easeir for a short guy to lift heavy...pleease...


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## EXTREME

There you go, thank you Robsta for validating my comment.

You chose to open with "get out of here moron" then try to say I'm wrong!?!?

With that approach on the door is it any wonder guys want to have a pop at you?


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## Robsta

Stop making moronic statements then, shorter guys have no more attitude than big guys, same as short guys can't lift heavier than big guys, depends on the individual, or is that too difficult for a moron to contemplate...


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## 3752

lets keep this civil Rob no need for name calling mate..


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## Robsta

Well have you ever heard so much drivel in your life, "oh your short so you must be a [email protected]!!"

How can someone's leg height determine their attitude towards others or make them more powerful, no wonder we've got people saying bb's are meatheads when you read such dross as this.. ffs


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## winger

Im short 5'8". The way you came off almost validated his point! Not having a go by any means.

Dont confuse arrogance with confidence.


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## Robsta

Just speak my mind mate, didn't almost validate his point at all, why cos I called him what his comment's make him.

Don't confuse straightalking with attitude, 

5'8" I wish (sigh)


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## winger

robsta9 said:


> Just speak my mind mate, didn't almost validate his point at all, why cos I called him what his comment's make him.
> 
> Don't confuse straightalking with attitude,
> 
> 5'8" I wish (sigh)


What are you stats mate?

Straight talking is always welcome!


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## Robsta

5'5" 207 approx 14% bf just started bulking though test ent & tren. Wanted to get a bulk cycle in before cutting for summer....


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## winger

robsta9 said:


> 5'5" 207 approx 14% bf just started bulking though test ent & tren. Wanted to get a bulk cycle in before cutting for summer....


That would bulk ya for sure. Nice stats, thats allot of muscle ma man!


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## Robsta

cheers mate, nice pic lol


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## Sherlock1436114498

Pscarb said:


> so what ou all are saying due to mechanics it is easeir for a short guy to lift heavy...pleease...


Yes mate. Here's an example - hold a weight close to your chest, then hold it out in front of you at the same height. The further you extend your arms the greater the pressure you'll feel on the supporting muscle. Apply that principle to the length of the humerus in a horizontal position say in a pressing movement and the longer the limb the more force required to move the weight. Simple Physics, that and the additional energy requirement to move the weight an additional distance against gravity means it makes it harder.

For this reason shorter limbed people will always have a mechanical advantage to longer limbed on movements such as squat, leg press, shoulder press, bench press, deadlifts. On the flipside tho taller guys are usually better at other events such as lifting high say in the strongman stones lifts or the fingles fingers and striding events such as farmers walk. The strength comparison I am speaking of tho of course would be taking into account equal ratio of bodyweight to weight lifted.

Anyway, hope you are doin well mate. Love to the family.


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## Tall

Sherlock said:


> Yes mate. Here's an example - hold a weight close to your chest, then hold it out in front of you at the same height. The further you extend your arms the greater the pressure you'll feel on the supporting muscle. Apply that principle to the length of the humerus in a horizontal position say in a pressing movement and the longer the limb the more force required to move the weight. Simple Physics, that and the additional energy requirement to move the weight an additional distance against gravity means it makes it harder.
> 
> For this reason shorter limbed people will always have a mechanical advantage to longer limbed on movements such as squat, leg press, shoulder press, bench press, deadlifts. On the flipside tho taller guys are usually better at other events such as lifting high say in the strongman stones lifts or the fingles fingers and striding events such as farmers walk. The strength comparison I am speaking of tho of course would be taking into account equal ratio of bodyweight to weight lifted.
> 
> Anyway, hope you are doin well mate. Love to the family.


Not totally true.

Deadlift - you want long arms and short legs in order to reduce the ROM.

Bench - you want short arms and a long torso to reduce the ROM

Squats - you want short legs to reduce the ROM

:lift:


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## warren

i got to agree wth rob, i dont think its a liitle guy big guy thing, i have met just as many a$$holes who are 6ft+ as i have who and under 5'8. i dont know if im tall or averge. i guess on here im quite tall lol im just under 6' about 5'11.5'' ish lol. but i would defo rather be taller still, i would personally like to hit 6'2 that would be my ideal height but im 21 now so never going to happen. i dont know if it makes a difference to what height people want to be if they are thinking of compeating but i dont have any plans to compeate. and i want to hit 14.5st at my height and id consider this big.(not bb bg lol)


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## paulo

heights got fek all to do with abs! as the competitive guys will confirm its all down to diet,as for predisposition of visceral fat on abdomen this is a evolutionary adaptation to keep the vital organs insulated in colder climes-hence black/afro carribean dont have fat disosition there,as this wasnt needed where they originated from hence its stored on butt/hips,basically a thermo regulation process.so race /ethnicity is relevant not height.


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## stow

I think you tend to notice the gobby ones when they are small, more than regular size guys.

When I was working on the doors, you often got a group of lads causing trouble but you'd remember the small gobby one for some reason.

Napoleon complex.


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## leveret

stow said:


> Napoleon complex.


Napoleon wasn't short for the time in which he lived!


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## winger

Liam said:


> Napoleon wasn't short for the time in which he lived!


Don't clutter up the issues with the facts.......lol


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## paulo

well as ma old man said- i maybe wee-----------but am game as fcuk


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## winger

Like winger always says, "It might not be thick, but it sure is short".


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## am1ev1l

I'm a short man (5'7) and I have trained with tall guys who are, give or take, proportionally a similar size to me. I found that, as previously mentioned, some exercise I'd be stronger and others they would. Remember, short people may have not as far to push the weight but they do have a lot less mass than a taller person so they are lifting proportionally so much more.

<O

From what I've seen more short men who are genetically gifted (i.e. a mesomorph) want to get bigger compared to mesomorph tall men - maybe they do feel like want to make up for lack of height. I think that a natural tall (6'2+) mesomorph man will not bother at the gym because he already has the size and weight to throw about.

<O

<O

So what it boils down to is the type of person that goes to the gym - someone who wants to improve themself. So typically you get the tall skinny guys who wanna bulk up and you'll get the short guys (all of body shapes) who wanna make a bigger presence for themselves. On rare occasions you'll get the tall mesomorphs at the gym and they'll be the ones who'll do the best as they dwardf the smaller guys on stage.

<O

<O

As for Short Man syndrome - I'm with Robster on this. I worked on the door for years and it was only the tall/fat bullies who had the attitudes with me. Short guys were more respectful and often more useful in a fight as they haven't relied on their size to intimidate people all of their life - they have actually fought and have the balls to back it up.


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## dooby

2 guys who might disagree lou Ferrigno 6'5" and the noah Steere 6'6" both have great physiques for big guys.


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## winger

They both look really good. I would hate to meet Steere in a dark alley.

His head even looks small on his body.


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## Tall

dooby said:


> 2 guys who might disagree lou Ferrigno 6'5" and the noah Steere 6'6" both have great physiques for big guys.


Steere is an absolute unit. He must be ~350lbs


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## dooby

Bang on son lol

http://www.wholefitness.com/biggest-bodybuilder.html

supposedly the biggest there is


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## winger

That guy is unbelievably big.


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## TaintedSoul

Generally tall people have a harder time putting on the weight. Well that's my excuse. I'm 102kg's at present 6"2 and dont anywhere as good/big as some who is 5"6 and weighs 85kg's.

But Since starting gym I have put on 35kg's over the last years on and off. Fat, muscle, bones maybe getting heavier? Suppose the weight either in my bones or on my stomach at present!


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## TaintedSoul

Found this pic. The chap on is right looks like a midget!!!


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## wogihao

Mega man!


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## winger

That was so cool, I have seen all his movie. :thumbup1:

Here he is in a MMA match.

MMA Tom Jones vs Nathan James


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## wogihao

yea his movies are cool pitty he dosent get more roles - in many ways he would have had a huge movie deal if he were around in the 80s.


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## dudeson

I have to say , i enjoy being 6' 3'', When I stay consistent(depends on injuries) and start packing on muscle, I feel like kind of a freak standing next to people. I'm not super muscular but smaller muscular guys just don't seem nearly as impressive as taller guys with less muscle but are still fairly muscular. When I see a taller guys that have low enough bf% to have abs their abs usually look stretched or elongated and lack the depth that a lot of smaller guys have, so I think depth in the abs slightly differs with height.


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## dagsgaz

Eveyone is different and thats the bottom line!

Ther's millions and millions of different factors that determines your strengths and weaknesses.

Saying small people have a "rotten attitude" that is just 100% bull sh1t, i cant actualy believe someone thinks thats true.. Thats like saying everyone with blonde hair is gay.

thats just falsely sterotyping small people, so dont!

anyways Nathan Jones is a monster! you notice he always gets his ass kicked tho?:|


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## Ironhorse

I'm 6'3" and while it is fact it takes more effort for the taller guys to get that bulky look at the end of the days its all about how hard you work, no point making excuses because your tall just stop being lazy and put in the hard work.

Ive never had any problems bulking up and gaining strength and i put that all down to working my ass off in the gym.


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## Littleluke

Skin and Bone said:


> I think everyone would rather be tall. I'm 6'2" and I haven't even got started for various reasons. Now it might be harder for me to gain than a shorter person, but most shorter guys who are already experienced body builders would love the chance to have started out with my height.


I'm 5ft 7 and wouldn't change it atall so "everyone" is incorrect.


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## dru0111

I am just shy of 6'4'' and love it. Dunno what height has to do with abs?! A short guy with 17 inch arms will look more impressive than a tall guy with 17's its just simple proportions.


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## Nytol

I'm 6'1 and my abs are pretty decent, plus I can reach the high shelf in ASDA.


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## Kezz

I am 5.10 with a hint of abs, i also can reach the top shelf in Asda


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## anabolic ant

i'm 5'8 and can tie my shoe laces without getting out of breath....but i have noticed...that recent mr.O's have been 5'9"-5'11"...thats dorian,ronnie and cutler...now we have dexter,which i think is even shorter...think arnie was one of the very few if not the only one who was out of the 5' category?

is this the right height for bodybuilding or is there something else to this...cos i like tha massive monster looking guys...i think someone who had it all and was overlooked was jean pierre fux head to toe,full package ripped,kin back,arms,everything,just like dennis wolf (although high lats)and toney freeman(calves could win him if they blew up) are!!!!

i dont know!

other than that...there isnt much difference in muscle size in taller n shorter...just a taller guy has more presence than a shorter guy...depends on genetics i guess...a tall guy with narrow shoulders but massed up everywhere else against a shorter guy with the width of a barn door but smaller muscles...i dont know...too many variables to mention on this subject!!!

i got a mack daddy 2.5 incher if that helps the debate...i know,i know,its hard being the such a well developed man...but you know!!!


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## Jake H

i think its harder, being taller to have the right abs that are proportional to the rest yourself. But if you work them the right way and have a low body fat % you should still be defined in that way...


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## Incredible Bulk

i'm 5ft 9 but have arms like a orangutan lol....seriously helps with deadlifting!

also having stocky short legs makes squatting easier too.


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## anabolic ant

Sherlock said:


> Yes mate. Here's an example - hold a weight close to your chest, then hold it out in front of you at the same height. The further you extend your arms the greater the pressure you'll feel on the supporting muscle. Apply that principle to the length of the humerus in a horizontal position say in a pressing movement and the longer the limb the more force required to move the weight. Simple Physics, that and the additional energy requirement to move the weight an additional distance against gravity means it makes it harder.
> 
> For this reason shorter limbed people will always have a mechanical advantage to longer limbed on movements such as squat, leg press, shoulder press, bench press, deadlifts. On the flipside tho taller guys are usually better at other events such as lifting high say in the strongman stones lifts or the fingles fingers and striding events such as farmers walk. The strength comparison I am speaking of tho of course would be taking into account equal ratio of bodyweight to weight lifted.
> 
> Anyway, hope you are doin well mate. Love to the family.


that is only true to a physics point of view in theory!!!!

this is newtons second law....force=mass x acceleration

or f=ma

so force generated by an individual in theory would include ones mass and the speed at which the object or weight in this case moves!!!!

this only skims the surface in this debate!!!!

i had this debate with a guy who is 6"4' and he was always complaining that he had to lift more weight and it was harder etc because of distance travelled etc!!!!

the weight never changes for starters!!!!

so i took it to the head of sports science in westminster uni(when i was studying there)...and he said:

your friend is right in the aspect of ...in the equation speed = distance/time...longer limbed people have a greater distance to travel so leverage wise they may need to generate a few percentage if even this to preform the movement!!!

but the force is the factor that comes from ones size and speed of movement!!!

he went on to say that...that strength divided by body mass equals a ratio....so....this in english means that even if the ratio is bigger in a stronger individual,it means nothing to absolute strength or muscle quality!!!!

he then said...that you really need to test people individually with allometric scaling...this involves,stature,body mass and fat free mass...but can also include muscular strenght,gender,regualr physical activity and aerobic capacity....

so when he started talking about curvilinear relationships,slope of the relationship passing through the origin and then drawing and showing me examples etc....and saying Y=bX times a.....

i said....brken down....is my tall freind right!!!!

he said about 5% correct....but he said there are too many variables to narrow it down to one equation of distance,leverage and energy output!!!!!

i asked how many variables...he replied:

tensiometry

dynamometry

one-rep max

computer assisted force and power output determinations

vo2 max (best indication of fitness level,o2 utilisation,lactate and just too much to explain)

aerobic and anaerobic capacities(includes vo2 max)

genetics (he said a hell of a lot relies on this factor)

nurture

diet(very important)

strength related to muscle cross-sectional area

time and length of resistance training periods (training status,as in beginner,intermediate,advanced or super human ronnie freak)

lifestyle

focus,determination i.e motivation and stimulation to perform

this is also related to progressive resistance exercise

and also amount of strength,hypertrophy and endurance gained from training...

but he did say taller guys do tend to lose form on heavier lifts and therefore tend not to go all out because of this problem and injury occurence!!!!

(so tall guys,get your form right...never heard big lou complain)

so when he said there are too many variables and he could of gone on for ages i said i get your point....he said....really....some people are built for it,some are not,but you can push the boundaries of your limitations...he also added that,some people are lazy in attitude to get past a certain point,which includes a lot of the things stated above!!!!

so there is no long and short of it!!!!

stop moaning and making exscuses,everybody has to work hard!!!!


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## miles2345

edit (back top abs debate )its bollox to sat taller guys cant get better abs than short guys, it depends on the gnetics that soley shape your abs i'm 6 1 at least and i have big blocky abs and i know short guys with sh!t abs


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## John Wood

http://www.flickr.com/photos/john-e-big-gunns

I've never had a problem with my mid-section something I was bless with ,my condition was all down to a good diet and just a few sit-ups weeks before comps


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## laurie g

have to agree that it is harder to look in proportion then shorter guys im 6ft or thereabouts my arms are 18 and a bit but look tiny cos of my height- i agree with miles i think its unfair to say tall guys cant get good abs its down to geneticsat the end of the day


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## w3lly

im 5ft 8ish, and can see 4 of my abs, and i dont try to do my abs, dont know were the bottom 2 are hiding in the beer i guess, my biceps on the other hand i cant get them to bulk up 

i like being short, i struggle to get the top shelf in asda, but thats what friends are for


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## ElfinTan

Stop complaining....you want to try being a woman and build muscle without ending up looking like ya dad! :0)


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## bigboy1977

Nytol said:


> I'm 6'1 and my abs are pretty decent, plus I can reach the high shelf in ASDA.





Kezz said:


> I am 5.10 with a hint of abs, i also can reach the top shelf in Asda


Well I'm 6ft 8 , 271lbs decent abs and I can reach any shelf you like lol, hell the racking in the warehouse is usually not much of a problem 

Its taken me 4 years of hard work and enough protein intake to feed a family of 6 to get to where I am now and I'm still looking for at least another 40 lbs to get to where I want to be .


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## stavmangr

big pete said:


> ive always thought of shorter people having an easier job. cos they dont have to be as heavy to look a similar build.
> 
> the best squatter i know is only 5'5. and its getting close to 400kg, but then he suffers cos his fingers are short so cant deadlift heavy


 :laugh:E X A C T L Y im 5'4" and i know what you mean....but we can bench

heavy as well (mine 165kg) short hands you see:thumbup1:


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## heavyweight

stavmangr said:


> :laugh:E X A C T L Y im 5'4" and i know what you mean....but we can bench
> 
> heavy as well (mine 165kg) *short hands* you see:thumbup1:


:laugh: do u mean arms!!!!

I actually started to get in abit of an argument with a short guy about this in the bloody sauna:lol: :lol: :lol: he was disagreeing and i was like nah its easier for shorter guys:lol::laugh: :thumb:


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## GHS

Its a lot easier for shorter guys to bench as they generally have shorted arms.....

Although this is not the case for all..........Con is a great example as he has long arms.......great for powerlifting but bad for benching.........

GHS


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## winger

ElfinTan said:


> Stop complaining....you want to try being a woman and build muscle without ending up looking like ya dad! :0)


Hey Tan, try not to sugar coat it will ya!


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## laurie g

im 5'11 and its ok- arms are like spaghetti and legs are like twigs ( rustle rustle) but i wouldnt be any taller or shorter, i bought this body and ive lost the receipt so gotta make do im afraid


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## Andypandy999

having read throuhg this post id have to say as a body buidler id rather be slightly shorter...I am 6ft3/4 so on the tall side and have been working out with people alot smaller than me, my old workout partner was 5ft 9.....

I found each of us had different strengths ie when it came to bench press i could match him easily but when it came it excercises like lateral raises,bicep curls,frontal raises i was a long way behind, at first i couldnt determine why this was but then i realised its cos in theory as i had more arm to hold out hence more weight of my arm then i couldnt lift as much weight....

i agree with the abs thing, i have always found that smaller guys can achieve better abs, this might be as the muscle is more compact and mines longer.....hmmmm rather annoying.....

Andy


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## Goose

Im 5ft 11" and wouldnt mind being a bit taller althought I do have long arms it can affect my lifitng.....NOT haha


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## Chr!s

cant remember when i last seen mine but did have a good set an i am 6ft


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## Tommy10

im 6ft.....its taken me 2 years to get to 15st.....i was always paranoid about lookin tall and thin.......now im happy being tall and lean...shotr guys can look huge but equally theres a thin line between huge and porky, tall people can carry weight better..id rather be 6ft than 5'7.....life is better for tall people...


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## R84

Pelayo said:


> im 6ft.....its taken me 2 years to get to 15st.....i was always paranoid about lookin tall and thin.......now im happy being tall and lean...shotr guys can look huge but equally theres a thin line between huge and porky, tall people can carry weight better..id rather be 6ft than 5'7.....life is better for tall people...


Like a 6 foot Pat Butcher


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## Tommy10

R84 said:


> Like a 6 foot Pat Butcher


like a 6ft lean butchers dog.....


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## MillionG

Who said tall guys can't have abs..? :whistling:


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## Tommy10

MillionG said:


> Who said tall guys can't have abs..? :whistling:


awesome...... :thumb: ....whats ur secret.....??


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## BLUTOS

I think that best bodybuilders come in round the five foot eight to five foot eleven.

Any taller you got to add so much mass, to look as muscular as a more proportioned fella, plus the longer the limbs the more meat that needs to be packed on to look full.

As to abs I think the shorter guys have the framework around the midsection that taller peeps dont have, the way that the whole physique sits together is more compact and if dieted and seperation exists will look more aesthetic. Taller guys seem to be a collective of parts, good calves, or great delts etc, the shorter guys seem to have the edge on the connective parts of the physique that create the overall package.


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## scobielad

Anyone remember a certain 'Russian' boxer in Rocky? I think you all know who I mean. Testimony that tall men can be ripped all over the abdominal region. Oh and the muscles from Brussels...well he isn't the tallest person in the world.


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## Tommy10

...not forgetting...taller men have bigger knobs... :whistling: .  :thumb:

:lol: :lol: :lol:


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## John Wood

I've never had a problem with my mid-section..6ft and 17st 7lbs


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## Tommy10

John Wood said:


> I've never had a problem with my mid-section..6ft and 17st 7lbs


Great weight pal.....would luv to be that size:thumbup1:


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## dtlv

I haven't read all the posts in this thread so please forgive if repeating, but there are definite differences between bodytypes... although it's relative proportions between bone lengths and positions of muscle insertions that make more of a difference than height.

First thing is arm length. Someone with proportionately long arms compared to the width of their ribcage has inferior leverage when pressing away from the body as in a bench press (any angle of bench). Similar thing with Flyes and overhead pressing. This makes chest development a harder thing to achieve... especially when you consider also that those with long arms compared to their ribcage often also have a flatter ribcage which further hampers pec development by not allowing a decent prestretch.

Shorter arms however general mean less advantage when it comes to deadlifting, especially if legs are proportionately long as the bar has further to travel.

With leg length however it's generally more about height and length of the femor, although again someone can be short but with long legs relative to spine length and so suffer the same leverage disadvantage... deep squats become much more difficult in this bodytype as the femur has further to travel from the leg flexed position to the extended/straight position. Also a comparatively larger pelvis means that muscle insertions are further down the femur and so this improves leverage. Long legs and small pelvis is the least advantageous bodytype as far as leg strength and ease of development goes.

Lats also respond better to exercises like pullups in someone who has a ribcage that is full and deep but also relatively short... a longer slimmer ribcage again creates leverage disadvantage.

There are many other leverage issues but the general rule is the longer the limb the more muscular force is required to move a weight at the end of it. A person with a forearm that is 30cm long (if their bicep and brachilais complex insertions and origins are the same distances from the joint) will have to generate more force to curl a 10kg dumbell than someone with a forearm 25cm long.

This phenomenon can be somewhat offset if the bones are thick as well as long, and the joint they insert into (shoulder socket for upper arms, pelvis for legs etc) is broad and deep, and also if their muscle insertions are further from the joint, but long thin bones, short muscle insertions and small flat joint structure (in other words a typical skeletal ectomorph) generally means crap leverage and a requirement of more muscle and more CNS effort to move the same loads as someone with a better proportioned structure.

All of this plays into how easy muscular development can be achieved.


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## Graham Mc

makes me feel better about myself hah seeing how im only 5'9


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## ollie321

Graham Mc said:


> makes me feel better about myself hah seeing how im only 5'9


same here


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## SALKev

Dtlv74 said:


> I haven't read all the posts in this thread so please forgive if repeating, but there are definite differences between bodytypes... although it's relative proportions between bone lengths and positions of muscle insertions that make more of a difference than height.
> 
> First thing is arm length. Someone with proportionately long arms compared to the width of their ribcage has inferior leverage when pressing away from the body as in a bench press (any angle of bench). Similar thing with Flyes and overhead pressing. This makes chest development a harder thing to achieve... especially when you consider also that those with long arms compared to their ribcage often also have a flatter ribcage which further hampers pec development by not allowing a decent prestretch.
> 
> Shorter arms however general mean less advantage when it comes to deadlifting, especially if legs are proportionately long as the bar has further to travel.
> 
> With leg length however it's generally more about height and length of the femor, although again someone can be short but with long legs relative to spine length and so suffer the same leverage disadvantage... deep squats become much more difficult in this bodytype as the femur has further to travel from the leg flexed position to the extended/straight position. Also a comparatively larger pelvis means that muscle insertions are further down the femur and so this improves leverage. Long legs and small pelvis is the least advantageous bodytype as far as leg strength and ease of development goes.
> 
> Lats also respond better to exercises like pullups in someone who has a ribcage that is full and deep but also relatively short... a longer slimmer ribcage again creates leverage disadvantage.
> 
> There are many other leverage issues but the general rule is the longer the limb the more muscular force is required to move a weight at the end of it. A person with a forearm that is 30cm long (if their bicep and brachilais complex insertions and origins are the same distances from the joint) will have to generate more force to curl a 10kg dumbell than someone with a forearm 25cm long.
> 
> This phenomenon can be somewhat offset if the bones are thick as well as long, and the joint they insert into (shoulder socket for upper arms, pelvis for legs etc) is broad and deep, and also if their muscle insertions are further from the joint, but long thin bones, short muscle insertions and small flat joint structure (in other words a typical skeletal ectomorph) generally means crap leverage and a requirement of more muscle and more CNS effort to move the same loads as someone with a better proportioned structure.
> 
> All of this plays into how easy muscular development can be achieved.


This screws me up for lifting big numbers in my lifetime then. :cursing: :lol:


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## adonis

I think tall people use their height as an excuse for not making good gains!

Im 6 foot 5 and 19.5 stone so you can build mass! Most elite strongmen are over 6 foot and push huge numbers in the gym, i am nearly at a 300kg deadlift, 250kg squat and bench 180kg so with hard work and alot of food tall people can reach their goals.

I found it a huge disadvantage however when it came to tanning up for my first bodybuilding show! Got through bottles of pro tan and it took forever to cover me


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## 8103

adonis said:


> I think tall people use their height as an excuse for not making good gains!
> 
> Im 6 foot 5 and 19.5 stone so you can build mass! Most elite strongmen are over 6 foot and push huge numbers in the gym, i am nearly at a 300kg deadlift, 250kg squat and bench 180kg so with hard work and alot of food tall people can reach their goals.
> 
> I found it a huge disadvantage however when it came to tanning up for my first bodybuilding show! Got through bottles of pro tan and it took forever to cover me


yes but you have to remember, a lot of tall people start out extremely skinny, and to add that weight to the frame takes a hell of a long time, and can be tough without the use of aas

I'm 6'4, when I started was very skinny, must have been around 12 stone probably less, I'm no about 16 stone and wanting to get to 110kg by my next pl competition

At the moment my lifts are nothing great, but I make the most out of what ive got so to speak, with my natural build I doubt i'll ever be a competitive powerlifter going for big records, but I do it because I enjoy it  If I was to become truly competitive, my weight realistically would have to be around the same as yours, and that is a long way off - though ill get there... some day!!


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## whackedout

winger said:


> I think this is true. That would be neat to know. What country has taller people.


Last time I checked Holland had the tallest people on average in Europe.


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## 8103

whackedout said:


> Last time I checked Holland had the tallest people on average in Europe.


holland has the tallest people in the world


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## laurie g

i think taller muscular people look more impressive then shorter muscular people in real life ie the shorter guys in teh 202 look awesome but see the, in real life and clothed they dont look nearly as impressive as a big guy 6ft plus and clothed


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## fadel

Gotta agree with the above, taller do have to work harder to get the same "look" or "package" if you'd like, but once they have it, it's alot better to look at in comparison if just walkin down the street.

Kinda goes from a short wide guy being called big, but a tall wide guy would be classed as huge lol lot harder work but the pay off is worth it


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## Dig

Dtlv74 said:


> I haven't read all the posts in this thread so please forgive if repeating, but there are definite differences between bodytypes... although it's relative proportions between bone lengths and positions of muscle insertions that make more of a difference than height.
> 
> First thing is arm length. Someone with proportionately long arms compared to the width of their ribcage has inferior leverage when pressing away from the body as in a bench press (any angle of bench). Similar thing with Flyes and overhead pressing. This makes chest development a harder thing to achieve... especially when you consider also that those with long arms compared to their ribcage often also have a flatter ribcage which further hampers pec development by not allowing a decent prestretch.
> 
> Shorter arms however general mean less advantage when it comes to deadlifting, especially if legs are proportionately long as the bar has further to travel.
> 
> With leg length however it's generally more about height and length of the femor, although again someone can be short but with long legs relative to spine length and so suffer the same leverage disadvantage... deep squats become much more difficult in this bodytype as the femur has further to travel from the leg flexed position to the extended/straight position. Also a comparatively larger pelvis means that muscle insertions are further down the femur and so this improves leverage. Long legs and small pelvis is the least advantageous bodytype as far as leg strength and ease of development goes.
> 
> Lats also respond better to exercises like pullups in someone who has a ribcage that is full and deep but also relatively short... a longer slimmer ribcage again creates leverage disadvantage.
> 
> There are many other leverage issues but the general rule is the longer the limb the more muscular force is required to move a weight at the end of it. A person with a forearm that is 30cm long (if their bicep and brachilais complex insertions and origins are the same distances from the joint) will have to generate more force to curl a 10kg dumbell than someone with a forearm 25cm long.
> 
> This phenomenon can be somewhat offset if the bones are thick as well as long, and the joint they insert into (shoulder socket for upper arms, pelvis for legs etc) is broad and deep, and also if their muscle insertions are further from the joint, but long thin bones, short muscle insertions and small flat joint structure (in other words a typical skeletal ectomorph) generally means crap leverage and a requirement of more muscle and more CNS effort to move the same loads as someone with a better proportioned structure.
> 
> All of this plays into how easy muscular development can be achieved.


Great post, reps 

It seems many people think being shorter makes leverage better on all lifts, when in reality this is not the case.


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## Ryan16

i dont think it really matters tbh because i am around 6ft - 6ft 1 and i have pretty decent abs, always have done to be honest, obviously mines cant be seen without tensing as i havent dieted to lower body fat yet but when i tense i can see then very well especially after a work out as i work my abs at the end of each one, so imo it just depends on either

A:- who you are and your original physique?

or

B:- how you train them etc?

if that makes sense :lol: ?


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## -Jack-

taller guys are stronger, so you can lift heavier and build muslce mass. But you have to build more mass to look bigger.


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## J.Hill

Very interesting! I've always wondered about this... however being around the 5'11-6' mark I think I've the best of both worlds.

Sure the shorter man can look better with a smaller amount of muscle.. but then the larger man is always going to be far more intimidating?!

I guess we've just got to train to our genetic potentials and be happy


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## mck

what is classed as a tall bodybuilder i think over 6ft is tall and also i think it depends on the frame of the person aswell some ppl are thicker boned giving them a bigger look which can help im 6ft 4inches with a narrow frame and when i stand next to someone whos the same hieght but bigger frame i feel like they tower over me. and i think haveing long muscle bellys makes it harder to fill out especaly legs and calfs were as short ppl always tend to look stockier and more full. abs again i think is down to how long the torso is shorter they are the thicker they look. but at the end of the day i think its down to how hard you train and giving your self time to bring that muscle up we all have to put the effort in no matter how tall you are. but if that tall guy can pack the muscle on hes gonna look alot better than the little guy.


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## hotchy

dooby said:


> 2 guys who might disagree lou Ferrigno 6'5" and the noah Steere 6'6" both have great physiques for big guys.


Being 6ft6 my self i thank you for these pictures that have gave me confidence that i will make it one day! :lol: 17stone and still looking like a rake :lol:


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## laurie g

Shorter guys are at more risk with theyre midsections and getting turtle backed ( distended bellys with abs on the top) for eg im 18.7 and 6ft transfer that weight to a shorter guy say 5,5 and they are more likely to look slightly pregnant not withstanding taller guys can have turtle bellys but i think shorter guys are more at risk


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## hsmann87

Toney Freeman. 6ft 2

His abs arent shoddy:


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## Jake1436114563

big pete said:


> ive always thought of shorter people having an easier job. cos they dont have to be as heavy to look a similar build.
> 
> *the best squatter i know is only 5'5. and its getting close to 400kg*, but then he suffers cos his fingers are short so cant deadlift heavy


Who is this fella? He must compete!! 400kg squat, one day, one day I will! Haha


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## TIMMY_432

Jimmy said:


> Ronnie coleman has one of the best mid sections I have ever seen!


Was this before or after the gh gut? Lol


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## quinn85

is it as black and white as whether you're tall or short? surely if you put the effort in you will see results? im 6'2 with no visible abs, i do train them, i just like food


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## thetong6969

used to train in 3's

me 5"5 and lighter

mate 1 5"11 14st

mate 2 6"1 about 13st 11

now reguarly lifted with 14 stone lad who was strongish 5-600lb squat heavy deadlifter and prob 120k bench i could then bench 100k with a pause(we mainly did heavy dealift compounds)

squat of 130k ithink,can't remember

and deads of 150 or 160k

prob why my first comp i came 4th and winner was 20 stone ,weigh to power ratio they use

pound for pound i was stronger than guys i trained with then,was also a challenge to keep up with my mate he had 20k a side on military i had 15k a side and 2n halfs so guess i was stronger


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