Building Muscles for Tall Men vs Building Muscles for Short Men
September 23, 2009 by Shaun
Filed under The Fitness Bug
Since growing to my adult height of 6’1 at age 16, I decided that it was time to hit the gym as my late high school years were coming to an end. Yes, it is true that I may have kept growing up until the age of 21, but I was happy with my height, yet I simply was not a fan of the skinny man look as an adult.
That was some years back now and from my experience of building muscle, I can conclude that it is definitely harder to gain muscle mass on a tall persons frame than it is for a short person.
Now don’t get me wrong, overtime time I have realised that both body types will build muscle at the same rate, it’s just that tall peoples muscles are distributed over a larger area. This means that taller people will need to work harder to grow their muscles to point where they look ‘HUGE’. But when they do get to that stage, they will definitely adopt the’ stand out from the crowd’ look.
This is what the shorter guys won’t get!
Shorter guys can build muscle faster for sure, because their muscles are distributed over a smaller area, but they will only get the small powerful look and once they reach a certain size, there won’t be much room to grow any further either because of their smaller frame. So although taller guys have a hard time gaining weight, with hard work there will always be room to grow.
Tall persons frame
= Larger bones
= More distance between joint and insertion point of muscle
= Better leverage
= Stronger
Taller persons frame
= Larger ROM (Range of Motion)
= What some argue… weaker!
Taller persons frame
= Larger frame
= More potential for weight gain in workouts
But Shaun… people are neither ‘just tall’ nor ‘just short’, there are many variations of body types!
You are right,
- Long legs vs. short legs
- Long arms vs. short arms
- Long torso vs. short torso
And all kinds of combination’s
But you can discuss those variations of body types at the end of this post. For the purpose of this post lets just assume we are talking about,
Short - typical ectomorph
Tall - typical ectomporph
Lets now look at how both body types are affected with particular exercises to prove the fact that it is harder to build muscle mass when you are taller and that tall people are at a disadvantage.
Pull-ups
Pull-ups are one of the best strength gaining and muscle building exercises, and it gets even better when you add a dipping belt to the mix. Despite its greatness, the pull up is simply not a tall persons exercise and someone like myself has to work much harder to get those strength gains (Painful!).
The main issue is that a tall person would have a wider grip compared to a shorter person, and that is what makes it tough.
However, I did work hard, and I know for sure it took me a lot longer to get strength gains than my shorter framed friends. My only real personal advantage was that I didn’t weigh too much to begin with in those early days, so I was able to put out more reps than my heavier taller friends.
Bicep exercises (chin ups/ Curls)
If you are tall then it is very unlikely that you will have short arms, and I know from experience (again, painful!) that a tall person has a tough time building ‘stand out biceps’, even to the stage where they look developed. Taking them to the ‘HUGE’ level is a different matter altogether. (But it can be done). The key difference here is that a shorter person with naturally shorter arms can build big biceps in a fraction of the time that it will take for the tall person to get achieve the same results (damn these long limbs).
Bench Press
This is another short man exercise. For years I’ve met many people that were able to lift a lot more weight than I could on the bench press exercise and I just couldn’t figure out how that was so. I mean… I was and still am a pretty strong guy (In my view) and can lift some pretty serious weights. But every time it comes to bench press, it just takes more work.
Why?
- Longer arms!
- Wider grip!
- More Range of Motion to perform a full rep!
Without a doubt, there are advantages and disadvantages to both body types. It may seem like I’m bashing the short guys for having it all, but hey, that’s my experience. The bottom line is that in general, shorter guys can do less and gain muscle mass much quicker than us tall guys. Whichever body type you are, just be sure to replace those exercises that feel awkward to perform with something else, and if a shorter/ taller guy out-performs you at a particular exercise, just mind your own business! Because if you try to challenge them you will get egg on your face, then you WILL be embarrassed.
Which exercises do you have difficulty performing?
What is your body type? Is it a variation of the above?
See you in the comments.
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In my personal opinion..i would say that is not easier for short people to get buffer and stronger fast like all the tall people think..im 16 and 5 ft 4 or 5 inches..iv’e started weightlifting like 7 o 8 months ago..and at 1st i made really quick progress..80 to 170lbs on bench press nd 165 to 245lbs on squating..seems real cool yeah..but now im stuck..is only the beginning that will give you results like that..once u get stronger..your progress will deline dramatically..and no is not easy..ive worked my 3 times a weak..and i was dedicated and it is hard..do all the things need to like go to school all sore evry week.. =( think easy..nope..sorry 2 bust any bubbles..we work just as hard..i have a goal and that is 2 b just as strong as you big people..never have a small limit that u reach quik like us small people..i rather take a long ass time 2 get buff like u guys than reach a limit..nd b dun..u guys will always b stronger, look better, at the end, and b heavy..and i hate it cuz not all big people are kind..sum pik at us..if we were just as big..mayb sum of u guys wuldnt evn cum all hard nd think your stronger nd bettr..but hate 2 say it..but u guys really r..also..yea we might b buffre sum times..but we spread da muscles in an area like u guys..and suddenli we r not dat big lookin nomor..hate it..but i hope i can atleaststill get 2 200 and b muscular..jzt for u guys 2 kno..hope u hav compassion..
mexican Reply:
March 15th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
In my personal opinion..i would say that is not easier for short people to get buffer and stronger fast like all the tall people think..im 16 and 5 ft 4 or 5 inches..iv’e started weightlifting like 7 o 8 months ago..and at 1st i made really quick progress..80 to 170lbs on bench press nd 165 to 245lbs on squating..seems real cool yeah..but now im stuck..is only the beginning that will give you results like that..once u get stronger..your progress will deline dramatically..and no is not easy..ive worked my 3 times a weak..and i was dedicated and it is hard..do all the things need to like go to school all sore evry week.. =( think easy..nope..sorry 2 bust any bubbles..we work just as hard..i have a goal and that is 2 b just as strong as you big people..never have a small limit that u reach quik like us small people..i rather take a long ass time 2 get buff like u guys than reach a limit..nd b dun..u guys will always b stronger, look better, at the end, and b heavy..and i hate it cuz not all big people are kind..sum pik at us..if we were just as big..mayb sum of u guys wuldnt evn cum all hard nd think your stronger nd bettr..but hate 2 say it..but u guys really r..also..yea we might b buffre sum times..but we spread da muscles in an area like u guys..and suddenli we r not dat big lookin nomor..hate it..but i hope i can atleaststill get 2 200 and b muscular..jzt for u guys 2 kno..hope u hav compassion..
[Reply]
Hi
Well, that is true. And I did mention all the points you discuss. There are indeed pros and cons to both body types (Even though I naturally give support to the taller body types). Either way, we all have to work hard to achieve long term results.
This article is hilarious.Maybe an ectomorph build has such troubles gaining mass,but and Endomorph or Mesomorph should have no problem.Plus I don’t understand if you are judging the tall man with mass is better on a practical or superficial level?
Well.. a tall ectomorph is in a winning situation if he is willing to work for the body of his dreams. It’s just that his shorter friend will get there quicker, yet peak, as his tall friend starts making real gains.
“once a week for 3 years?” Where does that strategy come from? I find muscle growth comes from a minimum 3 intense sets x 3 times/week with a good diet and avoid too much cardio. My push up numbers are higher when I’m lean (11%) than when I’m heavy (16%).
- Adam
6’2″
Hi Adam
I think he means that he performs those as one exercise in his workout. Not just that exercise as the entire workout.
I don’t know why your wimping because of height. it doesn’t matter if your tall, short or medium size. The only thing that matter is your dedication and will to become what you want. If you keep thinking about this, “oh that short guy is big because he’s short” then you will just get envy all the time and your concentration will be messed up. I’m a short guy, and I don’t think it’s an advantage for us. And remember this “Just do it and don’t be a pussy”.
That is indeed true. Just do it like Nike. However, as the emotional beings that we are, it’s a topic that sits at the back of the mind of many. And again, even though valid points are stated, one must just work too their advantage/strengths and not watch the other guy.
Hi Shaun,,,its true,,being 6ft 7 ins 45 yrs old and weighing 15stone (97ish kilos) it is quite hard to fit in some of the machines ie. lat pulldown bench ,,tricep-pulldown/bicep curl bench,,sitting row bench,,,all too wee,,cable machine is ok,,except the lat pull-up/chin-up bars,,have to kneel to use them,,,bench press,ass hangin off the end,,incline not much better,,AND,,decline , it loks like i’m doin a friggin headstand while benchin the bar,,looong arms and looong legs,,loong torso,,not fun,,but he ho,,musn’t grumble,,my vertically challenged friends all seem to think i’m talking rubbish when i try to explain the tall Vs short arguement/debate,,at least i know its raining before them,,lol,,lol
Hehe. That was actually quite funny. I’m still doing the guinea pig muscle building thing at present. And one big challenge for taller folks is how to build bigger ‘stand out arms’ But it can be done. In fact,that’s what Mondays post will be about.
got the bicycle pump at the ready,,my arms legs and chest will look huge with a huff and a puff and a lot o pumps,,who says tall guys cant look huge , eh,, ,,hehe
Just remember to dress to compliment your physique. Most tall guys with 15% or less body fat will always look skinny when full clothed, unless you dress in a way that shows it off. Read these posts
http://www.stayfitbug.com/the-fitness-bug/why-hardgainer-bodybuilders-need-tailor-made-wardrobes
http://www.stayfitbug.com/the-fitness-bug/why-hardgainer-bodybuilders-need-tailor-made-wardrobes-2
6’1 isn’t really that tall…
Thanks for the article! Can u do one on bulking? Didn’t see anything about that in the archives; I want to try my hand at it! Also, noticed I have a hard time at squatting; I love deadliftn, yea! Benching is anotha pain I encounter, I have learned to work around it; include other things into my workouts, ya know? Thanks again, peace; keep those articles coming! Maybe you should include a link for suggestions, just a thought!
Hi Richard. Just check the archives for the past 4 months. Plenty of stuff of how to bulk up there.
A friend and I started this debate during a onversation on our different body types. He’s 5’7 170 , I’m 6’2 195. Comparatively he looks much bulkier and stronger than me, I look deceptively skinny but told him I was stronger than he was. His main argument was that like most exercises, he can curl more weight than I can and that proves he was stronger. Like you’ve stated, due to his shorter arms and shorter body build , his body he actually has better leverage for some exercises and his range of motion needed is much smaller than mine, and as I told him, because of this it only looks like he is stronger.
Anyone who has taken a physics class should be able to see this in scientific terms. In the instance of curls, he curls 40lbs , I do 35lbs but im actually applying much more force and more importantly torque to lift mine due to difference in our arm lengths. The physics of it are very simple, his forearm arm is 12″ long mine is 16″. The torque he is applying is 40lbs x 12″ = 40ft/lbs, meanwhile I’m applying 35lbs x 16″ = 47ft/lbs. This same principle applies to a smaller persons body in all exercises, it may seem like they are lifting more weight than taller people but its all realtive.
Very well simply put Dan. Body shape and size is always a conversation that comes up in the gym. Always!
Okay guys, first of all, I’ll apologize for my insertion of thoughts in a seemingly random manner. I stumbled across this article and comments when I searched for answers to clothing for my body type. Very interesting indeed. You’ve stirred my attention for sure. My first thought, though, is on the main theme throughout this page, short vs. tall. I fail to see that it is harder for taller people to do exercises based on a leverage point of view. It WOULD make sense if the same exact size muscle was taken from a short person’s frame and placed on a tall guy. That’s where leverage would make sense, but it’s not that way. The way that I see it is like a drawing on computer. Take a small picture and then enlarge it by 2x and you end up with a taller person. My point is that I don’t think the smaller person can lift more weight because he’s smaller but because I think he’s been doing it longer. I think that if a smaller person can do more chin-ups, it’s because I think he’s been doing chin-ups much longer. I DO think that it’s on a deeper and more complex level that explains why we “short or tall” are not experiencing the gains that we want. I do think that the important factors of these gains have to address: the “work” or effort, the proper technique, rest, diet, any underlying genetic factors, state of mind, etc. etc.
I can almost sense that what’s missing in a lot of the above guys that just work and work and work but see no gains is that maybe they’re not giving their bodies a chance to recover or maybe not fueling their bodies the way their bodies need it. I do believe that there is some magic combination of all of those factors that are unique to each one of us, and once we hit that right combination, we will definitely see the gains. Am I an expert? Hell no! I’m just sitting on the outside, maybe, and looking in and trying to make sense of it all myself.
At 41, I’m a beginner. Sad to say, but it’s true…but I’m going to make a go of it and hopefully find that right combination for myself. BTW, I’m 5’8″ and I have a short torso and long limbs. I use to think that the leverage thing held true when I had a hard time doing push-ups (being in the Army and all) The truth, that I found out for myself, is that it wasn’t my leverage that was causing the problems, it was because I wasn’t use to doing push-ups.
I DO like the comment about too much cardio being detrimental to muscle gains. Is that true? I do the eliptical or stat-bike every day for about 15-20 minutes.
I DO agree that when two men with exactly the same amount of proportional muscle mass stand side by side, but one is about 2 feet taller than the other, the taller man will look more impressive.
Hi Ray.
Some good points mentioned there. The main goal over any other aspect of successfully building muscle, is pushing individuals to be persistent with their approach. That is done by living fitness as a lifestyle, because after your first month of exploding your muscles, for most, the gains after that period will small and steady. And yo-yo dieting, bulking/cutting isn’t really the best approach for the everyday man. It’s about the lifestyle, getting fit, strong and continuously motivated. That’s what Stay-Fit Bug is all about.
This is a very interesting article, glad I stumbled upon it.
The way I see it, the issue with height is not so much building the muscle but whether a short person can look ‘big’ in terms of their muscles more easily than a tall person.
I’m 5’10/5’11 and weigh 176 lbs (80kg), I can bench 20kg more than my bodyweight and squat nearly double my bodyweight, without meaning to blow my own trumpet I would say I look quite ‘big’ considering I’ve been at the gym just over 6 months. However, there are taller guys than me (lets say 6’2 for arguments sake) who can lift more than me in some cases, despite them being able to lift more than me they don’t look ‘big’ at all. So it’s not a case of shorter guys having an easy ride with regard to muscle gain in comparison to taller guys, rather it is a case of taller guys not being able to look as big, in relation to their height, as shorter guys. Look at it this way. Lets say I transfer my entire body fat and muscle mass onto a Bob who is 6″2. That same fat and muscle won’t look the same on him as it did on me because it has a larger area to cover, so the muscle mass that was considered to be big for a person of my height doesn’t make Bob look any bigger. I feel like I’ve done a poor job of explaining my idea but to put it simply, tall guys have a larger area their muscles must cover, they can gain the same amount of muscle as a shorter guy but look half as big in relation to their height.
However, I must stress that it isn’t all easy for short guys. Yes it may be easier for us to look ‘big’ in terms of muscles but that also means what could be considered a small amount of fat on a tall guy can equate to a beer gut on a shorter guy. This again is because the fat, like the muscle, has a wider area to cover on a tall guy and subsequently doesn’t look so bad when spread out. This means that for shorter guys it’s harder to get the toned beach body that everyone wants. So really being tall or short can have it’s pro’s and con’s when it comes to exercise.
Some good points made there Louis. That is precisely the case for this topic. And of course, there are pros and cons to both.
I’d also like to point out that it’s very important to push yourself 100% when working out, regardless of height, because you won’t see results if you don’t. The key is to choose exercises that work best for your height and body type. Obviously if you are quite tall you could well struggle with the bench press, I’ll admit that if my grip was any wider I’d struggle with it, so choose something else. As a guy who is mid-height (not tall or short) I don’t really find much of an issue with what might be considered short man’s or tall man’s exercises. But from what I’ve observed at the gym it seems that barbell exercises are more popular among taller guys (they lift more on them than short guys) and dumbbell exercises are more popular with shorter guys. Just some food for thought.
Yup. All on point Louis. Being 6’2, a natural semi-hardgainer, growing all 4 limbs to a ‘stand out’ level is indeed tough. The best approach for tall guys that struggle is to follow a dedicated muscle building plan. That’s how to get results quicker. Not doing so will mean it will take up to 1 year until it ‘looks’ like you’ve changed. However, as pointed out above, once a tall guy does get there, he will have more room to grow, for the reasons you state about muscle being spread over a larger area.
im a short man at 5 2 and 140 lbs not that big yet just recently started body building i do not agree that short men can gain quicker but i think it is as equally difficult for both short/tall men. just for example if i were to try to bench 200lbs yaaa i have sort arms so i dont have as far to go but it would b tough as hell for me if i could even do it . if someone at 6 foot 2 250lbs were to do it they should do it with ease just for the simple fact of the amount of ass they have behind them and the leverage.dont think it is fair to judge either party or compare them we each have our limits and results due to body height and we both work very hard to accomplish our goals instead of making up excuses oooooo he is shorter/taller soo he can do this or that. how about congratulating each other for ones success
You have to work with what your givin, Im 6’5″ 225lbs and im only 21 ive never used illegal supplements or steriods and i can bench 370 and curl 140 it has been difficult but i dont let my body type fall into the excuse catagory, we were all born with advantages and disadvantages my height makes benching a challenge which pushes me harder.
Great article…but I still resent you tall people! I’m short (5’10) and I suppose I am able to gain weight easer than my tall buddies, but I guarantee they wouldn’t trade places with me for anything in the world. No matter how you look at it, tall men have the advantage in pretty much every practical way in the world, they are even more likely to get higher paying jobs than shorter men and virtually all women view tall men as more attractive. So I guess bodybuilding is the one place where us shorties have a tiny advantage, but next time you tall people complain about how you have to work harder to get big in the gym, think about whether you would want to switch places, because I doubt any of you would! Once again, great article!
I feel like 6’1 is pretty average.
You’re 16 man. You probably just started developing. Your slump will be over soon as you continue to develop. Change up the routine, or take a weeks break to let you body fully recover from the workouts. All takes time. Everyone hits their slumps, takes a passionate person to get through it.
You need to change your exercises up and ‘shock your muscles’. Your body will get used to exercises if you keep doing the same ones over and over and the muscles will no longer grow. I think changing your exercises every 2-3 months would help. And more important than anything is diet.
I am def not a short guy but i was I’n the same boat a’s you. I really didn’t start to see big results until i started eating a LOT more. Good healthy foods of course, but i got much bigger and stronger by fueling my body properly. Also, if you eat the right things you won’t need supplements, but the protien shakes can help a bit.
Hope that helps.
Great article and i agree that it is definitely harder for taller guys to get big!!! And painful!!! Especially the pull ups! We got a lot more mass to get up! Not to mention, i was a gymnast for over 10 years and the shorter people can flip themselves over so much easier. almost looked effortless to us Lurchy mofo’s. Lol
This article is really interesting. I’m 18 years old, 6’3″ and 150 lbs. I want to get into weightlifting more because I’ve been a cross country runner untill now and it doesn’t give me the body I’m looking for. I am strong but it doesn’t show. One of my friends is 5’1″ and jacked and he doesn’t even workout that often, but i now it makes sense. I guess it just takes A LOT of effort.
That’s right Brian. Just follow everything on this site and you will be ‘jacked’ too!!!
Hey Shaun.
I’m a short guy, but I have arms that rival that of the longest guys i know. I am 5ft5 and my arms are 3ft each! I also have hyper mobility (just my arms and wrists). The problem i experience is I can’t gain muscle for my biceps…
One thing TALL people have a nice advantage in Judo. Also in Martial art styles that you have to fight from a distance (kicks). I myself Do Judo, Go-ju kai karate and swimming.
Hi Ethan
Long arms can indeed be a killer to build. Martial arts is actually a great thing to take up along side resistance training, so that’s always a bonus. Regardless of shape size.
Keep it going.
Is there a way to calculate whether your’e endo or ectomorph? im not sure what id define my self as im 6’5” 207 lbs my arm span is about 6’7”, like alot of whats being said on here i notice have a seriously bad time on the bench, other things im comfortable with like flies i enjoy doing but i feel like my bench is about half where it should be. I work out with a friend whos not short either hes about 6′ with much shorter arms though. anyone know if i should be working on my bench differently?
There is no grounds for your argument whatsoever…..I have 3 brothers, all of us are of different heights. We all grew our muscles at the same rate. You don’t need to “grow out” your muscles and fill it out. The muscles fibers all grow at the same rate. If you are taller, your muscle fibers are just longer. Also…shorter people have to lift the same weight the same distance in comparison to taller people have to push “farther.” Its the differences of those muscle fibers. I feel like you are bashing short people because you suck at weight lifting. I’ve been lifting for 6 years (20), and with my football team, there was no difference in size or strength among the players that lifted right. The way I lift, I promise you I can match most, if not surpass most tall people in weight lifting. That’s not cause I’m huge, frankly I just have a lean athletic build. it’s cause I know how to lift, and work on different muscles, not just benching in my chest workout. Sorry for this post. I was just annoyed with how flawed and idiotic your logic was.
yeah im 16 and im 6 feet tall and i noticed that it is way harder for tall people to do bench press than short people. I can only bench like 160 but my friend who is 5’3” can put up 220. I weigh way more than him and we are both fit. I can beat him at arm wrestling but he will always be able to bench more. lol
tall people can kick short people’s ass so does it really matter who can lift more weight?
Why does it matter??
I’m 17 Northern European, 172cm tall and 78KG (Roughly 5’7/8 175lbs in American terms I believe) and despite this whole bleeding hearts story taller bodybuilders propose about how much ‘harder’ they have to work in the Gym to see the same effect as a smaller man, whilst still at the same time maintaining that – most of them- are naturally stronger when they start.
This is crap. Like you mention in this piece, there are many different body types, not just short & tall. And strength is also determined by genetics, like your ability to gain muscle. Theoretically, yes it would be harder for the taller of two people, identical in genetics save their height to build muscle due to their ‘larger’ frame. However this does not mean that the shorter bloke has an easy time of it, he will still have to work hard to get to where he wants to be or he simply just won’t get there. Taller BB’s have to work >longer< not harder to get where the want to be, and although you touched on this, I don't think you were fair about it.
At the end of the day, a Short BB & Tall BB will both "Stand out from the crowd" but if one BB is your height, and the taller one will probably look more 'Imposing' even if the Shorter man is technically heavier than the other.
In otherwards, height has it's advantages and disadvantages but isn't as black & white as this article makes it out to be. Genetics is always the most important part of BB, and thee is more to it than just height & wingspan etc.
Some good points made there. Thank you for your insight Craig.