The Taller Person

B

Big_Idiot

2
Just a quick general question really, people's answers may vary here depending on your own judgement & experience.

Do taller ppl have a disadvantage on certain exercises?

Ill give an example:

Say the shoulder press, for someone with a longer reach wouldnt this be a disadvantage as they have further to move the weight?

Same goes with the bench press, pull ups, Dips, etc etc etc. Im just wondering as iv always assumed it may give the longer ppl a slight disadvantage due to further distance to move the weight.

Any opinions on this? Cheers ;)
 
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pure physics. the longer you have to move the weight, the more work you have to do to get it there.

However, long arms might give a disadvantage with benching, but it gives an advantage to deadlifting, etc. this is true for more things too, what gives a disadvantage with one lift, might give an advantage in another lift.
 
I've heard that taller people tend to be better with deadlifts and short people better at squats.

However, IMO, unless your competing and prizes are at stake what does it matter? It's just another excuse people use too often to get out of things like 'I'm a tall hard-gainer so I do leg extensions instead of squats' which roughly translates to 'I'm a pussy who doesn't like squats because they make me sweat and I show no dediction to my diet'.

(not saying that's you but just having a general rant on the subject :))
 
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Yea youve confirmed that for me Karky, cheers mate :D

I seem to be best on my lats, i dont understand as with many lat exercise's (pull downs etc) i have a further reach to pull the weight and squeeze due to my longer arms, i thought this would be more a disadvantage.
 
CCR said:
I've heard that taller people tend to be better with deadlifts and short people better at squats.

However, IMO, unless your competing and prizes are at stake what does it matter? It's just another excuse people use too often to get out of things like 'I'm a tall hard-gainer so I do leg extensions instead of squats' which roughly translates to 'I'm a pussy who doesn't like squats because they make me sweat and I show no dediction to my diet'.

(not saying that's you but just having a general rant on the subject :))
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lol, i love squats :D they hurt the **** outta my back tho, but u cant beat em.
 
BigTomW said:
lol, i love squats :D they hurt the **** outta my back tho, but u cant beat em.
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Good man :)

Us tall guy might find them slightly harder but that just means we need to bust our balls more than the short guys

p.s. In what way do they hurt your back? Is that DOMS or as you're performing the lift?
 
Yea harder for us taller guys, but i love the harder work :)

Well its after iv performed them, my lower back hurts, although it doesnt hurt the day after or anything but i still cant see any good in my back hurting.

I wear a belt and im sure iv got perfect form and positioning - i just dont know.
 
CCR said:
I'd still get someone who knows what they're doing to double check your form and make sure you're not leaning to far forward while you do them
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Thats a good point actually, i do lean slightly forward as i feel like i might fall backwards, im not sure if im leaning too much tho but yea ill get someone to check.
 
Just thinking out loud for the fun of it, this should be determined by someone doing statistics on actual cases:

Well, the distance you have to move the weight is proportional to height, and strength is proportional to muscle cross-section - so if the cross-section of your muscles are proportional to height squared, a reasonable assumption imo, height should be an advantage.

If the short guy is able to get the same muscle cross-section as the tall guy though, then the short guy would be at an advantage though.

But is the distance moved relevant regarding strength? Isn't that more a problem of how long you can apply that strength? Energy resources are propably a function of volume, "consumed" by strength as a function of cross-section, so how long your energy lasts at a given resistance is proportional to height. Since distance moved also increases proportionally to height, we end up in the situation that height isn't even a disadvantage. Muscle cross-section is all that matters, height is irrelevant.

Leverage shouldn't be a factor, since distance from the joint to both the weight and the muscle attachment gets increased by the factor.

If you start to factor in acceleration and momentum of the weights (which certainly is important if you start throwing it around like powerlifters do), it gets a bit more complicated, can't be bothered thinkin about that.

That's enough random musings based on high school advanced physics course over a decade ago for one post ;) I really have no idea of how it pans out in the real world :p
 
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yeah, that's probobly why most good bench pressers in the world have short arms and most good squatters short femurs. Sorry, but limb lengt does matter. I know alot of people don't want to think it does, because "everyone has the same potential, all that matters is how hard you work" etc, and that's true. there's no problem in overcomming your limb lengts, just find out what makes your limb lenght a weakness, and improve that.

Take a Snatch for an example. I'm 6'4 I have no idea how long my arms are, but regardless, I will have to "throw" the weight alot higher than someone who is short. My muscles are longer, ofcource, because I have longer limbs, it doesn't matter that much.
 
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Was that a reply to my post? Please reread:

Nicolasd said:
If you start to factor in acceleration and momentum of the weights (which certainly is important if you start throwing it around like powerlifters do), it gets a bit more complicated, can't be bothered thinkin about that.

;) I really have no idea of how it pans out in the real world :p
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Another point is probably relative size of bodyparts. For example a big torso and small arms should mean big pecs for moving short arms.

But it's just theorizing, if the real world says short guys press better, that's how it is, whether it be the throwing or whatever causes it.
 
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has to do with the ammount of posts. when you get more it will change.
 
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