how do you know if you're proportioned?

[T-800]

i know the obvious answer is to look at yourself, but.....

for example, say you're aiming for a 46 in. chest. how would you know if your back is proportioned to your chest or the other way around?

how about bicep and triceps? how can we determine if they're proportionate to eachother?

your 3 deltoids....i could go on and on.

it would seem to me that for each exercise, you could say.... for a seated row, you should be able to do x times your bench press. (assuming same # of reps and sets)

does anyone know of some links that show how much weight you should be able to lift per body part to stay proportionate? or even just a site for a top, well proportioned, bodybuilder that lists how much HE does for each exercise. maybe then we could correlate the data to our own bodies.

thanks

 

[gymtime]

Unless you are a competetive bodybuider (where the parameters for proportion are more clearly defined), proportion, as well as bodyweight-to-strenght ratios are simply to subjective to be concerned with. In other words, peoples bodies are too unique to apply a set of numbers as to how much they should be able to lift.

For example, by US Gov't standards, I, at 6'1", 225, 13%, am considered borderline obese. I've also read "standards" that say I should be able to bench 1.5 times my bodyweight for ten reps. That's 347lbs for ten. My absolute max 1R is probably 295.

The point is, it's all bullshit. You gotta take the time in the gym and learn what lifts work best for you, what diet, what routine. Comparing yourself to others is a dead end.

 

[T-800]

actually, my point was about appearance, not strength.

if my deltoids look too small for the size of my biceps/triceps, some type of calculation should help. if i can do 60lb bicep curls, then i should be able to do roughly x pounds for lateral raises. if i can't do the weight, then probably my shoulders look too small and i should work on them.

same for chest, if i can bench press x pounds, i should be able to roughly do y pounds for seated rows. if i can't, maybe my back is not proportionate to my chest.

see my point?

 

[DrBones]

I think i read in some gay ass mens health some apparent ratios... but they seemed a little out of whack...

 

[DrBones]

Only thing with doing that with strength is that you might be strong in hell in one section of your body, but your genetics limits the growth in that one section..

For instance...
I can dumbell press way more weight than i think I should be able to for the size of my chest... my chest is just shitty.. very small...
But my delts are somewhat decent and I can barely move anything...

I think a better way to measure instead of strength would be measurements...
my 2 bits

 

[T-800]

I think a better way to measure instead of strength would be measurements...

i agree, but here's the problem with that:

right now i use the mccallum formula for a general target. some may not like his calculations, but i do. i'm not trying to be huge.

anyway, say you know your target chest size. then you take a tape measure and measure around your chest. the problem is, how do you know if you have a well developed back and a small chest? that measurement won't detect that problem.

same goes for biceps and triceps. say you want 18" arms. how do you know if your triceps are too small and your biceps are too big? measuring your arm with a tape measure won't tell you that.

deltoids are a nightmare. how on earth can we tell if the 3 muscles are each equally developed?

this type of aspect of bodybuilding is very overlooked, in my opinion. most guys just say they want to be 220lb and keep moving up in weight for all body parts til they reach 220. i'm not like that. imo, for best appearance, some body parts should be built more than others.

 

[gonelifting]

Hate to say it bro, but just look at yourself. I know you mentioned that in your first post, but if you take lots of pictures of yourself and examine them you can see more than just in the mirror. Take pictures of the compulsory type rounds in bodybuilding shows. (of yourself)
Also look at pictures of very symmetrical bodybuilders and study their symmetry. You don`t have to measure. If you looked at your shoulder, You could`nt tell which head needs work?

 

[Exodus]

those ratio things are only for the porportions that someone else thinks.

there is no way in the world, nor will there ever be to judge porportions based on your strength, never.

make up your own.

here is mine:

what ever your waist is, your chest should be double.
each one of your legs should be as big as your waist.
your arms, calves, and neck should be the same.

X

 

[Haz]

Here is a link to a calculator that will give you your "ideal measurements" based on your wrist size. Not sure how the hell they came up with this, but it seems about right.

http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/MaleGirthCalculator.html

 

[jeremys]

my wrist size is 7.25-7.5 inches..what does this mean?