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Short or tall? Do short people get quicker gains?

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Author	Topic: Short or tall? Do short people get quicker gains?
xrciseink Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 80)	posted February 20, 2000 12:12 AM I was just looking at the before and after shot of that individual who has been training for 1 year and a half. I noticed a statement he said, "It will take me longer to gain muscle because he is taller." or something to that effect. If anyone thinks that because someone is shorter they will gain faster, your way off. I have heard things in the gym like, "the only reason that guy is so big is because he is short, and has a shorter distance to push the weights, therefore he can use more weight and gain muscle easier than a tall person like myself" thats totally wrong and I will tell you why. HEIGHT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HOW FAST YOU WILL GET GAINS. There are three different body types. Ectomorphic, Mesomorphic, and Endomorphic. Ectomorphic is the long, lean, build. Long arms, torso, legs. This is the build that has the most difficult time gaining weight and thick muscle. They can eat almost anything they want and never really put on fat. They are strong in the mid section and usually have good endurance. The Mesomorph is the build most people try to compare themselves to. It is considered the athletic build. They tend to hold some bodyfat, but would still be considered lean to the general public. They are strong all over, AND TEND TO HAVE SHORTER ARMS AND LEGS. The Endomorph is big in the hips and is considered to be the most athletically challenged. They tend to hold higher bodyfat and have thick waists and thin upper bodies. They are prone to injury. This is a quick description about the different body types. The key thing here is that the body types come in ALL HEIGHTS, you can be 6'4" tall and still be an ectomorph. You can be 5'5" tall and still be an ectomorph. We all know people who are tall yet they are long armed and skinny. We also know people who are tall yet very thick and stocky. People who are short that weigh 120lbs soaking wet dont exactly get huge overnight, (usually.) Look at Sean Ray, short yet big, Paul Dillet, tall yet big, Lou Ferrigno, Arnold Schwartzenegger, all people who are tall. Your build and genetics are what determine how fast you will grow, NOT YOUR HEIGHT. IP: Logged
Primo57 Pro Bodybuilder (Total posts: 264)	posted February 20, 2000 12:18 AM True, but the majority of exceptionally tall people do seem to have a hell of a time gaining excessive skeletal muscle. IP: Logged
xrciseink Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 80)	posted February 20, 2000 12:45 AM It still has to do with the genetic structure. Just remember, no matter what build you have, you can still do incredible sculpting to your physique. In '84 Flex Wheeler was a bean pole. The same goes for Lee Labrada in his early years, Lou Ferrigno, Arnold Schwartzenegger, they were all long armed thin people at one point, but look at what they accomplished. As long as there are bodybuilders like Ronnie Coleman and Flavio Bachaninni, it proves that height means nothing. GENETICS, TENDON INSERTION POINTS.....those are just a couple things you could talk about why individuals look or can lift better than others. It is very complicated and if I were to get right down to it, it would take me thirty pages to explain it. Height has nothing to do with it. Except if you are being judged to win the Olympia. IP: Logged
bignate73 Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 70)	posted February 20, 2000 02:40 AM think about this though. would a shorter muscle belly look larger with a minimal amount of work versus a longer one. so a shorter person versus a taller? i know lots of people who are tall and have a hell of a time looking big. strong as hell and gain weight but the shorter guy is gonna be more impressive sooner. my opinion at least.as for your explanation to bodytypes, yes thats a factor of course. IP: Logged
madbomber31 Pro Bodybuilder (Total posts: 246)	posted February 20, 2000 02:47 AM fact of the matter is this... 10lbs put on to a 5'4" frame is gonna be more impressive looking then 10lbs on a 6'3" guy.... if you have a gallon of water and one container that holds 2 gallons, and another that holds 10 gallons, what one looks more full? the smaller one... the gains arent coming quicker, 10lbs is 10 lbs, it just LOOKS better faster. IP: Logged
xrciseink Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 80)	posted February 20, 2000 11:05 AM Only if the person is a mesomorph. Explain how Ronnie Coleman is 265+ in competition, yet wheeler stays between 195-205 competing, yet put them together. The facts are facts, most people have a difficult time putting on muscle. I will say it again...a guy who is 5'8" and is 100lbs skinny is not going to look all that big going to 110. Genetics play a factor for some on how big they look, but HEIGHT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT or all bodybuilders would be short! Can't make up excuses just because you have a harder time putting on muscle than someone who has better genetics. Genetics, body type, INSERTION point of tendons, tendon length, bone mass,..... a lot of things come into play and everyone is differently shaped and built. Some tall people are able to get huge just as fast as shorter individuals or vice-versa. My roomate is over 6ft tall and is huge! My brother is 6ft 4in and is skinny. This is the last thing I will say about this, but anyone who thinks that becasue you are tall is the reason you are not able to put on muscle is not the case. Sorry to inform you of that, but everyone is different, and you either have it or you dont. IP: Logged
xrciseink Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 80)	posted February 20, 2000 11:26 AM Also, if you compare a container (2gallons) to (10gallons), than it is like comparing a short mesomorph to a tall ectomorph, and using water as your example does'nt make any sense. I studied engineering in school, and if you understand math, I will explain what else your statement needs. Take a short 2 gallon container and a tall 2 gallon container, and than the taller container looks like it is filled. We are not comparing height, we are comparing the structure, and it is all relevant. There are a lot more factors at play here than just taking two structures and comparing them. Compare short man Flavio 4'11 160lbs to Tall Ronnie Coleman, and size for size they are both big, but Coleman is much larger. Its all relative. Everyone is different. Skinny people with longer limbs will find it more difficult to put on muscle, thats just how it is. IP: Logged
flexed1 Pro Bodybuilder (Total posts: 196)	posted February 20, 2000 01:53 PM i am 5'3 tall and off season between 185-192 as far as my two cents being short has allowed me to fill my body out quicker than the same bone structered 6 foot person only because there is less to fill out. now as the taller person catches up they will surpass me as even though we have the same structure they have more room to put muscle. lee priest is my height and is huge but will never beat ronnie coleman, dorain yates (before retiring) because of the height and weight difference. for our heights we are big until youput us up against someone taller with the same gentectics. will you say that lee priest when he was 270 was as big as yates who was at the same weight but taller? short has its advantages in the first satge of development but when taller guys catch up they never look back. IP: Logged
madbomber31 Pro Bodybuilder (Total posts: 246)	posted February 20, 2000 10:25 PM hey x, think about it... maybe the water experiment wasnt good enough for you but, the way i see it is as follows.... we are gonna have 2 guys...A and B... A- 6ft tall 180lbs... 5% fat... B-5ft tall 150lbs... 5% fat... now, both guys have 30lbs per foot of height, just to make it simple... now, both guys juice it up and gain 20lbs of muscle.... A is now 200lbs and B is now 170lbs... A has grown 11% larger... while B has grown 13%... fact of the matter is, B has grown more yet put on the same amount of weight.. b is going to LOOK bigger... now ya, if A gained 13% more, and B gained 13% more, the height difference shouldnt matter... in fact, A would be more impressive... but thats not what we are talking about... i agree ht. has no effect on how fast you gain, i am just talking about what the naked eye sees, and the brain perceives... the brain is easily tricked by the eye... face it, when your a mile away from something it looks tiny, yet can be huge when your right in front of it... IP: Logged
ultrachicken Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 8)	posted February 20, 2000 10:47 PM K, new guy here but not too new to bodybuilding.. Madbomber is right. I'm a short guy, 5'4" tall, and when I first started I weighed a lean 110#. Now I weigh 185#. That was a year and a half ago. My brother-in-law( a lean tall guy), 6'1", started same time as I did, he now weighs 195#. He started at 160#. I put it on faster and kept the bf% down, while he grew but not nearly as fast as I did. He lived with me for the first year, we ate the same meals and did the same routines. IP: Logged
BuffEnuf Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 43)	posted February 20, 2000 11:06 PM 75lbs in a year and a half? Thats alot of muscle Ultrachicken. I just had this discusion with my partner at the gym the other day. He is 6'2" and a heavier 245. I am 5'4" and alot leaner 180. But there is no comparison with us. Bodybuilding is partly an illusion though. He claims its my short arms, helps me move the weights easier then his longer arms. We dont gain it faster you just see it faster. It may take me a month to put on 5lbs, but you'll see it. He could probably eat 5lbs and noone would even know. I think actual weight wise, given the same body types the taller guy would gain muscle faster, but you'd see it faster on the shorter guy. But heres the negative about being short... We'll never win another Mr.O! IP: Logged
big_guy1 Pro Bodybuilder (Total posts: 104)	posted February 21, 2000 04:43 AM it is easier for a shorter person to look bigger..think about it, a person 5'10 200 look better then a person 6'3 200.....so the shorter guy always looks bigger, although I think taller people are generally stronger..just my experience though... big-guy IP: Logged
bigdog Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 1)	posted February 21, 2000 11:06 AM Hey bros, I am 22 years old, have done 2 cycles. I am 6'4" and now 290lbs. The first cycle I went from 245 to 270. This cycle I have went from 270 to 290, so far (only half done) I am a LEAN Endo morph. I gain really fast, but I carry 99.9% of my fat in a beer belly up front, powerlifter sydrome I guess. I've gained 45lbs of muscle in about a year. I am getting bigger quickly, but even when didn't train I was always larger than most. So to sum up here....I am 6'4" tall and 290lbs. 19 in arms cold. 30 in. legs. If a short guy went from 245 to 290 in a year his measurments would be alot better than mine. Whats lee priest got packing in his sleeves...24..26???? Their fucking huge. I'll have to wiegh 350lbs to be that fucking big....and guess what. It'll take me longer I'm sure. Had I not used the gear I would still be truding along. Short and tall may gain at the same rate, but there's less to fill out on a short guy than me. INSERTION points matter very little to the naked eye. FORGET THE SIX PACK!! I'VE GOT A CASE!! ------------------ OH HELL YA!!!! BIGDOG IP: Logged
Big Brother Val Pro Bodybuilder (Total posts: 206)	posted February 21, 2000 11:38 AM Height does take away from appearance. I have a chum who is 5'9" and weighs 160 lbs, and always get remarks about how big he is. If you took the same amount of muscle, and put it on me at 6'2", and made me weight 160 lbs... you think I'd look BIG??? I really doubt it. In fact I know it. Because I've been there. So the fact is... the taller you are, the more muscle you need to look big. And yes, genetics play a big role. But height plays a large one as well. Take it from a guy who at one point was 6'1" and weighed 125 lbs. THAT'S RIGHT!!! 125!!! Try that one on. And now nearly 100 lbs heavier and only 1 inch taller... I'll be the first to tell you that it's harder to look big when you start with nothing but length. IP: Logged
madbomber31 Pro Bodybuilder (Total posts: 246)	posted February 21, 2000 11:46 AM good to know i am not teh only one who isnt saying that its not necessarily easier for short people to gain, but it SHOWS UP faster. thats my only point... i never said anything about it being easier or more difficult for tall or short people.. i just said it APPEARS, kinda like magic (its an illusion to the eye). IP: Logged
MiniMic Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 57)	posted February 21, 2000 11:59 AM I believe that people can gain about the same amount of muscle no matter their height. But it is going to be more noticeable if someone who is 5'8" puts on 15lbs than someone who is 6'4" puts on 15lbs. When comparing professional BB's though you have don't need to look at their height. Juice can work wonders for anyone, no matter their height as long as they do it right. "That which does not kill you can only make you STRONGER!!" IP: Logged
xrciseink Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 80)	posted February 21, 2000 06:40 PM -People with long limbs and low bodyfat will find it harder to put on muscle than people with shorter limbs and higher bodyfat. Yes, alot of shorter people can put on muscle and look big, but so can a lot of taller people. Look around, people are one of the three builds. Height does not matter. I know a guy in high school that was only 5'2" tall and 110lbs, it took him forever to gain. When he put on weight it was'nt noticed. He still does not look all that big, but has made a lot of progress. Looks like a lot of the taller guys with the same build. All Im saying is everyone is different. Weight can also fluctuate a lot due to bone density. Does'nt necessarily mean that someone who is 250 at 5'5" has more muscle than someone who is 5' 9" 200lbs. Example: Flex Wheeler 200lbs, Lee Priest 250lbs. Wheeler still looks bigger on stage yet is taller and lighter. Lee Priest even has said in the past he has always weighed heavy because he has thick joints. Height is not an excuse. Take what you got an go with your genetics. If you got it,you got it. Next time you are in the gym, look around. Im sure you will see a short person who is so skinny he barely can lift the bar. Now take a 6ft tall person with a loose sweat shirt who is just as skinny and who looks larger? Believe me the short ectomorph will have just as hard of a time putting on muscle as the taller guy with the same build. Maybe the short guy would look bigger, but I think the taller guy would if they put on the same amount of muscle on their frames for the sole fact that the taller guy has got a bigger frame. IP: Logged
Big Brother Val Pro Bodybuilder (Total posts: 206)	posted February 21, 2000 07:01 PM I hear what you are saying, and I do see your point. I'm just saying that my chum has always weighed less than me, but looked bigger. My frame wasn't bigger in width. Just height. Like a pencil. It may be longer than a marker... but it's not as big. 10 pounds on a short guy looks bigger than 10 lbs. on a tall guy. Because on a tall guy it's not as compact. Again... I've learned by experience... and it fuckin' sucked. I didn't have good genetics. Just height and a bony frame. But I've turned that all around now, and I FINALLY got big. But my chum has always been considered that... even though he's never weighed what I have. IP: Logged
xrciseink Amateur Bodybuilder (Total posts: 80)	posted February 21, 2000 11:02 PM Interesting replys guys. Good hard discussion without any bashing. Train! Oh yeah to anyone who thinks drugs will do wonders to your body....SAY KNOW TO DRUGS! IP: Logged
Joe Juicer Pro Bodybuilder (Total posts: 163)	posted February 21, 2000 11:17 PM Some good points being made. My 0.02 is that a tall guy that manages to get huge is going to be more visually impressive than a short guy that's got the same muscle density. To take it to the extreme, compare Flavio to Markus Rhule. Both great physiques with similar muscle density, but Rhule is positively frightening because he's so damn tall and over 280 lbs! ------------------ * A 23 Gaugue Haiku * no more injections my ass is a pin cushion take the needle out! IP: Logged
madbomber31 Pro Bodybuilder (Total posts: 246)	posted February 22, 2000 12:07 AM another year and i will be 280 IP: Logged

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