Why tall people are actually stronger than short people of similar capabilities

[sam121]

Ever seen someone who is say 5 foot 4 who works out? Chances are they look pretty buff even though they aren't that strong.

Basically they have less space to put it all so they look bigger. Also, a shorter person will be able to lift more weight because their limbs are shorter so they have a shorter distance to travel to lift the weight. Therefore their muscles have to work less hard then a tall person.

Physics: work is force times distance. shorter distance means the muscles don't have to work as hard to lift the same weight(force).

What this means overall is that, even if someone who is 5'4 can bench say 250, a guy who is 6'4 and can bench 220 is still far stronger, even though he looks like an average dude and the short guy looks like the Hulk.

[LiveToEat]

What this means overall is that, even if someone who is 5'4 can bench say 250, a guy who is 6'4 and can bench 220 is still far stronger.

Not sure if i agree with that degree of this logic. i do know that it is harder to fill out a taller body.

[mbwood]

Ever seen someone who is say 5 foot 4 who works out? Chances are they look pretty buff even though they aren't that strong.

Basically they have less space to put it all so they look bigger. Also, a shorter person will be able to lift more weight because their limbs are shorter so they have a shorter distance to travel to lift the weight. Therefore their muscles have to work less hard then a tall person.

Physics: work is force times distance. shorter distance means the muscles don't have to work as hard to lift the same weight(force).

What this means overall is that, even if someone who is 5'4 can bench say 250, a guy who is 6'4 and can bench 220 is still far stronger, even though he looks like an average dude and the short guy looks like the Hulk.

lol so you're saying that someone who can lift less weight is actually stronger? He might have more pounds of muscle but if it's spread out on a long limb it's weaker. Shorter limbs equals easier to lift equals stronger. Lifting more weight equals stronger. The shorter guy is stronger.

[sam121]

actually you can feel what i mean if you have been in a fight with a taller guy....
i have been in a fight with a taller guy who never went to a gym and i have been going to the gym for a year and im bulked....but still i struggled fighting with him.

[Tyciol]

lol so you're saying that someone who can lift less weight is actually stronger? He might have more pounds of muscle but if it's spread out on a long limb it's weaker. Shorter limbs equals easier to lift equals stronger. Lifting more weight equals stronger. The shorter guy is stronger.

I think he's talking in terms of power and work done. As in, if short-arm guy is benching 200 and long-arm guy is benching 200, ignoring much more important factors like training/technique or whatever, long-arm guy will throw a harder punch because he accelerates at the same intensity over a longer distance.

Physics: work is force times distance.

The main problem I have with the 'work' approach is according to this, the isometric worker is doing nothing and the eccentric lowerer is doing negative work. Clearly these are beneficial forms of exercise though, so one wonders if work is at all a valid capacity for measuring strength or the benefit except for the ability to actually do work.

What this means overall is that, even if someone who is 5'4 can bench say 250, a guy who is 6'4 and can bench 220 is still far stronger

This depends entirely on how strength is evaluated, and it is done in different ways. In one respect, the guy who quarter squats 1000lbs is stronger than the guy who full squats 250. But in another respect, the 250 full squatter is much stronger.

Range vs. force is a debate I don't think is going to end soon. The truth probably lies in the midst of both extremes. It can't all be about stretch, otherwise people would be all about the suspended front/side splits for hamstring/adductor strength, yet people remain training heavy in a more restricted range while training deadlifts and wide-stance squats and such things.

[Delgadido]

i know plenty of short people who cant fill out as easily as me. it is all genetic based.

this thread is garbage.

someone mad because shorter ppl can lift more than them?

[AJPa]

i know plenty of short people who cant fill out as easily as me. it is all genetic based.

this thread is garbage.

someone mad because shorter ppl can lift more than them?

look at powerlifting, you would think a 220 pound 5'5 guy would be stronger than a 6+ 220 pound guy but nope..

[matjusm]

A taller guy can be stronger than a small guy because a tall guy can pack more muscle onto his frame. More muscle means more strength. Now I don't want anyone using the counterargument about comparing a small powerlifter to a bodybuilder twice his size because that is comparing apples to oranges. You have to look within the weight classes of strength sports (Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting) to see that bigger guys move more iron.
So height indirectly helps bigger guys lift more.

[TOS98SS]

What this means overall is that, even if someone who is 5'4 can bench say 250, a guy who is 6'4 and can bench 220 is still far stronger, even though he looks like an average dude and the short guy looks like the Hulk.

I would still say the guy that could do more weight is stronger . But say the weight was the same the shorter guy would definetly look bigger imo .

T ishis my problem as I am 6'7"

[DJBrickman]

I would still say the guy that could do more weight is stronger . But say the weight was the same the shorter guy would definetly look bigger imo .

T ishis my problem as I am 6'7"

Mine too at 6' 10".

If I can't lift 300 pounds but another guy can, then he is stronger than me period!!! To argue anything else is stupid!! I can't lift as much weight.............isn't this common sence? I think a better discussion would be the physics of leverage and why it is harder for some people to (for example) squat bigger numbers than some shorter people. LOL

Not srs. My squat numbers just suck!!!!! LOL

[Sprog]

actually you can feel what i mean if you have been in a fight with a taller guy....
i have been in a fight with a taller guy who never went to a gym and i have been going to the gym for a year and im bulked....but still i struggled fighting with him.

lol

dont need to be big to fight.

i know guys weighing less than 160lb that can and do take on guys who are 200lb+ in fights and win.

yeah strength goes a long way and can help but if you dont know how to use it, then you'll be useless.

[DJAuto]

In before the rest of the folks who try to apply physics without taking into account numerous additional factors come in.

[gomez26]

The main problem I have with the 'work' approach is according to this, the isometric worker is doing nothing and the eccentric lowerer is doing negative work. Clearly these are beneficial forms of exercise though, so one wonders if work is at all a valid capacity for measuring strength or the benefit except for the ability to actually do work.

yes when it comes down to it all strength events are really work events with different parameters. a weightlifter moves a weight from a to b, but the acceptable distance is based on his own body. judges decide if lift is successful based on lockout & control. someone shorter does move the same weight a smaller distance so does less work. pure strength events are work events with minimal practical distance so as to maximize the weight. wsm events are work events with far larger distances - moving/lifting objects from one place to another. the acceptable distance is the same for everyone (in most events).

in both fields the top guys are around 6'1". smaller guys are at a disadvantage for maximum work output, but so are very tall guys. sorta tall seems to be the optimum.

lol

dont need to be big to fight.

i know guys weighing less than 160lb that can and do take on guys who are 200lb+ in fights and win.

yeah strength goes a long way and can help but if you dont know how to use it, then you'll be useless.

if they both had similar fighting skill, he does have a point.

[unity]

in the end, work towards your own goals and stop worrying what other people are lifting or how big they are.

[NZninja101]

I don't think OP knows the definition of strong
The length of limbs is a means
Lifting the weight is the end
So limb length is simply the means to the end, strength is the ability to move heavy objects, if lockout is a relatively short distance, then good for the trainer, as he is built for this kind of work.
I think OP may be tall and is trying to boost his ego and think he is stronger than he is.

[joney_boy]

What OP means is that say a 6'5 guy that can bench 200lbs for eg is stronger than a 5'0 person that can bench the same weight is that correct?

[Sprog]

yes when it comes down to it all strength events are really work events with different parameters. a weightlifter moves a weight from a to b, but the acceptable distance is based on his own body. judges decide if lift is successful based on lockout & control. someone shorter does move the same weight a smaller distance so does less work. pure strength events are work events with minimal practical distance so as to maximize the weight. wsm events are work events with far larger distances - moving/lifting objects from one place to another. the acceptable distance is the same for everyone (in most events).

in both fields the top guys are around 6'1". smaller guys are at a disadvantage for maximum work output, but so are very tall guys. sorta tall seems to be the optimum.



if they both had similar fighting skill, he does have a point.

Yeah but generally, weight rarely comes into a random street fight. This is from what i see while working anyway. Plus its usually the smaller guys starting the fights were as alot of the bigger guys around here are generally laid back and dont need to fight to "big them selves up" as they put it lol.

[kangos727]

Ever seen someone who is say 5 foot 4 who works out? Chances are they look pretty buff even though they aren't that strong.

Basically they have less space to put it all so they look bigger. Also, a shorter person will be able to lift more weight because their limbs are shorter so they have a shorter distance to travel to lift the weight. Therefore their muscles have to work less hard then a tall person.

Physics: work is force times distance. shorter distance means the muscles don't have to work as hard to lift the same weight(force).

What this means overall is that, even if someone who is 5'4 can bench say 250, a guy who is 6'4 and can bench 220 is still far stronger, even though he looks like an average dude and the short guy looks like the Hulk.

Taller people are stronger because they have more bone mass than the shorter guy,and that is lifting wise,but if it's a fight it doesn't matter if the person is short or tall,if you know your body you would use it's positive/negative qualities against your opponent,in the end it's the fighter's experience and abilities that decides who wins.But if you a short guy who is lifting the same as a tall guy,the tall will be stronger because he has more bone density than the short guy and more muscle covering his body and limbs,doesn't mean the tall guy instantly wins the fight,there is no logic in that.

[sharpieblet]

Yeah but generally, weight rarely comes into a random street fight. This is from what i see while working anyway. Plus its usually the smaller guys starting the fights were as alot of the bigger guys around here are generally laid back and dont need to fight to "big them selves up" as they put it lol.

There's always at least one guy declarinf most short guys have 'little man syndrome' and go out lookin for fights for ego...most the hot heads I've seen are of avg height plain and simple. I'm short. I'm confident. I'm not lockin fists unless I'm prepared to lose my credibility over it.

[Jimbo48]

[Xuaxace]

Tall guy benching = use the widest grip possible
Short guy = medium grip

ROM = balanced.

[FaintReality]

I base strength on body weight, not height or length of limbs... If we both bench 200 lbs, yet you weight 180 and I only weight 150 lbs, regardless of who is taller/shorter, I am stronger, period! Bone size has nothing to do with it since I can be big boned and the tall guy could be petite...

In regards to fighting, UFC, boxing, wrestling, etc. is all weight based, not height based ;-)

Dave

[cacktopus]

You can argue all you want but it's true. Any one who has ever wrestled would know this. When it comes to weights short guys have an advantage but when its man to man the taller guy will have more strength. Also taller people are bigger people and bigger people have more strength potential. If SHAQ or Big Show were to reach his bodies limit in strength he would be stronger than the average sized guy reaching his limit in strength. Instead of lifting weights to compare strength a more accurate weigh to tell would be who can push more weight. NFL lineman are strong and have a lot of pushing power. There is a reason they're all well over 6 feet tall. Most short dudes cant weigh 300lbs or push 300lbs around. Weight itself isn't even that important because real strength comes from the nervous system, tendons and muscle fibers, but either way taller people have larger nervous systems, larger tendons and larger bones. Most people just lift weights so they never unlock their full strength potential. And before you show your ignorance and disagree read about Alexander Zass or Maxick, two men who were tremendously strong and small but didn't lift weights or have fat building protein shakes. Or even the Shaolin monks skinny little guys who are incredibly strong and do not lift weights.
Default response when weights aren't used for better results- "...well that's just their genetics "
lmao

[TimHarrison]

So If I run 1 mile in 5 minutes and my friend ran 2 miles in 6 minutes that makes me faster? Bullsh*t does it, every mans ROM is different.

[mark1794]

cool

[backspace412]

Bench heightvsweight an accurate and scientific study proves sited from www ifyoubelivethisyouareretarded com

bench press medium grip
6'5-225bp = 350bp
6'4-225bp = 325bp
6'3-225bp = 300bp
6'2-225bp = 280bp
6'1-225bp = 265bp
6'0-225bp = 250bp
5'11 225bp = 240bp
5'10 225bp = 230bp
5'9 225bp = 220bp
5'8 225bp= 210bp
5'7 225bp = 200bp
5'6 225bp = 190bp
5'5 225bp = 180bp
5'4 225bp = 170bp

this totally makes sense how did i not know this before hand

[SquatTilYouDrop]

Who cares.

[KevJr88]

Unfortunately 99% of "strength competitions" are based on weight, not height.

Really this debate is stupid. No one cares unless they are insecure, or making excuses for being weak. This debate does not take place outside of BB.com

[musclemanJMN]

There's a reason why competitors have weight qualifications . . .
Even if I'm 5"6 I'm sure I can knock out a midget easier then someone my height.

[musclemanJMN]

There's a reason why competitors have weight qualifications . . .
Even if I'm 5"6 I'm sure I can knock out a midget easier then someone my height.

Also just to add...
When it comes to fighting in a ring or on the street . It comes down to experience . People get a lucky shot off but experience and training make a better fighter despite age/sex/weight/height

I trained in jujitsu .