People don’t talk enough about height and how it relates to body composition, calories burned, muscle gains, etc. I’m a tall guy at just a hair over 6’3″, but I’m envious of shorter people at times.
I figured why not get the discussion going about height. Using my mad graphic skillz (not really), I came up with this masterpiece.
[Everyone knows Chewbacca, but only the true geeks like me know what’s happening on the right. A young Gary Coleman posing with “Twiki” from Buck Rogers. Twiki carried a computer around his neck named “Dr. Theopolis”. Buck Rogers is worth watching if you get the chance…for the cheesy disco music and bad special effects. Hilarious!]
Height and Plays a Large Role in Lean Mass
Your lean mass is basically everything on your body that isn’t body fat. This is different than muscle mass. Your lean mass includes, bones, organs, water, muscles.
A taller person will naturally have bigger organs, bigger bones, more water, than a shorter person. So they (will typically) have a higher lean body mass than a shorter person even without much muscular development.
Tall people have a huge advantage in lean mass…which means they will typically burn more calories than their shorter friends. But what if someone is shorter but more muscular?
Your Organs Burn More Calories Than Your Muscles
I’m 6’3″ and 190…I have a good friend who is 5’10 and 190. We are roughly the same body fat percentage. He has more muscle, so you would think that he would have a higher RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate). That assumption would be wrong.
I will burn substantially more calories than him. Roughly 60% of RMR is from organs and 40% from muscle.
Since I am tall, he will have to reach a higher lean body mass than me to reach the same RMR.
The Biggest Mistake I See Muscular People Make
I was going to do this post just on this idea alone. It is probably the biggest “takeaway”. Guys in particular who get big believe they need many more calories due to their increase in muscle mass. Adding muscle contributes very little to calories burned (even less than I used to believe).
Think along the lines of 6 calories per pound of muscle each day. So adding 20-30 pounds of lean muscle is just an extra 120-180 calories burned per day.
30 Pounds of Muscle Fails Against One Pack of Skittles
[Adding 30 pounds sounds like a impressive feat…and it is…but can’t touch the power of just one pack of Skittles. I haven’t had a pack of Skittles in a long time, but is is right up there with Swedish Fish, Red Vines, and Gummy Bears in pure deliciousness.]
Adding Muscle Makes a Bigger Impact on a Shorter Person
As a somewhat tall guy, I can add 5 pounds of muscle and it won’t be as noticeable as someone 6 inches shorter doing the same thing.
The advantage of being shorter is that you don’t have to spend as much time adding muscle to achieve a certain look compared to someone who is taller.
Another advantage is the increased leverage a shorter person has when it comes to lifting. I used to work out with a guy who was 8 inches shorter than me back in high school. It was frustrating how much stronger he was in many of the lifts…especially the bench press. It took me a couple of years to just bench 225 pounds and I think he was doing it within a few weeks of training. Stupid long arms!
Eating With a Taller Person or Lifting With A Shorter Person
As a relatively tall person I have much more wiggle room when it comes to diet than most people. More often than not, I simply have a higher RMR than a person who is shorter than me. I still can’t pig out and expect to be lean, but I will have a slightly easier time than a shorter person (everything else being equal). When it comes to the gym it is a different deal.
Guys who are in the 5’6″ – 5’10” range with the same amount of lifting experience often are stronger than me in certain lifts (mainly pressing movements like bench or military press).
This isn’t always the case, but just a trend I notice.
Bit late commenting on this but this is a quality article and makes so very good points. One more thing about height is how it relates to body mass – why is it that guys who train seem to be obsessed with being ‘200lbs’…. without considering height…. 200lbs without context means nothing.
One thing I’ve noticed regarding height is what ones height consists of, long legs short torso vs a lengthy torso and shorter legs can make a difference in a persons composition and appearance. For example a longer torso with a low body fat % can get that eight pack appearance in their abdominal area while a person with a shorter torso will normally only achieve a six or four pack look. This is also relevant in lifts for example long legs and a short torso, shorter arms, will make lifts such as the deadlift more challenging. In the end it’s important to realize your genetic make up to help identify your strengths and weaknesses but not dwell on anything we find dissapointing.
Alright I’m here to help with some conclusions. Firstly I wanted to clear up some mechanics. Short leaver = harder work and weaker lifts, muscle insertion point is what you need to think about. So conclusion 1 is that a shorter limb isn’t what makes shorter people lift more. Now let’s look at insertion points. A shorter person has larger joint area in ratio to a taller bloke which leads me to believe that the insertion point is much further out on a short human, which makes our lifts easier. This isn’t the only end to the conclusion as we also have to look at muscle recruitment and muscle contraction length. From studying the human body I believe that contraction length means no different but what does is the muscle built around the joints. As mentioned above, it is easier for a short guy to put on muscle, so in concluding id say that ether tall or short the more bulk around the joint is what makes lifts easier. Example brock leasner vs short power lifter. Brock is 6″3′ and just as quick and strong as 5″7′ power lifter. The end 🙂
Well i have just read through just about every comment on here and first i want to say i love how every day i realize how short i really am. Growing up i knew i was short but i always thought like say 5’7 or 5’8 would be average in the last year or so i realized how wrong i was. Anyways i am 5’4″ and i think i am the shortest guy to post on here yet. Enouph of my long rant i acutally seem to have a hard time bulking up maybe i just havnt worked out long enogh and maybe im too concerned with certain parts (my chest is scrawny) any how just thought it was funny seeing people say im 5’11” and im so short. haha you have no clue what short is….all that said i am content with the way i look well excetp sometimes cuz my wife is half in taller than me and it bothers her wich in turn bothers me.
Im 5 9 1/2 and in my opinon thats not what I would call “short”, But just to let you know Im 133 lbs and skinny, Ive seen guys 6 ft and up more buff looking then me, so I think it has to do more with genetics then height
Hey,
As a shorter guy what would you recommend i focus on the most to get that hollywood lean look. I dont care about being the strongest guy, i just want to look good in my clothes and shirtless and advoid that “short stocky” look at all costs. I’m new to gym so you help would be appreciated. I’m 5’5 and between 137- 141 lbs.
However, don’t many people talk about how muscles help to burn fat? If you are suggesting that, then it means that what many people believe is now supposedly a myth..
Jordan – I’m 5’2; I started at 185, in a 38DDD. I’m now 125, in a 34B. How do the actresses do it? Plastic surgery. Nothing you see on a screen is likely to be naturally real – TV or movie. Some is, I’ll give props, but not much. Google for ‘natural bodybuilding’ and look at images, you’ll see the difference.
That said, my husband is 6’2, now almost 185 – up from 165. Doing back/legs together the other day, we discovered that I can actually squat more than he, Roman lift too, and I can do more dips and pull-ups with less weight off-set. He’s tall, lean, and can eat whatever he bloody well likes. I eat a burger and feel bloated for 3 days. Genetics are a real kick in the teeth sometimes! Both Ways!
Once I read something like, “Ladies: never be afraid to work out because you’re scared of what others will think if they see you toned & lean. That’s like being afraid to read in public because you’re scared people will think you’re a nerd. If you’d rather be fat & illiterate, go ahead with it. Me – I don’t care what those people think!”
I used to be tall but all the military presses made me short!LOL.. I have to get my head around what you are saying it goes against what I have always been told… but thats the good thing about this site it doesn’t have to go with the rest of the flock. All I can say at the end of the day doesn’t matter your genetics you can make it happen!
Joel,
As a certified personal trainer I want to say no cardio at all(except some mild walking),and only 2 strength training sessions a week.Trust me I am 5’5” and I weigh 170lbs.
Hi Rusty,
I was wondering how models and actresses seem to have boobs, butts, and be skinny at the same time. Is it a height thing with taller women being able to be skinny with assets? It seems like for most women, when they get really fit, they lose the majority of their breast size. As a short female, I am afraid of working out to much because I don’t want to look like a little girl. Would intense cardio take a lot of the breast or does it depend on the person?
BTW, I absolutely love your site and I come here everyday to look at the articles!
-Jordan
Hi guys,
New to the site, loving reading the posts and the feedback!
Wanted to comment on the height post here, as I’ve been a lumbering giant for a good portion of my life. (25 now, have been 6’3 since I was 17 or so.)
I definitely think that the height has something to do with strength in certain lifts, and the way that muscle gains look on a taller person compared to a shorter one. That latter has been a obsticle for me for years now. Being so tall, and having a ridiculously high metabolism, i’ve never been able to gain muscle and, consistently keep it. (The heaviest i’ve ever weighed was 172lbs, and I would say that majority of that was fat and not muscle anyways).
Rusty, or anyone else for that matter, do you have any suggestions for me to stick to so I can continue to gain muscle (I want to get to the 175-185 range) while staying lean? Just don’t want to turn into that ‘skinny fat’ guy!
Cheers!
Wow, I didn’t know a lot of that stuff! I always assumed muscle burned a ton more calories. Here’s an interesting article on 6 ways to keep you metabolism going that has helped me!
6 Ways to Burn More Calories: Tips and Tricks to Keep Your Metabolism Going
Hi Sue G,
to increase muscle mass you will need progressive overload. lifting dumbbells that fit on a key chain just won’t cut it. i never lift more than 5 reps and when going heavy 2 – 3 reps. if you are lifting more than 3 reps your are not recruiting enough muscle fiber. when you recruit 80% of all your muscle to do a curl you know you’re putting in the right amount of effort.
Hi Sue G,
at 115 lbs a 5% bf reduction (25% bf to 20% bf) is 5.75 lbs of stored energy (fat). i know exactly what you mean, adding muscle is not easy. You can add more muscle but that will not address the flab issue. you need to bite the bullet and shed more weight which is harder when you are that close to your goal. when i say weight i mean fat. we all want to hold onto our muscle (lean mass). as we age our ability to add muscle goes down (hormones). you can create a favorable anabolic environment to maximize your muscle building capability by controlling blood glucose, getting solid sleep, resistance training and certain amino acids. fat and muscle are different tissue and they require different strategies.
Rusty you said “Adding muscle contributes very little to calories burned (even less than I used to believe). Think along the lines of 6 calories per pound of muscle each day”
I totally believe that. I’ve been heavy most of my life. For years I was caught up in the mantra of the ironheads. “Just add muscle and it will up your metabolism to maintain itself and you’ll burn all that excess fat. Stay away from cardio, just add muscle”. BullSh!t. I never lost weight until I did cardio. There are a whole host of fat burning enzymes that increase when you do cardio that you don’t get from just lifting and as you say muscle is very efficient and doesn’t need many calories.
Why does this myth of muscle being the end all be all to losing weight still exist? Is it just perpetuated by 300 lb powerlifters that hate cardio?