From: keith Subject: Re: Average weight and height? Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 19:59:58 GMT In article <1993Jan28.170143.20039@ucsu.Colorado.EDU> lorenzo@rintintin.Colorado.EDU (Eric Lorenzo) writes: >Does anyone have a chart or list of what the average weight is for whatever >height you are? I'm 5' 6" and weigh 130 pounds, though I feel like I could >use another 10 pounds. I run regularly, but do not lose or gain any weight. >130 seems about right for someone my height, but I still feel underweight. > >Thanks for the time, >Eric >-- Hi Eric! In my biased opinion, any sort of height/weight that you might find is _bogus_. Forget the damn scale! Use the mirror. If you _think_ that you maybe could stand to gain some muscle mass (I can't see why somebody would want to get fatter :-)), then strip to your jockey shorts before a full length mirror and "take inventory". Is your collarbone more prominent than your pecs? Do your delts look sorta' flat? Are your shoulder-blades more noticeable than your traps/lats? Do your spinal erectors look sorta' flat? Do your quads/calves look as if they could be substantially bigger? Flex your arms (double-front-bicep style) Are your biceps as full/rounded as you would like? Do your triceps describe a sweeping curve from your elbow to your armpit? etc..... I suspect that you will find that you have some parts that are quite well developed, and some other parts that could use varying degrees of improvement in order to "balance off" your physique. In general, if all of your muscle- groups look reasonably well-formed (at least "somewhat full", rather than "somewhat flat", or even worse, _concave_), and you are still lean/trim enough to have a waistline/abs, then your weight is "about right". This is the "baseline" that I would shoot for. Again, forget the scale! Use the mirror. Keith R From: keith Subject: Re: I don't WANT to be a bodybuilder Date: Wed, 23 Mar 1994 16:14:48 GMT This thread has got me thinkin' that there are a hell of a lotta' folx out there who have no clue as to how far they can go with their muscle development. I also get the idea that many folx put aesthetic concerns well ahead of performance, when it comes to training. I would like to dispel a few fears and inject a little common sense here. I will start with a few formulas to predict how big a man can get at near-maximal (non-drug-assisted) muscle development, and in reasonably lean, hard condition. I don' have numbers for women yet, so please bear with me.... chest 6.50 times wrist size thighs 3.50 times wrist size waist 4.25 times wrist size hips 5.25 times wrist size calves 2.25 times wrist size upper arms 2.25 times wrist size (cold, and just hanging at side) forearms 1.90 times wrist size neck 1.30 times wrist size skin-pinch on lower ex-oblique (about 1" above point if hip bone) about equal to skin-pinch over meaty part of calf skin-pinch on inner thigh about equal to skin-pinch over meaty part of calf skin-pinch at mid-point of spinal-erectors about equal to skin-pinch over meaty part of calf skin-pinch over meaty part of triceps/biceps about 1/2 of skin-pinch over meaty part of calf These measures are available to _any man_ willing to train for them, and neither "freaky genes" nor 'roids are required to get there. These numbers are approximations, as individuals tend to vary in muscle length and relative limb/torso length and width, so these variations will have some effect on your own limits of muscle development. Bear in mind that we all have are easier gaining and harder gaining bodyparts. About how big can _you_ get? Measure your own wrist and work the formulas, and you will get a good idea. How does this relate to the "I don't WANT to be a bodybuilder" thread? Well if you stand about 6' tall and have a 6.5" wrist, (long arms, long legs, long neck, with a relatively short, narrow torso and light bones) then you ain't gonna' be a mass monster (sans steroids), now matter how long and hard you might try, though you might become a very well built middleweight (maybe about 165 pounds, in lean, hard condition). If, on the other hand, you stand about 6' tall and have an 8" wrist (thick bones, short limbs, "no neck", and a long, wide, thick torso), then you are probably _already_ a very big guy, and you will _be_ a very big guy unless you become a junkie or get cancer. You can forget about becoming "lithe" or "willowy", 'cause it ain't gonna' happen. You may become a very well-built heavyweight, though (maybe about 245 pounds or so, in lean, hard condition). The more of your weight that you carry as muscle, the better you will look and the stronger you will be. The bottom line is that the only body that you can develop is your own. If you hold back on your strength training to keep from getting "too big", then you are short-changing yourself strength-wise. Not only that, but normal conditions (ie., w/o 'roids), the body is kinda' self-limiting anyway. The closer you are to your natural limitations, the harder it will be to make further gains. As far as reasonable strength expectations: (these are on the conservative side, folx, well within the reach of _any man_ willing to train hard) bench press 1.5 times bodyweight or better squat 2.0 times bodyweight or better deadlift 2.5 times bodyweight or better barbell shrug 2.0 times bodyweight or better military press 1.25 times bodyweight or better leg press 4.0 times bodyweight or better barbell curl 0.75 times bodyweight or better calf raise 4.0 times bodyweight or better Any man can achieve these numbers w/o having "freaky genes" or using 'roids. You don't even have to be anywhere near "big-n-bulky", nor do you have to spend your life in the gym to develop this level of strength. Hell, the _really strong_ guys probably use these kind of weights for warm-up. In any event, a _really strong_ guy can add about 50% to any of these numbers with no problem. I hereby relinquish this soapbox:-). Keith R