Do Short Guys Have It Easier At The Gym?

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Do short guys have it easier at the gym? It’s a common question.

Let’s face it, the gym isn’t exactly the best place for everyone’s self-esteem, especially those who are lacking in the height department. 

Besides the desire to build self-confidence, people can also struggle with finding the right workout routine for their body type and fitness goals. 

And with so much conflicting information being given out daily, it’s harder than ever to know who to trust and who’s just in it for the money.

Still, shorter men will be happy to know that their height comes with a few advantages when it comes to lifting weights in the gym. 

By combining the overall muscular system with basic physics, they can learn how to use their body type to its fullest potential at the gym. 

We’re answering some of the most common questions short guys have about their routine workouts, so keep on scrolling for lots more information.

Height and Gym Performance

Advantages of Being Short

As a shorter individual, you may find certain advantages when working out at the gym. One key advantage is that your body’s levers are comparatively shorter, making it more likely for you to have efficient and powerful movement patterns.

This can result in easier squats, benches, and lifts due to your shorter limbs.

Another benefit of having a smaller stature is having a lower centre of gravity. This can provide greater stability and balance, especially during exercises that require single-leg movements or complex coordination.

Having a lower centre of gravity can make it easier for you to stay grounded and maintain proper form during these exercises.

Moreover, your shorter height can lead to relatively quicker development of muscle mass. Due to the fact that your limbs are shorter and require less work to move, your body can generate more power and lift heavier weights more easily.

This advantage is particularly beneficial for exercises that heavily rely on the upper body, such as bench presses and overhead presses.

Is it Easier For Short Guys To Build Muscle?

To put it simply: Yes they can.

Since their body structure provides more stability and requires less work, it’s much easier for short guys to build muscle than their taller peers. 

Their smaller height places their center of gravity closer to the ground, giving them better balance, and shorter limbs make for easier squats, benches, and lifts. 

This also means that they’ll feel less tired throughout their workouts, allowing them to keep working on those gains for longer periods of time.

Short guys will also be happy to know that all of this means that most go-to workout routines will be easier for them to do.

Although they are able to lift significant amounts, their height and limb-length mean that they don’t have to in order to get the results they want.

Even without the use of growth hormones, which can do more harm than good, they’re able to transform their bodies with relative ease.

With that said, however, those who are shorter can’t gain as much total muscle mass.

Even though their strength-to-weight ratio is more impressive, taller men can gain more complete strength simply because their added muscle allows them to move more weight.

Although unless you’re training to become a competitive athlete, we honestly wouldn’t worry too much about how well the other guys can perform.

Is Squatting Easier For Short Guys?

Since it’s easier for them to build muscle, it’s no surprise that almost every common workout routine is a breeze for short guys. This also includes one of the most popular lower body workouts: the squat.

Because a shorter body means shorter legs, it also means less effort will be used when it comes to lower body workouts.

Short guys have less distance to cover when crouching down, so they don’t need as much energy to get back up to a standing position and then repeat the routine again and again.

This also means things will be less challenging for those who decide to include some weights along with their basic squats.

Think of it this way; physics states that, if you place a weight on one end of a lever, the amount of force required to move it increases depending on the length of said lever.

Your limbs are basically a series of levers, while the rest of your body functions as the weight, which means that the longer they are the more force they use to move it around.

In other words, yes squatting is much easier for short guys.

Is it Easier For Short Guys To Deadlift?

There are multiple reasons why it’s much easier for short guys to deadlift, which makes it one of their go-to routines at the gym.

As stated before, shorter height means the center of gravity is closer to the floor, providing better overall balance.

Shorter men also have shorter limbs and less distance to travel while squatting and lifting, and their smaller overall muscle mass means less weight to carry and significantly less fatigue.

This then leads to less energy being expended, less risk of falling over while performing the routine, and a potentially longer training period with even quicker results appearing.

On the other hand, deadlifting is also one of those routines in which taller guys can showcase their greater muscle mass and what it can do.

As while short men are stronger overall by comparison, a larger person with more muscle mass will be able to lift and hold more for a longer period of time.

The current world record for standard equipped deadlift is at 1,105 lbs, held by Icelandic strongman Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.

Is Bulking Easier For Short Guys?

Thanks to their smaller stature and even greater overall stamina, the process of bulking up is definitely an easier one for short guys.

Unfortunately, there are still some misconceptions floating around that keep them from reaching their full physical potential.

Some short guys fear that bulking up too much will leave them looking distorted and even smaller than they already are.

Others worry that working out too much will cause joint damage or even stunt their growth.

The truth is that everything will balance out as long as all of your routines hit every muscle in the body, and you don’t rely on growth hormones, and your joints will be fine long as you don’t push yourself too hard.

If you really want to avoid looking disproportionate while building up muscle, then be sure to schedule the appropriate amount of time for each section of the body.

Have specific days set aside for the legs, torso, back and arms, and recognize how much work each section requires based on your individual needs.

Once you’ve reached the amount of bulk that you want, then it’s just a matter of maintaining it.

Can Short Guys Bench More? Does Your Arm Length Make Lifting Weights Easier?

In terms of how many times they can bench in one sitting, the short man literally has the upper hand.

Since their limbs are shorter and travel less distance while moving, they don’t expend as much energy and can keep going even after their taller peers have become too fatigued.

And for a workout that’s not only challenging but also potentially dangerous, it’s all too important that you’re able to maintain your stamina.

Just like the legs when it comes to squatting, a shorter person’s arm length makes weight lifting easier on average.

As with all other routines, there’s less distance to cover and less energy spent during each curl and lift, so shorter men will definitely have an easier time building up their upper body strength.

And by utilizing basic physics with the weight-and-lever comparison, you can see the results you’re getting and gauge how much more weight you’ll need to add as you progress.

On the other hand, in terms of amounts benched, tall guys can bench and lift more weight on average simply due to the fact that they have more complete muscle mass.

That shouldn’t discourage you, however, as the average competitive weightlifter is usually 5’7” tall or shorter.

For example, Chinese Olympic gold medalist Liao Hui is 5’6,” and noted Italian bodybuilder Franco Columbu is only 5’5” in height.

Do Shorter Guys Have It Easier In The Gym? – In Conclusion…

While people still find the fitness world to be quite challenging and the gym super intimidating, more and more efforts are being made to ensure that it feels accessible to everyone.

In fact, those who are shorter might be pleasantly surprised by how well they perform, as most of these workout routines were practically created with them in mind.

There are still a lot of misconceptions when it comes to height and fitness, new studies are being performed regularly that disprove what we thought we already knew.

Thanks to them, we’ve realized that not everything in fitness is truly “one size fits all,” that each body type is capable of excelling at certain routines, and that building muscle doesn’t have to distort your figure or damage your joints.

This is why it’s so important to remember that almost any routine can be adjusted to suit a person’s individual needs.

Sometimes that means you have to utilize fewer weights, fix your posture, or focus more on your lower body strength.

As long as you know what works for them and are willing to put in the work, there’s definitely a place for you at your local gym.

Frequently Asked Questions