Body shape advantages in PL

[internet warrior]

Hey guys,

I've heard that shorter arms is easier for bench because of less ROM etc. I'd like to know if there are some body types and lengths that give a natural advantage for certain lifts. If someone could explain them that would be great.

Cheers

[nate225]

Hey guys,

I've heard that shorter arms is easier for bench because of less ROM etc. I'd like to know if there are some body types and lengths that give a natural advantage for certain lifts. If someone could explain them that would be great.

Cheers

Yup - tend to be general rules, as above with bench. Have also heard people say narrow clavicles help?

Short legs obvious for squats - extreme examples with dwarves competing.

Deadlift tends to suit short torso, long arms - knuckle dragging stuff!

Im sure Justin Keogh (ex AUT) had some studies on this sort of thing?

[thatwaslight]

I am built for deads and nothing else, I'm 510 with an arm span of 6'3 with long ass legs and a tiny torso. Makes squatting terrible and I'll blame my shit bench on my setup also

[crazyfacials]

I am built for deads and nothing else, I'm 510 with an arm span of 6'3 with long ass legs and a tiny torso. Makes squatting terrible and I'll blame my shit bench on my setup also

[Bluto]

6'5 ?

Riku Kiru

[steak]

6'5 ?

Riku Kiru

I remember him...had a 300 bench and could rep 350 deads ..like for 6s :shock:

wiki...

Riku Kiri- 6'4", 140kg, Finland = tank! 8)

300kg single arm dead!

600lbs benchx 6 reps!

at 19 yrs of age set ipf world record with a 350kg squat

apparently defeated JPS(current wsm at the time) in one of his first comps in 1985.

WSM- 2nd '96, 3rd '93, '94

1st world strongman challenge- '88, '93

1st worlds strongest team (with ahola)- '97

3x Europes strongest man- '95-'97

4x European Hercules- '90-'93

3x Finlands Strongest man- '88, '93, '94

[BeastBuilder]

Yes there are definitely different body types that excel at certain lifts.

Nate has already hit some of these on the head, so if I repeat stuff he has said just take it as me agreeing with him

Bench - Short Arms, Thick Ribcage (Barrel Chested), Extra Bodyweight, Narrow Clavicles (Have read this is because of it allows for easier elbow tucking and more Anterior Deltoid recruitment in horizontal pressing)

Squat - Short Femurs, Big Belly (Acts as a beach ball in between the legs, keeps torso more upright), Short Torso (Less leverage for the weight to try and make you lean forward)

Deadlift - Short Legs, Long Arms, Short Torso (All pretty self explanatory, shorter ROM means more weight), Having slight Lordosis (curvature of the lower back, allows for a straight back even when you can't hold your back in it's natural position), and strangely enough a slight Hunchback has been shown to be advantegeous (puts the shoulders lower in regards to the rest of the torso so less ROM)

I'm sure there are plenty more body types that help with certain things in lifting but these are the ones that I can remember off the top of my head.

[Bluto]

6'5 ?

Riku Kiru

I remember him...had a 300 bench and could rep 350 deads ..like for 6s :shock:

wiki...

Riku Kiri- 6'4", 140kg, Finland = tank! 8)

300kg single arm dead!

600lbs benchx 6 reps!

at 19 yrs of age set ipf world record with a 350kg squat

apparently defeated JPS(current wsm at the time) in one of his first comps in 1985.

WSM- 2nd '96, 3rd '93, '94

1st world strongman challenge- '88, '93

1st worlds strongest team (with ahola)- '97

3x Europes strongest man- '95-'97

4x European Hercules- '90-'93

3x Finlands Strongest man- '88, '93, '94

I think he held the Raw Bench World Record for a while?

Hard to have short arms at 6'4? I think anybody can do do anything with the write training,eating,attitude,supps........f*ck genetics.........everybodys excuse when they cant achieve something.

[Viking Power]

6'5 ?

Riku Kiru

I remember him...had a 300 bench and could rep 350 deads ..like for 6s :shock:

wiki...

Riku Kiri- 6'4", 140kg, Finland = tank! 8)

300kg single arm dead!

600lbs benchx 6 reps!

at 19 yrs of age set ipf world record with a 350kg squat

apparently defeated JPS(current wsm at the time) in one of his first comps in 1985.

WSM- 2nd '96, 3rd '93, '94

1st world strongman challenge- '88, '93

1st worlds strongest team (with ahola)- '97

3x Europes strongest man- '95-'97

4x European Hercules- '90-'93

3x Finlands Strongest man- '88, '93, '94

I think he held the Raw Bench World Record for a while?

Hard to have short arms at 6'4? I think anybody can do do anything with the write training,eating,attitude,supps........f*ck genetics.........everybodys excuse when they cant achieve something.

No truer statement just do it...... or someone else will :wink:

[Big john]

Deadlift - Short Legs, Long Arms, Short Torso (All pretty self explanatory, shorter ROM means more weight), Having slight Lordosis (curvature of the lower back, allows for a straight back even when you can't hold your back in it's natural position), and strangely enough a slight Hunchback has been shown to be advantegeous (puts the shoulders lower in regards to the rest of the torso so less ROM)

REPPED!

roundbackers UNITE!

[nate225]

Always exceptions to the rule Bluto, and I think anyone can be reasonable at any of the three lifts - some just have more of an advantage.

Just as an aside Bluto Riku Kiri is often mentioned as the strongest man not to have won a WSM title, tho I'd say that honour is probably better placed with OD Wilson.

[Specter]

I am built for deads and nothing else, I'm 510 with an arm span of 6'3 with long ass legs and a tiny torso. Makes squatting terrible and I'll blame my shit bench on my setup also

Geez..I struggle with deads, I have a long torso, long legs and I reckon I make the long arms list as well.. :roll:

[Mike Zero]

I am built for deads and nothing else, I'm 510 with an arm span of 6'3 with long ass legs and a tiny torso. Makes squatting terrible and I'll blame my shit bench on my setup also

Geez..I struggle with deads, I have a long torso, long legs and I reckon I make the long arms list as well.. :roll:

Long everything, I think that's called "tall".

[Terrymundo]

I am built for deads and nothing else, I'm 510 with an arm span of 6'3 with long ass legs and a tiny torso. Makes squatting terrible and I'll blame my shit bench on my setup also

Geez..I struggle with deads, I have a long torso, long legs and I reckon I make the long arms list as well.. :roll:

Long everything, I think that's called "tall".

or well hung.

[internet warrior]

I am built for deads and nothing else, I'm 510 with an arm span of 6'3 with long ass legs and a tiny torso. Makes squatting terrible and I'll blame my shit bench on my setup also

Geez..I struggle with deads, I have a long torso, long legs and I reckon I make the long arms list as well.. :roll:

Long everything, I think that's called "tall".

Yeah that's me too. Which means I have NO natural advantages at all. awesome.

[AlBundy]

Hahaha I started off built like a fucking mexican racing fish. Closing in on 90kgs so since I started that's close to 30kgs I've put on total and am only just starting to look a bit better than average lol 8 years later. All biomechanics, limb length, muscle insertions, levers, size of the muscle, muscle fiber type and nervous system efficiency. They all play a part in determining potential strengths.

[Wookie]

Always exceptions to the rule Bluto, and I think anyone can be reasonable at any of the three lifts - some just have more of an advantage.

Just as an aside Bluto Riku Kiri is often mentioned as the strongest man not to have won a WSM title, tho I'd say that honour is probably better placed with OD Wilson.

Badenhorst IMO.

[Wookie]

I've got short femurs, long tibia's, long torso, medium arms. 6'4 150kg or so.

Squat it works pretty well, deads are always a struggle off the floor. My bench goes up well when its trained, just quite a long stroke.

Longer torso helps for oly lifting. Height helps for SM. If I could change anything I'd have a slightly shorter torso for the deads with slightly longer femurs.

[thatwaslight]

The only people that say genetics are irrelevant are the people with good genetics.

[startinfromscratch]

for every person blaming genetics for failure, theres another praising genetics to cover gear use imo.

[runveerun]

Geez..I struggle with deads, I have a long torso, long legs and I reckon I make the long arms list as well.. :roll:

I hear you, I am the same long torso, legs and arms I just think they each cancel each other out deadlift and bench wise anyway, maybe not so much on the squat.

[Bluto]

for every person blaming genetics for failure, theres another praising genetics to cover gear use imo.

Agreed.

And this works well for Supplement companies and magazines, makes people believe its not all drugs and that all the superpumps and hydroxycuts and other crap can make them look like pros if they dont after buying everything in the shop, oh well guess you sont have the genetics.

Food, training and super supplements make you big, gentics just determine what shape your gonna have when you get big.

I personally believe that if you took any healthy person and made them take and eat and train and rest exactly the same as a pro bodybuider and powerlifter then they would come pretty close to that pro level, in time.