Return to the Iron Dungeon



Ideal Body Proportions
Alright folks... here's the complete "Ideal" body proportions table. I'm not sure what the original source is, but I believe it may have been Muscle and Fitness.
Instructions
To use this chart first divide your bodyweight by your height. This will give your weight per inch of height. When this is determined select the figure in the far left column that is closest to yours. Then, follow the figures straight across to learn your ideal proportions. [Cal: This chart is only really appropriate for men as the smallest weight / height ratio doesn't correspond well to the ranges for women.]
- Measure yourself every three months.
- Check in the mirror to make sure that your muscles are defined.
- Also check to make sure your muscles have fullness, depth and pleasing contour.
- Build proportionate strength and size.
- Train regularly and follow a sensible diet.
Weight [lbs]/ Height [in] |
Neck [in] |
Biceps [in] |
Forearm [in] |
Chest [in] |
Waist [in] |
Hips [in] |
Thigh [in] |
Calf [in] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1.90 | 14.00 | 13.10 | 10.90 | 36.40 | 27.30 | 32.80 | 19.70 | 13.10 |
1.97 | 14.25 | 13.35 | 11.10 | 37.15 | 27.85 | 33.45 | 20.05 | 13.35 |
2.04 | 14.50 | 13.60 | 11.30 | 37.90 | 28.40 | 34.10 | 20.40 | 13.60 |
2.11 | 14.75 | 13.85 | 11.55 | 38.60 | 28.90 | 34.70 | 20.80 | 13.85 |
2.18 | 15.00 | 14.10 | 11.80 | 39.30 | 29.40 | 35.30 | 21.20 | 14.10 |
2.26 | 15.30 | 14.35 | 12.00 | 40.00 | 29.70 | 35.95 | 21.60 | 14.35 |
2.33 | 15.60 | 14.60 | 12.20 | 40.70 | 30.00 | 36.60 | 22.00 | 14.60 |
2.41 | 15.85 | 14.85 | 12.40 | 41.40 | 30.80 | 37.25 | 22.35 | 14.85 |
2.49 | 16.10 | 15.10 | 12.60 | 42.10 | 31.60 | 37.90 | 22.70 | 15.10 |
2.57 | 16.40 | 15.40 | 12.85 | 42.80 | 32.10 | 38.55 | 23.10 | 15.40 |
2.65 | 16.70 | 15.70 | 13.10 | 43.50 | 32.60 | 39.20 | 23.50 | 15.70 |
2.73 | 16.95 | 15.95 | 13.30 | 44.25 | 33.15 | 39.85 | 23.90 | 15.95 |
2.82 | 17.20 | 16.20 | 13.50 | 45.00 | 33.70 | 40.50 | 24.30 | 16.20 |
2.90 | 17.50 | 16.45 | 13.70 | 45.70 | 34.25 | 41.10 | 24.65 | 16.45 |
2.99 | 17.80 | 16.70 | 13.90 | 46.40 | 34.80 | 41.70 | 25.00 | 16.70 |
3.09 | 18.05 | 17.00 | 14.15 | 47.20 | 35.40 | 42.45 | 25.45 | 17.00 |
3.20 | 18.30 | 17.30 | 14.40 | 48.00 | 36.00 | 43.20 | 25.90 | 17.30 |
3.29 | 18.55 | 17.55 | 14.60 | 48.70 | 36.55 | 43.85 | 26.30 | 17.55 |
3.38 | 18.80 | 17.80 | 14.80 | 49.40 | 37.10 | 44.50 | 26.70 | 17.80 |
Reader's Comments:
Please leave your comments or suggestions below!Below the chart is a line figure of a man showing his right arm FLEXED as in a right biceps shot with Arms crossed by a vertical measurement line, but advises us to measure cold at wake-up. The left arm is straight down to measure Forearms. This suggests that it is Joe Weider & co's recommendations, though Joe also founded Muscle & Fitness. This chart is extremely helpful (and is an official "Weiderism" haha) as it gives you a goal to attain for, to achieve a beautiful physique. My 44 inch chest is 4 inches less or behind compared to my 26 inch thighs from two decades as a cyclist. Got some work to do!!!!!! Oh heck!
Ex: 75kg / 185cm = 0.4
Thanks
Maybe you're just big boned man, but if you have basic things like chest, arms, and waist down, I wouldn't worry about things you can't change.
All the best,
That's why - since we can't change change our height - we should FIRSTidentify a weight goal with which we are comfortable (happy, not grossed out, whatever) and THEN get to work on the numbers.
Having said that, the Greek proportions vary from statue to statue, the same way male models have different looks (heck, the same guy can look very different from one shoot to the next), the same way in which athletes for different sports have totally different bodies. SO, choose a look that suits you and attainable and go get it, just keep in mind that you can't look magazine perfect all the time in every single angle.
We all more or less have a certain look trhat fits our height, face, and age. As long as we're realistic about our potential, it shouldn't be absolutely impossible to get real close to the proportions the chart proposes. I know I stopped trying to get bigger biceps because I simply don't want them that big, why? Because I say so! The chart is a tool, a guide. But ultimately YOU decide.
If I do the weight/height calculation, look up the ideal numbers on the table annd shoot for these stats, working on my worst stats with priority, there's a chance that I'll get bigger biceps, the calves etc, but then I've also lost weight at the same time to counter the waist stat.
Re-do the figures, (ie weight/height) jump up the table and all of a sudden - I'd be too stacked?
Best to get the bodyfat right first, hit your waist target and then progress to work on the other stats....
Best of luck everyone!
Thanks
I have thin bones, 6.3" wrists and 7.5" ankles, so I look "semi-trained" in a mirror. But I shrink when I enter the gym, the illusion breaks when someone with a bigger frame is present.. sooo very thin. Its very hard to gain muscle with a small frame like mine. I only gain 7-8 pounds/year.
I did manage to lose an extra inch off the waist...I'm now at 29.2, and will keep working to get to a flat 29.
I stopped worrying about the half inch I'm missing from my biceps because I decided I simply didn't want my arms to get any bigger. Hey, this chart is a damn good guide but how you want to look is ultimately YOUR choice.
So there, I'll keep striving to lose body fat, by eating right and swimming my butt off. It CAN be done.
My 2c, always keep in mind that how you look is up to you, and decide how far you want to go to achieve those goals. I, for one, am not willing to give up wine or scotch to lose that 0.2 inch off my waist, but I AM willing to put an extra couple hours at the gym to compensate.
Best of luck,
I've noticed that a lot of people are fairly close to these proportions, but "fairly close" is not there, and that's where the tough gets going. Whether you're losing weight or trying to gain a few pounds, with some effort you can get to within an inch of most measurements, but losing that final inch at the waist, or making that calf or forearm fill out...that's where it gets really difficult.
At least in my experience, that has been the case. I think I was practically there maybe three years ago, and then after some time I looked back and still I was "practically" there, but not quite there. So I decided to get serious about my nutrition, and about my workout week. It's been almost 6 months of extra-seriousness and I'm a lot closer (to within half an inch) but still not REALLY there (mainly because I gained some mass, which made me move down a row...) However, it's been very encouraging to move a bit closer, and very motivating to have this chart as a goal, it just keeps your feet on the ground and makes you work harder.
Hope to be really and actually there within the next 6 months and report back to you all.
All the best, and keep training.
my biceps=13.5inches my chest=39inches weight=65kgs
i get confused
whenever i look into a mirror i cannot figure out if my chest n biceps are not in proportion 2 my height.....
like should weight be taken in pounds or kgs & height in inches or metre
so aftr that i can go ahead with this weight /height chart
Chest at nipple line?? Waist at Belly button?? Hips at greater trocanter accross pubic bone??? Just want to measure the right spots
But science studies shown that best looking proportions for man is Chest:Waist:Hips = 100:80:100, not 100:75:90 as it is here (nobody from female/male raters said that 100:75:90 is good), and the best body mass index = 0.19-0.22. See more: PubMed: Visual perception of male body attractiveness.
Eventhough i was already aware that my quads are a lil bit below the ideal size ...this helped me find out just how much.... something around 2 inches.... i guess that's not 2 bad... now.. i only do bodyweight trainning, so my question is..can i achieve quads growth only with BW excercises? or should i go to the gym to work my legs?
cheers
i will answer to more of you so listen!
if you are average 5'9"-5'10" guy, then naturally with all the supplements you wish to take and after several years of training don't expect to get over 200 lb, CONSIDERING YOU ARE LEAN, <10%BF = HAVING WELL DEFINED SIX PACK.
about the strength. at the above size, if you did everything naturally, you should:
bench 2x bodyweight, squat 3x bodyweight, deadlift 3x bodyweight , of course 10-20% less is perfeectly fine. if you are nowhere near that, then you havent reached your potential and maybe you carry too much dead weight i.e. FAT.
but the chart is excellent since it gives sizes for all bodyparts.
by the way all u need to follow are several measurements and the rest will follow suit:
1. Chest Size
2. Waist Size
3. Chest/Waist Ratio
4. Approximately Biceps=Neck=Calf, Generally the more advanced you are the more biceps will grow bigger and the calves generally don't grow as big. Keep the neck in check, this is easy since we are talking about 10% Body Fat or less which is associated with smaller neck. I would not even train neck ever, traps and deadlifts are enough to have a tight neck!
The table is good but in my opinion, the numbers for biceps can be and should be at least 1-1.5 inches higher, but the rest seems very well proportioned, Cudos for the author
Milen
thank you
Thank You so much for printing this here !!!
Thank You so much for printing this here !!!
thanks.
on a foot note i heard cardio eats away at muscles which is a bit worrying.. is it true?
thankyou
You can find the variance of your actual ratio to the ideal ratio as a % by the formula: (ideal-actual)/ ideal *100
I found my respective variance as:
This suggests that I need to improve on my Chest and Biceps. Also since I do more walking exercises, the variance is increasing from Bottom to Top of body suggesting that I need to concentrate on the upper part of my body.
Hope this helps
Nilesh