How much does height play a role?

[Corrie]

Hi Mark,
I wanted to know whether or not you've noticed any correlation between an athlete's height and the weight that can be handled at the start of the program/end of the novice stage.

If two people with similar training backgrounds and body composition came in to WFAC but one was 5'5 and the other was 6'2 would you expect the taller one to be able to handle greater weights right from the start? What about near the end of the novice stage?

Thank you.

[Mark Rippetoe]

If bodyweight is proportionate to height, obviously the taller guy will be stronger at first.

[Kregna]

If bodyweight is proportionate to height, obviously the taller guy will be stronger at first.

Why?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Because he will have more muscle mass, at first.

[IndividualThoughtPatterns]

Because he will have more muscle mass, at first.

Why lol.

[cutlet#]

Because he will have more muscle mass, at first.

The taller guy has more muscle mass, but doesn't he also have a longer ROM and a leverage disadvantage? Not saying you're wrong, but it doesn't seem obvious to me.

[partyb]

I think he means two dudes of equal weight, one short, one tall. Otherwise, the answer is abundantly obvious and the reason there are weight classes in lifting and not height classes. It's either a poorly worded question, as he did mention that our two subjects have similar body composition, or a painfully obvious answer.

Short guy of equal weight is stronger due to shorter levers and less distance to move the weight I hypothesize. And shorter guys are awesome.

[tnumrych]

Why?

Because he will have more muscle mass, at first.

If bodyweight is proportionate to height, obviously the taller guy will be stronger at first.

Here come the obligatory YouTube clips of elite powerlifters who violate this, rather obvious, and common sense statement.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The taller guy has more muscle mass, but doesn't he also have a longer ROM and a leverage disadvantage? Not saying you're wrong, but it doesn't seem obvious to me.

It's not obvious to you that a guy 6'2" at 205 will usually lift more weight than a guy 5'2" at 125? At first?

I think he means two dudes of equal weight, one short, one tall.

Then that's what he should have said.

Short guy of equal weight is stronger due to shorter levers and less distance to move the weight I hypothesize. And shorter guys are awesome.

Yes, eventually. But not at first.

Here come the obligatory YouTube clips of elite powerlifters who violate this, rather obvious, and common sense statement.

Of course. Reading comprehension being deficient and all.

[zephed56]

The taller guy has more muscle mass, but doesn't he also have a longer ROM and a leverage disadvantage? Not saying you're wrong, but it doesn't seem obvious to me.

Ok, it usually helps to take these types of scenarios to their extremes to more clearly analyze a problem. Imagine a ginormous human being, like a 50 ft woman, and proportionally similar to a human (so she's not just a tall beanpole). I'm sure she could deadlift 1000 lbs without any training. Now imagine an extremely short normally proportioned human being, like 1 ft tall. 50 lbs would probably be pretty tough.

There you go.