Is there an ideal height-weight ratio for bodybuilders?

[dantelis]

Steve Reeves used to claim that the heights and weights below were the ideal levels for a "classical physique."  With Ronnie and Jay hitting upwards of 270 - 300 lbs at heights of 5'10 or so, is there a current Pro bodybuilder height to weight ratio or is Reeve's chart a pretty good guideline that current pros have screwed up by going too massive?  If you were to redraw this chart, what would you suggest?     

Height Weight
5'5"    160lbs
5'6"    165lbs
5'7"    170lbs
5'8"    175lbs
5'9"    180lbs
5'10"   185lbs
5'11"   190lbs
6'0"    200lbs
6'1"    210lbs
6'2"    220lbs
6'3"    230lbs
6'4"    240lbs
6'5"    250lbs
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson207.htm

[candidizzle]

Height Weight
5'5"    230lbs
5'6"    235lbs
5'7"    240lbs
5'8"    245lbs
5'9"    250lbs
5'10"   255lbs
5'11"   260lbs
6'0"    265lbs
6'1"    270lbs
6'2"    275lbs
6'3"    280lbs
6'4"    285lbs
6'5"    290lbs

 

[Knives]

those weights are probably ideal for a lean nattie

[mass 04]

Height Weight
5'5"    230lbs
5'6"    235lbs
5'7"    240lbs
5'8"    245lbs
5'9"    250lbs
5'10"   255lbs
5'11"   260lbs
6'0"    265lbs
6'1"    270lbs
6'2"    275lbs
6'3"    280lbs
6'4"    285lbs
6'5"    290lbs

 

exactly. Maybe i'm in the minority but Reeves,Zane and those guys weren't that impressive. They looked great but not what bb should be about IMO. The 90's were as good as it gets.

[triple_pickle]

add at least 80 pounds to each row.....

[dantelis]

exactly. Maybe i'm in the minority but Reeves,Zane and those guys weren't that impressive. They looked great but not what bb should be about IMO. The 90's were as good as it gets.

Yates was 5'10" and 265 lbs at his peak, making him still 10 lbs over candidizzle chart.  Does that mean Dorian should have been leaner during his Olympia wins? 

I think Haney, at 5'11" and 245lbs was a bit closer to ideal than Yates, and he is probably still too big to be considered aesthetic.

Interesting to see that candidizzle adds 65 lbs to the weights from Reeves' chart.  Guess that gives us a good idea of how much extra muscle one can gain from HGH and Steroids, a 30% addition.

[Moosejay]

Well...I competed at 5'11", 185-190 pounds...so that sounds good to me!

[Moosejay]

exactly. Maybe i'm in the minority but Reeves,Zane and those guys weren't that impressive. They looked great but not what bb should be about IMO. The 90's were as good as it gets.

I understand...but they had to be impressive to me because I could get no bigger than them...

[dantelis]

Well...I competed at 5'11", 185-190 pounds...so that sounds good to me!

Just add 65 lbs by using steroids and GH and you could be a current pro!  (With the distended gut to accent your look.)    

[Moosejay]

No...alas...those effort-filled days are past for me....I plan to go on a progarm to reach my all-time best by 45...can be done...since a few ( Dickerson, Ronnie) have won the Olympia at this age...or near it...

[dantelis]

add at least 80 pounds to each row.....

Can you imagine how bad Reeves would have looked if he carried an extra 80 lbs of muscle?  I don't know how anyone could be aesthetic and look good at 295lbs at 6'1".

[240 is Back]

6'4"    240lbs

Super.  How the hell am I going to grow to be 6' 4"?

[BB]

There have been quite a few charts on this over the years, the most famous and through might be David P. Willoughby's chart/formula, you can see it here toward the bottom: http://www.weightrainer.net/potential.html .

In general, I personally think the nice aesthetic  looking bodybuilders run 3-3.25 pounds per inch of height. While the mass monsters run more on the order of 3.50-4lbs/inch.

[Method101]

Height Weight
5'5"    230lbs
5'6"    235lbs
5'7"    240lbs
5'8"    245lbs
5'9"    250lbs
5'10"   255lbs
5'11"   260lbs
6'0"    265lbs
6'1"    270lbs
6'2"    275lbs
6'3"    280lbs
6'4"    285lbs
6'5"    290lbs

 

all drugs

[XFACTOR]

Height Weight
5'5"    230lbs
5'6"    235lbs
5'7"    240lbs
5'8"    245lbs
5'9"    250lbs
5'10"   255lbs
5'11"   260lbs
6'0"    265lbs
6'1"    270lbs
6'2"    275lbs
6'3"    280lbs
6'4"    285lbs
6'5"    290lbs

 

I'm fucked 

[njflex]

pick any height say 5'6 and all national level.even playing field u can have a lightweight,welter,middle,lighheavy,heavy weight,all at that height 5'6 with various degrees of size and thickness,the light heavy and heavy's at that height of course will be big as a house.so its all relevent at that point.height has no bearing ,muscle to actual structure and ability to hold it has more bearing,,,

[dantelis]

pick any height say 5'6 and all national level.even playing field u can have a lightweight,welter,middle,lighheavy,heavy weight,all at that height 5'6 with various degrees of size and thickness,the light heavy and heavy's at that height of course will be big as a house.so its all relevent at that point.height has no bearing ,muscle to actual structure and ability to hold it has more bearing,,,

I beg to differ.  Even if you have a bigger body structure at a given height and can hold more muscle, there is only so much muscle that looks good at a given height, no matter the structure.

The mass monsters of the past 15 years have lost much of the aesthetic flow that made past bodybuilders look better, because they are carrying way too much muscle for their height and structure. 

I'm not saying that Reeves' chart is accurate and the ideal.  I do know for certain that the revised chart offered by candidizzle isn't the ideal.

[Mars]

id rather have the health look and be tall than be a midget with tons of muscles

[m8]

id rather have the health look and be tall than be a midget with tons of muscles

Exactly.

[onlyme]

id rather have the health look and be tall than be a midget with tons of muscles

yes 100%

[candidizzle]

I beg to differ.  Even if you have a bigger body structure at a given height and can hold more muscle, there is only so much muscle that looks good at a given height, no matter the structure.

The mass monsters of the past 15 years have lost much of the aesthetic flow that made past bodybuilders look better, because they are carrying way too much muscle for their height and structure. 

I'm not saying that Reeves' chart is accurate and the ideal.  I do know for certain that the revised chart offered by candidizzle isn't the ideal.

ideal is subjective, that chart is my personal idea of the ideal, at the moment. 

[Old-Skool]

Nice planet..just visiting...is this the chart for cardiac arrest ?

[GoneAway]

depends on how well you carry muscle. Wolf weights in at about 260-270 at 6'0"-6'2", but he carries it quite well. not perfect, but very similar to Ronnie's early Olympia wins - small waist, large round quads, complimented by equally impressive upperbody, which in Wolf's case is his amazing shoulder width (v taper). that's why it helps to be in proportion, top to bottom, and to have a small waist compared that doesnt overshadow your muscles.

[webcake]

Gunter, 6'1-6'2, 305lbs

[Meso_z]

Fuck reeves and zane "physiques". its bbing here.