What is the best height to weight ratio for maximum athletic performance?

[Vandelay]

I know it's subjective to what sport/activity you want to do, but what if you want to be above average in all of them?

I'm 40 years old, 5'8" 195. In the pandemic i ballooned up to 216. I got down to 189 in April.

I've always been reasonably athletic since I was an adolescent. My strengths have always been I generally could run faster than most, jump higher than most, and for my size I was far stronger than folks.

But is there a height to weight ratio that allows you to do most of the physical activities at a high performance level?

I'm not trying to be an Olympian, I'm too old obviously. But as I've gotten heavier, I like the physique that I've gotten. Its gotten somewhat annoying because i get accused of being on steroids and shyt. But my size has come to the detriment of my speed and jumping ability. I damn near could dunk at my height, and if I actually played basketball I probably would be dunking. I had a 36 inch vertical. Speed, I used to run a 4.4 40, and that's only when i officially clocked it, it might've been faster at certain points in time. But I was 170-175 pounds when I was doing these things. Pushing 200 pounds, I'm benching 345 relatively easy, but I lost my ups and speed. Is there a way I can get the best of all world's?

I think my sweet spot is 185, but I'm afraid if I go any lower I'll lose my physique and strength.

I know age is a factor, and i'm on that slow decline now. Any rules of thumb Coli brehren? Is there any way I can train to maintain my weight, let's say between 185-190, but get my jack of all trades athleticism back?

 

[Son Goku]

Question makes absolutely no sense.

"Athleticism" is an ambiguous term and is always sport-specific. A dude benching 225 for one is getting laughed off a damn powerlifting stage, even at lighter weight classes whereas a 225 pound max bench in tennis might be average or above.


The "ratio" doesn't make a damn bit of difference in most non-endurance sports, especially if your body composition is trash. Being 190 won't mean much if you're 20% bodyfat vs being 200 at the same height but a legit 10-12%.


- Usain Bolt is one of greatest (if not the GOAT) sprinters and he was tall and lanky but lot of world-class sprinters are shorter than him though. I'd think body composition would matter more; you don't see fat sprinters, they're all lean.
- Powerlifting isn't about height or weight; limb lengths compared to torso length would matter more than your height/weight ratio.
- Olympic lifting is about technique and explosive strength.
- Probably wouldn't matter in swimming as long as you're not a fat fukk.
- Different body types are seen at almost all positions in football.

• You got tall/leaner O and D linemen and you go shorter/fatter folks on the same positions.
• Most RBs up do better if they're playing over 200 pounds but then you have outliers like CJ2k, Jamaal Charles, and Barry Sanders who were GOATed.
• You got small/short kickers and big/tall kickers.
• QBs can be manlets or bigger than linebackers.

The only sports where this might make a difference is in ones like distance running, soccer, tennis, etc., where any extra fat just weighs you down or extra muscle requires too much oxygen to support (and thus also weighs you down).

 

[Vandelay]

Question makes absolutely no sense.

"Athleticism" is an ambiguous term and is always sport-specific. A dude benching 225 for one is getting laughed off a damn powerlifting stage, even at lighter weight classes whereas a 225 pound max bench in tennis might be average or above.


The "ratio" doesn't make a damn bit of difference in most non-endurance sports, especially if your body composition is trash. Being 190 won't mean much if you're 20% bodyfat vs being 200 at the same height but a legit 10-12%.

I get that athleticism is subjective. I guess what I'm saying just generalized athleticism; run, jump, lift, with some semblance of above average ability.

 

[Son Goku]

I get that athleticism is subjective. I guess what I'm saying just generalized athleticism; run, jump, lift, with some semblance of above average ability.

And those things are not based on your height/weight ratio, nor is there a magic number that somehow let's you do all of those well without training to do them.

The ability to run, jump, and lift is based on your ability to run, jump, or lift.


You know what, you got it breh.

 

[Buckeye Fever]

I'm 6'0" 182 lbs and I felt better at 165-170

 

[mag357]

I'm 6'0" 182 lbs and I felt better at 165-170

I was actually going to say your height and weight.
165-170 at that height is too skinny.

Id say 6'0-6'2 190 is perfect
But everybody body is different.

Like OP height and weight sounds alil chubby. And unathletic.
But he may carry weight differently

 

[Buckeye Fever]

I was actually going to say your height and weight.
165-170 at that height is too skinny.

Id say 6'0-6'2 190 is perfect
But everybody body is different.

Like OP height and weight sounds alil chubby. And unathletic.
But he may carry weight differently

For me, a lot has to do with how long I've been comfortable at 165. I didn't get to the 180s til my 40s

I used to have metabolism like crazy. Now..........shiiiiiit

I agree that at my height, 190 would be that ideal weight

 

[mag357]

For me, a lot has to do with how long I've been comfortable at 165. I didn't get to the 180s til my 40s

I used to have metabolism like crazy. Now..........shiiiiiit

I agree that at my height, 190 would be that ideal weight

I understand that 100%

 

[The Intergalactic Koala]

Ugh....3 feet and 15 pounds

 

[T-K-G]

For me, a lot has to do with how long I've been comfortable at 165. I didn't get to the 180s til my 40s

I used to have metabolism like crazy. Now..........shiiiiiit

I agree that at my height, 190 would be that ideal weight

Yea with a fast metabolism you'd have to force yourself to over eat or workout nonstop for it to stick, feels nasty and can be exhausting

Wherever your weight lands with you working out 3 or so days a week (including cardio) is your ideal weight, fukk all these charts n shyt that don't account for metabolisms