The Truth About Body Tape Measurements And How to Use Them To Get The Body You Want!
Do you know the ridiculous game most trainees and natural bodybuilders play? It consists of pumping up the upper arm with some exercise, passing a shrunken tape loosely around it, adding ten percent for good luck, and in a loud, clear voice announcing that they too, have a 19” arm.
They reassure themselves, if they have a conscience at all, with the sad but undeniable fact that everyone else is doing the same thing. This is a really bad practice. Constant exaggeration is a thief that has stolen something priceless from you.
Measurements should serve for more than just wishful thinking. Honest measurements can be a source of encouragement and guidance if you use them properly. They can represent something tangible, something concrete. They can offer a clear picture of what has and what can be done with intelligent training.
Accurate measurements of top bodybuilders would be of incredible value to the aspiring trainee, but are seen as rarely as the illusive Big Foot. Few big time bodybuilders would dream of publishing their honest measurements, simply because everybody else exaggerates theirs.
If a well known bodybuilder admitted that he had an 18” arm, the great mass of trainees – who in many cases the bodybuilder in question depends on for his livelihood – would consider him practically undeveloped in comparison with others claiming 20 or 21” arms; although in actual fact, the larger measurements are as far removed from reality as a politician’s promise.
The most disturbing, though extremely profitable, factor in the practice of exaggerating one’s measurements, is the practice of some muscle magazines printing a list of ridiculous measurements beside some bodybuilding star’s picture on their cover shot.
The fact that these measurements can be exaggerated anywhere from one to six inches – exaggerated to the point where they no longer bear any relationship to the actual bodybuilder on the cover – seem not to bother the editor at all.
This is misleading, and unfortunate. You see, the bodybuilding star’s true body tape measurements might not make such colorful reading, but they would save trainees a lot of time that is being spent on a fruitless and exhausting chase after unrealistic proportions. So let’s strip away the lies and deceit, and talk about measurements that are honest and realistic – measurements that can be acquired by YOU.
Now, you’re aiming for an impressive physique, so let’s look at some figures that will tell you when you’ve reached this happy state. This isn’t a chapter on calculus, and I’m not exactly Albert Einstein, so let’s keep it as basic and workable as possible.
First, take an accurate tape (check it against a steel ruler) and measure your wrist. Now multiply your wrist measurement by 6.5. This will give you very close to the maximum size you can reasonably expect for your chest in muscular condition. Your chest is a big factor in your overall body mass. Use this projected chest measurement for the rest of your calculations.
Take 70% of your projected chest measurement. This will give you your expected waist measurement with very little surface fat.
36% of your chest measurement gives you a big upper arm.
29% for impressive forearms.
85% of your chest means symmetrical hips.
53% for muscular thighs.
34% for calves of steel.
37% for your neck and you got trouble buying shirts.
When you have obtained the above proportions you have made it – forget about other
measurements. Here’s how it works out with three different wrist sizes: 7” (fairly small), 7.5” (a good bodybuilder’s average), 8” (large).
| wrist | 7” | 7.5” | 8” | X 6.5 | |
| chest | 45.5 | 48.8 | 52 | X 70% | = ____ |
| waist | 31.8 | 34.1 | 36.4 | X 36% | = ____ |
| arm | 16.4 | 17.6 | 18.8 | X 29% | = ____ |
| forearm | 13.2 | 14.1 | 15 | X 85% | = ____ |
| hips | 38.7 | 41.4 | 44.2 | X 53% | = ____ |
| thigh | 24.1 | 25.8 | 27.6 | X 34% | = ____ |
| calf | 15.5 | 16.6 | 17.7 | X 37% | = ____ |
| neck | 16.9 | 18 | 19.2 | = ____ |
Remember – as you progress or grow older your wrist will thicken a little. So, reassess your potential every so often. And forget those 20” arms, 53” chests, and 31” waists on the same body. No one ever had such proportions. They are an insult to your intelligence.
So, the next time someone quotes you measurements that exceed these tables by more than a fraction, whip out your tape measure and make an honest man out of him.
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Posted by: Mike Buckinson
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[...] should be compensated for by increased muscle in those areas. The end result should be that your muscular measurements remain the same or increase slightly while your waist and hips reduce [...]
You have one of the most valuable tools and information that I have seen on a website. The no BS, straight to the punch. To many people take their measurements and then add 5-6 inches of ego. You great!! And I like your ideology. I tried it and it comes the closes to accuracy for me.