Succeeding as a Tall Bodybuilder

Training
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Im 6’5" and I just started really looking like I lift.As mentioned by waylander I have to constantly make sure im eating lifting and staying focused.I struggled with bench and squating and still very much do but I just told myself to man up and get better at those two things.I want to be big just as much as I want decent lifts so to not squat and bench for me is outa the question.

My advice, high rep squats, wide grip on the bench and train back alot as that is your foundation for lifting heavy everywhere else.

Im 6’5" and coming up on 230 and it has been along road with a long way to go.I lift heavy and lift between the 4-6 8-12 rep range.

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I watched the ed nunn videos…very helpful. I’m 6 foot 3 and back squats are awkward. Front squats and Zerchers have been pretty safe on my back. How safe are smith machine squats? They look tough on the knees

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6’5, 250 lbs. A 6’7 arm span is a problem, I didn’t think my arms were THAT long until recently measured. Any other 6’5 folk have ridiculous limbs?

Sumo deadlift and front squats are a must over traditional styles for my frame and I prefer dumbbell presses to barbell.

I don’t understand the mentality of some people (not in this thread but I hear it a lot) claiming that tall lifters should stick to compound exercises only to fill out. I do plenty direct leg, arm and shoulder work and would like to think that by increasing leg, arm and shoulder size I am indeed “filling out”!

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[quote]OTS1 wrote:
If you haven’t squatted 2x bw, benched 1.5x bw, and DLed 2xBW, then you probably aren’t advanced enough in your training to decide that they don’t work for you.
[/quote]

I think the bodyweight ratio for what someone should be able to lift is flawed. After a certain point, every additional inch of height adds bodyweight and increases mechanical disadvantage. Say you’re 6’6" and weigh 275 pounds. With your abnormally long femurs and the bar resting so high on your back, you’re at a real disadvantage squatting 550 pounds, whereas for someone who is 5’9 and 180 pounds it is much more realistic to achieve a 360 pound squat, as biomechanics are more in his favor.

Deadlifts I think are a more accurate gauge of “pound for pound” strength, as the mechanics of them seem to be more favorable to longer limbed lifters. Andy Bolton is in the neighbourhood of 6’3" I think and held the world record for several years.

[quote]
The recipe for success for tall dudes isn’t radically different than it is for anyone else: lift heavy, eat big, sleep big, repeat.[/quote]

Agreed.

65

[quote]Professor X wrote:
mday wrote:

The one real advantage we have as tall guys is that when we are “bigger” we are that much more imposing. I may not ever have the biggest PL total in the gym, but when I reach my goal of 6’8", 275lb with 15% bodyfat, I will “look” huge.

Doubtful. I weigh more than that at 5’10.5" currently. I seriously doubt someone nearly AN ENTIRE FOOT taller than me will look HUGE while weighing that much LESS than I do, especially at 15% body fat. If that were contest shape that might be different.[/quote]

See the problem with your statement, Mr. X, sir, is that size is relative and subjective. 6’8" 275 WILL look huge. Maybe not to you, because you’re bigger, but to the vast majority of people, it will look bigger than huge. When I read your post it translates like: “well, that’s not as big as I am, so it’s not huge. You’ll only look huge [to me] if you at least weigh more than I do”.

That being said, if I were as big as you, I’d be gloating about it constantly.

66

[quote]hardcoreraymond wrote:
BTW my avatar is a lifelike portrait of myself[/quote]

huh, looks like a character from a Final Fight game to me. Were you in Final Fight? How’s Haggar doing?

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[quote]TDub301 wrote:
Professor X wrote:
mday wrote:

The one real advantage we have as tall guys is that when we are “bigger” we are that much more imposing. I may not ever have the biggest PL total in the gym, but when I reach my goal of 6’8", 275lb with 15% bodyfat, I will “look” huge.

Doubtful. I weigh more than that at 5’10.5" currently. I seriously doubt someone nearly AN ENTIRE FOOT taller than me will look HUGE while weighing that much LESS than I do, especially at 15% body fat. If that were contest shape that might be different.

See the problem with your statement, Mr. X, sir, is that size is relative and subjective. 6’8" 275 WILL look huge. Maybe not to you, because you’re bigger, but to the vast majority of people, it will look bigger than huge. When I read your post it translates like: “well, that’s not as big as I am, so it’s not huge. You’ll only look huge [to me] if you at least weigh more than I do”.

That being said, if I were as big as you, I’d be gloating about it constantly.[/quote]

That’s not what he’s saying. Yes, the stature makes somebody look big, but in weightlifting community a 275lb 6’8’’ guy is NOT big in terms of muscularity. For example, me being 250lbs is nothing when you factor in my height. I would have to be at least some 275lbs before I really have that ‘look’ to me.

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[quote]Rattler wrote:
TDub301 wrote:
Professor X wrote:
mday wrote:

The one real advantage we have as tall guys is that when we are “bigger” we are that much more imposing. I may not ever have the biggest PL total in the gym, but when I reach my goal of 6’8", 275lb with 15% bodyfat, I will “look” huge.

Doubtful. I weigh more than that at 5’10.5" currently. I seriously doubt someone nearly AN ENTIRE FOOT taller than me will look HUGE while weighing that much LESS than I do, especially at 15% body fat. If that were contest shape that might be different.

See the problem with your statement, Mr. X, sir, is that size is relative and subjective. 6’8" 275 WILL look huge. Maybe not to you, because you’re bigger, but to the vast majority of people, it will look bigger than huge. When I read your post it translates like: “well, that’s not as big as I am, so it’s not huge. You’ll only look huge [to me] if you at least weigh more than I do”.

That being said, if I were as big as you, I’d be gloating about it constantly.

That’s not what he’s saying. Yes, the stature makes somebody look big, but in weightlifting community a 275lb 6’8’’ guy is NOT big in terms of muscularity. For example, me being 250lbs is nothing when you factor in my height. I would have to be at least some 275lbs before I really have that ‘look’ to me.[/quote]

Exactly. We’re talking weight lifting, bodybuilding terms here. Of course in the eyes of sedentary people we are all probably considered huge already.

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I don’t know, I still think it’s relative. Was Lou Ferigno “huge”? I thought I read somewhere that he was 6’5", 280 (correct me if I’m wrong) only a 3 inch difference in height, once you’re that tall, it’s not a big difference. Maybe my standards for huge are not the same as most of yours, perhaps some pics of guys that size would help.

Ah fuck it, I don’t want to start up a flame war about the definition of huge. The only reason I brought that up is because to me, Prof. X is beyond huge.

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[quote]LankyMofo wrote:
Rattler wrote:
TDub301 wrote:
Professor X wrote:
mday wrote:

The one real advantage we have as tall guys is that when we are “bigger” we are that much more imposing. I may not ever have the biggest PL total in the gym, but when I reach my goal of 6’8", 275lb with 15% bodyfat, I will “look” huge.

Doubtful. I weigh more than that at 5’10.5" currently. I seriously doubt someone nearly AN ENTIRE FOOT taller than me will look HUGE while weighing that much LESS than I do, especially at 15% body fat. If that were contest shape that might be different.

See the problem with your statement, Mr. X, sir, is that size is relative and subjective. 6’8" 275 WILL look huge. Maybe not to you, because you’re bigger, but to the vast majority of people, it will look bigger than huge. When I read your post it translates like: “well, that’s not as big as I am, so it’s not huge. You’ll only look huge [to me] if you at least weigh more than I do”.

That being said, if I were as big as you, I’d be gloating about it constantly.

That’s not what he’s saying. Yes, the stature makes somebody look big, but in weightlifting community a 275lb 6’8’’ guy is NOT big in terms of muscularity. For example, me being 250lbs is nothing when you factor in my height. I would have to be at least some 275lbs before I really have that ‘look’ to me.

Exactly. We’re talking weight lifting, bodybuilding terms here. Of course in the eyes of sedentary people we are all probably considered huge already.[/quote]

Why did that need to be said? If we were simply trying to impress sedentary people, we could have stopped lifting the moment we could make out where our biceps were…back around 15".

This is the bodybuilding forum. You will not look “huge” at 6’8" at only 275lbs.

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[quote]TDub301 wrote:
I don’t know, I still think it’s relative. Was Lou Ferigno “huge”? I thought I read somewhere that he was 6’5", 280 (correct me if I’m wrong) only a 3 inch difference in height, once you’re that tall, it’s not a big difference. Maybe my standards for huge are not the same as most of yours, perhaps some pics of guys that size would help.

Ah fuck it, I don’t want to start up a flame war about the definition of huge. The only reason I brought that up is because to me, Prof. X is beyond huge.[/quote]

I appreciate that, but that isn’t what I was referring to. I didn’t write that to discuss my size. I was just pointing out what “huge” is in bodybuilding terms.

However, we all look different at different weights due to body structure…but you…you’re freakishly tall. You will have to be “freakishly” heavy to match that.

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…and Ferrigno was IN CONTEST SHAPE AT 280LBS. That is a big difference from being “15%” at the same weight.

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[quote]Professor X wrote:
…and Ferrigno was IN CONTEST SHAPE AT 280LBS. That is a big difference from being “15%” at the same weight.[/quote]

…and 3" taller!

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Just another 6’2 guy checking in. 250lbs. 6’6 wingspan. Good DL, poor bench…

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Just a heads up, the big guys might want to check out the old Double Tap audio with Eric Cressey - interview #9 here:

He covers some training techniques and general advice for taller guys, but according to him, guys under 6’3" don’t have much to complain about. (Keep in mind, though, this interview is a good few years old.)

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[quote]PimpBot5000 wrote:
BigBartDawg66 wrote:
I’m looking for some help here too, 6’7".

Work on your Tiger Uppercuts. Your kicks are fine, but when you want to throw a fireball stop telegraphing it by yelling “TIGER!”. Just throw the fireball.

LOL!

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God I would hate to have to try to eat that much food per day to sustain a “muscular” build at 6’5+.

That would be a complete chore.

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oh come on. i’m trying to show my appreciation for a humorous comment and it shows up grey.

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[quote]Professor X wrote:

This is the bodybuilding forum. You will not look “huge” at 6’8" at only 275lbs.[/quote]

in your opinion, what weight does he need to get to in order to look huge at 6’8 approx 15% BF?

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[quote]stringer wrote:
Professor X wrote:

This is the bodybuilding forum. You will not look “huge” at 6’8" at only 275lbs.

in your opinion, what weight does he need to get to in order to look huge at 6’8 approx 15% BF?
[/quote]

300lbs, at least. Mind you, I know people at least 6’5" (hell, I just posted a pic of one guy at 350lbs and 6’5" who DOES qualify as “huge” yesterday) who weigh over 300lbs. I used to train with one. Unless this guy has muscle bellies like Flex Wheeler, he is going to have to pack that mass on.