When it comes to Calisthenics, it is undeniable that Height and Weight plays a crucial role in the skill level of the athlete. The lighter and shorter you are, the easier it would be. As such, skill level in Calisthenics do not directly correlate to other enviable attributes such as physique aesthetics. But which is more important, or rather, which is more determining of your potential and the ease of advancing your skills in Calisthenics? Yes, I can hear the haters, saying “Don’t give excuses!”, “He was 180cm and could Planche!”, from a MILE away. Look, I’m not here to dissuade anyone from working towards ambitious goals. By all means, go for it. However, the reality does not change, and here’s why I think being taller is a bigger disadvantage than being heavy.
Your Height is Fixed
One of the fundamental reasons height plays a pivotal role in Calisthenics is that you can’t really change it once you stop growing. However, weight is a variable factor that can be adjusted through diet and exercise. You can lose or gain both muscle and fat and alter your weight but you can’t do much about your height.
For taller individuals, exercises like pull-ups and muscle-ups can be more challenging due to the longer lever arms involved. This means that taller athletes may need to exert force over a larger range of motion to lift their bodies. Conversely, shorter individuals often find these exercises relatively easier, as their shorter limbs require less range for the same movement.
If you paid attention to Physics class, you will also understand that, especially for higher level Calisthenics skills, the force needed for taller individuals is higher due to larger Moments*.
Where does your Weight come from?
Relative strength broadly defined as your strength to weight ratio is more important than absolute strength in Calisthenics. However, when considering weight, it’s crucial to understand that not all weight is created equal. Where the weight is located and whether it comes from functional muscle, significantly impact your Calisthenics performance. That is why the argument that increasing weight reduces relative strength, is not the whole story.
Muscle Mass vs. Fat
Muscle mass is generally more beneficial for Calisthenics than Fat. Useful and functional muscle makes you slightly heavier. However, they contribute to the strength needed to perform a skill. In fact, you would need to gain some weight in terms of muscle mass in order to gain the strength needed for a skill. On the other hand, excess fat can make bodyweight exercises more challenging, as you have to lift additional non-functional weight.
Upper Body vs. Lower Body Weight
The location of your weight also matters. Weight in the upper body can aid in exercises like pull-ups and dips, as it adds to the working muscles’ mass. However, excessive weight in the lower body can hinder movements that require upper body strength and control. That’s one of the few reasons why Calisthenics athletes skip leg day. This one of the weakness of high level Calisthenics that I can’t say I’m too proud of as well. The bigger your legs, the more difficult it is to execute intermediate to advanced skillsets.
Hence, saying that a heavier person is more likely to have a lower skill level than a lighter person is simply untrue. We have seen Calisthenics athletes with bulging upper body muscles that are heavier than a skinny person who can even do a pull-up. However, you also cannot say that a heavier person is more likely to have a higher skill level as the weight could come from non-useful muscles or simply fat content. Thus, weight is of less importance when it comes to determining the skill of an athlete.
The Science Behind It: Galileo’s Principle
Being heavier doesn’t necessarily mean you are taller. However, being taller means that you are generally heavier. In an article by Antranik, it perfectly argues from a scientific standpoint why height is so important in determining the difficulty of performing a skill. Galileo’s principle of scaling explains that as a body’s size increases, its volume grows MUCH FASTER than its surface area. This principle has significant implications in Calisthenics. Taller individuals, with their larger volumes, have an EXPONENTIALLY greater mass to lift relative to their muscle cross-sectional area. They would require more functional muscle mass to lift up the extra weight from the bones and other larger body parts.
Height Matters More
This principle is why many Olympic gymnasts are shorter than 165cm. Their shorter stature gives them a mechanical advantage, making it easier to perform complex movements with precision and control. Antranik's article mentioned that the tipping point for Height is around 175cm (5'9"), above which is gets harder and below which gets easier.
This is also why, taller athletes who can perform high level skills are more respected than their shorter counterparts performing the same skill. It is more likely that the taller athlete had to train smarter and longer, had to go through more injuries to achieve the skill. They would have had to develop larger and stronger muscles to generate more force to perform a skill. They are also more likely to have greater ABSOLUTE strength and a more desirable looking physique from purely training Calisthenics.
Again, I’m not taking credit away from the hard work that shorter athletes put in, in order to achieve their skill level. Achieving a Planche no matter the height is very impressive and commendable. But for those who fall into this category, realize that you have far greater potential in high level Calisthenics and work equally as hard to become one of the best Calisthenics athletes. For shorter athletes, it would be harder to build muscle mass through Calisthenics. That's why performing Weighted Calisthenics using a Weight Vest or hitting the gym is important as well.
For the taller athletes, continue to work towards your goals but DO NOT be disheartened when somebody learned a skill in half the time. You have a longer road to walk but I guarantee that at the end of it, it will be worth it.