Is arm length to height ratio better than wingspan for working out proportions?

Plenty of tall men (very tall men in particular) are thin-built and have long arms and legs with narrow shoulders i.e. a classical ectomorphic build.

Many of these men, anecdotally, seem to be more likely than others to have a short arm span in comparison to their height, mostly because they have proportionally narrow shoulders. Even so, their arms still look long, or at least proportionally long.

Taken from the old forum:

http://www. /index.php?topic=1990.0

"So I've been doing a lot of measuring and alterations of photos of celebrities, ordinary people (like myself) and someone who's done LL.  From MY measurements and observations, most normally proportioned people (and those that have aesthetically pleasing proportions - such as models, celebrities) have a height to arm length (this is NOT armspan - this is measured from top of shoulder to tip of the middle finger) ratio of about 2.3.  And this ratio, incidentally, was reported by Benjamin Gould in "Investigations in the Military and Anthropological Statistics of American Soldiers" Cambridge: Riverside Press, reprinted Arno Press, NY 1979 after measuring 4,855 soldiers.

When altering photos w/ photoshop, I've noticed that disporportions start to become noticeable and displeasing as one surpasses a height to arm length ratio of 2.5.

This is one parameter I'll be using to determine the maximum LL my proportions will support.  So if you have a program like photoshop, try it for yourselves and let me know if you agree with these ratios...I'd be interested."

On looking around on google for an example of 2.5 arm length to height ratio, I found that the terracotta warriors in China were modelled on that exact ratio. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=terracotta+warriors&rlz=1C1EJFA_enGB729GB729&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjvx_LZyvjUAhUrIMAKHVeHAxMQ_AUICigB&biw=1707&bih=789&dpr=1.13#imgrc=CGLIAY3MK8FnbM:

Their arms do look a bit too short to be aesthetically pleasing to me.

I'd be interested if there were any studies done into ideal proportions re arm length vs. height. I found all of this interesting but science > one guy with photoshop...

Did you really just link us to Chinese statues?? haha

I think another thing to consider is hand and finger size as well. I think that will be a player in what looks abnormal.

I don't see the humour in it. Maybe I'm too far gone :/

That they have a 2.5 ratio was in some other research but I can't be bothered finding it now. You can find it on google pretty easily.

I suppose what looks proportional depends on a whole range of factors, anyway, and it's about finding the amount of lengthening which gives the best compromise. But I think things like arm length are probably a lot more important than hand size for example.

Imo one should look at arm lengths, torso length, total height, and leg length altogether.
These chinese warriors do look like they have a longer torsos. A longer torso makes their arms look short.

A factor to consider is how low the arms hang below the torso. If this looks good before LL, it will look the same after LL.

I heard elsewhere on the old forum that so long as arms are half of femoral length (not actual femoral length, but femoral length measured from the inguinal curve/end of your leg to the place where you can feel the bone end) it will always look proportionate, provided your legs aren't freakishly long and your torso freakishly short or whatever.

lol I was thinking about this for a while , glad op made a thread about this. I have a similar build that op talks of  that makes me look taller from a distance at least and I have been told numerous times that my build makes me appear taller yay for that.

Well I believe arm length matters more as I legit saw a police officer in my country with narrow shoulders , short torso and really long legs (guy must be around 6') couldn't make out his arm length in that short while in which I passed him by in my car.

The thing is short stubby arms look really bad (Sorry but they do). Check out the youtuber/pro bodybuilder jeff nippard , he has really short dwarfish arms I wonder whether or not they look like that because he's beefy for his height.

Anyone who can provide a link to arm length proportions would be of great help.

Also from where do we start measuring the arm length, do the shoulders count too or should I start measuring just beneath my shoulders?

Start measuring at the point your shoulder ends and arm begins. Right at the top of the arm, at the point where it curves into your shoulder.

Quote from: Jack1066 on July 10, 2017, 09:39:07 PMStart measuring at the point your shoulder ends and arm begins. Right at the top of the arm, at the point where it curves into your shoulder.

Where exactly is that?

I guess how easy it is depends on how much your shoulders slope. About here (the bit I circled in red):

http://i.imgur.com/2rEDFkZ.jpg

74-75cm for me