Frame Size?

Hi

I just did the frame size test - and I've come out as a small frame, as my fingers overlap a bit when I wrap them around my wrist (I'm 5'9"). 

What does this mean?  Does it mean that I will look chubbier than other people my same height and weight who have larger frames?  Or does it mean I will look smaller?

I feel I wear quite a large size for my weight (I weight about 168, I'm 5'9" and I wear size 14).  I often see people who weigh a lot more saying they wear the same size...so not sure if frame size impacts this too.

just wondering...  thanks!

your frame size totally impacts how you carry your weight. and you don't have a lot of additional weight to be so tall, but maybe you don't have enough muscle, either. i'm 5'5" 1/2, and the last time i was in a 14, i was 200 lbs. but i'm large-framed. at your weight, i'd probably be like a 10. so your frame size, and the proportion of muscle to fat on your body totally makes a difference in how you carry your weight.

I wonder too. I have a large frame and I never knew this. I just assumed I had short fingers LOL. I'm 5 ft 2 in. So does that mean that I will look skinnier at my goal weight, or 'thicker'?

It means your bones are small and thin so most of your mass is fat and muscle.

someone with a heavy frame will have big chunky bones so they have alot of weight sitting in thier bones and will always tend to look thicker regardless of actual body composition.

My husband for example is heavy set .. even at lightest he was physically bigger than most of his friends of the same hieght, he's just really really wide at the shoulders and no amount of dieting will change that..

Not only that but his ibm for his hieght is always waaay waaay out .. if he actually dieted to the wieght it say's is healthy for his size he'd be skin and bones.

TBH i'm doubtful that its even physically possible im sure his bare skeleton weights more than his ibm thinks he should weigh. (acording to his IBM he needs to lose 100lbs ... and i wouldn't concider him over weight at all)

 

 

the bigger the frame the more weight you can carry without looking like it. for example, a large-framed 5'7" girl can weigh 160 and look as thin as a medium-framed 5'7" girl who weighs 140. and the reverse is also true. if you're small-framed, your weight will look bigger on you than you think it should.

ergo: small-framed means you can/should weigh less; large-framed:can/should weigh more.

I'm medium frame 5'9" and weight 151 today....I wear a size 8 or 10.  So, that being said the frame size really makes a difference in how you carry your weight.  When I weighed 165lbs I wore a 10 or a 12.  If I were small framed I would of probably wore a bigger size.

Thank you, dalmalama!  That was a great explaination.

 

Christiana

you're welcome CM!

Original Post by dalmalama:

the bigger the frame the more weight you can carry without looking like it. for example, a large-framed 5'7" girl can weigh 160 and look as thin as a medium-framed 5'7" girl who weighs 140. and the reverse is also true. if you're small-framed, your weight will look bigger on you than you think it should.

ergo: small-framed means you can/should weigh less; large-framed:can/should weigh more.

 Yup thats spot on ..

if your heavy frame .. it mean your bones wieght alot and you can't lose weight of bones

It means you'll look and be slimmer at a much heavier wieght because you'll actually be carrying alot less fat than a person of the same wieght who's bones weigh half what your's do.

wow does that even make sence????

The average person's weight is comprised 20% from skeleton so..

example - 120lbs

• light frame person -  120lb - 15lb skeleton = 105lb of fat/ muscle etc
• medium - 120lb - 25lb skeleton = 95lb of fat muscle etc
• Heavy - 120lb - 35lb skeleton = 85lb fat muscle etc.

therefore less of the heavy set person's make up can be fat.. so they will look slimmer at the same wieght as the light framed person who might be carrying a clear 20lb of extra fat.

Heavy framed people like my husband maybe generally more solidly built as a said my husband is just soooooooo wide!!! but ts not always the case some might just have really dense bones.

 

 

Regarding your frame size which measurment tool do you use, on CC Its says to use your middle finger and thumb to measure your wrist where other fitness sites use the index finger and thumb....which do you use?

Original Post by leiela:

Original Post by dalmalama:

the bigger the frame the more weight you can carry without looking like it. for example, a large-framed 5'7" girl can weigh 160 and look as thin as a medium-framed 5'7" girl who weighs 140. and the reverse is also true. if you're small-framed, your weight will look bigger on you than you think it should.

ergo: small-framed means you can/should weigh less; large-framed:can/should weigh more.

 Yup thats spot on ..

if your heavy frame .. it mean your bones wieght alot and you can't lose weight of bones

It means you'll look and be slimmer at a much heavier wieght because you'll actually be carrying alot less fat than a person of the same wieght who's bones weigh half what your's do.

wow does that even make sence????

The average person's weight is comprised 20% from skeleton so..

example - 120lbs

• light frame person -  120lb - 15lb skeleton = 105lb of fat/ muscle etc
• medium - 120lb - 25lb skeleton = 95lb of fat muscle etc
• Heavy - 120lb - 35lb skeleton = 85lb fat muscle etc.

therefore less of the heavy set person's make up can be fat.. so they will look slimmer at the same wieght as the light framed person who might be carrying a clear 20lb of extra fat.

Heavy framed people like my husband maybe generally more solidly built as a said my husband is just soooooooo wide!!! but ts not always the case some might just have really dense bones.

 

 

That's fantastic and I'm writing it down and stickying it to my wall. :-D

wow, i never have thought of it like that...cool. i am medium frame and i often though for someone that exercises as much as i do should weigh less.

ok here's a question for you guys to ponder over...can you be two different frame sizes?  example...i'm 5'8, my fingers overlap my wrists  and i'm 141 - 142 lbs...i exercise like a lunatic and my measurements are 34-27-39...i don't have any fat anywhere and can feel my hipbones...so is it possible to be two different frame sizes?

I'm not sure "frame" is a good term to use on different body types.  Take a look at this Site

Here's a better Reference  even gives suggested workouts for each body type.  :D

You are either an Ectomorph or Endomorph or combination of the two.  Athletic types are Mesomorphs.

I think you can be two different frame sizes...or at least that you can't necessarily tell your frame size from your wrist. My thumb and forefinger overlap. My thumb and index finger touch. However I am very wide. My shoulders and hipbones are broad. There is an old 70's book I have at home that talks about measuring your wrist, and the distance between hipbones and the distance from the end of one shoulder to the other. According to the book I'm a diamond-lily-canary or something like that. It's one of those books.

Well, I am a pear.. I'm shaped like the hour glass from hell. I'm Small on the top, and bottom heavy 5'0 EVEN. I was 130 once, and that size looked good on me- Years ago, but here is the now of it all. My finger's over lap so that puts me at a small frame, but really I don't think so...  After 3 kids, who can snap back.. I know many people do, but I'm not sure if I would want to be 15 pounds down from my goal weight of 145lbs.. I got 21lbs more to go. But I did say to myself.. I was going to try 145 on for size, and if I choose to lose more then I will go for it. These are my measurements.. Tell me what you all think.

Before the diet a year ago I was> 40/39/56 226lbs
Now 36/31/45 166lbs

Sizes 14/16 most 14

I am ment to be a small frame, as my fingers overlap.. But what I dont understand is I am actually a large frame, Ive got broad shoulders and wide hips like the rest of my family.. I am clearly not a small frame so how come my fingers overlap? Someone help im confused :S

Thanks everyone - this is all really helpful and makes tons of sense.  But it's a bit depressing - basically because I have a small frame I am going to look fatter than other people of the same height and weight with bigger frames!  And it's true - I know I really look my best if I weigh under 140 (ideally 135 or so) - which is quite low for my height - where as other people can look great at 150! 

 

Original Post by k-loo:

I'm medium frame 5'9" and weight 151 today....I wear a size 8 or 10.  So, that being said the frame size really makes a difference in how you carry your weight.  When I weighed 165lbs I wore a 10 or a 12.  If I were small framed I would of probably wore a bigger size.

 

k- loo im 5'8'' - 5'9'' and a small frame.

i weigh 132 and im a size 12. how can you weigh 151 and be a size 8 or 10 thats so unfair im convinced it must be because you have a medium frame. its really annoying. so really i should be thinner if i had a bigger frame? im confused!

Mialondon  - is that a UK 14 (just guessing from your name...)?  If so, FYI,  that's a US 10.  Hope that helps  Ax