Body Frames!

Hey! So I've been trying to figure out what kind of body frame I have. I've always thought it was a large frame (because I was over weight), but I've lost a little over 30 pounds and now I'm trying to figure out my actual size. I am 5'11 (female) and I did the wrist measurement and websites I have been using have been saying I have a small frame...is that right?! HELP!!

Replies

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Just curious why you think this is important. More important information is your body fat percent and the amount of lean mass you have. Wrist measurements can be impacted by a variety of factors and aren't necessarily a good indication of your bone structure, which has nothing to do with health and body fat.
  • kelmcfar
    kelmcfar Posts: 63
    Knowing what kind of body frame you have helps indicate what weight group you are in or should be in. Measuring your wrist is a way to figure that out. I have to say my wrist are pretty normal- never have I ever had any damage or anything happened to my wrists so I thought it would be a valid estimate.
  • mazmataz
    mazmataz Posts: 331 Member
    Have a look at this test:

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm

    It will give you a general idea as to what body type you are and how you burn fat. But it is just a general guide, I ended up stradelling two different kinds! I have broad shoulders, wide hips and a large rib cage but stupid skinny ankles and wrists...so I'm not sure how accurate the wrist measurement is across the board.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Knowing what kind of body frame you have helps indicate what weight group you are in or should be in. Measuring your wrist is a way to figure that out. I have to say my wrist are pretty normal- never have I ever had any damage or anything happened to my wrists so I thought it would be a valid estimate.

    Weight isn't a good indication of health. You could weigh 150 pounds and have 28% body fat or you could weigh 150 pounds and have 18% body fat. Not that 28% is bad, but there's more to your body than the number on the scale.
  • kelmcfar
    kelmcfar Posts: 63
    Mazmataz- Thanks!

    Usmcmp- I understand that, but I'm still curious to know what kind of body frame I just have.
  • RiesigJay
    RiesigJay Posts: 151 Member
    Have a look at this test:

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm

    It will give you a general idea as to what body type you are and how you burn fat. But it is just a general guide, I ended up stradelling two different kinds! I have broad shoulders, wide hips and a large rib cage but stupid skinny ankles and wrists...so I'm not sure how accurate the wrist measurement is across the board.

    Cool, thanks!
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Just curious why you think this is important. More important information is your body fat percent and the amount of lean mass you have. Wrist measurements can be impacted by a variety of factors and aren't necessarily a good indication of your bone structure, which has nothing to do with health and body fat.

    ^^^^ this

    OP you are right that your frame size does affect what is a healthy weight for you. However, if you know your body fat percentage and base your goal weight on that, you don't need to work out your frame size. It's a lot easier to measure body fat, than how big your ribs and shoulders are. When you reach a healthy body fat percentage your frame size will be evident.

    The goal weight will be more accurate if you use body fat percentage too.

    For example, I'm 5'1" 22% body fat 130lb. I have a large frame (based on the fact that it's very evident that I have a huge rib cage and shoulders, my wrist measurement agrees, but it's the size of your ribs, shoulders and pelvis that actually make you large framed, not your wrist). My weight range for my height and frame is 125lb-140lb. However with body fat percentage, if I want to be 20% body fat, my goal weight would be 126lb. At 28% body fat, which is the top of the healthy range, I'd weigh 140lb, so the range of weights for my height and frame size is good for telling me what range of weights I'd be healthy at....but body fat percentage gives me a much more specific goal, and I know it's healthy (the healthy range for women is about 18-28%, although going down to 15% is usually okay if you got there the healthy way and have plenty of muscle mass and strong bones)

    Use this calculator to find out what you'll weigh at your ideal body fat percentage: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/ibw/ you need to know your current body fat percentage to use this.

    For information about different methods of measuring body fat, and which are accurate, which are less good, etc. see Leigh Peele's blog. There's a free download on there about it, and it also has pictures of men and women at different body fat percentages, so you can work out what your ideal body fat percentage would be, based on what you want to look like, e.g. 15% for visible abs and muscle definition, 20-25% for a "softer" look, etc.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    It will give you a general idea as to what body type you are and how you burn fat. But it is just a general guide, I ended up stradelling two different kinds! I have broad shoulders, wide hips and a large rib cage but stupid skinny ankles and wrists...so I'm not sure how accurate the wrist measurement is across the board.

    It's the size of your ribs, shoulders and pelvis that make you large framed... this makes your entire torso (not including any fat) bigger and heavier. The size of your wrists and ankles add very little in terms of body weight. They just tend to correlate, i.e. people with large frames usually also have larger wrists and ankles.... but not always.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    Knowing what kind of body frame you have helps indicate what weight group you are in or should be in. Measuring your wrist is a way to figure that out. I have to say my wrist are pretty normal- never have I ever had any damage or anything happened to my wrists so I thought it would be a valid estimate.

    Weight isn't a good indication of health. You could weigh 150 pounds and have 28% body fat or you could weigh 150 pounds and have 18% body fat. Not that 28% is bad, but there's more to your body than the number on the scale.

    Weight, body fat, frame size, measurements are all important in determining the weight that's best for us. What is "best" comes down to health and one's personal goals and aesthetic preferences. A small framed woman, especially if she's short, usually cannot carry the same amount of weight as a tall, large framed woman.
  • kelmcfar
    kelmcfar Posts: 63
    Just curious why you think this is important. More important information is your body fat percent and the amount of lean mass you have. Wrist measurements can be impacted by a variety of factors and aren't necessarily a good indication of your bone structure, which has nothing to do with health and body fat.

    ^^^^ this

    OP you are right that your frame size does affect what is a healthy weight for you. However, if you know your body fat percentage and base your goal weight on that, you don't need to work out your frame size. It's a lot easier to measure body fat, than how big your ribs and shoulders are. When you reach a healthy body fat percentage your frame size will be evident.

    The goal weight will be more accurate if you use body fat percentage too.

    For example, I'm 5'1" 22% body fat 130lb. I have a large frame (based on the fact that it's very evident that I have a huge rib cage and shoulders, my wrist measurement agrees, but it's the size of your ribs, shoulders and pelvis that actually make you large framed, not your wrist). My weight range for my height and frame is 125lb-140lb. However with body fat percentage, if I want to be 20% body fat, my goal weight would be 126lb. At 28% body fat, which is the top of the healthy range, I'd weigh 140lb, so the range of weights for my height and frame size is good for telling me what range of weights I'd be healthy at....but body fat percentage gives me a much more specific goal, and I know it's healthy (the healthy range for women is about 18-28%, although going down to 15% is usually okay if you got there the healthy way and have plenty of muscle mass and strong bones)

    Use this calculator to find out what you'll weigh at your ideal body fat percentage: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/ibw/ you need to know your current body fat percentage to use this.

    For information about different methods of measuring body fat, and which are accurate, which are less good, etc. see Leigh Peele's blog. There's a free download on there about it, and it also has pictures of men and women at different body fat percentages, so you can work out what your ideal body fat percentage would be, based on what you want to look like, e.g. 15% for visible abs and muscle definition, 20-25% for a "softer" look, etc.

    Thanks!! The links helped.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Knowing what kind of body frame you have helps indicate what weight group you are in or should be in. Measuring your wrist is a way to figure that out. I have to say my wrist are pretty normal- never have I ever had any damage or anything happened to my wrists so I thought it would be a valid estimate.

    Weight isn't a good indication of health. You could weigh 150 pounds and have 28% body fat or you could weigh 150 pounds and have 18% body fat. Not that 28% is bad, but there's more to your body than the number on the scale.

    Weight, body fat, frame size, measurements are all important in determining the weight that's best for us. What is "best" comes down to health and one's personal goals and aesthetic preferences. A small framed woman, especially if she's short, usually cannot carry the same amount of weight as a tall, large framed woman.

    body fat percentage directly measures the amount of body fat someone is carrying. It's excess body fat that causes the health risks. If you measure your body fat percentage reliably, you don't really need to know your frame size or height. From your weight and body fat percentage, you can calculate how many pounds of fat you are carrying, and also how many pounds of fat you have to lose to get to a healthy body fat percentage. You can also work out how much you'll weigh at that body fat percentage. You don't need to know a whole lot of other variables.

    Weight height charts have been used in the past, because this roughly correlates with how much fat you're carrying... however they're woefully inaccurate for people with large frames or small frames, they only work for people with average frames. So to counter that, they've come up with different ranges according to frame size as well as height... this is better, but it's actually very difficult to work out what someone's frame size is if they're obese, and it's still not as accurate as getting your body fat percentage measured reasonably accurately and calculating your goal weight based on this and what body fat percentage you want to be.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Knowing what kind of body frame you have helps indicate what weight group you are in or should be in. Measuring your wrist is a way to figure that out. I have to say my wrist are pretty normal- never have I ever had any damage or anything happened to my wrists so I thought it would be a valid estimate.

    Weight isn't a good indication of health. You could weigh 150 pounds and have 28% body fat or you could weigh 150 pounds and have 18% body fat. Not that 28% is bad, but there's more to your body than the number on the scale.

    Weight, body fat, frame size, measurements are all important in determining the weight that's best for us. What is "best" comes down to health and one's personal goals and aesthetic preferences. A small framed woman, especially if she's short, usually cannot carry the same amount of weight as a tall, large framed woman.

    body fat percentage directly measures the amount of body fat someone is carrying. It's excess body fat that causes the health risks. If you measure your body fat percentage reliably, you don't really need to know your frame size or height. From your weight and body fat percentage, you can calculate how many pounds of fat you are carrying, and also how many pounds of fat you have to lose to get to a healthy body fat percentage. You can also work out how much you'll weigh at that body fat percentage. You don't need to know a whole lot of other variables.

    Weight height charts have been used in the past, because this roughly correlates with how much fat you're carrying... however they're woefully inaccurate for people with large frames or small frames, they only work for people with average frames. So to counter that, they've come up with different ranges according to frame size as well as height... this is better, but it's actually very difficult to work out what someone's frame size is if they're obese, and it's still not as accurate as getting your body fat percentage measured reasonably accurately and calculating your goal weight based on this and what body fat percentage you want to be.

    ^Truth! Just like BMI charts are only accurate for average people. Bodybuilders could easily be obese on a BMI chart despite having low body fat.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I have a large frame but small wrists. My shoulders, hips, rib cage, hands, feet, head, are all bigger than a lot of women my height.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Have a look at this test:

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm

    It will give you a general idea as to what body type you are and how you burn fat. But it is just a general guide, I ended up stradelling two different kinds! I have broad shoulders, wide hips and a large rib cage but stupid skinny ankles and wrists...so I'm not sure how accurate the wrist measurement is across the board.

    Somatotypes have been proven to be larely a myth.
  • skinnylynnie74
    skinnylynnie74 Posts: 154 Member
    Yup! This all confirms it! I'm FAT.

    But not for long!!!

    @usmcmp --- I read your story, and you inspire me!

    @BusyLady --- you look great! I used to be lean and I will be again soon!