Short people CAN have a relatively long femur, meaning, their thigh bone is longer than their torso — even if their overall height is way shorter than average.
As a former personal trainer, I am fascinated by the anthropometrics of long femurs as this relates to the squat and deadlift exercises, but am puzzled that so many people believe that only tall people can have long femurs that sabotage squatting.
John Kagwe, long-distance runner, 5’6″
Of course, a 6-4 person has a long thigh bone in the absolute sense, but not necessarily in the relative sense.
When it comes to the squat (or deadlift), relative length is the factor, as in length of femur relative to shin bone.
What about short people?
A short person can have a noticeably long femur relative to his or her shin bone length.
If you take notice of enough people in shorts or leggings, you’ll sooner or later come upon a short person whose femurs are disproportionately long for either their torso or their shins.
Now check out the thigh bones of very tall people, RELATIVE to their shins!
Some of them have noticeably short femurs (and thus, lengthy shins).
Being tall does not necessarily screw up your ability to squat or deadlift.
This is clearly evident in strongman competitions, in which athletes of towering height deadlift enormous amounts of weight.
You’ll also see tall people at powerlifting events as well, performing amazing deadlifts and squats.
- With the tall person’s longer thigh bone (in the absolute sense!), also comes a longer shin and longer torso to go with it.
- And the longer shin and longer torso balance things out.
A short athlete can have a femur that’s longer than his or her torso, making the parallel squat more challenging.
If you still believe that short men or women can’t have relatively long femurs, then take some notice of thigh length — relative to overall height — of short adults whenever you’re out and about, especially at crowded venues (amusement parks, shopping centers, festivals, etc.).
You may even spot a “long-femured short person” at your own gym, while also catching sight of men well over six feet who clearly have thighs that are much shorter than their torsos.
