Last updated on March 9, 2022
Question:
I’m really worried about something that really bothers me. I’m very skinny, slender, and tall. I’m 6”2 and weigh 182 pounds. Despite that I’m very lean and lanky, I was a very late bloomer when it came to puberty. I hit puberty at 16 and didn’t start my growth spurt until I was almost 17. Why am I so skinny? My brothers are significantly shorter than me but they’re way more muscular and more stocky. They’re also stronger than me physically despite me weighing more than them and being a head taller than them.
Answer:
What I don’t know is how old you currently are. If you have just had your growth spurt in the last year or so, then you are probably near the end of stage 3 or the beginning of stage 4. It is in stage 4 that guys are able to build muscle.
Late bloomers tend to be tall and slender (ectomorphic). It isn’t always the case, but it definitely happens often. The height is the result of starting your growth from a taller base. Children typically grow 1 to 2 inches each year. Then the growth spurt adds a certain number of inches based on genetics (let’s say 6 for this discussion). Therefore, if a boy develops early and he is 4’8 when he has his growth spurt, then he will end up being 5’2. If a boy is typical in development, he might start his growth spurt at 5’3 and end up being 5’9. But if a boy is late, he might start his growth spurt at 5’8 and end up being 6’2.
One of the problems with starting late is that there are some aspects of growth that are time-limited. Thus, late bloomers tend to have narrower shoulders. The widening of the shoulders usually happens in late stage 4. I suspect late bloomers end up hitting the time limit before their shoulders get particularly wide.
Question:
I’m 23 now. I’ve stopped growing. I hit puberty at the start of 11th grade and didn’t have my growth spurt until the end of 11th grade. Through the summer I went from 5’4 to 6’0, believe it or not. From there I grew another 2 inches steadily and got to 6’2 or 6’3. I have already finished puberty at stage 5. Why did I have to get terrible puberty timing? None of my family members were late bloomers. I was the only one. I just hate being so slender and tall. It looks like I could be knocked over by the wind.
Answer:
People tend to judge things relatively and you are doing the same. You are taller and more slender than your brothers, but that doesn’t mean you are underweight. Your body mass index (BMI) is 23.4. Healthy is considered to be between 18 and 25. Therefore, you are at a very good weight.