Last updated on September 17, 2020
Question:
Will I grow any taller? I think I may have stunted my growth from powerlifting. I have done heavy 1 rep maxes on deadlift and squats, and I may think that might have affected my growth. I have been 5’3.5″ for a year now, and I was told I would be at least 5″6″ when I was 14, but I have not done any growing. Also, I took the puberty level test but was not sure if it was correct. Could armpit hair, forearm hair, and leg hair be genetic?
I would like your thoughts on how to get maximum growth and was wondering how do you check if your growth plates have closed? I have done everything, but I haven’t grown since I started lifting. I also had proper nutrition.
Answer:
The height of someone is not absolutely predictable. There are numerous rules of thumb that are used to estimate a person’s final height, but there are too many variables involved to give an absolute answer.
Hair is genetic as far as quantity, but most hair patterns are fairly fixed in men.
I can’t second guess the answers you put into the calculator because I have less information to go on than you. I can’t see you.
Exercise actually promotes health and improves growth, but when it becomes extreme, it can become a detriment. One of the problems with extreme athletics is that energy that would normally go toward growth gets diverted to muscles. The effect is reversible if the body is allowed to catch up before the growth plates are sealed off. [The Effects of Exercise on Growth].
Another thing that can skew things is if you have taken any supplements that might contain steroids. These make muscle building easier, but they also mess up growth patterns by changing the hormone levels in the body.
You can find out whether your growth plates are still open or not by seeing your doctor and asking for a bone age test. This is an x-ray of your hand and wrist that shows where your bones are in development. The scale goes up to “16,” which is when a boy is done growing.