Last updated on October 16, 2026
Question:
I saw my first visible sign of puberty just after I turned 14, which was seeing pubic hair around my groin. At that time, I was around 162 cm tall. I then grew about 5 cm/year until around 16, when I was 172 cm. After that, I didn’t grow for around 6 months. Around 16 and a half, I had my first ejaculation. I’m 17 and a half right now and around 177 cm. I gained weight rapidly in the past year. I went from about 68 kg to 82 kg, which is unusual since I haven’t had a growth spurt. The calculator says I’m at Tanner Stage 3.7, and I haven’t had a growth spurt. My questions are: Will I still hit my peak height velocity in the future? When do you think I’ll reach Tanner Stage 5?
Answer:
Currently, you are at the average height for a full-grown adult male, but you are still in stage 3.
It sounds like you are a late bloomer since your first signs of growth came after you turned 14. That sign would have marked you as being halfway through stage 2. Assuming the typical two years in each stage, you were in stage 2 at age 14. You would be in stage 3 from age 15 to 16. At age 17, you should be at the start of stage 4. However, your calculator answers indicate you are not quite there yet. I can’t say much more since I can’t see you to know whether your calculator answers were accurate.
Since you are still in stage 3, you still have the potential to grow faster than 5 cm/year. I can’t predict whether that will happen for you. It is normal for boys to gain weight just before a growth spurt. However, you are also nearing the age when you will build larger muscles. I don’t know if your extra weight is from fat or muscle.
You should reach stage 5 in roughly 2 years.
Question:
I think the weight gain is mostly fat. I saw in one of your replies that height gain during Tanner stage 3 is around 15-20 cm, which I haven’t experienced. My questions are: Would I have another surge in weight? When is that going to be? Is it also possible to reach Tanner stage 5 at 20, since your website puts the limit at 19? I also had a massive increase in shoe size from 17 to 17.2.
Furthermore, did I really start at 14, since some websites are saying puberty had started months before seeing pubic hair across the groin area?
Thank you, sir.
Answer:
You started puberty about a year before your pubic hair started to show. Most boys easily overlook earlier signs, such as an increase in testicle size. Since the average age to start seeing pubic hair is around 12, you’re about two years later than average. If you start puberty later, you also finish later. The numbers on the website reflect typical growth. You are a bit delayed.
While typical height gain is about 15 to 20 cm, there is no guarantee you will grow at a typical rate. Everyone is different.
Usually, your weight surges as you store fat to supply energy for growth. Then there is another surge in weight during stage 4 as your muscles begin to develop.