Last updated on February 13, 2026
Question:
I am almost 19 years old. From ages 13 to 15, I grew only 2 cm, which is very little. Most boys were growing very fast during those years. I started growing faster for the first time at 15 and a half.
- My current wrist circumference is 15.7 cm, which is on the small side.
- I am 174 cm, but my arm span is 183 cm. Also, I look very long in the mirror.
- My total growth after age 15 and a half was 16 cm.
- My sitting height is 85 cm.
The Tanner Stage Calculator gave me the minimum of 3.5, an estimate of 4.1, and a maximum of 4.8.
Also, I remember being significantly shorter than my father at 15.5.
I don’t know when I started puberty actsully but I remember my height was around 157 cm. Chest hair appeared 10 months ago. It is not thick. My shoe size has increased over the last 13 months, from 41 to 43.
I don’t know what my situation is here.
Thanks for your time. I appreciate it.
Answer:
It sounds like you are a late bloomer. Over the next one to two years, you will continue to grow, but at a slower rate. You may add another 3 to 8 cm in height by the time you are done growing.
Question:
Thanks for your response. I am curious whether I can add 8 to 11 cm to my height, since I didn’t get the full 25 to 30 cm in puberty; I only gained 17 cm.
Also, in my last question, I didn’t mention that my father is 176 cm and my mother is 163 cm, but my father is taller than his father by 12 cm.
I am 174 cm, but my arm span is 183 cm. My sitting height is 85 cm.
So I am asking about that. By the way, I am worried that something mismatch happened, like my testicular volume is 20 ml, but at the same time, I didn’t grow that much.
Answer:
Young men in stage 4 don’t grow much more. There is no set amount of growth a person gains during puberty. We could talk about the average amount, but that implies some grow less and some grow more. As I said before, expect to gain about 3 to 8 cm more over the next year or two.
While the “ideal” male proportions are to have a height somewhat equal to his wingspan, very few people are ideally proportioned.
I suspect your grandfather didn’t eat well in his teens, which kept him from reaching his full height. That is why your father was so much taller than your grandfather.
A testicular volume of 20 ml and having chest hair are indications that you are in the middle or latter portion of stage 4.
Question:
Thanks for the last response. I didn’t mention that I get growing pains in my legs, especially around the knees, but not sharp pain. They come and go, alternating between legs. They don’t make me hurt when I move.
I also didn’t mention that I had grown 5 cm in the last year. It frustrates me that my legs have been aching for the last two months, yet there has been no height change.
By the way, my chest hair is not thick. It is in the middle and sparse.
I have a brother who grew 26 cm from age 13 to 16. He is taller than me at 178 cm. I don’t know why I have only grown 16 cm total since age 15.5.
I have a grandfather on my maternal side who is 181 cm.
Answer:
“Growing pains don’t happen where growth occurs or during times of rapid growth. It’s been suggested that growing pains may be linked to various health issues. These include low vitamin D levels, mental stress, very flexible joints, and foot conditions, including flatfeet. The most likely cause of growing pains is thought to be muscle pain at night after too much physical activity during the day. Overuse of the legs from activities such as running, climbing, and jumping can be hard on a child’s muscles and bones. Encourage your child to stay active, though. Stopping your child’s usual activities doesn’t prevent growing pains.” [“Growing Pains“, Mayo Clinic, 24 December 2025].
In other words, growing pains are more about you getting used to having larger muscles and your body needing to become more efficient at removing waste after activity.
Everyone doesn’t grow to the same height or in the same way, even within the same family. This is because each person has his own unique set of DNA.
Question:
So, from all that, I should consider that I could be near the end, or do I have significant potential left?
As I have mentioned, my brother has completed 26 cm in puberty, although he is younger than me, so should I?
By the way, what confuses me is that my body signs indicate I still have significant growth ahead, like a shoe size increase from 41 to 43 in 13 months. I’d actually be rare, with a short torso and, at the same time, have grown 5 cm less than a year ago. That is why I am wondering. I would like to be in the 180s.
Answer:
What you would like to be, in height, doesn’t affect your actual height. You can’t think your way into being taller.
Your estimate from the Tanner Stage Calculator put you at the beginning of stage 4. I pointed out that two signs are more typical for late-stage 4. I can’t see you. I can only go by the information you provide. If you are near the start of stage 4, you can expect about 3 to 8 cm of additional growth over the next two years. If you are in the later part of stage 4, you can expect no more than 3 cm of growth.
It doesn’t matter how much your brother has grown. He has a different DNA mix than you do. My own younger brother grew to be 11 cm taller than me. It all depends on the mix each person receives from his parents.
Question:
So, what we conclude from all that is that there is no exact number. Maybe I will grow 3 or 4 cm, or maybe up to 12 cm. The point is that I can’t actually know, maybe I will have a big late growth spurt since that happens sometimes.
But thanks for your time, I appreciate it.
Answer:
You are correct. However, the odds are that a lower number of extra centimeters is more likely than a high number.