Best Exercises for Tall People 2024

Introduction

Hey there, tall folks! We know lifting weights can sometimes feel like an uphill battle made for those vertically challenged buggers. But trust me, us longies have got to stick together and make Best Exercises For Tall People too.

The main hurdles we face are those extra-long limbs we’re rocking. Sure, they’re great for reaching the top shelf (no more asking the old lady next door for help), but in the gym? They create one heck of a challenge.

Every rep, every set, we’ve got to move the weight through a much bigger range of motion compared to our stubby friends. That’s more work being cranked out which is awesome for building muscle, but also puts way more stress on our joints from those long lever arms.

Keeping our form on point can be a real head-scratcher too when we’re moving those heavy weights so far. One little misstep and bam – there goes your lower back.

But enough with the doom and gloom! The key is choosing exercises that actually work WITH our anatomy instead of against it. Believe me, once you make that mind shift, the gains will be rolling in like nobody’s business.

Key Takeaways

Feeling a little lost in a gym full of squat racks that seem designed for people a foot shorter? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. But fret no more! This exercise article for tall people is your roadmap to conquering the gym as a tall lifter.

Here’s what you’ll score by the time you’re done reading:

• Understanding Your Awesome Anatomy: We’ll break down why our long limbs are both a blessing and a curse at the gym and how to work with them, not against them.
• Workout Wisdom for Tall Folks: We’ll ditch the “one size fits all” approach and share some killer tips of exercises specifically designed for tall people to get the most out of their workouts.
• Exercise Hacks for Height: From squats with a wider stance to the magic of pulling exercises, you’ll discover a treasure trove of exercise modifications that’ll have you feeling strong and confident.
• The Confidence to Own Your Gym Journey: We’ll banish the feeling of awkwardness and empower you to embrace your unique body and training style.

Basically, by the end of this article, you’ll be armed with the knowledge and confidence to strut into the gym with your head held high, ready to crush your workout goals! So, are you ready to unleash your inner fitness giant? Let’s get started!

Best Exercises For Tall People

Spits out toothpick Now we’re talkin’! These exercises are the cream of the crop for us skyscraper-sized gym-goers. They’ll have you building strength, packing on muscle, and feeling like an absolute unit in no time.

Front and Center

Front Squat

Cracks knuckles Let’s kick things off with the king of quad builders – the front squat. This baby is a tall person’s best friend for a couple of huge reasons:

• You can stay upright like a tall drinking bird instead of folding yourself in half under the bar. No more back bent like Quasimodo!
• All that weight stays stacked over your body’s midline keeping you balanced and taking tons of stress off your spine.

It’s like giving your lower back the day off while still crushing your legs into oblivion. What’s not to love?

The Front Squat Form

How To Front Squat With Proper Form (Video Credit: CanditoTrainingHQ YouTube Channel)

Here’s how you’ll want to set up for front squat domination:

• Load up the bar at around shoulder height and duck underneath it. Grab it with a clean grip – hands just outside the shoulders.
• Lift that elbow chicken wing to create a nice neat shelf for the bar to sit. If this feels like contortion, you’ll need to open up that shoulder mobility my friend.
• Find your squat stance sweet spot. We’re all built a little differently, so take a stance that feels sturdy but lets you reach depth.
• Initiate the squat by sending the hips back while letting the knees travel forward over the toes. Descend until you’re at or below parallel.
• To rise back up, drive those heels into the floor and imagine a string pulling your chest tall.

Piece of cake, right? Give these a try and we guarantee your spindly legs will be putting in some serious work!

Trap Bar Treats

Trap Bar Deadlift

Next up, we’ve got a real crowd-pleaser – the trap bar deadlift! This geometric shape on a stick may look bizarre, but it’s about to become your new best friend for back training.

See, regular barbell deads can be a nightmare for us long-legged lugs. We’ve got to bend over so far the bar might as well be on the floor. Hello, lower back misery!

The trap exercises bar places the weight nice and close, perfectly aligned with your center of mass. That means no more hinging from the Stone Age – you can finally stand up straight like a civilized human being!

Trap Bar Deadlift (Video Credit: Mind Pump TV YouTube Channel)

Trapping All the Gains

Here’s how to rap with the trap bar:

• Step your feet inside the diamond frame so the handles align perfectly with your hips when bent over. Like Goldilocks, find the grip position that feels just right.
• Bend those knees and shoot your hips back to hinge over, keeping your chest nice and proud. Think about spreading the floor with your feet to engage your whole body.
• Now just drive through the whole foot and bring that heavyweight to lockout! Squeeze those shoulders back and show us your best superhero pose.
• Stay tight as you lower it back down in one smooth motion. No dropping weights around here!

Between working your legs, back, and core in one shot, you’ll be bulking up like crazy. The trap bar is calling your name!

Upgrade Your Press

Pin Press

Let’s take a step away from the big compound lifts and zero in on an ultra-joint-friendly upgrade for your standard bench press – the pin press!

For us tall folks with epic wingspans, the regular bench can wreak havoc on our shoulder joints^[1]. All that internal rotation with a big range of motion is just asking for an impingement city.

But the pin press? She’s a game-changer, allowing you to shorten that range just enough to keep your shoulders smiling. And since you’re killing momentum completely, it becomes a wicked strength builder too!

PIN PRESS for a Stronger BENCH PRESS (Video Credit: Strength Culture YouTube Channel)

Pinning Down Proper Form

Here’s how to set up the pin press properly:

• Find a power rack and position the safety pins 3-6 inches off your chest at the bottom. Load up the bar here – no need to unpack it.
• Slide yourself into position under the bar, setting your grip just outside shoulder-width. Tighten up from head to toe!
• Take a big breath, engage those lats, and press that bar straight up, pausing for a second at lockout.
• Control the descent back down to the pins, reset your body and breathing, then blast out another rep!

With zero momentum and a shrunken range keeping your joints safe, you can crank out rep after rep, set after set. Hello, chest/triceps/shoulder growth!

The Pull-Up Perfector

Neutral-Grip Pull-Up

If you’re looking to build a bigger, wider, more stubborn back, the neutral-grip pull-up should be one of your go-to movements. This subtle tweak from the traditional grip can make a world of difference for tall lifters.

With that long wingspan, the regular overhand pull-up puts your shoulders in a compromised internal rotation position through a massive range of motion. It’s a one-way ticket to impingement town!

But flipping to a neutral grip? You’re aligning those arm bones for maximum pulling euphoria with way less joint stress.

Neutral Grip Pull Up (Video Credit: Jacob Zemer YouTube Channel)

Grip It and Rip It

Here’s how to dial in the perfect neutral-grip pull-up form:

• Grab those parallel handles at the pull-up station and hang from a dead stop with your arms fully extended.
• Pull those shoulders down and back, keeping your chest proud throughout the movement. Think about tucking the armpits!
• Pull yourself straight up by initiating with your lats and upper back, not your arms. Exhale at the top.
• Let yourself down with control – no swinging like Tarzan here. As you descend, don’t let your shoulders roll forward.
• At the bottom, fully reset your shoulder positioning before cranking out another massive pull.

With reduced internal rotation and a laser focus on squeezing your back, you’ll be wide enough to land aircraft on those lats in no time!

Triceps Exercises For Tall People

French Press

When it comes to bulking up those beach-ready arms, the French press needs to be a staple in any tall lifter’s arsenal. This overhead extension variation might look unassuming, but it’s a real trickster for emphasizing stubborn triceps growth.

See, most pushdown and dip variations really just demolish the lateral head of the triceps. But the French press uniquely nails the long head – that part that runs down the back of your arm bone. For us rangy folks with extra-long muscle bellies, that’s a game-changer for arm development.

Plus, having to stabilize that weight overhead for reps on reps equals one hell of a stable shoulder workout by default. It’s a real two-for-one special!

Seated French Press (Video Credit: TrainFTW YouTube Channel)

Pressing for Horseshoe Approval

Here’s how to French press like a pro:

• Grab a straight bar and park your butt at the end of a flat or incline bench. Bring that bar to a lockout overhead using a fairly narrow grip.
• Keeping your core braced, initiate the movement by unlocking your elbows out to the sides rather than straight ahead.
• With control, lower the bar until it kisses the back of your skull. Don’t skullcrush yourself now!
• Exhale forcefully and drive that bar back to lockout by really squeezing and focusing on those tri’s.
• Go for high reps in the 10-15 range to really flush those long head fibers.

Mix these into your arm routines and watch as those skinny triceps finally fill out into legitimate horseshoes! Your arms will be ready to knock out angry goalies in no time.

Exercises for Even More Tall People Gems

Those first five movements are definitely the cream of the crop for maximizing your tall person gains. But I’ve got even more exercise gems that deserve some love! Let’s keep exploring, shall we?

The Sumo Stance Saver

Sumo Deadlift
Don’t let the name fool you – this deadlift variation is no joke for leaning out and building total body strength. The wider “sumo” stance is a real savior for those of us rocking lengthy limbs.

By kicking your feet out wider than a conventional deadlift, you effectively shorten that massive range of motion. Your arms don’t have to travel to the center of the earth anymore!

But a shortened range doesn’t mean less stimulus. You’ll still be lifting heavy as all get out while avoiding that scary lower back rounding that plagues us long bodies.

Sumo Barbell Deadlift Basics (Video Credit: The Physio Fix YouTube Channel)

Here’s how to sumo it up:

• Start with feet wide, toes angled out. Get comfortable here!
• Hinge those hips back, not down, to reach the bar while upright.
• Grip it and rip it – drive through the whole foot to stand up tall.
• Think about pushing your knees out to really open up the hips.

The Loaded Core Sculptor

Weighted Plank
Don’t sleep on the anti-extension strength of a weighted plank! This core crusher will have you bracing harder than a bodybuilder hitting a mean side chest.

For us taller types, our extended levers mean we have to work that much harder to resist unwanted movement under load. A weighted plank is the perfect way to practice locking that midsection solid.

Not only will this translate to bigger lifts across the board, but it’ll carve out a tighter, leaner waistline too. Hello, Adonis!

Weighted Plank (Video Credit: AchieveFitnessBoston YouTube Channel)

Just take this simple setup:

• Lie on your stomach and have a friend load a weight plate onto your mid-back.
• Rise onto those elbows and lock everything in from shoulders to heels.
• Breathe deeply and hold that position until you crumble from the burn!

The Comfort Zone Exercises

Let’s be real – sometimes the biggest wins at the gym come from finding ways to make exercises more comfortable and sustainable for the long haul. I’ve got a couple more suggestions that should help tall lifters feel right at home while training.

The Shoulder-Saver

Zercher Squat

For those days when back squats feel like medieval torture on your spine, give the Zercher squat a go. This front-loaded variation aligns the bar directly over your center of mass.

By having the weight cradled in the crooks of your elbows, you can simply sit back into the squat without any scary forward lean. No more being bent over like Quasimodo!

Zercher Squat (Video Credit: The Barbell Physio YouTube Channel)

Here’s how to nail the Zercher set-up:

• Set a loaded bar around belly-button height in the squat rack.
• Duck under, hug the bar tight into your elbows and cross your arms for security.
• Take a comfy wide stance, brace that core, and sit straight down between your legs.

You’ll feel ultra-stable and upright – perfect for hitting depth without retiring your lower back early.

The Spinal Sanity Saver

Safety Bar Squat

Safety Squat Bar BENEFITS (Video Credit: Wolverson Fitness YouTube Channel)

Speaking of keeping that back happy, let me introduce you to the safety squat bar, a tall person’s best friend. This specialized bar has a built-in camber to perfectly align the load over your midline as you squat.

Even better, the multi-grip handles allow you to hold the bar in a nicely upright, weight-supported position off your shoulders^[2]. No more crushing your vertebrae!

Using a safety bar allows you to load up for heavy squats without that spine-crunching forward lean. You’ll feel powerful, stable, and ultra-upright all the way to the bottom.

Give these squat variations a try and we can virtually guarantee better squat form, less injury risk, and optimal leg development for years to come!

Pulling for Progress

For all the headaches certain exercises can cause us lankier lifters, pulling movements tend to be our towering tribe’s forte. Those long limbs give us epic leverages to really maximize the range of motion and build bigger, worse backs!

The Dumbbell Row

Let’s start with a real crowd-pleaser – the dumbbell row. This single-arm variation completely eliminates any lower back discomfort that can come from being folded over a barbell.

With just one weight in hand, you can truly focus on squeezing your back through a full stretch and contraction. No energy wasted stabilizing your spine!

THE BEST Way To Do A Dumbbell Row (KEY DETAILS) with Sal Di Stefano (Video Credit: Mind Pump TV YouTube Channel)

To really dial in your dumbbell row form:

• Plant your working hand and knee firmly on a flat bench. Hips hinge over until your upper body is parallel to the floor.
• Let that dumbbell hang straight down from your shoulder with a neutral grip.
• Initiate the row by driving your elbow straight back, squeezing your lats and upper back fibers.
• Touch at the lower ab area, then resist the negative for a wicked muscle burn!

Alternating arms, higher reps, a full stretch – that’s the recipe for some serious back bourgeoning!

The Range of Motion King- Pull-Up

Of course, we have to pay homage to the undisputed king of back-building for tall people – the pull-up!

With our crazy-long arms, we basically get a buy-one-get-one-free deal on a range of motion with every rep. More pull means more opportunity to push those lats, rear delts, and biceps to their limits.

For maximum pulling prowess, opt for a neutral grip using parallel handles^[3] or rotating rings. This grip reduces shoulder strain while still smashing those upper body muscles.

THE PULL-UP CRASH COURSE (Video Credit: MDJ FITNESS YouTube Channel)

The keys to pull-up perfection are:

• Pull your shoulders down and back to engage your lats fully.
• Pull in a straight vertical line – no swinging like a monkey!
• Get a full stretch at the bottom, then initiate with your elbow drive.
• Keep pulling until your chest meets the bar at the top.

Do these with high volume and intensity, and I promise you’ll be dark knighting your way through door frames in no time!

Understanding Anatomy of Tall People Muscle

Hey there, fellow long-limbed friend! Ever feel like the gym was designed for people a foot shorter? You’re not alone. We, tall folks, have some unique anatomical features that can make certain exercises feel, well, awkward.

But fear not! Let’s break down why our bodies work the way they do and how to make the most of our height in the gym.

Height vs Limb Length

First things first, not all tall people are built the same. Some of us have torsos that stretch towards the sky, while others have legs that could rival giraffes. The key thing to understand is the difference between height and limb length.

As per 2010 Int J Environ Res Public Health^[4] study, Even though we might be towering over others, our limbs themselves might not be proportionally longer. This plays a big role in how comfortable we feel with certain exercises.

For example, squats might feel supernatural for someone with a long torso and shorter legs, but for someone with long legs and an average torso, it might require some adjustments.

Leverages and Ranges of Motion

Imagine a seesaw. The shorter the person on one end, the farther the other person has to move to achieve the same balance. Our bodies work in a similar way.

Because our limbs are levers, having longer limbs means they move through a greater range of motion. This can be great for some exercises, like pull-ups where a wider range of motion allows for a more complete back workout.

However, for exercises like deadlifts, that increased range of motion can put more stress on our lower backs. It’s like trying to lift the same weight on a longer seesaw – you have to work harder to keep it balanced.

Why Some Exercises Feel Awkward

So, why do some exercises feel like we’re trying to fit a square peg in a round hole? It all boils down to what we discussed above – limb length and leverage.

Exercises that require a lot of bending at the hips or knees, like squats with a narrow stance, can feel awkward for people with long legs. Our bodies might not be able to comfortably reach the proper depth without compromising form.

The good news is, there are plenty of exercises that are perfect for our tall frames! We just need to find ways to work with our anatomy, not against it. Don’t worry, we’ll get to those exercise adaptations in a bit.

But for now, just remember that feeling a little awkward at the gym is totally normal for us lanky lifters. It’s all part of the fun (and challenge) of figuring out what works best for our unique bodies!

Training Tips for Exercises For Tall People

Alright, so we’ve established that our long limbs can sometimes make the gym feel like a jungle gym built for toddlers. But fear not, my fellow giants! Here are some awesome tips to turn your height into an advantage and get the most out of your workouts.

Slightly Reduce Intensity (Sometimes Going Lighter is Heavier)

We all love that feeling of pushing ourselves to the limit, but sometimes, for tall lifters, going super heavy can backfire. Remember the leverage thing we talked about earlier?

Lifting heavier weights with longer limbs can put a lot of stress on our joints, especially our lower back. This doesn’t mean we can’t lift heavy at all, but it might mean focusing on slightly lighter weights with more controlled movements.

Think of it like this: lifting a slightly lighter weight with perfect form is way more effective (and safer) than struggling with a weight that throws your form off. Plus, focusing on controlled movements can actually lead to greater strength gains^[5] in the long run!

Embrace the Eccentric Phase (The Lowering Counts Too!)

Most exercises have two parts: the lifting phase (concentric) and the lowering phase (eccentric). We often focus on powering through the lift itself, but the lowering phase is actually super important, especially for tall folks.

Here’s why: by controlling the lowering phase (eccentric) of exercises like squats and deadlifts, we can engage our muscles for a longer period of time, leading to more muscle growth and better overall strength.

So next time you’re doing squats, don’t just drop down – focus on slowly and steadily lowering yourself with control. You might be surprised at how much harder it actually is (in a good way)!

Widen Your Stance (Spread Those Legs and Conquer!)

Ever feel like your squat form suffers because your legs just don’t fit comfortably shoulder-width apart? Welcome to the club! Squats and deadlifts are amazing exercises, but for tall people, the standard stance might not be ideal. Here’s the fix: try widening your stance a bit more than usual. This will help you achieve proper depth without compromising form and putting unnecessary stress on your lower back.

Think of it like creating a more stable base – the wider your stance, the more balanced you’ll feel during the exercise. Plus, a wider stance can actually target different muscle groups in your legs, adding some variety to your workout!

Pull Your Way to Power (Strength Training for the Win)

Exercises like rows, pull-ups, and deadlifts (with proper form, of course!) are your best friends as a tall lifter. These pulling exercises are fantastic for building overall strength and muscle mass in your back, core, and posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings).

Why? Because pulling movements work with our natural leverages, allowing us to use our height to our advantage. Plus, a strong back and core are essential for proper form in pretty much every exercise, so these pulling movements will benefit your entire workout routine.

So there you have it, my tall comrades! Embrace your height, adjust your exercises to fit your unique anatomy, and watch those gains come rolling in!

Remember, consistency and proper form are key, so don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works best for you. Now get out there and conquer that gym!