Body Types

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Just in case some of you missed this section on body types which I included

in an earlier letter on the Weightlifting Start, here it is on its own.

In " Weightlifting Training and Technique " (translated from the original

Russian by Bud Charniga) the chapter by VB Kanyevsky, 'Teaching The Starting

Position Of The Snatch And The Clean And Jerk To Novice Weightlifters', the

following categories of body type appear:

1. Brachiomorphic (sic): Relatively long torso and short legs

2. Mesomorphic: Intermediate proportions (balanced)

3. Dolichomorphic: Relatively short torso and long legs

These are somewhat different from the mesomorph (muscular), endomorph ('fat')

and ectomorph ('skinny') classification system that we often encounter in

most other texts.

Etymologically, the way in which these anthropological terms has been used in

this Russian text needs some correction. The prefix " dolicho- " means " long " ,

while the prefix " brachy- " means short. Unfortunately, the latter is often

confused with the prefix " brachio- " which means " arm " , as used in the terms

" brachial complex " or " brachiating " (branching). Thus, the correct term, as

used in anthropology is brachimorphic, not brachiomorphic (which would mean

something like " arm dominant " ). Kanyevsky thus is using the term

" dolichomorph " to refer to long legs and " brachimorph " to short legs (all

relative to overall height).

Another text, " Managing the Training of Weightlifters " by NP Laputin & VG

Oleshko elaborates on studies carried out by Mulchin which Kanyevsky only

mentioned breifly in passing. He produced a table describing these body

types as based upon body proportions measured among former soviet lifters

in all bodymass divisions, thus:

1. For lighter classes (about 52- 67.5kg divisions):

* Dolichomorph: leg length is 55.5% of height (arm length is 45.8% of

height)

* Mesomorph: leg length is 53.3% of height (arm length is 44.0% of height)

* Brachiomorph: leg length is 51.1% of height (arm length is 42.2% of

height)

2. For middle classes (about 75 - 90kg divisions):

* Dolichomorph: leg length is 55.0% of height (arm length is 45.3% of

height)

* Mesomorph: leg length is 52.9% of height (arm length is 43.8% of

height)

* Brachiomorph: leg length is 50.8% of height (arm length is 42.3% of

height)

3. For heavy classes (about 100kg and over):

* Dolichomorph: leg length is 54.2% of height (arm length is 45.1% of

height)

* Mesomorph: leg length is 52.1% of height (arm length is 43.6% of height)

* Brachiomorph: leg length is 50.0% of height (the arm length is 42.1% of

height)

Many years ago, Carl , US national coaching coordinator, discussed body

proportions and their relationship to lifting in his Olympic LiftingTraining

Manual, drawing extensively on his experience with Bulgarian lifting.

Dr Mel C Siff

Denver, USA

Supertraining/