How Big are your Biceps?

[Rhea]

I have the hardest damn time getting shirts that fit. Am I that weird? Really? What’s normal? I ask here. Sorry metric folks, asking in inches.

In order to get a shirt with sleeves that fit, the chest is typically 10-15 inches too big and the shoulder span too large by 4-6 inches. I have to either wear double tourniquets or a flour sack.

 

[Testy Calibrate]

My biceps are fucking huge. Like, Scare little babies huge.

 

[Underseer]

I have the hardest damn time getting shirts that fit. Am I that weird? Really? What’s normal? I ask here. Sorry metric folks, asking in inches.

In order to get a shirt with sleeves that fit, the chest is typically 10-15 inches too big and the shoulder span too large by 4-6 inches. I have to either wear double tourniquets or a flour sack.

Solution: do more shoulder & chest exercises.

 

[rousseau]

Big enough that my fiancee doesn't mock me for having skinny programmer arms.

 

[Jobar]

14" relaxed, 16" contracted. I fit just fine in an XL shirt.

 

[Rhea]

I have the hardest damn time getting shirts that fit. Am I that weird? Really? What’s normal? I ask here. Sorry metric folks, asking in inches.

In order to get a shirt with sleeves that fit, the chest is typically 10-15 inches too big and the shoulder span too large by 4-6 inches. I have to either wear double tourniquets or a flour sack.

Solution: do more shoulder & chest exercises.

How would that work?
I mean, without surgery, I don’t know how to turn myself from a B-cup into a HH. And frankly, I have no interest in having my chest get so big that I have back problems.

 

[Rhea]

Hey people, measure up. I need more data to determine the norm here.

 

[bilby]

Don't ask me. My right bicep has atrophied after four months with my arm in a sling due to adhesive capsulitis, so it's no longer 'normal', and would skew your results.

My left is now the larger, for the first time I can recall in nearly fifty years.

 

[Rhea]

You can just do your left. This is a population sample anyway.

 

[Subsymbolic]

Just doing my left, I'm around 16 resting, but I kayak for exercise.

 

[Rhea]

Found this data on Americans.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_11/sr11_252.pdf#page32
(Men at the following page)

It makes me dispair that I will ever find comfortable shirts.

 

[bilby]

OK, finally found a tape measure; My left is 410mm, and my right only 340mm

That's about 16 and 13.5 inches, for those watching in black and white.

 

[Bronzeage]

The largest my biceps have ever been was something over 16 inches. The current measurement is a little over 14.

I have always had trouble getting shirts and suits that fit. The standard drop(the difference in the chest measurement and waist measurement) in men's clothing, is 6 inches. This means my 48 inch chest shirts come with a 42 inch waist, which give me 6 more inches of shirt than I really need. It's possible to get shirts with an "athletic drop", which is 8 inches, but that's still a shirt that looks like a clown suit.

On top of that, shirts and jackets are sold by chest measurement, and a 48 regular is made to a fat guy's measurements. The chest fits, but pulls tight across the shoulders, so it hard to check my watch. The solution is to take a 54 regular off the shelf, have the waist and cuff taken in.

If you live near a university with a competitive football team, find out where the players get their suits. This is who you want to do the alterations.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

I only measured one of my baby biceps of twisted steel and sex appeal. 13.5 inches.

Never measured them before.

 

[Underseer]

I have the hardest damn time getting shirts that fit. Am I that weird? Really? What’s normal? I ask here. Sorry metric folks, asking in inches.

In order to get a shirt with sleeves that fit, the chest is typically 10-15 inches too big and the shoulder span too large by 4-6 inches. I have to either wear double tourniquets or a flour sack.

Solution: do more shoulder & chest exercises.

How would that work?
I mean, without surgery, I don’t know how to turn myself from a B-cup into a HH. And frankly, I have no interest in having my chest get so big that I have back problems.

My apologies. I don't always keep track of the gender of posters, and focused on the 4-6 inches in the shoulder rather than the 10-15 inches in the chest. Perhaps you should've made separate polls for male and female?

- - - Updated - - -

OK, finally found a tape measure; My left is 410mm, and my right only 340mm

That's about 16 and 13.5 inches, for those watching in black and white.

So[ent]hellip[/ent] you're left-handed and masturbate a lot?

 

[bilby]

How would that work?
I mean, without surgery, I don’t know how to turn myself from a B-cup into a HH. And frankly, I have no interest in having my chest get so big that I have back problems.

My apologies. I don't always keep track of the gender of posters, and focused on the 4-6 inches in the shoulder rather than the 10-15 inches in the chest. Perhaps you should've made separate polls for male and female?

- - - Updated - - -

OK, finally found a tape measure; My left is 410mm, and my right only 340mm

That's about 16 and 13.5 inches, for those watching in black and white.

So[ent]hellip[/ent] you're left-handed and masturbate a lot?

I'm right handed, but due to adhesive capsulitis, have been unable to use my right arm for anything (including, but not limited to, masturbation) for six months.

The degree and rate of atrophy in my right arm is quite astonishing.

 

[Rhea]

My apologies. I don't always keep track of the gender of posters, and focused on the 4-6 inches in the shoulder rather than the 10-15 inches in the chest. Perhaps you should've made separate polls for male and female?

No problem, I thought about separating, but since I often have to shop in men's clothing, I decided it didn't really matter. My biceps are 17" flexed. I wear a size M or L shirt in women's but need a 2X to fit my biceps. It sucks. In the men's rack (pardon the pun,) I only want a M for chest, and only a S for arm-length, but have to get a Large or even XL for my biceps. This mis-fit has been true when I was a 95 pound high school graduate, and remains true at my now mature weight. It sucks. My daughter has the same issue. I decided to ask to see if I should just accept that I need to buy custom shirts, or if there was a significant population that shares my shape.

I have the same problem with my calves - ski boots are like a tourniquet and make my feet go numb, unless the fit my calves and my ankles are swimming around in space.

 

[Elixir]

My apologies. I don't always keep track of the gender of posters, and focused on the 4-6 inches in the shoulder rather than the 10-15 inches in the chest. Perhaps you should've made separate polls for male and female?

No problem, I thought about separating, but since I often have to shop in men's clothing, I decided it didn't really matter. My biceps are 17" flexed. I wear a size M or L shirt in women's but need a 2X to fit my biceps. It sucks. In the men's rack (pardon the pun,) I only want a M for chest, and only a S for arm-length, but have to get a Large or even XL for my biceps. This mis-fit has been true when I was a 95 pound high school graduate, and remains true at my now mature weight. It sucks. My daughter has the same issue. I decided to ask to see if I should just accept that I need to buy custom shirts, or if there was a significant population that shares my shape.

I have the same problem with my calves - ski boots are like a tourniquet and make my feet go numb, unless the fit my calves and my ankles are swimming around in space.

I think you're S.O.L. Rhea. A lot of people wish they were "more normal" in shape, whether for reasons of fashion or plain old self-consciousness. I'm fairly *cough cough* normal/skinny at about 5'11" and 155 lbs. (up to 165 if I work out religiously for a couple of months - can't ever seem to get fat no matter what/how much I eat). With a 32-33" waist, my shoulders ... are way too wide. Shirts that fit the rest of my torso bind at the armpits and sleeves are halfway up to the elbows, so I have to size up the shirts and gather the excess to tuck into pants. Gives me a permanently sloppy look - or at least I think so.
I wonder if there's anyone on this forum who doesn't have SOME physical attribute they consider abnormal or a-normal.

 

[bilby]

My apologies. I don't always keep track of the gender of posters, and focused on the 4-6 inches in the shoulder rather than the 10-15 inches in the chest. Perhaps you should've made separate polls for male and female?

No problem, I thought about separating, but since I often have to shop in men's clothing, I decided it didn't really matter. My biceps are 17" flexed. I wear a size M or L shirt in women's but need a 2X to fit my biceps. It sucks. In the men's rack (pardon the pun,) I only want a M for chest, and only a S for arm-length, but have to get a Large or even XL for my biceps. This mis-fit has been true when I was a 95 pound high school graduate, and remains true at my now mature weight. It sucks. My daughter has the same issue. I decided to ask to see if I should just accept that I need to buy custom shirts, or if there was a significant population that shares my shape.

I have the same problem with my calves - ski boots are like a tourniquet and make my feet go numb, unless the fit my calves and my ankles are swimming around in space.

I think you're S.O.L. Rhea. A lot of people wish they were "more normal" in shape, whether for reasons of fashion or plain old self-consciousness. I'm fairly *cough cough* normal/skinny at about 5'11" and 155 lbs. (up to 165 if I work out religiously for a couple of months - can't ever seem to get fat no matter what/how much I eat). With a 32-33" waist, my shoulders ... are way too wide. Shirts that fit the rest of my torso bind at the armpits and sleeves are halfway up to the elbows, so I have to size up the shirts and gather the excess to tuck into pants. Gives me a permanently sloppy look - or at least I think so.
I wonder if there's anyone on this forum who doesn't have SOME physical attribute they consider abnormal or a-normal.

I don't.

I am the standard against which all claims of normality must be judged.

 

[Rhea]

I think you're S.O.L. Rhea. A lot of people wish they were "more normal" in shape, whether for reasons of fashion or plain old self-consciousness. I'm fairly *cough cough* normal/skinny at about 5'11" and 155 lbs. (up to 165 if I work out religiously for a couple of months - can't ever seem to get fat no matter what/how much I eat). With a 32-33" waist, my shoulders ... are way too wide. Shirts that fit the rest of my torso bind at the armpits and sleeves are halfway up to the elbows, so I have to size up the shirts and gather the excess to tuck into pants. Gives me a permanently sloppy look - or at least I think so.
I wonder if there's anyone on this forum who doesn't have SOME physical attribute they consider abnormal or a-normal.

Oh, I totally get how everyone is a unique shape. It’s just the distance from fittable that I was investigating. If it’s not too far, one can find a specialized store, you know? But if it’s really really far, then you can’t just “tuck it in.” So talking about where on the curve on is, can lead to data that can help one decide on custom clothes or something.