All Body Standards

Shoulder Size Standards for Lifters (in)

The average shoulder size for lifters is 47 in for men and 41 in for women. Compare your unflexed shoulder size by gender and height below.

Size Unit
Inches (in)
Centimetres (cm)
Our shoulder size standards are based on 1,489 measurements from Strength Level users from 2022 to 2026. More...

Overall Shoulder Size Standards (in)

RatingMaleFemale
Very Small 41 36
Small 44 38
Medium 47 41
Large 51 44
Very Large 55 47

What is the average shoulder size?

Men

47 in

Women

41 in

The average shoulder size for lifters across all heights is 47 in for men and 41 in for women.

What shoulder size is large? A shoulder size of 51 in for men or 44 in for women is large. A very large shoulder size is 55 in for men or 47 in for women.

What shoulder size is small? A shoulder size of 44 in for men or 38 in for women is small. A very small shoulder size is 41 in for men or 36 in for women.

Male Shoulder Size Standards by Height (in)

HeightXSSMLXL
5 ft 3 in 38 41 45 48 52
5 ft 4 in 39 42 45 49 52
5 ft 5 in 39 42 45 49 53
5 ft 6 in 40 42 46 49 53
5 ft 7 in 40 43 46 50 53
5 ft 8 in 40 43 47 50 54
5 ft 9 in 41 44 47 51 54
5 ft 10 in 41 44 47 51 55
5 ft 11 in 41 44 48 51 55
6 ft 0 in 41 45 48 52 56
6 ft 1 in 42 45 48 52 56
6 ft 2 in 42 45 49 53 57
6 ft 3 in 42 46 49 53 57
6 ft 4 in 43 46 50 53 57
6 ft 5 in 43 46 50 54 58

Female Shoulder Size Standards by Height (in)

HeightXSSMLXL
5 ft 0 in 35 37 39 42 44
5 ft 1 in 35 37 39 42 45
5 ft 2 in 35 37 40 42 45
5 ft 3 in 35 38 40 43 45
5 ft 4 in 36 38 40 43 46
5 ft 5 in 36 38 41 43 46
5 ft 6 in 36 39 41 44 46
5 ft 7 in 37 39 41 44 47
5 ft 8 in 37 39 42 44 47
5 ft 9 in 37 39 42 45 48
5 ft 10 in 37 40 42 45 48
5 ft 11 in 38 40 43 45 48
6 ft 0 in 38 40 43 46 49
6 ft 1 in 38 41 43 46 49

What do the shoulder size standards mean?

Very Small (XS) Higher than 5% of users.
Small (S) Higher than 20% of users.
Medium (M) Higher than 50% of users.
Large (L) Higher than 80% of users.
Very Large (XL) Higher than 95% of users.

Ideal Body Measurements Based on Shoulder Size

Male Ideal Body Measurements Based on Shoulder Size

The average shoulder size for a male lifter is 47 in. Ideal body measurements at this size are shoulders 47.0 in, chest 39.9 in, hips 36.7 in, waist 31.5 in, thighs 22.1 in, neck 15.0 in, calves 14.6 in, biceps 14.1 in and forearms 11.3 in. Based on 1,260 male results from 2022 to 2026.

Measurement unit: inches (in).

Standard sizes: XS 41 in · S 44 in · M 47 in · L 51 in · XL 55 in

Body Part Average Ideal
Shoulders 47.0 in 47.0 in
Chest 40.4 in 39.9 in
Hips 38.1 in 36.7 in
Waist 34.8 in 31.5 in
Thighs 22.6 in 22.1 in
Neck 15.5 in 15.0 in
Calves 15.0 in 14.6 in
Biceps 14.1 in 14.1 in
Forearms 11.3 in 11.3 in

Average shows body sizes based on all lifters. Ideal shows body sizes based on lean lifters.

Ideal Shoulder Ratios

Shoulder to waist ratios use shoulder circumference.

Male Ideal Shoulder Ratios

The ideal shoulder to waist ratio for a male lifter is 1.48. The ideal shoulder to hip ratio for a male lifter is 1.28. Ratios show each body part divided by shoulder size. Based on 1,260 male results from 2022 to 2026.

Body Part Average Ideal
Shoulders 1.00 1.00
Chest 0.86 0.85
Hips 0.81 0.78
Waist 0.74 0.67
Thighs 0.48 0.47
Neck 0.33 0.32
Calves 0.32 0.31
Biceps 0.30 0.30
Forearms 0.24 0.24

Average shows shoulder ratios based on all lifters. Ideal shows shoulder ratios based on lean lifters.

How to Measure Shoulder Size

For the closest comparison, measure your shoulder unflexed with a flexible tape on bare skin or light clothing. Stand with your arms relaxed. Ask someone to run the tape around the widest part of both shoulders, over the outer deltoids and across the upper chest and back. Keep the tape flat and snug without compressing the skin, and use the same method each time. Community measurements are self-reported, so individual technique may vary.

Is shoulder size the same as shoulder width?

No. The tape wraps around both shoulders, the upper chest and the upper back. Shoulder width is a straight-line measurement across the body and is not comparable with these standards.

Data behind the shoulder size standards

Strength Level analysed 1,489 results to produce our shoulder size standards. For ideal shoulder ratios, we linked these with 44,956 measurements across 9 body parts. We will continue to update them as more community data becomes available. See how Body Standards were developed in 2026.

Total results 1,489
Male results 1,260
Female results 229
Lean male results 106
Lean female results 17
Data start
Data cutoff

More Body Size Standards

Biceps

Men 15 in Women 12 in

Bicep Size Standards (in)

1,980 user measurements 2022–2026

Chest

Men 41 in Women 37 in

Chest Size Standards (in)

3,086 user measurements 2022–2026

Waist

Men 35 in Women 31 in

Waist Size Standards (in)

3,774 user measurements 2022–2026

Hips

Men 38 in Women 39 in

Hip Size Standards (in)

2,973 user measurements 2022–2026

Thighs

Men 23 in Women 23 in

Thigh Size Standards (in)

2,595 user measurements 2022–2026

Shoulders

Men 47 in Women 41 in

Shoulder Size Standards (in) (this page)

1,489 user measurements 2022–2026

Forearms

Men 11 in Women 10 in

Forearm Size Standards (in)

1,902 user measurements 2022–2026

Calves

Men 15 in Women 15 in

Calf Size Standards (in)

2,192 user measurements 2022–2026

Neck

Men 16 in Women 13 in

Neck Size Standards (in)

2,724 user measurements 2022–2026

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